Isobel Stout – Solve one mystery and add yet more challenges.

Got to the bottom (sorry, bad pun!) of my right leg weakness, it’s all in my backside! Somehow I’ve twisted my pelvis and the sacro-iliac joint is out of line. I’ve learned how no muscles actually act on this joint but if it has moved then the muscles that attach nearby are trying to act on the hip joint from a slightly different starting position, hence the sudden feeling of near leg collapse and a leg that won’t do what it’s told! Treatment has been (wo)man handling the joint back in line (thanks Grace!) and lots of exercises (homework for me) aimed at keeping it there. It’s only been a couple of weeks but in that time I have already lost muscle strength in that leg even though it’s working properly again.

I’ve never been so happy to be told it’s a ‘mechanical’ problem. Once you’ve had a cancer diagnosis, every single bodily event becomes the worry that the cancer is back, especially when wakeful at 3am. Once dawn arrives so does some sanity thankfully but I understand from fellow members of the C club that this is a pretty common reaction.

So I went out this morning for a wee test on the ‘downs’ and Kennedy’s followed by some repeats on Shalimar. It went pretty well once I’d given myself the HTFU speech, so I rewarded myself with a trip to a bike shop for some new gloves. Cue silly selfie time!

My latest challenge is the news that my Mum has myeloma and there is little more anyone can do apart from palliative care. My wish is that we can get her home from hospital for Christmas Day and see what happens from there. My training programme has to adapt again, Mum and Dad are not in Christchurch, so I’ll be shifting bases for a bit. This is where I realise that training is so much more for me than the physical aspects. I need my training for my mental health, for friendship, for adventure, for the sheer joy of being outdoors; to make the very most of this wonderful gift called life.

It’s nearly Christmas, take care everyone, it can be a silly season at times. Rest, recover, reflect.  Above all I wish everyone peace.

And I hope that Santa has found my name on his ‘nice’ list 🙂