Am I An Athlete with An Injury or Is it Aging?

Either way, I’m back in bed for a while

Well, here I am, back in bed with another orthopedic injury.

The actual tear happened as I went to sit on the ground to start my yoga practice. Note that I wasn’t even doing yoga yet. I just sat down and turned funny, and then I heard pop-pop-pop and felt the excruciating pain. I was in the backyard by myself with no phone, so I had to crab-walk towards my kiddo’s bedroom door and pound on it to wake them.

At first, I thought that maybe I’d be able to get a Lyft to urgent care, but when the pain came rushing in, I knew it was a 911 situation. So I was taken, in an ambulance, to the hospital, where I was given pain meds and X-rays.

Later that day, I had an MRI that showed the lateral meniscus tear.

I am not a sports fan, so I don’t know who any of these people are, but when I looked up “later meniscus tear,” Healthline said it can happen either to athletes who are highly active or to seniors whose bodies are degenerating.

Even though all I did was sit on the ground when it tore, I am going to choose the narrative that I am an athlete with an injury. (Lololol.)

In retrospect, I have been *very* active recently. I was in the middle of huge cleaning out the garage to prepare for a yard sale. I’ve also been re-arranging my garden with some very heavy lifting and working on some wood/painting projects in preparation for Halloween (yes, Halloween, lol). It was most likely due to overuse/ not enough rest.

Also, I am aging, and that is okay.

Anyway, whatever the cause, the surgery will happen week of August 15. That means about four to six weeks of no walking or other physical activities (note that I am normally walk 9K steps/day) and at least eight weeks of no driving…

Me at 10 pm last night was full-on raging at the universe. My husband said I’m allowed a pity party, so I partied hard.

Me at today after ten hours of sleep has been trying to listen to the universe and find ways to slow down.

Not that I have a choice, lol.

Anyway, pain is less today, thankfully.

Just gonna read another book (finished Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin yesterday, on to Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour today) and watch Downton Abbey with my kiddo.

I started writing on Medium last year due to an orthopedic injury. I hadn’t written seriously in ages, and writing here became part of my healing journey. Since then I’ve written 100 posts (that’s what my last post was about, ironically.)

Here I am, reminding myself again, to heal and to rest.

“It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.” — Brene Brown

E. Katherine Kottaras the writer, voice, and co-creator of Yoga with Eleonora on PillowFortTV and the co-writer with Vanitha Swaminathan of the forthcoming picture book, A RAINBOW INSIDE MY BODY, illustrated by Holly Hatam (Viking 2024). She holds an M.A. in English and an M.S. in Kinesiology with a focus on Integrative Wellness, and she is a contemplative writer and holistic teacher, having worked at the K-12 and community college levels for over two decades. She is a yoga teacher, personal trainer, and health coach while also living with invisible illnesses and neurodivergence, and as such, she is passionate about mindfulness, bodily self-determination, and health equity. As the queer daughter of an immigrant, Katherine believes that holistic and inclusive approaches to expression, healing, and growth should be accessible to all.

Connect with Katherine on the social medias: IG, YouTube, FB, LinkedIn, or at katherinekottaras.com. Check out Katherine’s new series, Yoga with Eleonora on YouTube, which helps kids of all ages calm their minds and bodies so they can respond to and communicate their feelings in healthy ways.

Read every story from Katherine (& thousands of other writers) by signing up for Medium. Your $5/month membership directly supports writers (ad free!).