It had been hurting for months, but I ignored it. I’m stubborn, I had a marathon to run and it didn’t hurt so badly that it prevented me from training, so I just stayed the stubborn course. Stupid!
I felt it tear five steps into my run. But staying true to my stubbornness, I continued and finished a five-mile run. Stupid!
Sundee Hill, my physical therapist at Community Rehab Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, just shook her head as she watched me hobble through the door the next morning. “What now?” she asked.
Sundee has seen me through a lot. The first time I hobbled through her door was to learn to walk again after my stroke almost seven years ago. Her expertise and motivation not only helped me regain mobility, but she also has encouraged me to dare to go beyond my perceived limitations and run three marathons. Her support and professional guidance have been extremely important to my recovery and success.
Sundee’s diagnosis this time? Torn gluteus muscle in my hip.
My stroke effected my left leg, leaving it forever weaker than my right side. You wouldn’t know by looking at me, because I walk with no discernable limp. That’s because my right leg has learned to compensate for the muscle weakness and the drop foot on my left side. Over time, that compensation has caused my pelvis to tilt and shift position.
My hip was telling me something was wrong, but I didn’t listen. At some point, something has to give, and that is what caused a gluteus muscle to tear. Stupid!
Had I chosen not to ignore what my body was trying to tell me, some strengthening exercises would have helped combat the problem and avoid the torn muscle. Now it is a much bigger, slower-resolving process as I nurse my hip back to health, with Sundee’s help. I know her advice and therapy will get me back out there running again soon,and I am thankful for that.
How stupid of me to have ended up here in the first place, though.
My injury is a good reminder that being stubborn or scared to face life’s challenges usually only results in a bigger problem that takes longer to fix. It’s proved to be true so many times in my life. Ignoring problems just doesn’t make them go away. Once again, I took the hard way and am paying the price for my choices.
I’d like to believe that the pain of this injury will give me the resolve to deal with challenges head on, early and with intelligence so that they don’t become so big and painful. Thank goodness I have Sundee to help me heal and to set me on the right path, again!
