Frustration

[Shaderon]

Last night in training I ran into a major problem.

Some years ago I fell over while drunk.... I ripped the achillies tendon in my right foot and I couldn't walk properly for a month. When I say properly I mean without pain or tenderness. I was on crutches for two weeks even though the doctor said I was to try without, as I couldn't put any weight on the leg without the ankle buckling. Two years later I twisted my ankle on a curb stone and it happened again, luckily I had my mother with me and she could take my daughter off me and get my car, my daughter was 6 months old at the time and I was carrying her so I wouldn't have managed without my mum.

Last night while doing "front turning kick to side kick" combos the ankle starting hurting on the achillies tendon. I know I've got to RICE it (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) but I also know it'll be out of commision for 2 weeks at least now. I've my seminar and grading up in two weeks...

*tears hair out* I can't bear the frustration of having to say "sorry I can't do that bit today". Luckily Da Boss is watching me to stop me doing anything stupid, I got a lecture last night about training with injuries after I tried to go on *blush* but it's so annoying!!!! :rpo:

Sorry, I just needed to tell someone who knows what it's like to be dedicated enough to hate having to stop training for a while. :wah:

I can still do patterns and arm work, as long as I don't do any high impact stuff or kicking. *sigh*

 

[Drac]

I feel your pain..I was a bouncer for a few years and got into a serious beef on night and wound up breaking my 5th metatarsal..This was the night before taking the State exam for school bus driver...I simple jammed my foot into a combat boot and laced it tight as I could..I passed the test without incident..
However when I removed the boot after I got home I foot ballooned up and I was cruthches for the weekend...

 

[Tarot]

*nod* Totally understand. Last year I dislocated my knee. I was out of training for a month and a half. And when I could get back on the mat I still had to take it easy and not do everything. Very frustrating!

I hope you feel better soon though! Perhaps it will heal quicker than you think this time around.

 

[Shaderon]

Thanks Drac, Tarot, I hope it'll heal quicker too, especially since I caught it before it ripped again ( I hope).

*smiles*

 

[Yeti]

Yup...I've been there too.
I took a sidekick to the ribs while sparring a week before my green belt test and broke one of them. I couldn't even breathe let alone train. I was out of commission for a month, and missed my test. Luckily, my instructor gave me a private "make-up" test once I returned.

Good luck. Do what you can but don't push it. This might be a good time to work on your hand techniques.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

My last major injury was a torn labrum in my shoulder. (yikes) I was told by two surgeons that it would never heal. Fortunately I must be a quick healer because after around nine months I was back to normal. Still that shoulder is a little more tight than my other shoulder.

Hang in there and rest your injury and then continue on. Good luck.

 

[morph4me]

Been there, done that. After many years of jumping back in and trying to train before recovering from injuries it finally sank in, if you try training before you are completely healed, you get to sit out for twice as long, and that's twice as frustrating. I finally learned to listen to my body ( it took awhile, I'm not always the sharpest crayon in the box). I know it's frustrating, but take a deep breath, do what you can do, and let yourself heal.

 

[MJS]

Unfortunately, it seems like there are certain body parts that once injured, they can be reinjured very easily. Take the back for example. I've pulled muscles while lifting. Hurts like hell and limits you alot. Sometimes, just moving or turning the wrong way, even with normal movement, could be enough to throw it out. My Father is the same way with his back.

I'm not a doctor, so I don't know if there are any exercises you can do to strengthen your foot. In any case, take it easy. Don't push yourself. You may also want to look into wrapping your foot somehow, for some extra support.

Mike

 

[shesulsa]

Hey Shaderon, have you seen an ankle specialist?

 

[Brother John]

Wow....I'm sorry you're having to deal with that.
Keep the faith though!! You'll make it. It'll take time and care but you can do it.
check with your doctor, maybe if it's causing you such problems, they could send you to a physical therapist....?

Also: I'm going to REALLy stick my neck out there and say something that's probably going to get me a little BOOO'd by some..
but if you have this very nasty injury to your lower leg/foot:uhohh:
then maybe ITF Tae Kwan Do isn't the martial art for you??
:idunno:
TKD is VERY kicking intensive, such as in that drill you were doing.
I have NOTHING against TKD, I did it for years and had a good time!
But THAT particular injury sounds like something that could easily re-occur and TKD is hard (HARD) on the joints below the belly-button!!!!

You needn't give up martial arts..
but would you be open to trying a different one??
HARD to start over, but it's harder to quit due to a potentially debilitating injury!

Your Brother
John

 

[The Kidd]

I know what it is like to be frustrated over an injury (going thru Physical Therapy as we speak) keep your chin up your in our thoughts.

 

[exile]

Hey Shaderon, have you seen an ankle specialist?

Yes, yes, yes, this you must do, Shaderon!! You can save yourself a world of grief by getting medically expert input on this from the start. I would just add to Shesulsa's advice, seek out someone who's a specialist in sports medicine—it's a specialized branch of medical training, and the sport medicine practitioners are often hard-training people themselves, so they understand (i) your frustrations, (ii) your temptations, and (iii) the state of the art treatments to get you back in the game, safely, at the earlierst possible chance.

My most recent serious MA-related injury was breaking my hand a couple of years ago on a punch-break on a stack of boards; just a tiny misalignent of your fist and you're toast—or at least, I was . When I sought out treatment at my university's sports medicine center, I was directed to a doctor who specializes in hand repair—it's that specialized. Not only that, but when I was out of the splint and into physiotherapy, my physio person was also a hand/arm specialist. So if you can find a sport medicine specialist who focuses on leg/foot injuries, you could well save yourself an awful lot of trouble down the line...

...and good luck on your recovery, Shaderon!

 

[Shaderon]

Hey Shaderon, have you seen an ankle specialist?

Thanks for that Shesulsa, and Exile, I never thought of it. I might just get my doctor to refer me. When I first did it a doctor at the hospital looked at it and I never thought that I might need a specialist but if it's reoccurring then it's possible I should. My medical insurance renews on the 1st April so I could get someone to do it then.

Brother John,

Sorry I can understand what you are saying, but TKD is my passion and I have been doing this for 10 months now without problem. The problem has come mainly from my running, the constant high impact on my achillies tendon. I ran 7k on Sunday and felt that it wasn't quite right, on Monday when I trained there was no problem as we didn't do that much kicking work, but last night it flared up.

If I give anything up it'll be the running, I can just stick to doing 3k a week like I used to do and if I am careful with it, then I can't see that being a problem. I know what you are saying, but I took a long time to find MY art, and ITF TKD is my art. It's where my heart is.

My heart seems to be in my feet....

 

[Drac]

the problem has come mainly from my running, the constant high impact on my achillies tendon. I ran 7k on Sunday and felt that it wasn't quite right, on Monday when I trained there was no problem as we didn't do that much kicking work, but last night it flared up.

If I give anything up it'll be the running,

I was just going to mention that you might have to give up one of your passions or risk doing some REAL serious damage..

 

[bluekey88]

I truly do feel your pain. $ 1/2 months ago I blew out the ACL in my right knee a few weeks before I was scheduled for my blackbelt test. The hardest thing to do was to admit I was in bad shape and let go of that test. It's been even harder being out of training for so long (but I just got word I can start back...yeah!!).

I concur with a number of the folks here and get that ankle looked at. It's possible that this can be corrected (or that you need to take special precautions). Better safe than injured. You have to be nice to yourself especially since you're a parent (the little ones are counting on you ).

Hang in there. Keep your hed in the game (I spent my time off reviewing poomse, one-steps and swelf defense pattersn in my head and doing a lot of mental training) and get that ankle looked at. Then do exactly what the doctor says....you'll be back before you know it.

Peace,
Erik

 

[Shaderon]

Yes sirs! *giggle* As you lot outrank me I reckon it's the appropriate form of address... :wink:

I've been talking to a few friends here at work and have decided that once I've ran my 10k for chairty in May, I'm going to stop running so much. I might just take up cycling instead and see if that makes a difference. My training before May is going to slow down now, I won't do such a long run every week, I'll just do a couple nearer the time but do more interval work instead.

Thanks for the support people.

 

[still learning]

Hello, It is hard when you have injuries, most of us do not want to miss training.

Time for healing is very important (RICE). Excellant advise from your Doctors.

My son is on the High School wrestling team (a Senior), and tomorrow they go Oahu (capitol Island of Hawaii), for the State Wrestling Championship. He injury the top portion of his right foot on Monday, Doctors and X-rays (was no broken bones)...said (RICE) ..rest..ice,compress and elevation.

He is still hurting and recovering slowly...WANTS to wrestle and believes he will be ready, (still walks with a limp).

Injuries are a part of life...accept them...make the best it and try to do the same things differently.

This is a good time to try learning or help teaching while injured. Many times you will be seeing things from a different point of view (outside looking in) will open new insights and growth to your training.

RICE always..........Aloha (Take-care!)

 

[Kacey]

Shaderon - please be careful with recurrent injuries. My assistant instructor herniated a disk in his back 5 or 6 years ago, and didn't receive proper treatment (he's from England, and blames the socialized medical system - they did the minimum necessary and stopped); he reinjured it last summer, and hasn't come back from it yet - he was getting there when his wife asked him to move furniture around Christmas (she had a baby Tuesday night, so she was about 6 months pregnant then - that's why she didn't do it) and reinjured it... he hasn't been in class since - although he's about to be cleared by his doctor, so as soon as his wife and baby are ready to be without him during class, he'll be back.

Still, injury/illness notwithstanding, you will still be able to continue - it just might take longer. A woman I used to know went to the doctor the week before testing for II Dan (ITF TKD) because she had a recurring problem with nausea - it turned out to be a benign tumor in her abdomen that was pressing on her stomach and intestines; she tried to talk the doctor into waiting until after testing to remove it, which he wouldn't do - she missed that testing and tested successfully 6 months later. Life happens - TKD will be there when you've been properly treated and healed up.

 

[jdinca]

I HATE sitting on the sidelines. That said, you can learn quite a bit just by observation. As for what you can do, focus on it and really refine it. When the leg works again, you'll be that much farther ahead.

 

[lostinseattle]

Sorry, I just needed to tell someone who knows what it's like to be dedicated enough to hate having to stop training for a while. :wah:

I can still do patterns and arm work, as long as I don't do any high impact stuff or kicking. *sigh*

Yeah I had to quit for 2 months once, and other times for weeks.

It's one of those dangers of training. You just have to be careful and maybe take up something with some less acrobatic maneuvers but this type of stuff does happen and if you force it, you'll only make the injury worse and possibly permanent.

So you're not alone.