Don't take things for Granted

Imagine being 16 years old and all of your friends are getting their driver's license and hearing from both your eye doctor and parents that you will NOT be able to drive. How would this make you feel? Let me be real. . .I have shed many tears over the fact that I cannot drive because it limits my freedom substantially. However, I have found other ways to get around that are not as convenient but get me where I need to go.

Before my back surgery, I took many things that I was able to do for granted. However, six weeks after my surgery and after having a major setback. . .I was not taking anything for granted. Every step I took and every word I spoke became an effort.

I vividly remember walking to dinner on vacation and literally not being able to move another step because I was so tired and my brain was not letting my feet move. My dad was walking in front of me holding my hands and cheering me on but I literally felt like I could not move. However, I did not give up and made it to my chair at the restaurant.

Prior to my surgery, I took being able to talk on the phone for an hour for granted. However after my surgery, I would get so tired talking that I literally was unable to tell the person on the other end that I would have to call them back later.

Experiencing this surgery and the setback that came with it made me appreciate all of the things that I can do independently such as, turning over in bed, cooking my own food, walking and talking. Even though walking and talking may be more difficult for me, I don't take for granted the fact that I can walk and talk.

I try to be mindful of my blessings and grateful for what I can do versus what I cannot do each and everyday.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Being "targeted" at Target

Image
Imagine shopping with a friend on the weekend and your friend is suddenly approached by a stranger who starts whispering to her. As the outsider in this situation, what would you do?  Being the curious person I am, I wanted to hear what the stranger was saying to my friend, so I pushed my walker closer and strained to listen. Unfortunately, I still couldn't hear the conversation. After the stranger left, I asked my friend what the person wanted, and she said the lady was the owner of an Adult Day Health facility for people with disabilities and she thought they may be able to help me. She had given my friend a business card. My friend, who knows me so well, was so taken aback and was truly at a loss for words. While this lady may have thought she was doing the right thing by approaching my friend, she made an assumption about the type of disability I have and that I needed help. Both of these assumptions were made by seeing my physical disability and possibly overhearing my speech
Read more

Doctors who are Clueless

Image
Have you ever been to the doctor and felt totally disrespected and bullied? Up until this week, my experiences with doctors have been fairly positive. I went to see my primary care doctor for my yearly physical and she was so rude to me throughout the appointment, I literally broke down in tears. I knew the doctor was going to be late because I had been there for my flu shot the week before and waited thirty minutes for her. Therefore,  I asked someone at the front desk to let me know when the doctor gets to the office, so I didn't have to sit in a gown and be cold for 30 minutes. The employee was very nice and told me there was a patient ahead of me, so she had no problem doing that. However, the front desk employee forgot to tell me and the doctor walked into the room, without knocking, to get something for another patient and questioned me about why I was not changed yet in a rude tone. I felt like a child who was in trouble for doing something wrong at school. Not to
Read more

Going the Distance on Three Wheels

Image
Free- this is how I feel when I ride my adult tricycle around the neighborhood.  COVID-19 has been a tough and isolating time for everyone, When I came back to NJ in March at the height of the pandemic, the only way to get outside in the fresh air was to walk. At first, I could only make it a very short distance without having my legs get shaky and feeling like I was going to fall. Eventually, I was able to make it around the block but I still had to stop very frequently to rest and regain my energy. In short, it was exhausting. . . In July, my-parents surprised me with a three-wheel bike. The first time I rode the bike, it was a feeling I had never experienced before. . .freedom and exhilaration. I have a feeling this is how people feel when they drive for the first time  I may have started out a bit too confident when I was riding as I did flip the bike in August after going too fast and making a sharp turn. I think I am the only person in the world who could flip a three wheel bike!
Read more