Injuries Great and Small

It's no secret that I've had my fair share of injuries over the years.  Most of them are just due to being an active person.  Some are the result of the activities I chose.  I am incredibly aware that I have only the one body and have become even more aware that once you really damage something it's never quite the same again.  I'm trying to deal with my injuries positively and proactively.

My bike accident from September of 2014 is pretty much resolved.  Got the settlement, all of the bills are paid, new bike, as healed as I probably ever will be.  I still do physical therapy on my shoulder every weekday on my own.  I can do most things from before.  I can do monkey bars, pull ups if I keep my elbows in, tricep push-ups, etc.  I discovered recently that I can't really punch things.

Well, I can, and it doesn't even hurt that much during the punching.  A few weeks ago I took a boxing class and was really happy with going through the entire thing.  Two days later I couldn't lift my coffee without pain.  It took a week before my shoulder was back to normal.  It's kind of a bummer.  I suppose I could try and build it up gradually, do a round here, maybe two rounds the next week, three the following, etc.  Or maybe I should just be done.  The chances of me competing again are slim.  I'm old.  I doubt my shoulder could handle training at the intensity and frequency I would need to bring myself to competition level.  Theatre is moving along at a nice pace and I don't have a lot of down time between shows.  Maybe it's time to give it up.  I miss it though.  I do miss martial arts.  

Around the same time as my accident, I tore something in my leg.  For a long time I thought it was hamstring related.  I found out this year it was piriformis and that it will get better.  This winter it DID start getting better, over a year after the injury.  I still have to pay more attention to that leg.  I HAVE to roll out after running, something I could get away without doing before, but that's not a bad thing.  I can even run after taking a yoga class, not preferred, but it was an impossibility last year.  I don't have to modify yoga poses as much on my right side any more.  Very suddenly, that right leg opened up.

Things have started moving around since that injury is now recovering.  Stress moves to different areas I suppose.  My right knee started hurting two weeks ago.  I thought it was my IT band at first and did some extra rolling.  The pain continued and worsened very suddenly.  I ran five miles on a Wednesday, rolled out extra good.  Thursday I could barely walk, took the day off.  Friday I couldn't run at all and putting weight on it was painful.  I saw the doctor on Saturday.  He diagnosed patellar tendinitis and told me to take a week off running, get a patellar strap, ice regularly and dose with 600 mgs of ibuprofen twice a day.

Taking a week off of running was horrid.  I already had five pounds that I was hoping to lose (I know, not a priority) that I had put on during the previous weeks due to celebratory and stress circumstances.  I was forced to find something else to do.  Boxing was out.  Biking was fine, but I already bike a lot.  Yoga was good too.  Swimming was recommended.  Ugh.  I hate swimming.

An Instagram picture I put up after that first run.  I was SO happy to be moving again without pain.

But I did it.  I got a week trial membership at Dean's gym and stopped by the pool after work every day and made myself swim for thirty minutes.  I also fit in extra yoga classes.  Most days doing two yoga classes a day.  My shoulders were so sore on Thursday that I took that day off swimming.  I've done a lot of working out in my life, but I am more proud of slogging through those swims than almost anything else I've ever done.  I really find nothing enjoyable in lap swimming.  I DO think I got better at it, but I do not enjoy it.

I began running again as soon as the week restriction was lifted.  It felt SO GOOD!  I was SO EXCITED!  Today the pain started coming back.  I called my doctor to see if I could continue the ibuprofen (I was only supposed to be on it ten days) and left a message for a nurse.  After some self-talk, I've decided to take a few more days off of running.  It's what I would advise anyone I know to do.  It currently doesn't hurt when I run, but it begins to hurt as soon as the ibuprofen starts wearing off.  I figure I had better back off now or risk having to back off for a longer time if I do extensive damage.  

It's upsetting.  I WANT to run so badly.  I also want to eat all of the food and I've made cuts in my diet to counterbalance the change in training.  I'm trying to learn.

My doctor called back the following day and left me a message saying definitely to continue the ibuprofen and if the pain stops me from running to come back in.  I'm going to try a short run today and a long run tomorrow.  Lots of ice and stretching to follow.

Stillness is difficult for me.  I'm happiest when moving.  When moving causes pain, I get very morose.  I'm trying to let this experience help me to change that.  I'm trying to find other things to do.  (Maybe I'll even try to make that meditation thing a regular habit.)  I tell myself if I'm a little more careful now, maybe I can still run the race in two weeks.  Maybe I can still run when the weather is finally nice and summer like.  Maybe if I'm careful now, this will be temporary.

It's difficult, but I'm trying.