Tag Archives: knee injury

Knee Injury Case Update: One Year Later

A year ago today I published two blog posts that had a profound impact on my life.

In Part 1 I described the chronic knee condition I suffered that had me recovering on crutches for 7+ months, nearly half of which kept me in my apartment on glorified bed rest. I detailed the chronological list of events that led me to that state, and the specific cocktail of remedies that helped me get better.

Part 2 was all about my reflections, and how going through the injury-recovery process affected me. The chronic case of synovitis and patello-femoral pain I suffered was only one part of the journey. What started as a physical symptom ballooned into a mind/body condition that required some deep internal exploration to dig my way out.

Hitting the publish button on these posts was therapeutic. I needed to get my story out into the world for myself as much as to share them with other people. There was so much pent up rage, frustration, anger, joy, and triumph that I had to document it all in one place.

So much has happened since then. I’ve been amazed at the reaction these posts received from friends, family, and acquaintances. People who had no idea what I was going through reached out with offers of support and encouragement. Others resonated with the core messages, revealing their own stories of struggle and ultimate triumph.

And yet others have reached out asking me for help. These are folks who are still in the thick of it, still struggling through some mysterious, chronic ailment or injury, wondering if, when, and how they will recover.  Continue reading

Healing Foods (Healing Practice: Part 3)

Since sharing my knee story a few weeks ago, many people have asked about my diet. They were mainly curious how I managed to stay so lean, given how little physical activity I was partaking in. Some wanted to know what I learned about healing foods that help reduce joint pain. Others just asked how I did my grocery shopping on crutches (I used a delivery service called Instacart, which was a life saver!)

It turns out I’ve learned quite a bit about how food effects the body, and how the right diet can help you recover from an injury. Continue reading

My Knee Story, Part 2: Reflections

This is the second of two posts explaining my one and a half year recovery from a chronic knee injury, and reflecting on the experience. You can read part one here. This post reflects on my injury, recovery, and lessons learned. 

Part of what kept me going was knowing I could share my story and hopefully help other people. I view these posts as part of my healing process. 

I haven’t been myself since February 12, 2012. That’s the day I injured my right knee running up a hill in San Francisco, on my way to a casual five mile race. I was fit, active, and bursting with the energy and perfectionism typical of a driven young professional in his early 20’s. But over the next year and a half, I would be tested mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, whittled down to nothing but the core of who I am as a person. A core that’s been shaped and re-defined by the experience. Continue reading

My Knee Story, Part 1: Injury and Recovery

This is the first of two posts explaining my one and a half year recovery from a chronic knee injury, and reflecting on the experience. You can read post two here. This post explains the onset and recovery of my injury in detail. 

Part of what kept me going was knowing I could share my story and hopefully help other people. I view these posts as part of my healing process. 

This is for anyone who has been diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), synovitis, or a chronic injury of any kind. My hope is to provide the specific, detailed information I found so hard to find as I recovered from my injury. I’m still not 100% recovered yet (physically, mentally, and emotionally), but feel well enough to share what has worked for me. Continue reading