#729 Use It or Lose It, a Case Study

Aka: Where’d My Left Forearm Go?

In our last +1, we had fun hanging out with my new bionic arm as we stepped into the stimulus-response gap to choose our optimal response to life’s inevitable challenges.

I briefly mentioned the fact that, the day after the surgery I was told they put 18 screws into my arm to connect the two titanium plates that now valiantly hold my arm together.

Three weeks after the surgery, the surgeon and I were looking at the newest set of x-rays when he shook his head and said, “You shattered it.” To which I replied, “18 screws, eh?”

Then he did a recount as he admired his handy work and said, “Actually, 20.”

My immediate response? “HAH!!! +1s for the win!!!”

Today I want to talk about what happened right before I got those x-rays.

My cast is off. I’m in the x-ray room.

I look down at my forearms.

And I see this:



<- 😲

My immediate response to the disappearance of my left forearm after a few weeks in a cast?

Well, I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. (Hah!)

So I just laughed and then reminded myself how grateful I am that I fell off a wall traverse rather than my 20-foot rope climb. (Broken wrist = flea bite compared to game-ending broken neck. As such, the whole experience has basically been one (almost joyful and always poignant) Memento of Mori.)

Then I knew I’d need to make some antifragile Heroic-ade and squeeze some wisdom juice out of the experience.

And here we are.

Today’s +1.

Use it. Or lose it.

We need to get just how rapidly our bodies (and minds and souls!!) will adapt to positive stimulation AND how rapidly it’ll atrophy from lack of use. If you feel so inspired, let’s take a moment to use my magically disappearing forearm as a symbol of JUST how fast things can change!!

And then get back to work on the things that make us strong.

+1. +1. +1.

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