... if you want to rock'n roll.
That's
(my version of)
the slogan of the CERS:
Bringing sportspeople
"BACK TO THE TOP".
Put together, I've spent two months in that rehab center in the last 7 months. I cannot say that I am the worst off given the surroundings, the care, the food...
Everything is made for you to unplug your brain and concentrate on the improvement of your body.
I arranged things to come to that second stay with my friend Lynda whom I met during my first stay.
For the record it was close to being a disaster -- last fright of the real life: we almost missed our train! Stress, hubdub, hurrying up and... *SWOOSH* we plunged into a soundproof bubble. Alone in the world, nothing from the outside can reach you in there.
Besides from your personal rehab program, you experience life in a miniature society.
Everything is the same but smaller and shorter: you meet people, make friends, they leave... gossip come and go... you're sad and happy, hyperactive and tired, motivated and discouraged. It is all so fast that it all seems to happen simultaneously instead of one thing after the other.
At the peak of my stay, we were a group of five made of Lynda and me, Angélique the physical trainer, Mathilde who was replaced at mid-stay by her friend Leslie both parachute jumpers, and Marine (aka Wheely Wonka, i.e. my gf) who broke her ankle and the rest during the "Rouge à Lèvres et Protège-Dents" event in April. She arrived two weeks after me and still got two weeks left.
For the record again, Mathilde happened to know my band and listen to my songs during physio without knowing that I was just in front of her. Woohoo we are almost famous!
You are into such a routine that weeks go by in a flash.
Basically I was meant to stay three weeks but I asked to extend and my request was accepted, despite that the center was crowded with the summer holidays. Until the end of the second week I was not sure to be extended, and it led me to time management mistakes: I tried to optimize my stay, saving myself just enough to last three weeks -- not four... so that I was washed out for the final week. Anyway, it was still useful and enabled me to stabilize what I had learnt so far.
On the other hand, my body started reminding me that I was tired and I developped periostitis on both legs. To make it simple, it's an inflammation of the membrane that slides onto the shin. It hurts. I am so not used to do sport off skates that my legs complained. Seriously. As a consequence, I had cool K-straps on both my shins -- not that useful except for reminding me that I had to keep it easy. Treatment: ice and rest. I do not have the time right now but I will remember it, I promise!
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints)
Causes:
Periostitis is a common complaint in athletes who often change surfaces and types of shoes, alter their techniques, or subject themselves to intensive training on hard tracks, streets or floors. Periostitis of the medial margin of the tibia can be triggered by running and other sports with elements of jumping, the main cause of the pain being repeated take-offs from a hard surface. Runners who run on tip-toe, run with their feet turned outwards, or use spiked shoes can suffer from these complaints. Increased pronation or a high instep can be contributory causes.
Once again, my sport aroused lots of curiosities. Either people would simply ask what sport I am into, or they would try to guess. Either because of my short pants or my shoulders, I had to face tons of "You're a boxer, right?".
Then, by popular request I was asked by the patients and the counselors to make a presentation of skating. As there was another urban sportsperson stuck in there too, we showed our things the same evening. The dining hall was crowded and we projected videos of freestyle slalom, roller derby, and b-boying on a big screen while telling our stories and the histories of our disciplines.
In addition, I had taken my freestyle/derby photo album which I show to doctors for them to realize what use I have of my knee -- a photo is worth a thousand words -- and it proved to be particularly welcome, going from hand to hand throughout the evening.
There is one thing I lack (and I need to take the time to make one): a recap video edit of cool tricks of me. A bit like Lucile's... Check it out, it's worth it!
My music activity intrigued people too, and the funny thing is that I managed to get music fans... in a sports center!
I had the best gift ever for music day: the counselors rented a piano for me... And I spent my evening having a jam session singing at the piano. There were not many persons in the CERS that evening (of course, everybody was chilling in the streets) but I could not care less: it was just me and the piano that night.
Let's go back to the initial subject: Back to the Top.
I'm not yet at the top, but I'm getting closer. At the end of my stay, I still got 29% of muscular power difference between the two quadriceps, hardly less than at the beginning (31%). Not because I did not improve, but because both my legs benefited from the stay. Man, it is an endless story! But my hamstring and my calf caught up, that is at least one good thing done.
My knee is more stable and I do not feel the kneecap moving at each step when I jog anymore (I got more muscle to hold it in its place).
Even if I cannot bend my leg to the max yet, the flexing is getting better and should still improve with time.
I might come back for an ultimate rehab stay around september according to how everything evolve during the summer.
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