Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Bilateral Patellar Tendonitis

     I've been jumping for as long as I can remember. As a kid I was always trying to touch the top of the doorway. Then it was the ceiling. Then the exit signs at school. The basketball rim. Touching my head to the net. Dunking with a tennis ball. Dunking with a basketball. Jumping was the main reason I chose volleyball as the sport I'd focus on most. Problem is: stretching and warming up wasn't something I liked as much.
      Volleyball plays last maybe seven seconds. As a middle blocker I would jump anywhere from two to six times within that seven seconds. Every jump was 36 inches up and 36 down--right on my knees. Because I didn't stretch and warm up, my quads are now fused to the fibrous tissue that runs the length of my thigh. This inflexibility makes my kneecap track improperly and puts strain on my tendon.
     Now I go to physical therapy twice a week and they use different tools and leverage points to stretch that fibrous band and separate it from my quadriceps. The best way I can describe is like when you have a knot in your shoulders and you have a friend rub it out. Except it's fifty or sixty times worse. But when it's over my legs feel amazing and I find that I am rapidly healing. I should be able to play again in a few weeks.
      What a wonderful analogy for my soul. God draws me near to him. I use His gifts He's given me to a certain extent but I don't take the time to seek Him and invest in our relationship. My spirit contracts a chronic ache; poor decisions cause moments of acute suffering. I go to the Doctor and He calls me out on how I haven't properly cared for what He's given me. Spiritual therapy begins and it sucks, but I come out better each time. Sometimes I slip and "play on it". Doc works me over extra hard next appointment not only to put me back on track but to help the problem.
      Now my soul has a spring in its step again. But it took the pain of therapy to ultimately heal it.

13 comments:

  1. bro, AWESOME analogy. i love analogies. good job

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  2. Great insight...into you and into our spiritual lives.

    I hate stretching before and after a run. You're making me think twice.

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  3. First off, I'm jealous you can dunk.

    Loved the connection too - Gotta always put in our preparation!

    Thanks for the post man

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  4. I loved this! It really puts it into perspective for me being an athlete. Thank you so much for this post.

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  5. Dude didn't know you played volleyball, we should go play beach sometime

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  6. wow, ryan. that was really beautiful. i loved reading it. definitely connect with it, too. partially because of physical therapy for my ankles a while ago, but mostly the spiritual therapy part, haha.

    also, the way our bodies work is so crazy and i think it just points back to God's brilliance in this whole thing.

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  7. Word. Love this. God wants us to experience the fullness of Him, and we only take the bits and pieces we enjoy the most...even though we need ALL of Him! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. 1. my right patella doesn't glide correctly either:) but that's because I have jra in my right knee. and...
    2. love this. thank you for sharing. I wish matters of the heart and soul were as EASY as physical therapy.

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  9. And you said you weren't a blogger...

    This was insightful and challenging. Thanks

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  10. As i was reading this post i knew it was about to relate to some kind of journey in our spiritual walk. Analogy for my soul. I love this!! =)

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  11. I love when we can take real life situations and apply them to our spiritual lives.

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  12. I want a "spring" in my soul's step :)
    Cool blog thoughts.

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  13. wow! wow! wow! ok, a guilty pleasure of mine is analogies! weird, i know. i love when i have a good one and i love when others have them. they're just so relatable. what an amazing analogy!!! oh i love it! amen to all of this! beautiful!

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