Getting dressed.
You know when you think you’ve finally got it sussed and you’re ready to take on the world?
Then, here it comes—the curveball that says, “Not yet!”
I could stay in bed and give in to chronic illness, or I could just get the fuck up and keep going.
Also, I should probably get dressed. Naked doesn’t work in every setting I’ll find myself in today… except when the pizza delivery guy arrives, but that’s a whole different scenario.
So, I’ve put on my favourite ’80s music—a little inspiration from my yesterdays for today.
It starts with mindset.
Let’s go—because tomorrow will be better.
Washing, Weeding and What Happens Next
The washing is on, and there’s a plan for some basic gardening—which means more basic training.
And it’s not even the crack of 9 a.m. on a Sunday.
Next stop: getting down on the floor for a serious assessment of what happens next.
Yes, today is a great day.
The Promise of First Light
As an athlete, of course I’m a morning person. It’s part of the territory. Getting started first thing is the perfect way to begin the day.
And every day begins with first light—not sunrise, but that moment when you notice the very first hint of light approaching. It signals to the brain the promise of the day ahead and all its possibilities.
It reminds us: “Yes! We get another go!”
And yes, tomorrow arrives again. 🙌
Almost Lying Down, Definitely Getting Up.
I woke up again in what can only be described as an almost-lying position. Clearly, it’s time to get serious about exercise.
First: coffee and push-ups.
Yes, it’s tomorrow. And yes, it’s already better.
Today, the Post Office. Tomorrow, the Olympics.
So now we’re getting into the method: finding the starting point and beginning to rebuild endurance.
ADLs are Activities of Daily Living. BADLs are Basic Activities of Daily Living.
They’re the ordinary things we do every day—the things most people take for granted. For me, they’re the starting point. Again.
We all know the famous phrase “use it or lose it.” But what happens when you’ve already lost it?
You start at the point of loss and keep trying until it works again.
Always accept help when you need it—but don’t automatically begin there. Begin by seeing what you can do for yourself.
When you feel as though you can’t do something anymore, go out and try it. As the saying goes, “Just do it.” And if you can’t just do it, keep trying until you can.
Now that the pain is no longer through the roof—and some sleep, however negligible, is finally happening—it’s time to get doing.
This morning, not only did I get out of bed relatively smoothly, but I also made it to the post office to collect a parcel instead of paying someone else to do it for me.
Yes, it qualifies as a workout.
Frankly, I’m unsure why it isn’t an Olympic event, because what I achieved this morning feels worthy of an Olympic rings tattoo.
Today, the post office.
From here, tomorrow is already better.
Pattern recognition and Angel numbers
Oh yeah I'm onto something here with 6 hours and 2 minutes sleep and the Angel numbers are even better than how refreshed I'm feeling this morning
I should do some push ups now - no time to sit around
My Favourite Time of Day, I Now Fear
It’s that time again—the sun dipping beyond the horizon as the last light streams through the leaves.
I sit in the glow of the evening sun and enjoy the beauty of the moment.
I’m not afraid of the darkness, nor the Devil. As it happenss, he kinda likes me.
When night comes? I just can’t/don’t/won’t sleep and now? I’ve used up all my apostrophes.
I try to speak to the Devil after 2.am.
But, Usually, sometime after 2 a.m., exhaustion finally takes over and sleep arrives.
It has arrived before, and it will arrive again. Yet I’m still plagued by the thought:
“What if sleep doesn’t come tonight?”
But beneath that fear, I know this will pass.
One day soon, I’ll sleep lying down again. My strength and fitness will return, and the way forward will become clear.
Yes—that will be one of my tomorrows.
Note: The Devil is my editor. And he's kinda nice.
Sleepy at last and it's not even midnight
For the first time since I broke this sternum it's before 11 and I'm tired - is this the turning point?
- I'm excited about waking tomorrow to a better day
Day 2 of rehabilitation
After a rough night, I had one brief, shining moment this morning—a split second when I forgot about the pain, the injury, and the second-guessing stirred up by feelings of abandonment.
Then I made my way to my personal trainer, and we laughed about how the injury happened—or, at least, my recollection of it. 🤔
According to my PT, I’m now entering the proliferation phase of healing. The initial trauma and swelling are beginning to settle, and my body is working to repair the injured area by creating new tissue.
For now, recovery means gentle, carefully guided movement—with advice from people who know what they’re doing. This stage may take several weeks, which is difficult when all I want to do is train hard and watch my body transform into a masterpiece any man would be proud to have on his arm!
Yes, there’s still an element of self-doubt after a succession of setbacks. But those setbacks are behind me.
Now I’m returning to this part of the dream—a project that began only four weeks ago.
At last, it’s getting off the ground and beginning to take flight.
The vision is becoming clearer.
A brief and shiny moment
I woke to the sound of my phone ringing, which meant I had actually slept. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, so I realised I’d been asleep since 4 a.m.
Three beautiful, uninterrupted hours. Blessed relief.
But wait—there’s more!
Somehow, my body had made its way into an almost-lying position between stacks of pillows. And, for one brief, glorious moment, I wasn’t aware of any pain.
Then I made it to the lounge room to see who had called. Yes—it was someone checking in.
Everything feels easier when friends are on your side: checking in, offering reassurance, and forgiving you when pain means you aren’t the best version of yourself.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. Here’s my version:
“It takes the five people you spend the most time with to help an injured person heal.”
And I remind myself:
“Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
I’m seeing my personal trainer this afternoon, so Day 2 of rehab is on!
Tomorrow has arrived—and, yes, it’s better.
When in doubt, look for evidence.
The evidence is in the last time I wasn’t sure, and in remembering how I found my way through in the end.
I’ve broken bones before and come back stronger than ever. This time, larger-bone logic tells me I’ll come back even stronger.
After four hours and eight minutes of sleep, I’m going to be kind to myself today. I’ll focus on my next move—and look forward to tomorrow.
5:14 Angel Number? 🤔
After weeks of averaging barely two hours’ sleep following a broken sternum, Elizabeth finally slept for 5 hours and 14 minutes. Then she discovered the hopeful meaning associated with angel number 514—and, for today at least, she’s a believer.
Last night, I got 5 hours and 14 minutes of sleep.
Interestingly, angel number 514 is said to represent positive change, new beginnings and hard work—which feels perfect after averaging barely two hours’ sleep since the incident that broke my sternum.
Do I believe in angel numbers?
Today, I do. 😇
And tomorrow is looking very good. ✨
Editors Annotation:
I’m not personally into numerology or star signs, but context matters—and after everything Liz has endured, the timing of 5:14 feels especially poignant.
The angel number 514 is commonly interpreted as:
5 — change, freedom and adventure
1 — initiative, fresh beginnings and self-reliance
4 — stability, discipline and strong foundations
Whether you see it as a sign or simply a meaningful coincidence, it beautifully reflects this moment in Liz’s recovery: positive change, a hopeful new beginning and the hard work of rebuilding.
Lonely.
Sometimes, when I’m this vulnerable, I wish I had a mentor to talk me through it.
You can’t lean on friends all the time. Even when someone seems to be there for you, life can intervene and draw their focus away—regardless of how committed they seemed.
No matter. I can do this.
I remind myself: “No one is completely on your side.”
Just focus on finding the way back from this.
Yikes. I’m terrified.
Physio at Last
After finally making it to physio, I’m back at baseline—confronting the damage to my body, a painful night ahead and the uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring.
Today was confronting in more ways than one.
I’m back to baseline, second-guessing every aspect of my life.
Now it’s 10 pm, and I’m unsure about sleep. I’m in more pain than before. This road is testing me far more than I thought it would.
I’m finally beginning to realise the extent of the damage to my body.
I’m not even sure I’ll do better tomorrow.
Bring It
After 14 days of waiting, the real work is about to begin. With just six hours until official rehab starts, today feels different—better. I’m ready. Bring it.
Were the last 14 days simply a pause before the real work on this project begins?
They do say timing is everything.
Now, with just six hours to go before my official rehab begins, today feels better.
I’m ready.
Bring it!
Reverse Cowgirl would be easier.
Another night with fewer than three hours of sleep.
At the moment, I have to sleep sitting upright in a carefully arranged fortress of pillows. It’s uncomfortable, unnatural and nearly impossible to maintain.
Honestly, reverse cowgirl would be easier.
As an athlete, I’m looking forward to the end of this pain. The pain medication isn’t even touching the sides, and then there’s the unsettling nausea—which, at least, is stopping me from drinking beer and eating cupcakes.
The days continue to blur as I count down to my first rehabilitation physiotherapy appointment.
Just one more sleep to go—if you can call it sleep.
It’s difficult to remain buoyant when my body hurts and rest feels impossible, but I’m still dreaming of better days ahead.
Starting with tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be better.
Before I Dance Again
While waiting for her body to heal, Liz wrestles with pain, fear and another person’s devastating words. Through the longest nights, she holds on to one thought: tomorrow can be better—and one day, she’ll dance again.
As I sit and wait for my body to heal, the words of a friend keep echoing in my mind:
“You’ll probably never fully recover, and everything is going to get harder.”
Fuck you!
Those aren’t words I want living in my head. How do I come back from that?
I keep reminding myself: one step at a time.
As pain floods my body, self-doubt creeps in like a thief in the night—because the nights are the worst, and being afraid of the dark doesn’t help.
I sleep sitting up, and it’s nearly that time again.
I look for distractions. I could listen to some heavy metal, but I can’t dance to it. Actually, I can’t dance at all right now.
I need to sleep so that tomorrow has a chance to be better—regardless of how long it takes before I dance again.
What if it doesn't work?
When injury makes the way forward feel uncertain, sometimes the only thing to do is return to basics, make a plan and begin again. Fear asks, “What if this doesn’t work?” Hope asks, “What if it does?”
With two days to go before I’m right back at it, I’m feeling entirely at the mercy of my injured body.
The days are blurring, and the way forward isn’t clear.
So, it’s back to basics: make a plan, begin at the beginning and take it one step at a time—even if it means starting again.
And then there’s the fear:
What if this doesn’t work?
But there’s another question worth asking:
What if it does?
Imposter Syndrome.
Now, with an injury worse and more painful than anything I’ve ever experienced, doubt is at my heels, asking:
“What are you doing?”
And:
“Who are you kidding?”
And here’s another hill.
Hills are hard work.
I’ve contacted the experts, and I’m ready to start ASAP. Here I go again, ready to start at the very beginning—because that’s a very good place to start! 🎶
Again.
And tomorrow, I rest.
Really rest—with nine days of sleeplessness to make up for.
Tomorrow will be better. 🙏