The Back Injury That Changed Everything

There are so many things my 27-year-old self never would've predicted: teaching Pilates, helping people recover from injuries, and running again.

That last one is probably the biggest surprise of all, because when I was 27 years old, I had a debilitating back injury.

I say debilitating because I really did suffer. Turns out I had a herniated disc at L4-L5 and degenerative disc disease at 27 years old.

The diagnosis was tough to hear. I grew up playing sports. I played soccer for 10 years and then took up cross country, swimming, and track. I'd wake up at 5 a.m. to meet a friend at the track, run laps, drive home, and get ready for school.

I've always liked moving. I’m one of those people who actually enjoys running. I even ran a couple of half marathons in my twenties just for fun.

Then my back seized up and I spent a full week on the couch. Running wasn't just out of the question. I could barely walk. It hurt to sit. It hurt to stand. It even hurt to go to the bathroom.

Every time I thought I was getting better, I'd take it too far and go snowboarding or rock climbing, and the disc would flare again. I'd end up in the ER, on painkillers and back on the couch for another week.

It was during this time that I had my very first desk job at a study abroad company, planning adventures for thousands of students around the world.

I couldn't even sit at my own desk.This was before work-from-home and standing desks. My employer was incredibly supportive and actually installed a standing desk for me so I could be at work, but it didn't solve the problem because I couldn't stay in any position for more than about ten minutes.

My life became physical therapy three times a week, chiropractic appointments, acupuncture, ice packs and quite a bit of wallowing.

The thing about wallowing is that it’s not fun for very long.

So I learned how to still be social. Instead of saying no, I'd say, "Hey, can we go to ‘X’ restaurant? They have high-top tables so I can stand while you all sit."

Looking back, I think that was the first step toward getting better. My back hadn’t changed much but my perspective was shifting.

I knew I needed to move my body to get out of my hole of depression and I found Pilates. For me, it ended up being the thing.

I realized that if I went twice a day, my back wouldn't hurt. Great! So I did that and eventually once a day was enough.

The only problem was I wanted to learn as much as possible and I couldn't really afford daily classes at the time, so I decided to become an instructor.

I was lucky enough to be mentored by Tiffany Ingersoll, who sees the body like a puzzle and helped me understand mine. I earned my Pilates certification and started teaching during my lunch breaks instead of taking classes.

Almost immediately I realized I could relate to people with injuries in a way I never could have before.

I knew what sciatica felt like. I knew what it felt like for my leg to go numb, for my toes to lose feeling, and for my pelvis to feel like it wasn't even connected to the rest of my body.

When someone described those things to me, I didn't have to imagine it. I'd lived it.

Orthopedic doctors and physical therapists used to ask if I'd been in the military because of the condition of my spine. I hadn’t, but I had spent months carrying a 75-pound backpack through Alaska with NOLS and later led backpacking trips in Colorado, North Carolina, and California.

So... maybe that had something to do with it or maybe it didn't. It doesn't really matter. Looking back, I'm really proud of that version of myself.

It was a really hard time. Going from happy-go-lucky to lying on the couch in constant pain wasn't something I would've wished on anyone. But I also took the reins on my own life and found a way to help other people move again.

Oh, and by the way...I'm running again! Sometime after my ankle injury a few weeks ago, I realized I wanted to run. There wasn't a goal; one day I just wanted to run, so I did. Just like Forrest Gump :).

Twenty-seven-year-old me never would've seen that coming. And I’m thrilled that something I used to love so much has quietly found its way back into my life.

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