By Heather Cabot, The (not so) Well Mom
Hearing the word “trauma” in association with your own condition is never good. Yet there I was in a hospital gown, waiting for my neck and back to be x-rayed when I overheard two kind technicians trying to decipher what was wrong with me and how to label it on my chart.
“Was she in an accident?” whispered one. “Did something fall on her?”
“No,” explained the other woman solemnly, “It was trauma…trauma at the gym,”
Trauma at the gym. Sounds like the title of some 70’s era B-movie with a Jason-like maniac in a headband and sweat pants chasing down a leg warmer clad heroine.
That’s not exactly what’s causing the throbbing in my neck and my face to feel like it’s sliding to the left. But the apt description made me smile as best I could on a really crappy day.
In fact, I did suffer trauma while working out a couple of days ago. I was doing an overhead press with a 30-pound barbell and adjusted my neck ever so slightly when I felt a crunch and a pain so sharp that I had to bite my lip to keep from crying. Like any busy mom, I have a high threshold for pain so I figured I would “tough” it out and stick to my normal routine with the kids that afternoon. That was dumb. It wasn’t until I woke up with pain throbbing down my arm and tingling in my fingers that I realized this was not a little tweak. It was serious. I needed help and I was scared. The following day, I went to a sports medicine specialist and he diagnosed me with a shoulder sprain. I can barely breathe without hurting. But at least, now I’m on the mend.
I wanted to share my own little cautionary tale because it is a scenario all too familiar to fellow mothers who take care of everyone else so well that when injury or illness strikes, they do not listen to their own bodies. One of the greatest challenges for anyone who needs to be “on” all the time, is respecting the need for rest and recovery. It’s hard to wrap your head around it. But just like those amazing athletes we’re watching in Vancouver this week, taking the time to heal is essential for peak performance. Case in point, Olympian Lindsey Vonn and her nagging shin injury, who because of poor weather, managed to get an extra few days of rest before she took the downhill gold medal this week. Sometimes you have to be forced to sit on the sidelines. But the pay off is real.
I was supposed to be sitting on an airplane today bound for sunny Houston and the exciting Mom 2.0 Summit, a gathering of cool mom bloggers and marketers who meet once a year to network, brainstorm and party. But here I sit in my New York apartment, clenching my teeth in pain, under doctor’s orders not to fly, chomping at the bit to run off my aggravation on this somewhat mild 40-degree day.
There are certainly worse things in life. But injury is a bitch.
I have spent my life working on being fitter and stronger, especially after becoming a mother to twins four years ago. I was actually going to be speaking on a panel about body image at Mom 2.0 and discussing my zeal for “training” for life and the demands of parenthood rather than my previous, more vanity oriented goals (I still have those, too. But the focus on family definitely motivates me in a more passionate way).
In honor of my upcoming fortieth birthday, I had resolved about 6 months ago to finally add in some resistance training to my cardio-heavy routine. Those of you who know me, know that I live for running and spinning and anything that gets my heart pumping. So I was trying to follow my plan earlier this week, working out with a trainer when fate struck. I know I’ll feel better in a few days. As I said, there are certainly many worse things than a hurt shoulder. But the break from the daily grind and even my disciplined workout routine is giving me time to reflect and to embrace what I’m going through. I know that to heal, I have to step back. Often times, letting go or pulling back is the best and only remedy. I’ll keep telling myself that over these next few weeks as I embark on a program of physical therapy and rest. Whether it’s a hurt shoulder or weeks of sleep deprivation or stress, taking time off to recover does not make you a wimp. It makes you smart.
I’ll take smart and annoyed over dumb and compulsive any time.
How about you??
