Prone to Injury...

Some of it is due to bad luck, other just overstraining, but of course, I cannot deny that I am clumsy as well. Because, well, I am.

Today, getting off my bus in the morning, I failed to notice that it had stopped right next to one of those little flower gardens that are all over the DC sidewalks. I had noticed that the bus' back door, in relation to the bus stop, usually tends to coincide with one of those gardens. However, since I never take the back door, today it didn't cross my mind while stepping down that somehow I would end up with half my foot on the sidewalk, half on the dirt. Add that to my 3" heels, and I twisted my ankle.

Nothing too bad, thankfully, but definitely bad enough that I really shouldn't be walking in heels. But of course, I have no flats here with me, so it hurts with every step, and I know I am making it worse as inevitably have to walk around my office. Ugh.

This is the day after I got back to the courts, and was excited to learn that though my shoulder would still bother me here and there, the shooting pain down my arm was gone. So my overhand serves were a killer. I had absolutely no control of the ball when serving (it was a big suspense every time I hit it, on absolute fear that "maybe now I will feel it" so placement was the last thing in my mind), but the serve was very strong, and in bounds every single time -- which meant a lot of aces.

And now let's hope the shoulder won't act up again. And that the ankle won't get worse.

I don't remember these constant injuries growing up. Now since I got back to volleyball about 2.5 years ago, I've had a number of injuries...

...I've had this recurring shoulder problem (an impingement), also had shoulder bursitis on top of that a couple of times...

...had a terrible ankle sprain when I jumped to spike a ball and landed right foot first. After literally being carried out of the courts, and put back on the ground, I extended both legs and my right foot was facing my left leg (how fun), I couldn't walk or drive for over a week, needing crutches and 6 weeks of physical therapy, but was surprisingly back on the courts (with a brace and the doctor's ok) after those 6 weeks, when the doctor had at first predicted 10-12 weeks before playing again (nothing like sheer determination!)...

...I had a mysterious elbow pain that would shoot down my arm when serving. It wouldn't last more than a few hours, meaning that by the time I would go to the doctor, the pain had subsided. It disappeared after a couple of months, and I never found out the cause...

...I had to go to physical therapy for my thumb. Yes, my freaking thumb!! How ridiculous is that? After 3 months of it getting worse (after a bad volleyball pass while warming up), I couldn't even drink a bottle of water using that hand, I finally sucked it up and went to the doctor. 4 weeks of PT it was...

On the bright side? X-rays always come out clear -- my ligaments might be effed up, but damn, are my bones strong!

My old boss used to say that it was a problem of DNA - "Data de Nascimento Antiga" -- which roughly translates to "Old Date of Birth"

I can't say that he was wrong... They say it all goes to hell after 30, but with me, seems like 25 was the turning point...