I sit here on my chair in my bedroom lopsided on my left butt cheek. Although I have a pink round corduroy cushion to help soften the seat and give me a slight lift, I’ve had to tilt to my left side since Monday. I was in Seattle with my friend, Cheryl. She is an avid tennis and pickleball player. I don’t play pickleball outdoors but it was free with many eager players. There was a mix of pickleball and tennis lines on the ground that made it confusing at times. The sun was beating down and I was sweating profusely. Luckily I brought my Airbnb cap with me as I usually don’t fare well under direct sunlight for long periods of time. On my 2nd game, I was partnered with Michael, someone I just met and we were playing against Cheryl and another random partner. On that last winning shot, I ran towards the kitchen line, reached for it and sent the ball low and down the center on the opposing side cementing our win. However, there were loose pebbles I felt roll underneath my shoe and felt the quick descent as my right leg glided forward. I could hear Michael say “good get and wow the splits.” I didn’t quite register what position I was in on the ground because I wasn’t in pain, but I could feel my right hamstring tighten up immediately. I thought I strained my right hamstring. I knew I couldn’t continue and hobbled to the sideline feeling victorious and defeated at the same time.
That evening Cheryl invited me to meet her tennis friends at a local bar. I slowly walked over and noticed the tall backless metal barstools. I gently slid my bottom onto the cold hard seat but immediately felt discomfort and tenderness on my right side. So I had to shift to the right and allow my right side to dangle off the edge hoisting a half seated position with my foot on the ground. I worried about my drive back to Portland the next day. So I opted to stay another day just to give my right hamstring a little time to loosen up a bit. Luckily on Wednesday my driver seat was soft enough although I had to tilt my seat downward to help alleviate some of the pressure.
When my Chiro asked me today, “how does it feel,” I immediately said, “much better but still feel tightness and tenderness.” But when she took a look she shared photos of my thigh and it was marked by deep reds, blue, and purple bruises that I didn’t notice at all. She then taped up my thigh with k-tape. Every chair or seat gives me a visceral response to whether my right thigh is comfortable or not. Its caused me to sit restlessly, constantly adjusting to find that sustainable spot. I’ll have to resort to lazily lounging around with my leg elevated to promote circulation and comfort. At least I know my body is capable of the splits without serious injury and that this won’t hold me back from pickleball for long.
Travelogue 