I don’t have any real reason to be writing today other than just wanting to get some thoughts out of my head. I’ve been feeling kind of “blah” lately; there’s no one reason, but things just kind of add up after a while.
My recovery is moving along, albeit more slowly than I was hoping. I’m grateful that I’m at least making some progress, but I’m really frustrated at the same time. Physical therapy has been going fine, but I feel like I need to be challenged more. I finally got something new to work on yesterday after a couple of weeks of doing the same things every session. He seems to be trying to get me ready to just do stuff alone at home, and as thrilled as I would be for that to happen, I’m not ready for it. He told me that I’m back to daily activities because I worked one week full time, but just because I did it, doesn’t mean it went well or that I wasn’t in excruciating pain every day. I can’t just call off work because I’m in pain, and especially when my boss is out of town like he has been. Simple things are still so hard. I can’t walk without a limp because I can’t push off on my right foot and because of the pain, and I can’t go up and down the stairs easily for the same reason. I have no strength in my right lower leg, and it hurts even if I walk too fast or bend my foot too far. I’m even getting pain when I’m riding my bike, and that never even happened before my surgery. I can’t even begin to think about running or playing tennis when the second I step out of bed, I hurt. So like I said, I’d be thrilled to be at the point of being done with therapy, but I don’t feel like I’m there if I can’t even walk properly. I already feel like my doctor isn’t really listening to me, and for the first time, I felt like my physical therapist wasn’t either. I don’t mind committing the time or money to physical therapy as long as I’m still getting benefits from it. I don’t want to be abandoned part way through my recovery just because I can do some exercises at home. I need to be challenged every week so I can get better faster. I’m still so stiff that I can’t even feel a stretch in my calf muscles because all the pain and swelling and stiffness at the heel keep me from being able to get the stretch up the rest of my leg.
It’s not just the recovery that is making me feel the way I have been. I just thought things would different than they are now. I lost almost 70 pounds, and I’m still overweight, but things were supposed to get easier afterward. Instead I’ve dealt with my Achilles tendinosis for about two years. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn’t have even bothered, but then I wouldn’t have discovered my love of biking. I’ve also been trying to find a new job, one that pays more and is more physically easy on my body, but I haven’t had any luck yet. And if all that wasn’t enough, I’ve just felt really lonely. I don’t mind doing things alone, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to do things with some friends. There’s only one person who regularly makes time for us to hang out together, and I’m so grateful to at least have her. Most of my other friends barely respond to a text or IM, and when they do it’s like playing twenty questions to carry on a conversation. I feel like everyone’s moving on with their lives and I’m stuck where I am. I was always told how much potential I had because I made high grades and worked hard, but that’s sometimes not enough after school. I don’t need a prestigious job or a lot of money, but I do want to do something I enjoy. I’m good at my current job, but it’s not the least bit fulfilling and I’m tired of having worked 99% of weekends and holidays for the last five years. I’m just craving some changes, I suppose.
I didn’t mean for this to turn into complaining, but I’m just a normal person. I’m not perfect, and I don’t try to pretend to be. I know I’m not the only one that feels this way, and it will go away eventually. Just being able to get these thoughts out of my head is already helping. I know almost no one reads this blog, and that’s okay. It’s here to be of help to anyone who might come across it and for me to remember everything about my surgery and recovery experience, and maybe even beyond. So, until next time, take care!