Tag: injury

Last night Nik and I met up with some students from the fencing club to run a few mock tourney bouts. I saw a lot of good fencing, and I’m confident that they will do well. I’m still working on those cuts. I’m not comfortable throwing a cut to the head, no matter how fine with it I think I am. I always end up pulling it even if I don’t want to. It’s something subconscious, so it’ll be hard to overcome.

After practice we all had dinner and went over the rules for Serfo. We talked about protocol and equipment. I think they’re ready.

Now for the bad news. Everything was fine during practice and dinner, but later that night my hamstring (I think?) started screaming at me. The pain starts behind my knee and radiates up. It’s worse when I engage my core; I can walk and put weight on it, but bending hurts. I tried compression last night and took a muscle relaxer this morning. If I don’t see any improvement, I’m going to the ER or UC. I’m afraid of blood clots. I don’t have any previous knee injuries, and I didn’t overextend or anything crazy last night. I have no idea what’s going on, but it really hurts.

I had a fantastic night at Krav. I got to use my brand new MMA gloves for the first time, and after practicing blocks and counters, we got to do some sparring.
At one point I was working with a fellow who is roughly twice my size: tall, broad, experienced with Krav. Anyway, because his reach is so long, I knew I’d have to get in there to be anywhere close to my striking distance. I did get in there, and I missed a block, and he legit punched me in the face.*

Now this fellow is very kind to his training partners, and it was not his intent to punch me in the face, so I got to see the look of “Oh, shit, I just punched this little gal in the face” flash through his eyes. So before any of that can leave his mouth I started laughing through my mouth guard (I stress-cackle, apparently) and moving in for my next attack. I earned a little street cred and had an awesome practice with some real-life application.

I came home and told Nik that since we’re sparring in Krav, he’s going to need to re-calibrate me each time I fence so that I don’t get too in the zone.

I feel so alive.

*This is why we wear gloves and sign waivers. I’m fine. I don’t even think I’ll have a sweet bruise for work tomorrow.

I went to a fencing event this weekend. I participated in two tournaments and was really in the zone. However, I also spent a lot of the day waiting to fence. I’m so worried about not being in the right place when my name is called that I spent a lot of time just standing around with my gear on instead of doing pickups. I’m going to try to keep that frustration in mind the next time I’m running an event.

I didn’t win anything, but I did do good fencing. I was in a really good head space during the invitational tourney, and I felt like I was doing my job well in the five-man melee tourney. Some fencers whom I really respect complimented me, and that made my weekend.

In the evening, a dear friend of mine won an award, and I stepped forward to pass on a piece of regalia to him. I’m proud to see my CAR* garter on such a worthy arm.

On the way home from the tournament, Nik and I talked about scheduling fight time since I can’t come to two of the three weekly practices at the college. I also want to work in more yoga – just a few sun salutations each day will probably help me with my flexibility and stiffness.

Speaking of stiffness, my shoulders were fine all weekend. I took ibuprofen at the beginning of the day before fighting, but I didn’t take any muscle relaxers at night (unless Scotch counts, in which case I had a modest dose). I was only moderately uncomfortable on the ride home. I’m going to stop babying myself and start being more active. It seems to be what my body wants me to do.

*

Order of the Argent Rapier: given to those who have distinguished themselves with the rapier in war, on the tournament field, and in the training of new rapierists. Holders may place the initials CAR after their name.

I saw my GP about my shoulder today. He said that my issue is musculo-skeletal, not neural. That’s good. He said he could send me in for tests, but when I asked if anyone could do anything for me if those tests came back showing something, he said no, so I declined.

I’ve been prescribed muscle relaxers and given the broad diagnosis of “chronic injury.” Basically, I should take ibuprofen before activity and use heat to increase blood flow. I can live with this. I know people who fence way better than I do who have much more serious injuries.

I also feel that my doctor focused a little too much on the fact that I fence, no matter how many times I told him that I’ve had this numb spot significantly longer than I’ve been fencing. However, that doesn’t change the fact that he says I can more or less keep living my life.

I don’t think I really got any answers, but I did get some weak reassurance. I’m going to look for stretches and exercises for the upper back/shoulder region (the numb spot is on my scapula). If you know of any good stretches, please let me know (preferably with pictures). I’m mostly interested in back and shoulder (my shoulders are SO STIFF right now) stretches, but really, I’m interested in preventing injuries of all kinds.

I haven’t been doing much fighting, so I haven’t been doing much updating. I haven’t even attempted progress on my lunges.

I went to Krav on Wednesday and had a good and productive practice, but I was sore for days afterward. I’m going to both classes this week, but I’m going to tape my shoulder and tell my instructors what’s up. I think it’s pressure, not movement, that’s causing my problems.

I’ve been resting up as much as possible since then. It stinks, but it also really helps.

I see my GP on Thursday. Wish me luck.

I had an awesome night at Krav Maga. We did some HIIT at the beginning and end and spent the rest of the class throwing each other around in an alley.

Tonight I realized that I make weird faces when I fight but never had to confront them because of my fencing mask. Also, if you need to do sit-ups and are prone to frequent gas, next to a Dumpster is the best place to do it.

My right shoulder is fine, maybe a little tingly after practice. My left shoulder is tight. I feel invincible right now, but I’m not going to lunge until tomorrow. I think the ~2lbs of steel at the end of my hand is what’s worsening the situation, so I’m not rushing back in yet. There will be a sword in my hand this week.

Yesterday I did yoga and felt pretty good. The tingling on the right side hasn’t gone away, but it does seem to be lessening. The left side is super tight and almost hurts. I noticed the difference when I was threading the needle in reverse prayer. I could extend my right arm forward, but I had to keep my left arm flexed.

Since I felt pretty good, I considered trying to work in some lunges, but Nik told me to hold off for another day. His shoulder bothers him sometimes too, so I’m taking his word for it. Tonight I’ll go to Krav and spend an hour fighting my way out of bear hugs (surprisingly not too bad on the shoulders). Maybe I’ll try to lunge tomorrow or over the weekend. I definitely want to go to fencing on Friday.

I hate being laid up, but I know that if I don’t rest now, I’ll just be injured longer and more severely in the future. I’m really hoping my doctor will be able to help me with a minimally invasive option (home rehab routine, cortisone shot, etc.).

Also, for those precious few of you following me, I hope you don’t mind that this blog is shifting away from its focus on fencing. I want my injury to be visible so that people know there is a reasonable alternative to playing through the pain.  With luck, I’ll be back to my regularly-scheduled ass kicking in no time.

I made an appointment to see my GP about my shoulder. I’m taking a break from the lunge challenge for the time being. I think the repetitive motion is doing more harm than good. I like being part of something, but it’s not worth my health.

If I feel better, I might work in a day from time to time, but I’m not going to try to play catch up anymore. I thought 200 in a day was reasonable, but it really isn’t.

Our culture values playing through the pain when we really need to rest and take some anti-inflammatories. “No pain, no gain” is a phrase we’ve all heard at least once, and I’m thinking it’s time for that sentiment to go out of style.

I did some research. The numbness I’m experiencing sounds like a pinched nerve. I don’t know if the pain is from repetitive use or if it’s related to the pinched nerve.

I’ve been dealing with this unpleasantness for years. It has been intermittent up to this point, but the static in my back is increasing in area as well as frequency. I’m going to try to see my GP about it, and I know what he’s going to tell me. I really don’t want to hear what he’s going to tell me.

I had an issue with my left shoulder a couple months ago. I rested it and took steroids for about a week and a half / two weeks. Despite wanting to do nothing but eat and fight for the first week of that ordeal, I came out the other side in good shape, and I was able to practice as long as I didn’t use that arm. I don’t know if not using that arm for half a month has anything to do with my forgetting I have an off-hand unless I have something in it.

I also don’t know if I have one bad shoulder or two. Do I have a pinched nerve on one side and a propensity for rotator cuff issues on both sides? Do I need to stop fencing for awhile? Do rehab? Have surgery? Get painful shots that will discolor my skin? None of these options sound like a good time, but I know I need to do something now if I want to keep fencing in the long term.