“Losing a battle or losing everything we thought we possessed will bring us moments of sadness. But when those moments pass, we will discover the hidden strength that exists in each of us, a strength that will surprise us and increase our self-respect”
Paulo Coelho, Manuscript Found in Accra.
Few months ago, I was diagnosed with patellofemoral joint chondropathy and a Baker’s cyst in the same knee. At first, I panicked, I felt almost like my whole world crashed! My strong legs were always my biggest asset, and suddenly my body is giving up on me?! No way, I had one thought in my head, what now? What am I going to do without my mountains, trips, walks …the feeling was overwhelming.
Internal fight!
The final diagnosis came in June, I was in Gran Canaria discovering hidden gems … on that day, we hiked around the Barranco de las Vacas. The surroundings were incredible, but I was anxious, I couldn’t trust my legs anymore, with each step taken, the level of anger was growing. I had an internal dialog with myself, or maybe the dialog was with my body?! Come on! I was screaming inside of me
Why? Why? Why? You can’t do it to me! I need my legs!
Sometime before the diagnosis, we were laughing with July, that I need to insure my legs, as there are so strong and valuable to me, almost like J-Lo’s buttock or Mariah Carey’s legs. But now it wasn’t funny anymore. I was thinking who am I without my strength, what can I do now?
Friend of mine Fryderyk said: ‘come on you are active, you have so many interests and passions you will find something else for yourself to do’ But I don’t want anything else! The stubbornness and anger inside of me was taking over. My Mum said, don’t worry you can still hike, trek but maybe not so high, you will still travel, maybe you will just need to adjust the styles of your activities.
In my head I could only hear NO!
I felt like no one can really understand, they want to support me of course but they just don’t understand! Mountains and outdoors saved me, and without them I’m no one, I’m lost.
Ok, so what now?
The plan is to not give up! Of course I can’t change my legs for a new set, but I can make them even stronger .. Yes, now I will be working on making my hamstrings and quads much stranger, so the pressure on my knees is reduced. July Orozco my guardian angel prepared for me a special set of exercises for straightening my hamstrings and quadriceps, so I trust that with her support and knowledge my legs will become stronger.
NHS in UK wasn’t very helpful didn’t give me many alternatives, doctor said oh everyone eventually gets problems like this, some sooner than others, you can have steroids, surgery in the future, I’m not going to tell you to stop what you are doing but you must be careful. No alternatives? Nope.
The orthopedist Mateusz Gąciarz , who diagnosed me with the above, specialist in orthopaedics and traumatology of the musculoskeletal system as well as sports medicine suggested an alternative solution, which is not permanent, but might help in my case.
On Sunday, one week before my trip to Iran, where I will be climbing the highest volcano in Asia, I’m flying to Poland (Krakow) to Mateusz’s clinic ‚Strefa Dobrej Medycyny’ where I will have an injection of chondrovital gel (hyaluronic acid). hopefully it will help with joint regeneration and improvement of my knee functions. This gel is apparently used by athletes for example by Atletico Madrid footballers, and it’s an innovation in treatment of osteoarthritis. I really hope it will help me
Doctor Mateusz said in one of his emails
‘Think positively, there will be more than one summit ahead of you for sure!’
I hope so … Fingers crossed!
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