“Having just had surgery to repair a testicular torsion, I convinced my wife that standing waist deep in the salt would be good therapy. Washington FF Board

“Surgery, then a long rehab with lots of physical therapy. Had to cancel a planned salmon/fly fishing trip to Alaska.” The Fly Fishing Forum

“Appropriate fly fishing technique obviously requires tremendous use of the shoulder and … of shoulder pain after they graduate from their physical therapy regimens…”

Over the years, as an adult, I have weathered a broken heel, a torn achilles tendon, a broken hand, a fully fused right wrist, a reconstructed left shoulder, a broken elbow, a broken thumb, several spinal biopsies and now neck surgery. Car accidents, sports injuries, falls and wear & tear and arthritis have taken their toll on my bones, muscles and nerve pathways. 

At least in my case, I have come to see that the remedies of medicine are not perfect fixes. You make do. You get by. The perfect physical machine lets you down little by little.

What took a month or two to heal before now takes upwards of a year to pretty much heal and there are residual hitches in my giddy up. Maybe it is just me, but I would advise to not rush rehab. Do those piddly little exercises that you look past and follow the advice of that bored physical therapist (most of them assume you will not follow their advice away from the rehab appointment)….that rehab, as tedious as it seems, will make a difference many years later. 

You will miss those trips, those bites, those hatches, those yearly pilgrimages. In the end, you want to enjoy fly fishing, hiking, photography, fly tying, all the aspects of a vital, physical life. Take your time. 

‘Adopt The Pace of Nature: Her Secret is Patience’

~Raplph Waldo Emerson~