R.I.C.E.

Disclaimer: At the risk of becoming one of the parents in the hilarious Progressive commercials, I'm going to tell a little tale of an injury, not because I am looking for sympathy, but because of the lesson I learned from it. I won't, however, tell you what I ate or what time I woke up. Nor will I ask silly questions about technology or hang inspirational signs throughout the house. Promise. 

I felt the "pop" inside my leg as I did banded low side shuffles, part of a DIY total body workout I pieced together on the Sunday before our 3-day anniversary staycation. My shinny shin shin was already screaming from leg day at the gym a couple of days prior, but I convinced myself it was nothing. 

And then a took a few steps to return equipment to its rightful place. Ouch.

I hobbled the quarter mile home, still talking myself off the ledge.

You just need to stretch it. This walk will help. It's fine. You're fine. Everything is fine. 

I applied some ice and threw on a compression sleeve before carrying on with my day of laundry and packing. Lifting my leg to shave was a feat in the slippery shower, but it had to be done. The beach and pool awaited for the next 3 days, so I gingerly lifted it to the ledge.

You've been here before. It will heal. It's just a shin. It's fine. You're fine. Everything is fine. 

The next day, we arrived at the hotel, situated directly on the pristine beach of Marco Island. John had been  looking forward to walks on the beach during this short stint, as evidenced by him mentioning it umpteen times. And, even though I could barely make it up or down a flight of stairs, I smiled in agreement. It will be great. I can't wait. I do like walks on the beach. What I don't love is pain while doing so. But, the thought of disappointing him was greater than the anticipated pain. It will be fine. You're fine. Everything is fine.  

Guess what's not great when any part of your lower extremities is giving you grief? You guessed it: walks through sinking sand and on an uneven beach surface, even with a compression sleeve. But, I made it and even convinced myself working the muscles in a different way would help. Plus, it's just a few walks. What can that hurt? 

Fast forward to Thursday when I looked down and noticed a rather puffed up knee. Crap.

Fun fact: Lots of things hurt on me, but I have so far escaped having any knee problems, a major coup given my family history. So, not only did my knee hurt, my psyche was a little bruised as well. 

Another fun fact: I have a bad habit (although it's gotten much better) of catastrophizing things, so my thoughts immediately focused on not being able to work out, gaining all my weight back, the improbability of getting in with a good ortho doctor this time of year, knee surgery, etc. 

It wasn't looking any better on Friday and Saturday, but at least I had ditched the catastrophic mindset and went to what I knew a doctor would prescribe as a first step: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. 

By Sunday, I was looking up rehab exercises for a torn meniscus--which I didn't think I really had but figured they couldn't hurt. I have been doing them daily since then. Try to heal yourself before you run to a doctor is my MO. By Tuesday, the swelling was going down. By Thursday, any discomfort was down to one spot below my knee/at the top of my shin. 

I still have no idea if it's a knee issue (creaks are part of getting older--right?) or a muscular issue, but I do know it's getting better. It is killing me not to go to my HIIT classes except for arm days, but I'm forcing myself to stay away. 

OK, now for the lesson I learned part. R.I.C.E isn't just a good acronym for injuries, it also works for challenges in life. 

R: Rest is a vital part of being and staying healthy--both mentally and physically. But, it's generally the first thing to go when life gets hectic. Whether it's our upbringing that drilled the message that resting is lazy with idioms such as the early bird gets the worm, idle hands are the devil's playground or just simply not enough hours in a day to get it all done, we sacrifice relaxation and sleep as a first defense way too often. 

I: Putting things on ice is a great strategy when life gets overwhelming. Not everything has to be handled or attended to immediately. It is OK to postpone plans or delay making decisions when you're not in a good place emotionally. It's also OK if some stressors stay on ice permanently, much like the bananas you freeze for future smoothies then forget about until they are unappetizing black stumps lurking in the way back of your freezer. 

C: Compression is defined as "a force that tends to shorten or squeeze something, decreasing its volume" (The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition). Think about the implications of applying compression to those dragons in your life, turning them into the lizards they really are (credit my therapist who introduced me to this life-altering concept). We tend to let things grow until they are suddenly all-encompassing and bigger than life. But, what if we did the opposite by decreasing their volume? It's pretty empowering when you squeeze the life out of something negative, take away its grip on you. 

E: Elevating yourself goes against the way a lot of us were raised. I might be aging myself here, but I grew up in the children are to be seen and not heard era, the one where no one but first and second place winners got ribbons or trophies, the one where feeling good about yourself seemed to be a sin. This created a lot of fun people who really struggle with ever giving themselves credit. Look great because you work really hard at it? It's just good genes. Successful at your job because of your great work ethic and perseverance? You lucked into it, were in the right place at the right time. That thinking also created people who obsessively look outward for validation, not a great look. We shouldn't be afraid to give ourselves a pat on the back, to feel good about our accomplishments (big and small), to compliment ourselves. It's not vanity to extend the same kindness and grace to yourself that you so freely give to others. 

I guess all the sitting around with my leg in a compression brace, wrapped in ice and elevated on pillows wasn't such a waste after all. Don't get me wrong, I am itching to get back at it, but the injury gave me the nudge to re-evaluate a few things--whether I wanted to or not. I just hope next time I'm smart enough to put life on R.I.C.E. before pain forces me to. 


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