Some Weeks Just Taste Like Lemons: A Real-Life Foot Surgery Recovery Update
This week has been one of those “make lemonade out of lemons” kind of weeks.
Not catastrophic. Not life-altering. In the grand scheme of things, it’s short-lived and manageable. But still, it’s discouraging, frustrating, and just enough to knock the wind out of your sails for a bit.
It all started with what I thought would be a routine, hopeful follow-up appointment.
Seven weeks ago, I had foot surgery. I’ve been doing what I was told. I’ve been wearing the boot, limiting activity as much as I can tolerate, elevating, resting, and following the rules. So when I went in for my second post-op visit this week, I had a very specific picture in my head of how it would go.
I was ready for good news.Better than that, I was ready for shoes.
Real shoes.
Even if it was just my Hokas, I was genuinely excited at the thought of stepping out of the clunky, space-shoe-looking boot and back into something that felt like normal life. There is something wildly underrated about putting on two regular shoes and walking out the door like a functioning adult.
But that’s not how the appointment went.
Instead, I found out that my bones aren’t healing quite as well as the surgical team would like. There is still too much space where the bones need to fuse. Healing is happening, just slower than expected.
And just like that, the finish line I had in my head got pushed back.
By at least a month.
I’m fairly certain the entire building heard my sigh when they told me I’d be wearing the boot longer. And if that wasn’t enough, it was immediately followed by, “You also need to be less active.”
Less. Active.
If you know me, you know that sitting still is not exactly my strength (See more evidence in this post). In fact, it might be one of my greatest challenges. I feel like all I’ve done since surgery is sit around with my leg elevated, watching the world go by. So being told I need to double down on that was a tough pill to swallow.
There was definitely a moment, okay more than a moment, where I wanted to scream.
And then came the part I really wasn’t expecting.
As if that wasn’t enough for one appointment, there was a little extra news thrown in. My right foot, which has been bothering me, likely from compensating and walking awkwardly in the boot, was also X-rayed.
It turns out it has the same issues as the foot I just had surgery on.
Which means surgery is likely in my future.
That is not what you want to hear when you are still in the middle of recovering from the first one.
And because we are being honest here, I will admit something else added to my frustration. Vanity.
We have a family wedding in five weeks. I found a dress. One of those rare, magical dresses that actually looks good and makes you feel good. The kind you don’t second guess. The kind you don’t tug at or regret halfway through the event.
And now there is a very real possibility of pairing it with a medical boot.
It is not exactly the look I was going for.
So yes, there was a full-blown pity party on the drive home.
The kind where you cycle through frustration, disappointment, a little bit of “this is so unfair,” and maybe even a touch of dramatic flair.
I let myself have it.
But somewhere between the appointment and home, I started to regroup.
Because as much as I don’t like it, this is one of those situations where I don’t get to be in control.
I am a very goal-oriented person. I like a plan. I like progress. I like checking boxes and moving forward. And while the surgical team did move the timeline, they did not leave me without direction.
So I asked for specifics.
Clear activity restrictions.What I can do.What I should not do.What actually helps.
They gave me a plan.
I don’t love the plan, but I am going to follow it.
And I am also giving myself permission to feel what I feel along the way.
Every time that little wave of frustration hits, I let myself think, “This sucks.” Because it does. There is no need to sugarcoat everything into a life lesson immediately. But then I deal with it. I adjust. I move forward, just a little more slowly than I would like.
If anything, this week has been another reminder of how much in life we do not actually control.
I seem to keep learning that lesson over and over again.
Maybe this time it will stick a little more. Maybe this time it will come with a bit more patience.
Or at least a little less resistance.
Because at the end of the day, there is a bigger picture here.
We are getting a puppy this summer.
And if that is not motivation to get my body healed, strong, and ready, I do not know what is.
So for now, I will keep wearing the boot.I will keep elevating.I will keep following the plan.
And I will keep reminding myself that some weeks just taste like lemons, but that does not mean they do not lead somewhere good.
Meet the Brookie
Oh my goodness, this brownie-chocolate chip cookie combo is SO good! I needed something delicious this week and the recipe from Meaningful Eats provided just that - enjoy!