Exploring the White Mountains Despite Injury

SIDELINED – HOW I’M GOING TO PIVOT WITH A TORN ACL

The Problem

I can’t pivot with my torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) unless I want to cause extreme pain and possibly further damage to my knee joint.  So, I’m really NOT going to do that. I’m talking figuratively.  You see, I had just embarked on a blogging and lifestyle journey that depended on my ability to be physically active in and around the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Climbing mountains, hiking the Appalachian Trail, skiing, biking, kayaking, and so on.  I have done these activities with regularity for years, although not with the frequency or aptitude that I would have liked.  But my husband and I built a house in New Hampshire at the foot of the White Mountains and only a short distance from the Lakes Region and the plan was to do more - to really explore the area and expand our adventurous outdoor activities.  As a writer, it didn’t take long to become passionate about sharing our experiences and my blog, Thirsty White Mountain Traveler was born.  I secured the domain name and started designing a website and started writing.  Each new excursion gave me more material and I also had past experiences from which to draw inspiration.  Life was good and all seemed to be going smoothly as it often does when something unexpected happens.  Now, with all my White Mountain activities, it would be reasonable to assume that I injured myself on one of our adventures.  But no.  It was soccer.

It was soccer

I’ve played soccer since I was a kid.  I love it. And for the past 18 years or so I’ve had the ability to join men and women (mostly men) each Saturday for a friendly pick-up game.  I did not play every Saturday and there were times when I was away for months, but I always came back when life allowed it.  I took my children to watch me when they were very young (something the donut shop owner thought funny and backwards when we would go after the game, and it would be me who was sweaty and in shin guards instead of the kids).   And continued to play although in my 50’s (along with others my age but also much younger which I kind of wore as a badge of honor).  Over the years, I’ve seen many men being carried off the field after an injury.  I knew one day it could be me, but injury is a risk no matter what people engage in, and I accepted that.  I always say that getting into a car and driving anywhere is likely more dangerous than any sporting or outdoor activity I participate in.  So, I played. And then I got hurt.

No one was around me.  It wasn’t anyone’s fault.  Someone passed me the ball and as I turned left to run after it, I felt something inside my right knee pull extremely hard in the opposite direction and then snap back.  I assumed I had dislocated my knee, and I was correct.  But an MRI revealed the trauma also caused tears to both my ACL and my meniscus.  I was sidelined and cried.

The Pivot

I first cried from pain, then from worry over what was damaged, then from frustration over my incapacity and discomfort, then from the realization that I would not be able to engage in any physical activity involving my legs for a long time and what that meant to my plans.  It took a few weeks, but I finally snapped out of it.  I know there are far worse things that could happen.  I know that my injuries are treatable and that I will likely make a full recovery.  My injuries, while inconvenient, do not prevent me from earning a living.  I have many other blessings in my life, one of which is resourcefulness.  Why can’t I still write about the White Mountains?  Surely there are things worth doing and seeing which do not require physical exertion.  And I’m still thirsty – more so now that my body has to compensate for my bum knee.  How many other people are sidelined who may be able to use the information I can gather so they, too, can enjoy the area?  So, I will pivot, for myself and for others.  I hope you will join me.