It has been two and a half months since my last post. The last time I updated I had recently had a metal screw fixed in my right foot and five screws and a metal plate taken out of my left. Since then, I have gone from having one foot in a cast (non-weight bearing) and one foot in a boot to no casted and no booted feet.
In the past few months, many random people have asked me what happened to my feet. When I first started having these interactions, I would take a truthful approach and explain what actually happened to me. However, I found that the 'story' I told was lacking excitement, exceedingly boring, and did not entertain my listeners. So, after a few of these encounters, I just started to make up stories. Some of these stories included a skiing incident, rock climbing fall, and a fall over a waterfall while white water kayaking. I quickly polished my story-telling ability. It wasn't long after, though, that I found my story-telling (lying) left guilt weighing on my mind. I thought it wasn't right to be telling people these fake stories when real people actually suffer from these accidents. From that point on, I just told people I broke my feet... End of story.
I have learned quite a deal from the many people that have interrogated me as well as from my experience in general. To keep it short, I will just mention one key lesson I learned. I have learned that being tactful and respectful to others is imperative. Particularly, in situations where it is clear or suspect a person is dealing with physical or emotional problems. Simple social ediquettes like 'don't stare' or 'think about how your questions or words will make a person feel' should be adopted and practiced. For an example of the latter, don't ask someone with a broken back when they think they will walk again.
I can't claim that my recovery has been linear. There have been myriad of strange pains, soreness's, popping sounds, and swelling in both of my feet over the past few months. At times, progress seemed consistent, while during other periods my recovery seemed to be taking two steps backwards... Fortunately, now I am able to 'walk' (I use this term loosely) around on two untethered feet. Never would I have thought that I could be so happy waddling around. Even if I am slower than most people over 95. It has taken a lot of work and an enormous amount of patience to get to the point I am at now. I am very aware that there is much more work and patience to be embraced ahead. By no means am I out of the hole yet.
The doc said my left foot and right foot feel solid. Scar tissue has bound the insides of my feet back together, so I was given orders to start physical therapy. I started therapy last week, and will be attending sessions for the next 6 weeks.
I do not claim that my experience ranks anywhere close to the infinite number of greater hardships many others deal with. However, I can say that my experience has given me new perspective and made me increasingly empathetic and aware of problems physical and psychological that people face. It has been a character building exercise to say the least.
The next month will be more recovery, then surgery to remove the screw from my right foot. I don't know where I will be physically in the next few months. I hope it will be on two good feet. For now, I am not worrying about it... I will just keep plodding along... Or waddling.
