For when shit happens (because it will)
On a cold November night, I was walking Ellie (my lab and faithful sidekick) in the rain when I tripped on the city sidewalk, landing on my elbow. I knew immediately the break was bad, and rushed to the ER.
If you’ve experienced a fracture—especially a joint fracture—you know how painfully long the healing process can be. Seeing the long road ahead of me, I emerged from the hospital—cast and all—frustrated and dejected.
When the Uber pulled up outside urgent care to drive me home, I awkwardly got in. Immediately the driver turned and said, "I saw you were at the hospital and though I was on my way home, I decided to come pick you up. Are you okay?"
"I broke my elbow, I just found out I need surgery but they can't tell me when!" I shared the details of my situation with my driver, Kaleb. Surprisingly, he understood my frustration because he too knew what it felt like to be “broken”.
During the 8-minute ride, Kaleb told me his story. He was in his country, Iran, walking to work, when he was hit by a car. He broke his elbow, his leg, his shoulder, and his pelvis.
Kaleb spent an entire year in the hospital and the year after that at home recovering.
The year after that he immigrated to Canada where he now works as a butcher for a grocery chain and drives an Uber. Despite his accident and injuries, he persevered to realize his goal of starting fresh in a new country. At the end of our ride, he told me how happy he was to give me a ride home from the hospital that morning, wishing me well on my healing journey.
Hearing Kaleb’s story helped bring my own situation into a clearer perspective.
My healing process hasn’t been seamless. There has been a lot of pain and general discomfort. I developed an infection at the wound and spent several days worrying about worst-case scenarios. As months went on, it became clear that my arm would never function the same way again (to this day I can’t straighten my elbow completely). But even with all of that being true, one thing remains the same: our bodies’ ability to adapt and stay resilient.
I practiced radical acceptance and allowed the antibiotics the time required to do their job. I dug into my yoga toolbox and found breath work, gentle restorative stretching, and relaxing Yoga Nidra meditations to nurture myself.
In the spirit of doing what we CAN do, this bone-strengthening yoga practice is a simple but effective way to get moving. There is no weight bearing on the arms but addresses the legs, spine, core, and balance. If you’re currently experiencing wrist, shoulder, or elbow pain, this could be the perfect class for you.
And if you’re going through something challenging right now—be it a recent fracture, health complication, or another hurdle—know that you’re not alone. There’s a whole Strong Bones community that you can lean on at any time. We’re ready and waiting to support you anytime a little extra boost is needed to get moving.
Susannah