My Left Foot
“Life’s journey is very hard to follow… When you have a broken foot”, proudly proclaimed a small printed note on my office door when I returned to work 3 days after a surgery to repair my broken ankle. It broke because of an ill conceived parking lot puddle jumping attempt. This among myriad of other signs were on the office door to remind me that I was either a klutz or was more prone to accidents than other mere mortals. After all, this was my fourth surgery in about as many years.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to slip and fall in ill maintained parking lot, let alone suffer a compound fracture with a broken ligament. An injury severe enough to warrant paramedics to the scene who stabilized my dangling left foot and transported me in an ambulance to the emergency room. What ensued has been the most trying time for me personally in coping with this injury.
As cliché as it may sound, everything in life teaches you a lesson. This accident has not been without some remarkable awakenings. The biggest one being, “never take being able bodied for granted”. But why does it take an injury for most of us to realize it? Why don’t we take care of ourself and our bodies? The answer may not be an easy one. After all, our abilities are no different than material things that are available to us in abundance. We tend to neglect them or not particularly care about their existence until the day we can’t have them anymore.
The day you lose your ability to do something that was so basic to your day to day life can be devastating and powerful at the same time. Your attitude primarily determines the outcome of your disability. The second most important thing is your support system. If you are surrounded by supportive and positive people, you are likely to have a better outcome. This isn’t based on some thesis or some exhaustive study that I have conducted but purely based on my personal experience through recovery.
This injury introduced me to one of the smartest Podiatrist/Surgeon I have had the pleasure of meeting. I am awe inspired by Dr. Bruce Lehnert who not only has an innate ability to be a master at his craft but has also proven to be numinous for many children in Vietnam where he has given the gift of walking to many who had no chance of ever having access to surgical procedures to repair their congenital foot disorders.
Then there are family and friends. I am fortunate to have an amazing wife who pushed me and helped me heal both mentally and physically. Having been a caregiver in the past, I am all too familiar with the toll it takes. Without her, this would have been far more excruciating. My friends have been incredibly supportive and kind. My advice to anyone who is going through any type of recovery is to never turn down an offer from a friend to just hang out with you. It unties you from being maudlin. Friends are the best elixir for you and there is nothing wrong in getting pampered during your recovery.
I am walking now after 8 weeks and will hopefully be back on a trail soon. This is has been a tough but an incredible learning experience and I can’t thank all of the people who have helped me including strangers that opened doors for me and the small gestures of kindness everywhere.
