Preparing for peroneal tendon surgery and the aftermath has been a weird experience. Never before have I known an injury or setback was coming as clearly as I have with this. I said goodbye to lifting weights (for now) and talked to my foot the night before knowing I wouldn’t see it again for a while (no judgements).

Our vacation has a bittersweet tinge to it. I’m so thankful I got to do so much, but the view from my bed seems a little grayer in comparison.

Surgery

I purposefully scheduled my surgery as soon after my trip as possible so I would have the least amount of time to stress about it. While I had a of couple insanely busy days when we got back, it worked out great.

I had a wonderful team in the O.R. that made me feel comfortable and safe, which let’s be honest is not easy. My surgeon and his team repaired a tear in my peroneal tendon and removed a bone spur from my injury. I still don’t know how long of a tear or even how any of this works, and for now I’m good with that.

My family and the doctor’s fellows have reported that I was hilarious in the recovery room. Thankfully there are no videos or photos to prove it. I vaguely remember repeatedly asking if I had a tendon tear before falling back asleep and promptly forgetting the answer (sorry guys!).

Recovery (AKA Why I’m Not Made for Crutches)

It’s taken me a bit longer to bounce back than I expected, but overall the whole process has gone much smoother than I feared.

I’m learning to laugh when I lose my balance for the hundredth time instead of crying like a toddler. Stairs are my current nemesis, and I have yet to figure out the best way to carrying things with crutches. I’m still coming to terms with having to ask for everything. I love to do things on my own, and having to ask for someone to fill up my water bottle or make me breakfast has been infuriating.

This will get better. I will get better.

In the grand scheme of things, this really ins’t so bad. I’m in cast for two more weeks and on crutches for a total of three. At this point I’m really looking forward to when I’m in a boot for 4-6 weeks because it means I can take it off! I’m trying to embrace the tightness of the cast and it’s constant presence. But telling yourself something is comforting when your body is sending you signals otherwise is a bit of a challenge. I’ve also started to daydream about my stitches coming out and what it will feel like to wash my leg.

Big dreams.

In case you missed it:

I thought I could still play basketball
One Month Later
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Eight
Nine