There are so many wonderful women out there I am constantly impressed, inspired and awed by. Every week, I have decided to share their stories with you. This week, let's take a look at what Kushpinder has to share with us:
I was going for my birthday party, which my sweet friends had thrown for me, when out of the blue a cyclist jumped in front. In order to avoid collision I took a sharp left and ended up skidding and falling under the bike. I quickly brushed myself off, slightly embarrassed and leaned forward to stand up. But my legs wouldn’t move.
Later in the hospital I would find out that I had shattered and dislocated a key bone in my knee. What a birthday! I was in Bhubaneswar and my family in Punjab. It was the longest, most painful journey I ever had. From Orissa to Delhi and an ambulance ride to Punjab. Every little stone under the wheel had me screaming in pain, let’s not talk about the flight and the transfers. I went for surgery that night thinking everything would be fixed, little did I know that the journey was just beginning. I couldn’t move my leg at all and after 3 weeks I had got back only 10% movement. So I started with physiotherapy, again naively thinking everything would get ok soon, but 3 months later I had only 25% movement. I had a hard time accepting the situation and wondered if I’d walk normally again.
Though my parents were no more, my brothers, my uncle and aunt were very supportive. The treatment was excruciatingly painful and one day I felt so dejected, I cried for 2–3 hours straight. After letting it out, I decided to do something about it. I started researching everything under the sun. I also started gamifying my recovery process. I would give myself points for everything — any exercise and meditation would get me points, if I weren’t cranky that day- more points, every 20 steps I took — points again and if I kept my spirits up — bonus points. I exercised for 8 hours a day and I would get 2 cm range on my knee in a month. I started to walk after 3 months and it took me 9 more months for things to look broadly normal for me.
I had changed as a person, that experience was humbling and I grew more compassionate and grateful for all little things that life had to offer. I realised the value of a holistic journey towards fitness and mental health.I took up yoga as a full time career, even started modelling. Those hard times had me want to live to the fullest — absolutely “Bindaas”!
— Khushpinder Kaur
