Happy Walker

I have been walking a lot more recently. It doesn't sound like a big deal for most of the people living in New York. However, for someone had knee problems for decades, it's a freedom that no money can buy.

I was a volleyball player in my school years. From fifth grade to high school, playing for the school team. I practiced about 2-3 hours a day, 3-6 days a week. In Taiwan, coaches don't know much about preventing injuries. They were players, nobody had any medical or sports science degree. As a player, you get injuries. Everybody does, that's just the way it is.

I started to have knee pain around 12 or 13. My coach did take me to a doctor but he said it was no big deal. I was still running and jumping, but something just didn'tfeel quite right. After high school, I stopped playing. Knee problem was one of the reasons, the other was the purpose of playing. When I played for the school, it was not fun anymore. I was tired of playing for win. I started to workout in senior year. Spending most of my exercise time in the gym. My knees were up and down. During the worst time, I couldn'twalk longer than half hour. My knees would get swollen and I had to rest. (Isn't it sad that you can't even go shopping?)

When I came to NY for graduate study, I went to the school gym. However, when I started to work, I couldn't afford a membership. I stopped working out and gotten out of shape. One day, my boss called me when he was coming back to the office from a meeting. He was in the cab and didn't have any money on him. He asked me to grab his wallet and meet him down stairs ASAP. I grabbed it and started to run down the hallway. The first step I landed my right foot on the hard surface and I heard a pop. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't feel any painand I was still running. When I came back to the office later, I realized that I can't squat down. Also, my knee was getting bigger. By the evening, my knee was so swollen and I couldn't bend it at all. Finally, I went to see a knee doctor after two weeks. He told me I got a partial tear on my ACL. I started to do therapy. It took months and eventually it healed. However, my pre-existing knee problem was still there. I still didn't feel normal.

During the next few years, I avoid heavy leg workouts and kind of just lived with it. Until the lack of muscles strength brought new problems. My knee lost the stability and started to buckle. That was scary. I went to another doctor and he gave me a knee brace which cost my $600. (If I knew it was so expensive, I rather just hop in one leg) And he send me to therapy again. This time, I met my life saver. He is the husband of my previous therapist and he is specialized in sports injuries. She recommended him for me. He told me that my long-time problem was due to the unbalance muscles strength on both sides of my leg. The outside was stronger and tight, so it kept pulling the knee cap off its position and caused pain when moving.

I did probably another year of therapy and finally learned how to take care of it myself. I played softball for a few years. Still remember first time running full speed on the grass after more than ten years of knee problems. That was such a wonderful feeling. Now I can walk as long as I want. One day I decided to get off the train early and walk rest of the way to work. I was walking in the rain for an hour. Nothing can compare to this freedom.

I wish I have met my therapist ten years earlier. So I didn't need to give up the sports I loved. However, I'm glad it's not too late to pick it back on now. I'm doing yoga and even started to try kickboxing for a couple of weeks. I'm fitter than I was ten years ago. Only the people have been injured can truly appreciate having healthy limbs. So, keep walking if you could. Because you are really gonna miss it when you can't.