I am noticing that my recovery is not linear. Today I struggled to get up and get moving. I managed to make it through an hour and a half of physical therapy. Initially it was wonderful. My therapist did some soft tissue work, relieving the tension in my muscles from my previous visit and the headache I endured much of the previous night. She then assigned several exercises that quickly reactivated all the tension she had just relieved. I then returned home only to struggle to stay awake a short while. I finally gave in to the exhaustion and slept for two and a half hours. This evening my husband suggested dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, to which I quickly agreed. I will complete this post and my day will be essentially done.
This has been the pattern lately. If I take a shower, that’s the most physical activity I can endure in one day. If I go to the store or to run an errand, I’m done. It is somewhat frustrating for someone who has been used to running at full speed all of her adult life. I am learning to accept the low energy times, although I do regret the “lost time” until I remember that it isn’t “lost.” I have to remind myself that these afternoons when I have to recover from therapy or other activities are times my body needs to heal itself.
Above all else I have to remind myself that I am fortunate that these obstacles I am facing are not permanent. So I will accept the fact that some days my body’s need for rest will win out over my will to be Wonder Woman. In the long run, this will ensure that I keep moving forward. After all, three steps forward and two step back does equal forward movement… one step at a time.
