Parents Forced Time Off is SO hard

[munchkin3]

Sorry, I reposted this from Mens thread..

So DS has been dealing with a wrist injury for 4 months....he was casted practically up to his neck 2 months ago and had it removed after 4 weeks. He has been without the cast for 3 weeks and trying SOOOO hard to keep up and stay with the team, and GO to practice etc. He does not want to miss. He hurt it last night doing something stupid, and was freaking out....He is having 'other' pains, in other parts of his body which I think are psychosomatic...

He is stuck on L6 working L7...this has been for 1 year. He has had many injuries, including a patellar sleeve fracture, elbow tendinitis, and now the TFCC ligament injury....this one has been a doozie. Not enough to really take him out of gymnastics, but just enough of an injury to prevent him from progressing.

After a long talk with a relative who happens to be a Physical Therapist, (he asked me when the off season is and of course I said, 'never') he looked at me like I was crazy! But I did take away a REALITY CHECK....He said that DS is a growing child and that his joints and bones are delicate and under huge stress. He must be allowed to heal. Puberty is around the corner and is a GREAT thing especially for male gymnasts!!

DS is 12 3/4.....He loves gymnastics and wants to continue....He has NEVER taken a sustained amount of time off for ANY reason....His body has never really been able to heal. I want to pull him out altogether for 3 weeks.

Hand specialist TOTOALLY agreed.


WHY do I feel SO terrible about taking him out completely for 3 weeks????? Why does it feel like I am ENDING his gymnastics??? He needs to rest! He needs to heal....The only way for him to get better is to REST and STOP....

I have seen plenty of kids do it with no consequense....If anything, they return with real motivation and fire...But I still hear those voices...'1 week = 1 month' 1 month = 1 year....

This is really a crazy sport! I guess I am just the crazy one!!!

Coach will NOT be happy.

Any advice??

 

[gymmomtoo]

can you compromise? Not allow him to do gymnastics skills for the three weeks, but have him go to practice and condition. That way he'll feel part of the team still and not lose his strength. Our injured girls almost always continue to go to practice, even when they can't do anything (one girl had a fracture in her back, fully body brace (she couldn't even bend at the waist)--still went to practice daily (btw, she healed nicely and now is on scholarship for gymnastics in the NCAA!)

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

I agree with gymmomtoo, have him continue to go to practice and condition only what he can do with zero pain. He can do lower body, core, cardio, and still feel like he is there and part of the team. He also won't have as hard a time coming back. Good luck to him (and you!)

 

[skschlag]

Make sure the coach is on board and knows what he can and can't do. I know with most boys, they will push that limit as far as they can once in the gym. D's doc made him take a week off one time for an overuse wrist injury. The first time he was allowed to go to gym and do things that didn't involve his wrist. the second time, his doc (a former gymnast) said he couldn't even go in the gym. He knows that boys will push it and do more. So make sure you have your coach on board in limiting what he can/can't do.

 

[munchkin3]

Yes skschlag, same situation....DS had orders and harmlessly pushed it a bit and flared the wrist up, AFTER a month in a cast, AND two weeks in a brace!! DS has not taken time off in YEARS, unless it was for vacation and even then he would train sort of.

THis is the only thing we have not tried. Total time off.
He can keep in shape swimming or biking or doing kid things. Oh yeah, and lots of chores!!!

Coach actually agreed. He wants him back in form 100% when he is all better.

DS was upset but relieved. He feels better already and wants to do PX90 with me. We will see....
One thing I am learning fast is that when you tell a teenager NOT to do something, they will try their hardest to go against you...For now, NO GYMNASTICS...we will see how it turns out.