Coping with injury, minor or major (and weight implications)

Lolli1986

Hi, my name is Lauren.

Food input and energy expenditure are only two factors among many that determine our weight. Other factors often receive less focus, yet certainly influence our weight either directly, or through altering our behaviour. These factors run the full gamut of environmental, social, mental, economic, and physical realms.

Here I wanted to either find a place to talk about injury, or create oneto talk about injury the technical implications upon our lives, and the emotional (because that, I have found, is very important too!).

My story:

Two years ago I realised I had a hernia. What is usually a simple procedure was, unfortunately for me, not simple. Six months after diagnosing it, they cut the wrong place, which got infected and landed me in hospital. Three months later I had the proper operation, which went smoothely, until two months later I found another lump. It's diagnosed as another hernia.

Six months later it is diagnosed as not-a-hernia, but instead a rare vein-lump that is actually more painful.

Six months later I am still waiting for an operation.

Two years after the first diagnosis, I am 10kg heavier, due in large part to spending two years unable to do ANY leg or core excercises. Yes, you read that correctly - I can wave my arms around and that is all.

It amazed me that something seemingly so simple, so garden-variety, could have such a huge impact on my entire way of life.

Prior to initial diagnosis I was extremely active - running, cycling, hiking, off-track hiking, in-creek hiking, climbing-mountains hiking, jumping-out-of-moving-vehicles to catch snakes. Very active. I was a field biologist... think Steve Irwin with a greater regard for how much my presence scares and annoys animals.

Suddenly I couldn't walk more than 2km without needing a painkiller before bed, couldn't carry more than 2 bags of groceries... It was through a long and painful process of elimination that I discovered I couldn't do ANY excercise below the shoulders, and could no longer work on what I loved.

But I am resilient. I got sad and then I got awesome. (Joking..) I actually did get quite sad. I had to give up my studies and the interesting parts of my job. I got extremely anxious. (I believe pent up energy really contributed to this). The anxiety became so bad that I was inexplicably terrified of work and the grocery store. I sought help for this, and medication was involved.

It turns out that medication for anxiety slows the metabolism right down and I suddenly put on 4kg in the space of about 2 months.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to seem to whinge - this experience has actually been amazingly positive: I pursued new and amazing career opportunities; I gained an amazing skillset for coping with anxiety; my confidence in my problem-solving skills is brilliant.

Weight-gain, however, is the problem I have not yet been able to solve, so I am here trying myfitnesspal while waving my arms around to Just Dance 3 and taking multiple 15-30 minute slow-walks throughout the day.

I'm not here looking for excercise options to try; I'm here hoping to talk, and to give and recieve support.

One thing that would honestly support me a lot is simply to read other people's experiences, particularly in regards to weight gain/loss, but also including mental states, etc.

Lauren