Gratitude – Things Could Always Be Worse
February 16th, 2009 at 11:14When I was growing up and things seemed to go wrong, my mama would always say: “If everyone put their troubles in a pile for everyone to choose from, you would probably want to pull your own back out. Your problems don’t seem nearly as bad when you look around and see what others are going through.”
Her philosophy was simple but true. I’ve learned to focus on what I have rather than what I don’t have. I learned to look for the “silver lining” in things that seem really bad. And I’ve learned to ask, “What is the opportunity in this?”
Last week, I hurt my hand while I was cross-country skiing. I had some x-rays done, and nothing is broken, but I was referred to a hand specialist. I’ve been to the hand doc twice in the past week, and he definitively determined today that I have a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, commonly known as skiier’s thumb. So tomorrow, I’m having surgery to repair the damaged ligament.
The catch is this: I have a trip planned for the weekend to go ice fishing and dogsledding in Wisconsin. The good news: he believes that by Friday, I should be okay to participate in these activities.
I could have waited to have the surgery when I got back. But I also have a 50K race coming up on March 7. I decided that if I have to forego some parts of the winter activities this weekend to be totally ok for my 50K, then I’m ok with that.
So, what is the opportunity in this? Primarily that I have the opportunity to have my hand repaired by a competent surgeon and be ready for a 50K race in 3 weeks. Also, I’m fortunate to be able to still go on my upcoming adventure, albeit with a bandaged hand.
But the biggest thing and the most important point – the “silver lining”: It’s just my hand and not my foot!
I would definitely take my own troubles back out of the pile…
February 16th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
What is the opportunity in this? It’s not the events, but your reaction to them. In this case, have the “opportunity” to expand your medical knowledge of the hand, ligaments, and potential injuries such as skier’s thumb. Get the clinical details (with graphics!!) at
http://www.aafp.org/afp//AFPprinter/20060301/827.html
February 16th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Funny you should suggest that – I have indeed taken the opportunity to expand my medical knowledge: The skier’s thumb injury is described as an acute injury to the ulnar collateral ligament. When a skier falls with his or her hand caught in a ski pole, the thumb can be pulled away from the hand. Because of the shape of the ski pole, the thumb tends to get caught and significant stresses are placed on the ulnar collateral ligament. If the ulnar collateral ligament is pulled far enough, it will tear. While there are many ways to injure the ulnar collateral ligament, a skier’s thumb is the proper eponym for an acute injury to the ligament.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:29 am
It’s great to be positive about life and accept what life deals you gracefully.
It’s also important to take every opportunity to learn more about how our great body works for we can help ourselves quite often much better by doing so.
We will be able to clearly giving our Doctor’s our disease symptoms in order so they may make an appriopriate diagnosis and provide appropriate help to us.