Groin Stronger: How My Body Is Learning to Trust Itself Again

When I injured my groin putting on a pair of pajamas last year, I had no idea it would lead to a trilogy of articles. Or physical therapy. But what started as a strained muscle turned into a problem spot for hemophilia, the rare bleeding disorder I was born with.

Initially, I should have taken the injury more seriously. Perhaps if I'd strained the groin muscle running with the bulls, I'd have contacted my doctors sooner. It's hard to take pajama-related injuries seriously. Maybe it's because you just don't hear about them? These are not the kinds of stories that are shared freely over a drink at the pub. I'd like to think this series of articles about what happened to me might change the discourse.

Groin injury + rare disease

When I have a bleed that needs treatment, I can do that at home by administering clotting factor intravenously. I don't want to overplay the significance of this injury – things seemed to be healing on their own naturally, and I wasn't homebound. I was just starting to shuffle around the way Sophia Petrillo does on The Golden Girls, careful not to take too big a stride.

But after my rare disease got involved in the groin issue, I got even more tentative. So much so that I found myself yelling at the TV, telling my beloved Sophia, "Slow it down, you might get hurt!"

Getting my body back on track

I didn't factor hemophilia into what was happening with my groin muscle because, initially, it wasn't a bleed. For 3 months, it was slowly getting better. Days would pass without a shooting pain that reminded me of the issue. After I had to treat myself several times, I started to play it a little too safe with my movements.

After meeting with my hematologist and explaining the situation, I was set up with a physical therapist, which really helped get me back on track. I learned a handful of safe stretches that I could do at home, and I prioritized putting in the work in the week between my first and second appointments with the physical therapist.

I have to stop here to say: the exercises were hardly the kind of stuff needed for a favorable Cirque Du Soleil audition. It is all pretty basic – but necessary – stuff. The biggest issue wasn't the physical injury, it was turning the corner mentally.

The downside of getting good news

En Vogue tried to tell me in high school what the groin muscle injury now required: that if I simply freed my mind, the rest would follow.

Sure enough, at my second appointment, the physical therapist was impressed with my range of motion improvement. More stretches were added, and I even got a QR code for an app with videos of the exercises. So, what did I do after that second visit?

No stretches. For 2 days.

I meant to, but I just didn't prioritize it after getting the good report. It's funny how good news can negatively impact productivity sometimes, right? Instead of sitting on my yoga mat and doing stretches, I was resting on my laurels.

The real recovery is happening now

I know what happened: after 2 months of omnipresence, I simply wanted to think about something other than my groin, which has certainly presented problems of a different sort in the past. Okay, enough jock jokes.

Even though the cause of the groin injury was months ago, I feel like the true recovery process is happening now. And it's going to require consistency. At age 48, this is my first experience with a pulled muscle, and it likely won't be my last.  The majority of the physical wounds of the past have required limited movement, whereas this involves movements that cause slight discomfort.

And, from the earliest days of my life with hemophilia, one of the first things I learned was to respect the warnings my body sent me where physical discomfort is concerned.

The most important lesson

I'm thankful that my body is starting to trust itself again. It's incredible how quickly some basic exercises have changed how I move about during a normal day. I try to be a quick learner when a new wrinkle is introduced where my rare disease is concerned. Getting used to new wrinkles is part of the grace I've been afforded, for which I'm very thankful.

I think the most important lesson learned here is this: keep my healthcare team informed. Even if I don't think something is connected to hemophilia – like a groin injury – I need to run it by them. I think I could have totally avoided the groin area bleeds if I'd done so.

Something else I know I should do? Ditch this computer for my yoga mat and exercises app.