Today’s post is one for the cancer patients, but as we can’t predict the future, it may be relevant to you or someone you know. What follows is worth bearing in mind should you face any health issue or injury, so do forward this on to someone who might be able to use it.
Both prior to and since my time in the fitness industry, I’ve had cause to learn how to advocate for myself. I went through scoliosis surgery aged 18, and had been seeing my doctor for reviews during the four years beforehand, so I’d learned how to handle myself at the doctor’s office. With the help of some more experienced friends, I discovered that we no longer live in an era of patients being passive, believing everything they’re told, and just taking the expert’s advice as given.
Nobody cares about your body as much as you should. Not your doctor, your partner, your children or your employer. And if you want your body to be in the best condition possible, and continue to serve you for years to come, you have to advocate for it.
Unfortunately, not one of us on this planet is psychic, and doctors in particular have a habit of working with what’s in front of them. Many of them are inclined to see the condition, rather than the person. They don’t know what your life is like outside of the consulting room unless you tell them, and they certainly don’t know what you want to get out of your life in the future. The best they may automatically have to go on is your occupation, but as we all know, even that could change at any time for a number of reasons.
Scary as it can be, and difficult as it is to speak up for yourself in an unfamiliar situation, you are doing this for Future You. If your doctor is aware that you’d like to do a skydive, or trek across the desert on horseback, or climb a different tree every week, they can bear that in mind when planning your treatment and making recommendations for your recovery. They can signpost you to other people who can help you, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and even personal trainers (I hope. One day…).
Then, once you’ve made this plan with their help, it is on you to go and act on it. Attend the physiotherapy sessions. Ask questions about what they’re advising. Seek their support on planning the exercises and other advice into your daily routine. Let them know what your home setup is, whether you have space to do exercises lying on the floor, or need to be doing those things in bed. All of these elements will support your success.
And then you have to go away and do the fucking work. I once pointed out to a friend that the reason I made sure I followed through after paying for PT sessions at the start of my journey was because my body wouldn’t change just by watching him demonstrate the exercises. I had to show up and do them repeatedly myself in order to see and feel a difference in my fitness. Change doesn’t happen via observation, it takes place through action.
So as tedious as rehab can be, as mentally and physically challenging as it is, you have to put in the work. Harsh as this could seem, I say it with love, and the desire for you to succeed. Nobody can give you the power and strength to do that skydive (if we could, we’d be making a lot of money out of it), you have to give it to yourself.
I’ve overcome two surgeries, a persistent ankle injury, and more strains, aches and pains than I care to think about. I’ve worked past the fear of entering a space that was totally unfamiliar and I genuinely didn’t think was for me. I’ve wanted desperately to avoid seeing myself in the mirror. I’ve hated how my hair looks, and felt self-conscious about sweating in public (in fact, those things I still face). Do I feel better as a result? Absolutely. Can I help you do the same? Any time you like. All you have to do is ask.