There are times where I feel my age. Right now, is one of those times.
I was racing in the China Coast Regatta with Team Vineta, feeling rather good about the nice new cap my sponsor, Blood Red, gave me the night just before, and I was below deck clearing the spinnaker just like my team mate Roger needed me to when the boat suddenly heeled and I went flying (not my first time) and then landed my lower back onto the edge of the fore bunk bed (my first time).
I remember bracing and hardening-up for the expected landing, and not feeling much pain when I smacked onto the bunk’s edge. I also remembered my eyes clouding over as pain radiated from my back to the rest of my body as I stood up from being heaped on the floor.
I had to go and tell the boat boss, Simon Pickering, that I had hurt myself while below deck and that I was experiencing a lot of pain and as a result, was having issues with mobility. I also told him that we still managed to pack the spinnaker after I took my spill. A sailor’s got to get the job done after all.
I’ve had some nasty accidents while racing before. Bruised and some scars I can show you, but I’ve never had my legs and strength taken from me like this.
Couldn’t straighten up, couldn’t sit down, couldn’t lie down, couldn’t bloody walk, couldn’t freakin’ crawl, couldn’t lift, or pull or be anything useful but for boat ballast. There was no comfortable position I could place myself in where pain wasn’t shooting and radiating from my lower back.
And yet, I still managed to race the very next day.
It was my birthday after all, and I wasn’t going to miss a good day of racing on my birthday.
My wife understood. That’s why I love that woman, and will love her until life leaves my body and beyond that. I love you, wife. Thank you for letting me race regardless of my injury.
Anyway, I was in massive pain for the entire day, but was smiling ear-to-ear. Conditions were near hostile out on the water. Thank God for a supportive crew, who helped me on-board and made sure I was safe the entire time.
Did I mention that they sang a heartfelt “Happy Birthday” for me as I scrambled aboard Vineta? Well, I am telling you now. It was a nice sailorly rendition of the copyrighted song and I love my team to bits for it. Excelsior Team Vineta Racing!
The hop back to the Philippines aboard my sponsored Cebu Pacific flight was still painful, even with the nice comfy seats, smooth flight and equally smooth landing. My back was just killing me.
I find out from my doctor later on (after much scolding from him), that my lumbar muscles were able to take the brunt of the impact, and that my spine was fine based on the xrays (I am a manly man with a very strong backbone after all). But, due to the violence of the sustained trauma my lower back received, the muscles were torn-up in several places–which explains why it hurt when I sneezed, coughed, laughed or yelled “Whoa!” quite suddenly.
Resorting to NOT yelling “Whoa!” and saying it a bit more timidly, I grimly receive the news from my doctor that it will take twelve (12) weeks, plus meds and physical therapy (not to mention strength training), for me to get back into racing condition–essentially taking me out-of-action for the rest of the year.
It’s that bad.
Well. There you go. I fell down and hurt myself, if that’s how I’m supposed to simplify it. If you look at the photo I included with this journal entry, you will see that I am in a bit of a grimace while trying to crawl to the high side of Vineta.
Yeah. THAT painful.
I hope to get stronger again soon. Being on dry land too long feels unnatural to me.
