Hey, all! I’d like to introduce you to another Hopeful Hippie. Miryssa Venable is a Mixed Martial Artist who beat the opponent assigned to her – that of hip problems! Miryssa shared with me that she never had hip problems until the age of 22 when she began training in Mixed Martial Arts with a focus on Hawaiian Kempo and Jiu Jitsu. She also powerlifted a few times a week. After one of those powerlifting sessions, she could not stand straight up after getting out of her car and it took her a total of 6 months to find a doctor who could accurately diagnose her.
So let's get back to her MMA training. It was a sport that she actually fell in love with instantly. Her biggest challenge through this hip journey was knowing that she had to stop that type of training due to her hip injury. Miryssa said that “leaving was never [her] choice. It was [her] body’s choice.” Unfortunately, Miryssa’s experience also was challenged by the medical system. “As a female, and an athlete, nobody would believe any of the pain [she] was in. [She] was misdiagnosed twice with a "strained hip flexor" and the doctor that finally diagnosed [her] with the real issue told [her that she] needed to quit men’s sports". Ouch.
In spite of those challenges and the passage of 4 years and bilateral hip surgeries, she is so excited to be finally returning to her sport with a higher level of body awareness.
Miryssa like most of the Hopeful Hippies that have allowed me to share their story with you all have one overlapping trait. They have all learned an important lesson or had a change of plans with regarding their outlook or their life goals. Because of Miryssa's experience, she is going to school with an ultimate goal of becoming a physical therapist who focuses on women in sport.
With this goal, also came other realizations. Miryssa, for example, understands the psychology of a patient. She had weekly therapy appointments as she knows the importance of maintaining mental health.
Public Service Announcement: I wholeheartedly agree with her and have even utilized a sports psychologist when I have been in the throes of hip issues.
Miryssa shares that “wounds actually heal 40% slower if you are stressed out and worried and just mentally disrupted.” She also would encourage hip patients to get out of the house during their recovery. There is nothing like a nice drive with the sun warming you up or a trip for a scoop (or two) of ice cream.
Miryssa also shares that her hopeful attitude focused on a vision of two years out in the future. She was not trying to worry about the current situation. There were minimal why me or what if questions. She was looking forward to her future which focused on hope and MMA. Guess what? She is now there, and all of her positivity has paid off.
Miryssa would also like you all to know that kindness to yourself and what you have gone through is so central to the recovery process. Giving yourself grace and love is the key to healing.