Maybe Try Not Riding Hola

So on Easter Monday of this year I had a wee little incident that got me thinking about revising my goals for Hola.

I was thinking, gee... you know... maybe I should not ride Hola.

Yah, I like that plan better.

You see, Hola is fast. And reactive. And did I mention fast? And I'm a thirty something, overweight, under talented (that's a thing right?), chicken shit who lacks the coordination and balance required to navigate the corners of her own house without banging her hips and is known to walk in to the refrigerator on a weekly basis and one who trips over her own shoes and up the stairs on occasion.

I also, apparently, dont fall well. Which is, apparently, the next best skill to have if staying on your horse is workin' out for ya!

What I am trying to say is that I fell of Hola and I landed badly. Really badly. And I broke 4 bones in my back.

I broke my L1 and L2 transverse processes and broke off a chunk of both my L3 and L4 transverse processes which is apparently really hard to do. So if you think about it I didnt fall off badly...  I fell of spectacularly!

*raises hand*

I'm special.

So I broke these transverse processes which takes a tremendous amount of blunt force trauma, so much trauma, actually, that it is most often results from being struck by a car (pedestrian) and getting shot and is often accompanied by damage to internal organs.

Luckily, my guardian angels were all present and accounted for on that fateful day. Not only did I not injure my spinal cord, I also did not have any internal organ injuries. The doctor said that I was very very lucky.

He also said, "The good news is that you are going to be okay. The bad news is that the next few weeks are going to be extremely painful." That man was on point when he said this is a painful injury and that pain meds would not be overly helpful. Over the next few weeks I said "fuck" a lot. Sorry, but cotton-headed-ninny-muggins (Elf) just wouldn't cut it when it felt as though I was being stabbed in the back with a long hot dagger every time I moved.

In all seriousness it was extremely painful but within a few weeks I got through the worst of it and within about 6 weeks I was walking fairly well. A pretty short recovery when considered against the terrifying alternative scenarios of spinal injuries. Also on a serious note, I just want to say, that I am truly grateful for my health and have the utmost compassion for those who deal with physical and mental challenges and chronic pain. While I celebrate the knowledge that I can live a full and pain-free I wont forget that not everyone is so blessed and that things can change in the blink of eye...

So make it count.