Resting After my Injury ... Facing my Own Words
Can I say how much I love my clients? Gosh, such amazing people, they were accommodating, understanding, and offered me their support. Interestingly, many of them found it odd that I got injured. “How weird!” one of them said. “All this time I thought you were invincible,” she continued with a polite chuckle.
“That’s what I used to think,” I acknowledged hanging up with a smile. I’ll confess that after unraveling a couple of complex cases the week before, I got a huge boost in my confidence, but it went a bit out of control going as far as making me think I was immune to injuries.
Now I was faced with the prospect of having to rest and avoid exercise for an uncertain length of time. Thanks to the work of Dhyana, I was pain-free in laying on my side and back and my sleep was not compromised. Full of hope, I slept dreaming of going back to intense exercise in a couple of days.
‘When I woke up the morning after the pain was still there. The intensity had diminished but moving still proved difficult. Maybe it’s a kidney stone, I thought trying to justify the pain based on its location. I called Doctor Greg Keyes, who in my modest opinion, is the best physician in all the island, and he arranged to see me in the early afternoon.
I itched to get up and swing kettlebells, do burpees, jump rope, or go for a run but the pain when trying to move reminded me of my situation. I could not wait to see Doctor Keyes. Perhaps he’d give me something to help me eliminate the stone, like he did many years ago, and I’d be back to full activity even sooner.
“You have a strain, not a stone,” he said after a full examination. “The work Dhyana did will help you but you still have to rest and let the strain heal.” Doctor Keyes gave me his intense stare disguised by his gentle smile.
Ah, rest! What is that? I knew then that I had talked myself into believing I was exempt from the rules of healing, yet here I was, just as human. My symptoms improved throughout the day but any form of fast movement brought paralyzing twinges of pain. I knew this wasn’t going to be a couple of days of recovery.
Reluctantly, I rested. To my annoyance, the most comfortable positions were lying on my back and my right side. Seating and standing were difficult. I truly had to take bed rest.
How I wished to be back on the exercise floor performing barbell snatches and double-unders. How I craved for the freedom of footwork on the track. My books were a saving grace but I still itched to get up and my mind concocted ways to work around.
But the pain reminded again to stay still. I had to face my own advice and it was difficult and humbling. I used the time to read and increase my meditation, which helped me shift my perspective. I was ready to return to work in two days keeping a light load as precaution for the next three days.
The incident took place about two weeks ago and the restrictions are virtually gone. As I write this, I have resumed exercise but I’m applying the judiciousness I preach to others and I’m building back up slowly. Fourteen days seems like an eternity until I put it in perspective.
Many years ago, this type of injury would keep me sidelined for months, not days. It wasn’t uncommon to get new injuries often. That’s what drove me into the pain therapy field, the anxiety of knowing there had to be a way to optimize recovery and prevent future incidents. The back incident I just mentioned is the first time I sustain a disabling injury in many years.
I’m grateful for all I’ve learned and all the people who’ve come to my life through those learning years. And I’m also humbled and I know how frustrating it is to take time off after treatment. I return to my pain-therapy practice with a new perspective and a deeper appreciation for unrestricted movement, and greater compassion for those who have to stop their favorite physical activities as they allowed their bodies to heal.
How about you? How difficult do you find it to take time off after an injury?
I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time
