Not all stairs are created equalSo here they are –beautifully innocent looking are they not?
After 3 weeks of good health, low pain levels and overall feeling pretty good, I had to test myself … I decided to go on a hike for 2 hours and these beauties were part of it. Probably 500-600 stairs each way. While climbing up and down I felt ok, heck, even the next day I was ok (even pretty happy with myself for doing it) But then reality hit! On Sunday I couldn’t stand straight and walk. The ankle inflamed with pain and worst of all my good left leg completely seized. My quad and calf muscle morphed into a rigid steal cable and I could hardly stand straight. It took 6 days for my body to recuperate from this mini ‘adventure’. The more I grow as a person the more aware I become of my behavioral patterns, self-limiting beliefs and good/bad habits. This is to say that I see them more clearly now – not to say that any of them are easy to change… 2 years after the accident I still refuse to accept my body limitations. I strive to find glimpses of hope, maybe I’m getting better, and maybe my injuries are not so bad… I’m well aware that this is my monkey mind playing tricks on me. Medical evidence is very clear and unfortunately, in my situation there’s no real solution. I looked into a married of options from special braces to ankle fusion, alternative medicine (homeopathy, Traditional Chinese medicine, herbs, and more. None provided a viable, livable solution. Perhaps other people in similar situations would choose to limit their lifestyle to accommodate for their new disabilities, but I’m not like that. It’s a big world out there and there’s lots to see and do. I am a strong a believer that a life worth living is a life filled with adventures, experiences, friendships and lots of sweet moments. I used to be a very active outdoors guy. I love the freedom nature harbor and I thrive in its playground amid giant mountains, forests deserts and oceans. Here’s a short list of activities I participated in and enjoy deeply: Mountain biking Road cycling Enduro off road motorcycling 4x4 off road exploration mountaineering rock climbing hiking Sea kayaking white water kayaking scuba diving free diving swimming Aikido Yoga Pranayama And the list goes on… I must admit that I’m not that great at any of these activities. I never tried to Master any of them. The main purpose was to be outdoors, explore new place and play. These are all experiences that I love and greatly enjoy. They challenge me like nothing else, push me to learn new skills, expand my horizon and see life from different perspectives. And then the accident happened! Talk about change… These last 2 years have been the best and the worst of my life. Worst for the pain, disability, lots of surgeries, sleepless nights, uncertainty and mayhem. Best for growing as a person, become aware and conscious of life’s small and big nuggets, experience love on a different level, be grateful for life and amazing people who share my life and an amazing journey as a father, lover, son and friend. So this is it for today, I’ll write more later on Hope you are well Your ever well wisher Erez |