How did you get through your injury?

arussell134
arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
edited November 15 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm currently dealing with a knee injury which means I can't do the thing I love to do the most ---- run. At this point, rest isn't helping 100%, so I'm going to pursue help from a PT.

In the meantime... I'm wondering if anyone out there has experienced an injury that prevented you from doing your chosen sport and what you did both physically and mentally to get through it. I'd love any positive & uplifting stories and thoughts! TIA.

Replies

  • I went through cancer and had 5 operations in 2 years. You just keep an eye on the future and remember your recovery is more important than your sport right now. Make other goals for yourself. I wasn't allowed to lift weights or run for maybe 1-3 months after surgeries (it varied, and honestly I cannot remember them all at this point), but I sure as heck walked some pretty extreme hills. I changed the shape of my butt without even realizing that would happen. So there's a silver lining.

    Good luck! Time will pass eventually =)
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
    I went through cancer and had 5 operations in 2 years. You just keep an eye on the future and remember your recovery is more important than your sport right now. Make other goals for yourself. I wasn't allowed to lift weights or run for maybe 1-3 months after surgeries (it varied, and honestly I cannot remember them all at this point), but I sure as heck walked some pretty extreme hills. I changed the shape of my butt without even realizing that would happen. So there's a silver lining.

    Good luck! Time will pass eventually =)

    OK WOW, you just gave me a ton of perspective! I hope that you're doing better; thanks for sharing your story!

  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
    I stopped tracking my calories, stopped weight lifting and got fat again...don't go down that path ;)
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    I spend almost 2 years immobilized and wacked out on lots of morphine after breaking my neck.

    After I regained my mobility I could barely walk from being so weak and fat. So there I was, depressed , addicted to morphine, smoking a pack of cigs a day and drinking a pot of coffee To stay awake and I could barley walk 20 feet to the bathroom.

    It was pretty bleak to say the least. One day I simply decided to either get busy living or die.

    I quit the cigs, coffee and morphine and anti depressants all cold turkey one day. Figured if I survived that then it was my fate and I would find a way to get my fitness back.

    I ordered a stationary bike and joined MFP.

    Now I ride my road bike 35 to 60 miles a day 4 days a week. I have lost 80 lbs and am happy and healthy. Doctor took me off blood pressure and cholesterol meds and sez I am fit as a fiddle. I have 20 titanium bolts, 1 plate and 2 rods in my neck and it still hurts but I don't take any pain meds for it.

    If I had a piece of advise it would be " Harden the F%^k Up "
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
    alyhuggan wrote: »
    I stopped tracking my calories, stopped weight lifting and got fat again...don't go down that path ;)

    I am afraid of that, so doing all I can to pay attention to my weight & diet. I'm hoping if I can't resume running by the end of this week, that I can find some other forms of exercise to maintain my fitness that won't impact my knee.

  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    I spend almost 2 years immobilized and wacked out on lots of morphine after breaking my neck.

    After I regained my mobility I could barely walk from being so weak and fat. So there I was, depressed , addicted to morphine, smoking a pack of cigs a day and drinking a pot of coffee To stay awake and I could barley walk 20 feet to the bathroom.

    It was pretty bleak to say the least. One day I simply decided to either get busy living or die.

    I quit the cigs, coffee and morphine and anti depressants all cold turkey one day. Figured if I survived that then it was my fate and I would find a way to get my fitness back.

    I ordered a stationary bike and joined MFP.

    Now I ride my road bike 35 to 60 miles a day 4 days a week. I have lost 80 lbs and am happy and healthy. Doctor took me off blood pressure and cholesterol meds and sez I am fit as a fiddle. I have 20 titanium bolts, 1 plate and 2 rods in my neck and it still hurts but I don't take any pain meds for it.

    If I had a piece of advise it would be " Harden the F%^k Up "

    WOW! That is an inspiring story! I sure hope it won't take me a couple years to get back out there ... and if I can't run, I'll need to find something(s) to replace it in the interim STAT.

    Thanks for the kick in the pants though... I know I've been laying around feeling sorry for myself. I need to snap out of that attitude!
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    Yup, the sooner you realize nobody is coming to your pity party the better.
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    Yup, the sooner you realize nobody is coming to your pity party the better.

    I really appreciate the straight talk. I think it's what I needed to hear tonight. I've been sad, but I'm ready to be over it. I don't want to go in the opposite direction and have my hard work undone.

    Thank you.

  • Sarasari
    Sarasari Posts: 139 Member
    I tore my Achilles tendon so badly that I could sit in a chair and do ab exercises, or arm exercises and that was about it for awhile. I believe 6 weeks. Then I could slowly add in some leg stuff and very slow walks or indoor bike. I'm still healing so inclines are tough for me, but I am able to run in short spurts again. I worked with a PT and they were wonderful, they may be able to come up with some alternates for you, but make sure you listen, so you don't take even longer to heal. Good luck!
  • Mistya81
    Mistya81 Posts: 29 Member
    I had an ACL rupture and reconstruction with a hamstring graft. I gained a lot of weight which I'm now losing again because I've only been able to really be active again for the past 3 months. However...I got myself a personal trainer 1X/week who was sensitive to my injury and I learned kettlebells until I was able to have surgery. It wasn't the best kickboxing replacement but now I can do some pretty cool tricks in the gym.

    Best of luck!
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    I think somehow we all need to hear it at some point. But just because somebody says it to you doesn't always mean you heard it. Heck I think most of the time we resent it. But When it sinks in and that seed of an idea begins to grow, then you've got something. From then on the more you nurture and feed that seed the bigger and stronger it grows and there is no stopping you from achieving your goal.

    I don't know when I heard it but when I finally set my mind to it not even the violent 4 day illness of morphine withdrawal was going to stop me.
  • DoneWorking
    DoneWorking Posts: 247 Member
    I did a real job on my back back in '82. It was six months, and a lot of chiropractor visits, before I could walk without a limp. Two years later, I'd gone as far as I could, and the pain had become a little more than a dull ache. So, I decided to just live with it. It hurts every day, but I've ignored it for so long, I really don't notice it that much anymore, unless I do something that tweaks it. Good luck on your recovery.
  • IzzyBooNZ1
    IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    Yup, the sooner you realize nobody is coming to your pity party the better.

    I really appreciate the straight talk. I think it's what I needed to hear tonight. I've been sad, but I'm ready to be over it. I don't want to go in the opposite direction and have my hard work undone.

    Thank you.

    this is exactly what I NEEDED to hear for myself, so thank you. I came on hear looking for injury posts and this is perfect.

    I hurt my knee on saturday, twisted it in thai boxing and I've been sulking since ( today is tuesday) cos I haven't been able to exercise. It's actually starting to feel better but just it wobbles every now and then. ugh I have no patience for this cr*p.

    anyway I'm also ready to be over it

    thank you and speedy and full recovery to all of those injured




  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited April 2015
    lower body stuff is really frustrating because you're just way less mobile, you lose independence, you sit at home and stew. everyone needs to try to get out and see people as much as poss, and stay physically and mentally active in ways that don't compromise the injury.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    Nothing as drastic as others, but knee arthritis stopped my running, which led to weight gain.
    One day I woke up, decided to focus on what I could do, rather than couldn't do. Now I walk/hike, use the elliptical, and lift ... and enjoy life a whole lot more again.
  • MikeDuncan2
    MikeDuncan2 Posts: 1 Member
    i shattered my left leg (tibia and fibula 17 breaks in total tore all the nerves to from mid shin down so i have no feeling in my lower leg and foot) in a rock climbing accident in april of 2013 and spent 9 months before i was walking. i was doped up on morphine for a lot of it and i just tried to focus on how much *kitten* i was going to kick when i get better. now just under 2 years after my accident im back running 22minute 5km and rock climbing twice a week. basically im saying dont think about how injured you are right now think about how awesome it will be to be back at full strength.
  • Smallc10
    Smallc10 Posts: 608 Member
    I had to have surgery on my leg last fall to fix the pain that I was having (benign tumor pressing on a nerve) - Once it was removed I was able to slowly build back up strength in that leg, but that took a while. I had to basically quit biking, quit everything but walking for a while. Once my leg stopped hurting I built it back up with intervals and now I'm lifting again 5 months later - and I'm almost back to where I was pre surgery - need to lose another 10 lbs but I'm lifting what I was pre surgery so that's a win in my book.
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
    i shattered my left leg (tibia and fibula 17 breaks in total tore all the nerves to from mid shin down so i have no feeling in my lower leg and foot) in a rock climbing accident in april of 2013 and spent 9 months before i was walking. i was doped up on morphine for a lot of it and i just tried to focus on how much *kitten* i was going to kick when i get better. now just under 2 years after my accident im back running 22minute 5km and rock climbing twice a week. basically im saying dont think about how injured you are right now think about how awesome it will be to be back at full strength.

    WOW - that is a great perspective!! And, nice 5K time! ;)

  • jlohcook
    jlohcook Posts: 228 Member
    Twisted my ankle 1 year ago, didn't run for 2 monts. Did a bit of lifting, watched my diet. Went back to running but I was not fully recovered when I started running, and there's continous discomfort. Switched to light run, did more stretching, weights, physio on the ankle. Much better. So advice to u...let your injury recover do not aggravate. You can focus on other areas eg upper body workout that does not use your knee. Wear a knee guard, take glucosamine. Watch your diet.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    I am still in recovery from a tendon injury, which has forced me to stay away from my two all-time favourite activities: running and classes based on dancing. I had for a few months to slow running down to a slow walk-jog, then get physical therapy and now after havign to completely quit for 2 months, I am back to starting to run again. It was not easy, especially mentally, and very frustrating. To give myself a mental boost and find something new to focus on, I decided to completely change my training routine for now, to find new goals and new motivation. So, I exchanged my usual bodyweight training for weight lifting, which I have not done for years, so it is a challenge, I added pilates, and since I still am scared of running much, I will be starting swimming next week.
  • jontucc
    jontucc Posts: 142 Member
    Sorry if this is a silly question but when you say PT are you referring to a physiotherapist/physio therapy or personal trainer?
    Reason I ask is I started exercising in January and already have hurt my back and now shoulder/neck area. Nothing too serious but I don't want to aggravate it either.

  • IzzyBooNZ1
    IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
    For my PT is a personal trainer
  • jontucc
    jontucc Posts: 142 Member
    IzzyBooNZ1 wrote: »
    For my PT is a personal trainer
    Thanks. I think I need to see a personal trainer to show me how to lift properly and prevent injury.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    jontucc wrote: »
    Sorry if this is a silly question but when you say PT are you referring to a physiotherapist/physio therapy or personal trainer?
    Reason I ask is I started exercising in January and already have hurt my back and now shoulder/neck area. Nothing too serious but I don't want to aggravate it either.

    If you think you have an injury see a doctor/physical therapist. A physical therapists can show you proper exercise form taking your injury into account.
  • Roeygal
    Roeygal Posts: 26
    I was hit by a car last year because the guy fell asleep at the wheel as I was walking back to university, so at a pretty impressive speed. My hip and knees in particular were out of it for a while, but the nurses suggested I walk a lot, which I did, and I made sure to keep to a small amount of light strength training, especially in the unaffected areas, ignoring if I felt I could go over the reps on the body parts that shouldn't. It's just about letting your body play catch-up and not over-exerting yourself when you can't.

    I also paid quite a bit more attention to what I was eating, and put more good stuff into body which could only help it heal quicker. It was a long wait, but as long as you have patience you should be alright. :blush:
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I'm currently dealing with a knee injury which means I can't do the thing I love to do the most ---- run. At this point, rest isn't helping 100%, so I'm going to pursue help from a PT.

    In the meantime... I'm wondering if anyone out there has experienced an injury that prevented you from doing your chosen sport and what you did both physically and mentally to get through it. I'd love any positive & uplifting stories and thoughts! TIA.

    You need to work a few things out:

    a) why you got injured: was it excessive volume, bad technique, inadequate recovery, compensatory movement due to issue elsewhere, etc. This is number one priority. You need to work on what caused the issue and resolve that.

    b) Find a rehab protocol that will address the issue in your knee (and other issues that may have caused it). You'll probably need to find a professional who will get you to do some sort of strengthening exercises and also work on any overtight related areas. Keeping the knee mobile and getting fluids in and taking waste out by any activity that doesn't make it worse is probably a good idea in the meantime.

    c) Re-examine your training programme for weaknesses/omissions (all serious athletes should be doing this regularly anyway). Do you need more mobility/soft tissue work? More recovery time? Changes in volume/frequency/intensity/whatever? More strengthening work?

    If you just wait until your knee feels better and plunge straight back into what you were doing before, then you open yourself up to the possibility of the same/worse happening further down the road. And being benched temporarily turns into retirement from the activity you love.

    And yes, over 20+ years I've come back from a variety of injuries. I still structure my training around a shoulder injury I sustained 26 years ago. It's not to say you can't still do what you want, you've just got to be smart about it, plan the comeback correctly and then make sure you don't make any existing issues worse and actively strive to make problem areas as optimal as they can be.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    nothing too serious just a 2nd degree tear of my gracilis (part of the groin muscle) which because I was a doofus took longer to heal than it should have....still bothers me sometimes.

    Once I realized it was as bad as it was I did what my PT (physio Therapist) told me to do....and even to this day I do the exercises if it's stiff or sore.

    Physically I did other things like walking or swimming for exercise as well as other lower body lifts that didn't hurt as much.

    Mentally I kept on track with my calories and knew it was only a matter of time for it to be healed.

    It took an entire year for me to get back to "normal" and in that time Lost another 15lbs and got to goal weight.
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