Hi Beth,

Any chance you might write a blog post on what you’ve been up to in the injury recovery department lately? Are you still doing things such as therapy exercises, meeting with doctors, and generally easing your way back in to climbing more and more frequently?

All the best,

Max

Hi Max,

Thank you so much for your message and checking in. Physical therapy exercises are still a part of my routine. Individuals with similar injuries should seek the help of physical therapists in Tulsa, or wherever they are from as it can be the key to recovery. I now look at them not only as a way to recover but also as preventative. They’ve become sort of like brushing my teeth, I feel guilty if I don’t do them every climbing day.

I am not meeting with doctors constantly, but I will check in with them occasionally if something flares up. If the flare-up is bad enough, I’ll start seeing the physical therapist or acupuncturist on a regular basis. Other people with more significant injuries may want to visit their doctor more often, however, to ensure they are progressing through their recovery at the right speed. They may also want to visit a lawyer on a website such as Lawtx.com if their injury wasn’t their fault. This is especially important if your injury has been affecting your finances and mental health (which, luckily, mine hasn’t). I’ve been quite fortunate really with my injury. Obviously, I’d have been more fortunate if I hadn’t been injured in the first place, but it hasn’t stopped me from doing what I want to do, and I know that I’m in the capable hands of my doctor.

Aside from making sure that I am getting the best possible care, one of the most important things I’ve learned, and am still learning, is taking it slow coming back from injury. I’ve definitely fallen into the “professional athlete” pattern time and time again of jumping back into activity before my body is recovered, only to end up sidelined on the couch with re-injury. I was reminded of that this week reading about Ralph Sampson being inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. After three knee surgeries prematurely ended his career, he now says he tried to come back too quickly.

I just recently wrote a blog post for Outdoor Research about some of my mistakes and lessons learned with recovery time. It’s a very important and tricky thing to figure out, as I am still discovering. Hopefully I’m wiser than my 23 year old self, that glued sticky rubber to my walking cast to be able to climb better at the Boulder Rock Club.

Take a look:

Injuries: Taking it slow