Lessons from injury / approaches to recovery

Already since Saturday this injury (broken collarbone) has offered numerous lessons. ("what's the rush?", "listen to your body," and "trust your instincts" are a few; also that i can have my mother help me bathe and dress for the first time in 30-odd years and it won't kill me)

i'm curious what lessons you've drawn from injury & recovery.

i'm also interested in hearing about how you approached recovery from an injury--a vacation? an opportunity to read voraciously? an opportunity to train in a totally different way (for instance, one-handed)? etc.-- and how that was helpful to you or not.

Jenny

I am still trying to figure out what I am suppose to learn from my injury. I injured my calf muscle last week, I heard a "pop" sounds when I was running on the soccer field with the teenage kids I advise - yes my foot and my calf are be-yu-tiful shades of blue and purple right now! Luckily it wasn't my tendon.

Maybe my lesson to be learned is -
1.Get yourself back into shape so this doesn't happen again!
2. You are not a teenager anymore!

Trish Greene wrote: 2. You are not a teenager anymore!

My mind says "Yes you are."
My body laughs and says " No you're not."

David

I've learned patience and acceptance of reality.
I've learned that training takes many forms.

This year has been my year to go through that cycle. The running theme in my injuries was ramping up my level of training too quickly. I dislocated a couple of ribs whitewater paddling in August trying to get myself in shape to race nationals at the last minute. In November I separated my shoulder mountain biking after the ribs had just healed, again ramping up my effort to get back in shape before winter set in. In February I went to a seminar only about two weeks after the shoulder healing enough to do breakfalls, and snapped my Achilles tendon.

I think this time I'll give myself a few months to gradually increase my level of activity and see how that goes.

Best wishes healing up the collarbone. I'm sure glad to hear you didn't separate it in the same injury. Mine still hurts a lot six months later.

Paul

I've learned that I should enjoy my training, because my ability to train could possibly disappear at any time.

I've also learned that all of my students donate their bodies to one another when we train, and that we should all be thankful for that trust.

Wow, this is already so helpful, I can't wait to see what others are going to come up with.

Paul Shipley wrote: ....The running theme in my injuries was ramping up my level of training too quickly.

this resonates with me. lately my ukemi has gotten much better, and it's been incredibly fun and exciting to feel that improvement. That paired with this sense that I'm in good enough shape to train more often, and also the sense that my initial one year commitment to Aikido is ready to become a five or ten year commitment (all about intention! who knows what will happen).

So, the obvious lesson right now is, sure, make the commitment, enjoy the improvement, but don't rush. Be in the moment. Enjoy right now and see what comes of doing right now as well as possible.

Paul Shipley wrote: I'm sure glad to hear you didn't separate it in the same injury. Mine still hurts a lot six months later.

thank you, Paul...you are about the fifth person who has mentioned how long soft tissue injuries take to heal fully--definitely glad to have the break instead!

Jenny

I won't be even looking at a mat for the forseeable future (I had an ACDF of c5/c6 and c6/c7) 2 weeks ago. I'm just increasing my non-impact work very slowly day by day.
Just ask yourself, should I train through this and risk permanent problems? Or would it be better to wait, it's only a martial art I'm missing whan all's said and done?