May 14 2012
I’m happy that I tore my Achilles: Week 13
It’s almost been 2 months since I last updated this blog; I felt that I didn’t have much to write about. Quite honestly one of the main reasons I started this blog was because it was a form of therapy for me, writing therapy. I guess I used this blog as a venue for me to vent my frustration.
Anyways I’ll get the important stuff out of the way first, about my Achilles. This way, for those who are reading this, you won’t waste your time reading about my "reflections" at the end.
My Achilles feels great. It’s getting stronger, more flexible, and more stable each day.
I’m able to get a pretty good cardio workout now; I have no problem on the bike and elliptical anymore, I can basically go at full intensity.
I found Yoga extremely helpful. I lost so much flexibility and balance and even though I knew this, Yoga REALLY made me see this. I’ve only been to a few sessions but I was able to see lots of improvement each time.
For leg strength, I’ve been dong back lunges, step ups, and single leg deadlifts. Weights are still light, but it’s slowly getting there. I still find squats quite difficult, my hips and left ankle are still quite tight.
I dislike doing calf raises; I find it incredibly boring and if I’m being lazy, I’ll skip them. I can almost do an unassisted calf raise now and I found walking on tip toes to really help.
From what I’ve been told, I don’t have a limp anymore when I walk. Hopefully though my friends and family aren’t just being nice. But I do know that when get tired from walking, I’ll limp if I don’t concentrate about pushing off with the ball of my foot.
I’m hoping to break out into a jog soon. I think I’m almost there.
Why am I happy that I tore my Achilles?
There were so many opportunities available to me before I was injured, and I never took them. "You miss 100% of the shots you never take" - Wayne Gretzky (my rugby coach used to always say this).
I’m happy for this injury because I realized how much of a darn coward I was, and a few weeks in, I realized that I’d hate myself if I let a stupid and minor injury like this one prevent me from doing the stuff I want to do.
For example (and I’ll use this lame one…) one thought that ran across my mind at the beginning was: "Great, just how exactly am I going to impress women now?" Now I’ve never been popular with the ladies, and the last thing I needed was something to make the playing field more difficult.
I am happy I tore my Achilles because I am more hungry for the things I want; I have a clearer sense of my goals and I am less concerned with what other people think of me.
It’s really given me a great opportunity to have an introspective chat with myself (I should highlight a "meaningful one" because I have pointless chatters with myself all the time). The injury may have made the road to where I want to be more shrouded and murky, but the finish line has gotten much clearer and brighter.
I also like to think it’s helped me meet this amazing and beautiful girl. And for reasons I can’t quite comprehend yet, she’s willing to go on long walks with me. Which is well… really good for my rehab. The walking I mean.
Cute! But now I’m hungry for details about “this amazing and beautiful girl” and how your ATR helped you meet her!
This injury is really an interesting journey. The one thing it has taught me is humility. I have always gone out of my way to help others, but I rarely ask for help. It is really hard for me to accept help from an old lady who is holding the door for me. The plus side is that I’m learning to graciously accept the help. They are happy to help and it makes my life easier.
I agree with the humility thing, Michael. It’s been an eye opener for me to be so dependent on others. It’s also teaching me greater compassion for those who are hurt. I had no idea that some things can’t just be “toughed out.” sigh.
Haha Norm, I’ll have to keep that locked up for now…
And Mike and kimjax, I completely agree. For an egoistical guy like me, accepting help felt like it was accepting that I am weak. But it’s not, it’s just that people have empathy and compassion. So maybe it wasn’t I had an unhealthy pride, but a sense of insecurity.
Don’t forget that some groups for the disabled refer to the rest of us (during our “invincible” interludes) as “the temporarily able-bodies”. A useful thought when you’re feeling completely invincible and immortal!
Er, make that “the temporarily able-bodied”.
(Kilomike, there’s a way to set your page so we can edit our posts for the first few minutes. Some of us obviously need that “crutch”!)
I agree with everyone and although it sounds really cheesy the Achilles journey has been so good for me and I too have learnt heaps about myself.
I think the accepting help is really important - we all have some degree of ‘needing to be needed’ and we feel good when we help someone so it is just as important to be on the receiving end and graciously let others help us.
But conversely there are things that only you can do and only you can step up and make it happen - too many people want a quick fix that doesn’t require effort, or hope someone can do it for them. For example I will now be less sympathetic towards people I work with who say they can’t plan their day to help manage their swelling and/or pain; at the beginning I had some problems with swelling and made the decision that controlling that was the top priority so my day revolved around regular stints with my leg up above heart level and I kept that going when I went back to work - it wasn’t always easy to do but I amazed myself how I stuck at it.
And as I’ve said many times how lucky we are that this injury gets better.
I feel the same way, accepting help has always been hard for me. I’ll do anything for anyone, but I feel weak asking for help. I had to move 10 days after my tear, so I had to ask for help. Everyone was so willing and happy and it’s really reinforced some great friendships I have.
I 1982 avduket den første par basketball sko i Nike Air teknologien en stadion, en disruptiv endring i basketball karrieren til Moses Malone og Charles Barkley,.
Any updates on your recovery Kevin?