Tag: Injuries

Life is Pretty Good

Dennis March 4, 2020 No Comments

As we’re rolling into March I find that I’m further settling into my work rather well. It’s been a good few months for my professional self esteem because the change of scenery has allowed me to realise what it is that I can offer to a company, how fast I pick things up and make it my own, and how well I can be up and running and contributing. I’m learning a lot, which is very nice.

Having said that, things have not been without its struggles. My biggest support at work recently departed the company, which is a real shame, since I think they had a lot to offer, professionally but also as a friend and I fear that we’ll lose touch. The company is also quite a bit bigger and quite a bit more political. The culture is different, too, which I have to get used to.

I do miss Amsterdam a little bit, or rather, the life that I had there. The contrast between the workweek and the weekend is much less extreme here, and I’ve found that I miss that. Work days are quiet and comfortable, and weekend days are usually quite similar. I don’t have that many friends yet here, and those people that I’m friendly with are considerably more settled down than my friends in Amsterdam.

But, flying back once a month for a weekend of fun has been going well. I’ve agreed with my work that I can depart midway on Friday to go to the airport, giving me another evening to go and see people and act like a moron, without jeopardising my ability to have a fun D&D session on Sunday.

My relationship with Joasia has flourished, I think. Initially, being apart as much as we were helped make it really special when we saw each other again. But now, I feel like we’re both at an age where it’s just really nice to be able to rely on each other’s presence. Perhaps even learn how to take each other’s presence for granted just the tiniest bit.

The only thing that’s still not well for me is my lower back. It’s gotten considerably worse after coming back from Brazil, at a time I was hoping that the extended break would get rid of the tension in my back, but going back to work has made it worse, not better. The last week or so things have been a little better. I’ve stopped going to BJJ and I haven’t been running, trying to give my back a break. It’s making me anxious, though. I’m trying to watch my diet a bit so that I don’t get too heavy in the meantime. It’s been three weeks since I went training and hopefully it won’t be much longer.

Exercise, Injuries and My Mental Well Being

Dennis August 22, 2017 No Comments

In April I blew my knee out. It happened while rolling. I caught someone in a calf-slicer and I couldn’t quite finish it. I decided to push the knee of my trapping leg deeper into the back of the knee of my opponent and I heard the tendons pop. I think this is the closest I’ll ever come to being Major Kusanagi as she rips her arms off her body trying to rip open the console panel off the battle tank.

Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating. I healed up in about a month. I didn’t need another body, but still, I was unable to train for a a few weeks. I went back to training and the second class in I dislocated by elbow. That left my elbow sore, and I could train two weeks later. Then I re-injured an old injury in my neck.

A few years ago, I got injured during training. I couldn’t sit or walk without incredibly pain flaring down from my neck and into my left shoulder and arm. Even laying down was only comfortable in certain very specific positions. I was bed-ridden for three days before things started to improve. The problems lingered for a long while until I found a hernia specialist that helped me with my neck, and I started feeling better in no time. It turned out to be nerve damage. Or rather, it was a nerve that had gotten quite a beating and was overly sensitive.

So about two months ago I re-injured that same old injury. Initially, it wasn’t as bad as before, but it progressively got worse as I kept cycling to work and I started running more to compensate for not being able to train. I went to the same physiotherapist that helped me before and things steadily got better.

Then holidays came. And after that I had to go in for a little surgical procedure (which is a story for another day) that has left me with some stitches. All in all, it’s been a hell of a few months.

Now, this certainly isn’t the first time I’m not capable of training, but it has been an exceptionally long time where I couldn’t do anything, not even run or bike. And I’m starting to notice it’s taking its toll on my mood. And my sleeping pattern.

Currently, I like my job, I’m in a loving relationship, my siblings are doing well and I have no real major worries in my life. And yet, I don’t feel particularly motivated to do anything constructive — no project to keep my occupied, no goals I want to achieve or new things I want to learn. Usually I have something like that to occupy me. A story I want to write, a book I want to read, learning how to solve a rubik’s cube faster, learning how to make a particular cocktail, some project I want to code… But now, nothing. No desires.

And I’ve been sleeping poorly. I’ve never had problems sleeping and I can’t rightly say that compared to actual insomnia I am having problems now, but I tend to sleep early and wake up early. And I wake up in the middle of the night, which hardly ever happens. I think it’s a general sense of restlessness.

All in all, it’s not bad, but it’s also not good. I think the lack of exercise is really getting to me.

Injuries,… Again

Dennis April 7, 2015 No Comments

About a week and a half ago someone performed a “can opener” on me at training, which only really works on beginners, but regardless it hurts very much. I ended up tapping the guy out, but still, several days later, my neck and left shoulder were still sore.

It’s so bad that for the first few days I had a hard time doing anything but laying down. Sitting or standing ended up getting painful after a few seconds, as tension in my neck turned to pain that flared all the way to my elbow.

Now, ten days later, it’s still painful and I’m taking pain killers in order to be able to work a full day without going crazy, but it’s getting better. Anyway, needed to get that off my chest. Thanks.