B was told at her one year check up last August to "go live her life" by the physician who put her shattered ankle back together with his surgical prowess.
And so she has gone forward to live her life. She has adapted, as all living beings must, to the imperfections and limitations of an injury, long healed, yet a constant reminder of what has been.
When she climbs out of bed for the day, she has learned the habit of stretching and rotating her ankle as much as possible within her limited mobility. This is in hopes that she won't feel shooting pains in her ankle when she puts weight on her foot.
B has learned that she can't walk as far, or as fast, as others do. She realizes she will never run again and her snowboard will likely be sold next fall because she can no longer use it.
There is, ever present, the understanding that a double shift at work will cause moderate to severe pain and swelling by the end of her work day. A single shift may only cause a chronic ache which, ironically, makes it a good day.
She knows that buying shoes is problematic because one will always be tighter due to the deformity of her ankle. As summer comes, B sees the long jagged scars in different areas of her leg and she winces at times at the thought of wearing summer clothing that will expose them to view.
And yet, B perseveres making accommodations as necessary. She continues to "live her life" ... as her surgeon recommended with a finality born of knowing there is nothing left to be done to "fix" that which cannot be fixed.
And so she has gone forward to live her life. She has adapted, as all living beings must, to the imperfections and limitations of an injury, long healed, yet a constant reminder of what has been.
When she climbs out of bed for the day, she has learned the habit of stretching and rotating her ankle as much as possible within her limited mobility. This is in hopes that she won't feel shooting pains in her ankle when she puts weight on her foot.
B has learned that she can't walk as far, or as fast, as others do. She realizes she will never run again and her snowboard will likely be sold next fall because she can no longer use it.
There is, ever present, the understanding that a double shift at work will cause moderate to severe pain and swelling by the end of her work day. A single shift may only cause a chronic ache which, ironically, makes it a good day.
She knows that buying shoes is problematic because one will always be tighter due to the deformity of her ankle. As summer comes, B sees the long jagged scars in different areas of her leg and she winces at times at the thought of wearing summer clothing that will expose them to view.
And yet, B perseveres making accommodations as necessary. She continues to "live her life" ... as her surgeon recommended with a finality born of knowing there is nothing left to be done to "fix" that which cannot be fixed.
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