Recovery is Real

For as long as I can remember I've always been, "different" but didn't always want to accept it. Today I'm thankful that I am living proof that recovery is real. Whether it be dealing with various physical challenges that have cropped up over the year or the mental illness issues I have lived with for a majority of my life, I refuse to give up.  

The past few years have brought with them difficult obstacles and at times I wanted to simply throw in the towel and accept defeat. But through those times I’ve learned more about who I am and come to realize that I’m a lot stronger than I typically give myself credit for.

I’ve had to endure ankle surgery on both ankles to repair torn ligaments and provide more stability to the joints.  Neither surgery was easy but I thankful they were done.  After the first surgery, which also removed a small bone chip that had been causing chronic pain issues for over 10 years at the time I found relief and was able to find a way to live a more active lifestyle again.  The second surgery was a more difficult recovery process, especially after being able to start running again and finding that I enjoyed even when I hated it.  But once again I was able to get back out there and not worry about spraining my ankle as both surgeries provided more stability in the joints.

Granted it’s been close to a year since the last time I’ve attempted anything that resembled running. In 2017, I tore the meniscus in my right knee and discovered I also have arthritis in both.  Initially I continued to push through the pain, refusing to let it stop me but after getting rear ended a few months later it became increasingly difficult to continue.  The last time I ran was on my 40^thbirthday last July and decided to take the time to allow it to heal.  Thankfully with time the pain has become more tolerable.  Still in the process of trying to start again which is proving to be more difficult than I want to admit.  But at least I have moved past the “Life is Limited” phase of recovery and starting to realize that it is possible to run again I simply need to remember to take the necessary precautions and learn how to pace myself.

Change is never easy, but it is the only true constant in life if you stop to think about it. Neither is recovery, whether it’s physical or mental, but it's worth it.