Its been fifty eight days since I dislocated my right elbow on the slopes of Mountain High, Ca from snowboarding. I am so happy to say that my arm is about 80-90% healed. With the injury and the healing process I learned a few things about who I am and how I see life.
I am so grateful that I have been healthy and have not ever been hospitalized ever before up until Nov 28, 2010 when I had the injury. It was different to be on the other side since I am a nurse, and part of my job is taking care of the patients.
Injury
I started snowboarding during the 2009-2010 winter season. I really enjoyed and have so much fun snowboarding. So when the opportunity to snowboard with our friends visiting from the Philippines, Cha-Cha and VJ during Thanksgiving weekend, I said YES!!! I am so excited, it will be my first snowboarding trip this 2010-2011 season.
On my fourth run down the intermediate slope in Mountain High. I was so happy and proud of my self because it was a clean, cool run and I did not even fall the entire time. As I have reached the end of the slope, near the lifts and was about to remove my board, then I lost my balance , fell and extended my right arm backwards – OUCH !!! I knew I was in trouble when I moved my shoulder and then the lower part of my arm was just there tangling. I had to grab my right arm with my left hand to support it. OMG!!! That’s when I knew I was in trouble.
I was there screaming “Help me. I am hurt!” many times for about 5 minutes but felt like forever but no one came. Finally, I saw a couple learning how to snowboard were just a few yards away and told them help me I am hurt. They called for help and finally the medical staff of the resort came.
My sister, Kim, was taking my pictures as I was boarding down the mountain and was not sure if I was hurt when she saw me fall. She was my great support during this time. Drove for 1.5 hours to take me to a hospital near our house, St. Joseph Hospital.
I looked at the injury as a another way to look within , know myself better and learn the lessons.
Lesson One ; Be in the Moment
In my life, I often find myself planning for the future – whether it’s next volunteer project, lesson plan, trip, family party, friends get together, networking event etc… I just keep planning , planning, planning for what’s next rather than paying attention to what’s going on NOW!
I know that I had the injury, not because I fell. I have fallen so many times before. But because, I was looking at the lifts and already thinking about my next run. So when I fell, I did what anyone falling should not do – I extended my arm to stop the fall, instead of folding my arms infront of me, because I was not in the moment.
Oprah Winfrey once said “ Get God’s message in a whisper before He gets you in the scream”. I did not listen to God’s constant whisper “ Kaye! Be in the now. Enjoy this moment. Be here Now!” God spoke to me in a scream – a dislocated right elbow. Now, God got my 100% full attention to be in the now.
Lesson Two: Be an Excellent Receiver
I practice my life believing in the saying “ It’s better to give than to receive”. I always want to be the one giving so for me to ask for support and receive – it was a hard pill to swallow, harder than the 2 Vicodin pills I had to take to help with the pain.
I am so grateful, I have a great family especially my 2 sisters, Karen and Kim who took care of me especially when I cannot move my right arm because it was on a splint. But they also have a crazy sense of humor. At the ER, they were there with me , taking my pictures while being in pain so they can post it on facebook. Then they keep saying “ Kaye is hurts?” ( a Filipino inside joke coz some Filipinos say “Is hurts” rather than “It hurts”)
It was a humbling experience for me because during the 4 days after the injury, I had to ask Karen and Kim to help me with simple things – changing clothes, getting ready to take a shower to make sure my cast/splint on my right arm do not get wet, carrying stuff . I finally had to be vulnerable and open with them taking care of me when most of the time I make sure they are alright.
Another good thing, I got excused from doing my assigned weekly household chores - they did it all for me. For entire 3 weeks. Yahoo!
I also learned to appreciate my body, my health and not to take holding a fork, brushing teeth,writing or shaking a hand for granted.
Lesson Three: Get Up and Keep Going
In life we fall both literally and metaphorically speaking. Rather than staying down there, shake it off then get up.
This time, instead of getting back up fast and pretend nothing happened, I took my time down there to look at life from a new perspective, to look within and enjoy what’s it’s like to be down there. Then slowly, inch by inch I got back up and looked at what are the lessons , now I am back up again – excited to be in the moment and enjoy life.
I told myself, I was going to be back to snowboarding as soon as I can. And 48 days after I faced my fear and went back snowboarding in Snow Valley, Ca on January 16, 2011 !!!
In life, there are really no mistakes, only lessons !!!
Being in the NOW,
- Kaye ;)
-
