Use these lessons to cope with life’s inconveniences. Improve not in spite of the obstacle but because of it. This is your opportunity to demonstrate a virtue or skill.

6 Life Lessons From a Year-Long Injury

Don’t cope. Thrive.

Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash

I’ve had an injury for about a year now, and it is slightly embarrassing.

For so long I was struggling to walk, but my injury isn’t a broken leg, shin splint, or torn muscle…

It is a swollen toe.

Who would have thought that my left big toe would be so important?

Here’s what happened

Around late February 2020, my first futsal (5-aside indoor football) training session began. I was through on goal, the ball at my feet, ready to shoot, only the goalkeeper to stop me when BAM.

I was knocked out and thrown onto the floor. Five minutes later, sirens were blaring and an air crew rushed me into an army helicopter, heading straight for St Thomas’ Hospital, London.

That would be a cool story.

In reality, the keeper kicked my toe in such a way that the joints (nearly) fractured, pain bursting through my foot. For the following month, I was hobbling around like an elderly woman and cycling instead of walking to all my lectures.

Since then, I have had two MRI scans, special (but expensive!!!) orthotics, two different physiotherapists and a steroid injection. The result?

It is slowly getting better.

But not after nearly an entire year of frustration and my stubbornness!

So without further ado, here are the lessons that I’ve learnt in dealing with this injury.

Lessons

1. You realise how much you take for granted.
   Having an injury makes you realise how great the little things are: Going for a walk on a sunny afternoon, walking the dogs, walking period. And suddenly, the simple things are difficult: walking around the supermarket, doing chores, cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, standing up for too long, and so on. You find yourself saying things like, “I’ll run everyday when this injury subsides”. I wonder if I will stay true to those sayings?
2. Be patient.
   Having an injury is painful, physically but especially mentally. There will be days where you long to be outside, playing football in the 22 degree heat and you feel stuck and isolated. These are the low points but remember: they do not last. These are the times where you have got to be patient, distract yourself or work on something that you love, so your injury can heal. I definitely did not follow this advice: I hiked, camped, and even (dare I say it) played football. Let’s just say the following days and weeks after those incidents were quite painful.
   
   Would I do it again? Probably, but with adjustments: more breaks and time to rest the foot, more time spent doing physio and little to no pressure on the toe for the first few months of the injury.
3. You get to spend time on the things that you usually don’t have time for
   Whether it is reading, working towards your degree, singing, crocheting, writing or perhaps even another sport, you will find something to fill the void. You will be exposed to opportunities you most likely would not otherwise have had. I immersed myself once again in books and cycling alongside my degree and work. Cycling allowed me to exercise without putting significant pressure on my toe, allowing me to function mentally (I can’t stand being in the house all day) and ensuring that I could get some quality exercise (and not put on the pounds!)
4. You must accept it.
   Don’t fight it (injury or obstacle) like I did. Being angry and allowing myself to get in a victim mentality did nothing to help — it only exacerbated the problem. You are only warring with the world. But how do you actually accept something as impactful as an injury?
   
   Distracting yourself: do not allow your thoughts to return to the inevitable (your injury). Thinking, talking, and badmouthing the injury does nothing to help it heal and only makes it feel worse. Find new projects. Immerse yourself in new environments and groups (virtual during Covid).
   
   Tell yourself: Okay, I will probably be out for the next year — what else can I do in that time? What else can I focus on? You will eventually get to the stage where you have so many things to do that you will have less time to think about your injury. You will essentially move on (for the time being).
5. Do your physio.
   You’ve got to do your physio. Don’t sabotage your chances of a quick and easier recovery by not doing the absolute basics right. Do it at a regular time: first thing in the morning, after your shower, or perhaps when you brush your teeth. The little things add up in the long run.
6. Do your research.
   Research online about your injury: what has helped others, what you should or shouldn’t do. This will not only give you peace of mind but, should there be information regarding your specific injury, speed up the healing process and get you back to being your best. Do not be disheartened if there seems to be no information regarding your specific injury (as is the case with me) — there are always things you can do or ways out. Reach out to specialists and physiotherapists or forums online to see what you can do.

Ending thoughts

I was fortunate in that my injury coincided with Covid, which left the world stuck in the same four walls anyway, injured or not. Nevertheless, I initially had a hard time accepting my injury: accepting I wouldn’t be able to play football for a year or run the marathon I had signed up to do. All my dreams were seemingly dashed at a point where I was just building up my confidence again.

In hindsight, I have learnt so much that I otherwise would not have learnt. I learnt the importance of gratitude in good times. I learnt the importance of patience as well as hope, in those low periods. I learnt and developed my aptitude and skill in areas of life that I had previously neglected. I rekindled my love for lost passions.

Bad times don’t last.

It will get better.