As It Turns Out, Crutches Are Not Very Fun

I know I'm not the only one who thought crutches, braces and glasses were so cool as a little kid. I always wanted these things for some reason. I remember trying to form a paperclip to my teeth when my mom wasn't looking (not recommended), or taking her glasses even though I couldn't see with them. As it turns out, these things are not all they are cracked up to be, especially crutches.

The last few weeks have been a little rough for me. On March 22nd I got the news from my doctor that I have a tibial plateau fracture from an indoor soccer injury. In order to heal properly I would need to be non-weight bearing and on crutches for 6 weeks. Of course this was not easy news, but I was trying to focus on the positive aspects of my diagnosis. I was so thankful to not have torn my ACL or to have had surgery to repair my leg. But even with positivity, I found myself so frustrated and a bit of an emotional rec. My husband can definitely vouch for this haha.

With that being said, I learned a few different things within the last few weeks. First off, it's okay to be a hot mess at times. We can't always have our shit together, as much as we'd like to. I had to accept the fact that trying to put laundry away or making dinner might result in tears. No joke. Being on crutches makes everything much more of a process, and some things are not possible at times. Thankfully, I have gotten in the groove of the crutch life and don't struggle as much as I did the first few weeks.

Second, I learned how important it is to ask for help. I have a very stubborn personality and tend to do tasks on my own if I can. Being on crutches quickly changed that. I needed help with pretty much everything at first. Thankfully, my sweetheart of a husband did whatever he could to make my life easier. This did involve caring me on his back for 3/4 of a mile to our car. This may sound dramatic but it's true. We went to a rodeo and my arms were too tired to crutch back to the car so he insisted on carrying me.

Asking for help is not always easy, but the reward can be tremendous. For example, I grew to trust my husband a lot more then I already did. I realized that he is capable of cleaning the entire house his way, without me putting in my two cents haha. I had to let go of being in control of everything and trust the process. It was tough at first but it eventually become freeing and less exhausting then trying to do everything myself or my way. Thank the lord for my husband, he is patient with me when most people wouldn't.

Lastly, I realized how much I took my ability to run, walk, hike, etc for granted. I haven't walked in 4 weeks and have 2 more weeks to go. Not being able to exercise has been one of the hardest things for me. In a previous blog post I discuss how important my overall health is and how much I enjoy staying active. Being forced to sit on my butt all day has made me tired and grouchy. If you are not on crutches and have no reason not to be exercising, I challenge you to get off your butt and get moving. I have come to realize there really is no excuse for putting your health on the back burner. If you have the ability to walk or run then do it. Don't make excuses.

Life is not always as expected and that's okay. We can learn from these trivial times and hopefully get a few laughs out of it. Here's to looking at things in a new light and never taking for granted your ability to stay active and the wonderful people you have in your life. Go break a leg! ;)