It’s Not Better Yet, But It Will Be

And this angel number apparently means focusing on inner peace—whatever that means.

After four hours’ sleep, I definitely need some inner peace to help me deal with all of this.

But at least I made it to the walking track this morning. Hooray! For me, consistency is key, and I’m going to keep building from here.

It’s not better yet—but it will be.

Tomorrow Is Here—Again

Sleep came easily last night.

A sign of everything to come, with today’s plans including a return—again—to training.

Let’s do it.

And the number? 8.18? Abundance, new beginnings and personal power.

Oh yes, I like this one!

Tomorrow is here.

Again.

When in doubt seek motivation

Almost on my way to see my personal trainer and someone asked me "how do you stay motivated?"

I'm not sure I just remember how much the people on my side are encouraging me all the way and this morning I went to see my son at the cemetery and yes he spoke to me "keep going mum, just keep going"

Fully grounded and happy to have the chance to keep going! Not everyone has this privilege

I am definitely one of the lucky ones

Thank you Valentine for keeping me humble  

The finish line?!

I'm focusing on the starting line because that's where the real work is  - get there and you're in with a chance

A chance to race and with that a chance to win 

4:44 — A Glimpse of the Start Line

Oh yeah, we’re back there—angel numbers. And according to “the experts,” this is the number to get.

Four hours and forty-four minutes of sleep doesn’t sound like a breakthrough, but I woke up in that familiar position. As soon as I did, I remembered: twenty-four days since this started, and my pre-injury state feels as familiar as if it were yesterday.

Now I want to dance, do push-ups, and generally exhaust myself.

One step at a time.

I need to approach this with intention and knowledge—and this part of the recovery starts today.

Oh, and 444 means stability, protection, and building a solid foundation. It means the hard work is noticed and supported.

I’m getting a glimpse of the finish line—and at last, it feels real.

No sleep detected.

And here I am again: no sleep detected. Thank goodness I slept yesterday.

I don’t understand it. The pain is negligible—and so is the amount of sleep I got.

So what’s keeping me awake now?

I’ll go for a walk later and see if that helps.

I’ll do better tonight, which means I’ll do better tomorrow.

444 and still here

A New Level of Bliss

Okay, now I need a plan—a new plan that takes into account that it will evolve and change as I continue to recover.

But this new level is bliss. Lying down in bed without pain is so thrilling that it brings tears to my eyes and fills my heart with joy!

Yes, it’s the little things. ❤️

I’m happy to tread water here for a day before I hit it hard.

Sleep came easily and stayed. Nothing could have woken me—and the numbers, if you believe in that stuff, were even more encouraging than the sleep itself.

“Trust your intuition, embrace life’s changes and build a strong foundation for the future.”

I know this could apply to anything, but when I apply it to the progress of my injury, it feels especially exciting and encouraging.

And it’s tomorrow.

This morning, I woke up lying down.

754 at last

Sleep came easy and stayed and nothing could have woken me up and the numbers if you believe that stuff  - more encouraging them the sleep itself

Trust your intuition,  embrace life changed and build a strong foundation for the future! I know this could apply to anything but when I apply to the progress of my injury it is most exciting and encouraging

And it's tomorrow and this morning I woke up lying down 

Synchronicity: A Sign of Things to Come

Synchronicity?!

I’m taking it as a sign that things are improving.

“Safe and guided by the universe through your current challenges—and your hard work will soon pay off.”

Well, that sounds like a promise of good things to come.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. 🤗

Patience, Apparently

More research has been done, and according to said research, it’s important not to get ahead of myself or do too much too soon.

Just because I’ve managed a standing push-up doesn’t mean it’s time to get down on the floor and attempt a three-minute plank. Apparently. Thanks, ChatGPT. 🤔

The most important point it made was this: don’t repeatedly test the sternum just because a movement feels good.

So, where was I?

I’m feeling better—but I mustn’t get ahead of myself. Or, in layman’s terms, I shouldn’t go “all gung-ho.”

For now, I’m going to enjoy sleeping normally again while gradually working my way back towards the original plan: becoming an athlete.

According to ChatGPT, I may need to give it another two or three weeks rather than push too hard and risk a setback. 🤔

A little more patience today to help make sure tomorrow is better.

Patience Is Part of the Plan

More research has been done, and according to said research, it’s important not to get ahead of myself or do too much too soon.

Just because I’ve managed a standing push-up doesn’t mean it’s time to get down on the floor and attempt a three-minute plank—according to ChatGPT. 🤔

And ChatGPT made another important point very clear: don’t repeatedly test the sternum just because a movement feels good.

So, where was I?

I’m feeling better, but I mustn’t get ahead of myself—or, in layman’s terms, go “all gung-ho.” For now, I’m going to enjoy sleeping normally again while gradually working my way back towards the original plan: becoming an athlete.

According to ChatGPT, I may need to accept another two or three weeks of recovery rather than push too hard and risk a setback. 🤔

A little more patience today will help make sure tomorrow is better.

Yes, Today Is Better

It’s that time again—the morning check-in, when I assess my sleep quality.

And this morning, I’m impressed with myself. I woke up after sleeping fully lying down and had minimal pain when getting up.

Or are the new, heavier-duty painkillers simply doing their job? 🤔

Physio later today, and I’m ready 💪

Yes, today is better.

Tomorrow’s first light.

I’ve finally worked it out: go to bed at a ridiculous hour, and eventually sleep will arrive.

I remember looking at the clock at around 2:22 a.m., calculating whether daylight would be there to greet me when I woke.

Today brought another barrage of cancelled appointments as I continued to ride this injury roller-coaster.

I keep reminding myself: all in good time.

Still, I find myself disappearing down the rabbit hole of frustrated research, searching for some way to speed up the healing process. There are plenty of tips, but no magic bullet—only the quiet promise that this, too, will end.

Today wasn’t a better day.

So, for now, I’m looking forward to the first light of tomorrow.At around 3 weeks after a confirmed sternum fracture, the fastest route is usually not pushing harder—it is creating the conditions for the bone to heal while maintaining safe movement and lung function.

Most uncomplicated sternum fractures take roughly 4–6 weeks to heal, although pain and tenderness can last longer.

Immediate Priorities.

1. Keep moving—but stay below the pain threshold.
Gentle walking several times a day is useful. Avoid being completely sedentary, but don't use exercise to "test" the fracture. Guidance recommends staying mobile while avoiding activities that worsen pain.

2. Make breathing a deliberate part of recovery.
Chest fractures can make people breathe shallowly because it hurts. That increases the risk of respiratory complications. Slow, comfortable deep breaths regularly throughout the day are recommended.

A simple approach is:

• Sit upright.

• Relax your shoulders.

• Slowly breathe in as deeply as is comfortable.

• Pause briefly.

• Slowly breathe out.

• Repeat several times, regularly through the day.

• Cough normally when you need to; supporting the chest gently with a pillow can make it more comfortable.

3. Don't lift heavy weights yet.
For thoracic fractures, guidance commonly recommends avoiding heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for approximately 4–6 weeks.

For you, that means no gym circuits, explosive movements, swimming sprints, push-ups, bench press, heavy pulling or anything that produces chest pain yet.

4. Control pain rather than trying to endure it.
Adequate pain control helps you breathe normally and remain mobile. Discuss the safest pain-relief strategy with your doctor/pharmacist rather than simply tolerating severe pain.

5. Give your body the raw materials to repair bone.

• Eat enough overall calories—don't diet aggressively while healing.

• Prioritise protein at each meal.

• Get adequate calcium and vitamin D through food/supplements if medically appropriate.

• Stay hydrated.

• Avoid smoking/vaping, which can impair healing.

• Prioritise sleep.

And here's the important part for your athletic goals

Because you're trying to get back to serious swimming and athletic training, I would treat these next few weeks as training the athlete without training the fracture.

Work on things that don't stress the sternum once a treating clinician/physio agrees—for example, gentle walking, lower-body mobility and carefully selected leg work. Then, as pain settles and healing is confirmed, one can progressively rebuild strength rather than trying to jump straight back into your previous workload.

The goal isn't to lose three or four weeks of fitness. It's to avoid turning a 4–6 week injury into a much longer one.

And because the fracture was confirmed on CT/X-ray and the pain is significant, have a physio/doctor to provide a specific staged return-to-training plan rather than using a generic timeline.

If there’s worsening chest pain, increasing difficulty breathing, fever, coughing up blood, or significant new symptoms, get some help.

Darkness, Imprisoning Me.

Once again, I’m reminded of my fear of it—and of just how solitary recovery can feel. Damn, this being-an-athlete thing can be thankless.

Still, at 1:23 a.m., I’m only four hours from morning. Four hours until the darkness loosens its grip and tomorrow arrives.

So I wait for the LightBringer.

Again.

Editor’s note: I’m a metalhead—and Lizzy’s post hit my soul with all the weight of Metallica’s ‘One’. It carries that same sense of darkness, isolation and being trapped inside a body that won’t cooperate.

If you’ve never heard it, it’s here. Turn it up. Some songs don’t simply describe pain—they make you feel it.

Welcome to the Plateau

Running on a negligible amount of sleep, I feel as though I’ve spent the entire day marking time—not going anywhere, not getting anywhere. And yet, somehow, I’ve achieved a fair amount of nothing!

And behold, I have reached the plateau.

How long will I be here? No one can tell me—not even ChatGPT, with its vague, noncommittal estimate of anywhere between three days and six weeks. Or perhaps twelve weeks? It seems no research is willing to commit to a definite timeline.

No matter. As always, I have tomorrow to look forward to.

And yes—tomorrow will be better.

At the Crack of Almost 5:30

At the crack (pun uninteded) of almost 5:30 a.m, I’ve pretty much given up on sleep and should probably turn my attention to something useful.

Or… actually, I’m tired now, so perhaps I should try again. I’ve done my research, and sleep is vital for broken-bone recovery.

Maybe eat some protein first? 🤔

Actually, no—a concerted effort to sleep, then wake up when it’s properly tomorrow.

First Light, Still Awake

Yes, sleep evades me this evening as I research why the pain came back so strongly yesterday. Too much, too soon, perhaps—but without a second X-ray, I may never know.

After a telehealth appointment and a prescription for some seriously strong painkillers, I thought the numbness would help me sleep. Now, with first light at my heels, perhaps sleep will arrive soon.

Of course, lying down—or whatever version of that I can manage—may make it more likely.

And once again, it’s tomorrow. I feel fine… until the tiredness actually kicks in.

Tomorrow Will Be Better. Cake Will Help.

Oh yes… after a rather disappointing start to the day, I’ve reflected, regrouped and decided to look forward to tomorrow.

In the meantime, I need cake.

Again. 🎂