Injury & How Everything Feels Lost

Aug 10

This newsletter gets a bit more philosophical than my others. Something that’s been on my mind… our perception of control. Specifically, the side where we feel helpless, like we have no control over what happens to us.

I want to give my two cents on that feeling and how it relates to injury recovery. The rumination, the regret, and how helpless it can feel after a big injury. Lately I’ve had 5 athletes from my gym asking me about their injuries. Through texts and conversations, I often sense the injury is hitting them harder emotionally than physically. And to that I say… same.

My ACL Tear

As many of you know… in 2023, I tore my ACL. After realizing surgery was in my future and there would be no hard rolling or competition for a year, my whole world came crashing down. In that moment, my thought was all control is gone. It was lost in the matter of seconds and would take almost a year to get back. This couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Rewriting The Script

After my surgery, I worked closely with my physical therapist assistant (PTA), Jessica. I don’t know if she realized that she was supporting me even more mentally than physically. I recall one Friday about 3 weeks after surgery. I showed up to PT in tears from pain and exhaustion. I had been to PT every day that week, with some days going twice. She looked at me and told me that day would be a rest day and to go home. That was the PT I needed in that moment.

With help, I realized that I had more control than I thought. I had control over my physical therapy schedule, icing my knee, crushing my home exercises, meditation, breathwork, and so much more. Yes, it was different than the control I wanted to go train jiu jitsu. And… it was still control.

Final Thoughts

Injuries happen. One goal of Doctor Jiu Jitsu is to decrease this risk, although they are still inevitable. Be ready for the impending doom to hit when it does. And then figure out what you’re going to do about it.

For me, I turn primarily to my life coach and my physical therapists. C’mon PTs… you all know your side hustle is treating an athlete’s mind. Without the mental recovery from injury, the physical recovery will lag behind.

The next time an injury hits, or if you are currently in the helplessness phase, think… what CAN I do and who can I turn to? Every injury has given me so much. My ACL tear serendipitously made me a better ACL surgeon, a better leg locker, and a better jiu jitsu coach.

What skills or knowledge have your injuries brought into your life?

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Dr. Megan Lisset Jimenez