Injuries, Meet Prep, and the Classic of Fall

[FarewelltoArms]

Had planned to email Tom about this - as I'm signed up for his itineration of the Fall Classic - but figured that others might benefit from your guys' input about my little conundrum, which is this:

Despite a pretty dismal summer of recently developed urticaria (chronic hives n' swelling), prednisone, hydroxyzine-stupors, and endless doctor visits, I had somehow managed to make progress and set myself up alright for the upcoming meet...until this past week, when I injured my right side intercostal muscle, likely due to improperly high belt placement (itself due to prednisone-related weight gain and my stupid, stubborn self refusing to sacrifice some belt loops).

Anyways, I've done my forum homework on these kinds of injuries, and the common refrain seems to be: take 2-3 weeks off, and (hopefully) be good to go. However, I've got the meet coming up, and it's something that I've really been looking forward to for a long while. Sounds silly, but it's really been an important, personal goal to work towards while I've been dealing with my health issues. If possible, I'd still like to do it and present myself to the best of my ability.

What do you guys recommend that I do? Should I follow the generic advice and lay off it entirely? Do - gasp - leg presses so that I don't detrain? I tried to train through the injury this week, and the pain (per forum consensus) was pretty bad on all the lifts. I've been seeing a chiro for it as well, but that hasn't helped a whole lot. If I shut it down, does that mean conditioning (Airdyne, in my case) too?

Or, worse case scenario, do you guys think that I should call this an untimely loss and cede my spot to someone else? I don't really want to do that, but I also don't want to cost someone a spot if it doesn't heal and I have to bail a week or two before the meet.

Sorry for the load of questions, and thanks for your guys' time. I truly appreciate it.

Joey

[Nick Delgadillo]

Our opinion is kind of irrelevant here. Getting better is important. I can only tell you what I would do and that's make a decision today on whether I was going to lift in the meet or not. If I was, I'd do what I could to heal a bit and then lift whatever I could in the meet. If not, I'd let Tom know and let him do what he wants with the open spot.

[FarewelltoArms]

Thanks for the advice, Nick. I'll rest up for a bit and then train as best I can for the meet.