It's interesting to see how my outlook on fitness and exercise has changed post surgery. Before I had surgery, sports, running, and physical activity really came naturally and easily to me. Granted, my feet hurt constantly, but I had full range of motion and I could balance. Now, two years after surgery, I struggle daily with balance, I can't bend my toes on my left foot hardly at all (making planks, push ups, lunges, etc. very difficult for me), and have a hard time with landing on impact on my feet. My trainer at the gym consoled me a lot (thank you for that) with these woes by saying "Linley, they shaved off part of your BONES, they put in 3 screws in each foot, it's like you're walking on two new feet, you need to learn about them and get reacquainted with them". I try and remind myself of this all the time, because I do get frustrated that now I have to work really hard for things that used to come so naturally to me.
In trying to remain positive and not focus on my frustrations, on my one year surg-iversary, I made a simple list of goals that I wanted to accomplish- get back into shape, lose the weight that I had gained, be able to do 10 pushups, run a mile, and focus on eating better. I have done everything on that list- and more. My two year surg-iversary goals (for the next year) are these:
- finish half marathon
- run a 5k in 25 minutes or under
- stop worrying about the way my scar looks
- pending the half marathon completion, contemplate full
- be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes
Have you had a surgery that altered your life and goals completely? How did you handle it?
How do you deal with accepting that your body may not be able to function the way it once was?
What are your fitness goals for the next year? How do you plan to accomplish them?
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