Runfessions - Stronger Tougher Fierce Grateful

This has not only been an interesting week, it's been quite the year as well.

I'm not talking about 2018 specifically (that would be this post), but I'm referencing the past 12 months. Anyone remember what happened on June 29th, 2017? Exactly one year ago, I was wearing a hospital gown. In an operating room. Undergoing emergency surgery for a staph infection that had been undiagnosed (until a few hours prior).

All of my summer plans, running and otherwise, came to an abrupt halt.

But, let me runfess, it wasn't all that bad.


Sure, there was a brief pity party in room 3014 at Methodist West. I am a runner, after all, and runners run. My surgeon told me "No running for a couple of months, don't even think about it." I had a 4th of July race and the Chicago Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon on my summer roster....and I had to DNS (did not start) both of them. He did tell me that my recovery was more about the 6-inch suture seam healing than it was about injured muscles, so that gave me hope. Thus, my journey with Voldy (short for Voldemort, the name I gave to the unsightly scar  across my right knee) began.

Ugh.....aren't those stitches nasty?

As mentioned, it has been an interesting year, one I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams or nightmares. Not only was I not allowed to run, I was not supposed to do anything that would make me sweat (for the first few weeks).....the danger of perspiration seeping into the suture seam was too great. Oh, and I also came home from the hospital with a PICC line so I could continue at-home IV infusions (3X each day for a few weeks). Kind of a nuisance, right? Well, let me runfess, that I learned that I had the strength to rise up and face the challenge(s) of my circumstances. Although it was a lot of extra work and attention to detail, it also was pretty empowering.

My last IV infusion...and the next morning the PICC line was gone for good...all 16 inches of it

With that 6-inch scar across my knee, I was really limited in my mobility as the scar healed. I was instructed to keep my leg as straight as possible for the first month or so (to allow the suture to "seal and heal" properly)...do you know how tough it is to get around without bending your leg? Getting in and out of a car was crazy tough for this long-legged gal! Have you ever tried walking down a stairway without bending your leg? And, what kind of exercises could I do? Let me runfess ... where's there a (strong) will, there's a creative way to make it happen. Not only did I do a lot of walking, but I also did a lot of leg lefts and even more planking to stay in shape.

Planks, push-ups, and stretching....

Amazingly, my #glasshalffull attitude really came through for me. Also, I had an enormous network of family and friends (via blogging and social media and in real life) who were constantly cheering for me. I have to runfess, despite the disappointment of not being able to run in the summer (my favorite season), I really didn't feel that "down" about it. I was able to walk everyday, after all, and just being able to be outside in the early morning hours really lifted my spirits. All of that walking last summer ignited a love of (almost) daily walking that has continued.

Grateful to still be a walker...

Probably the biggest blessing this experience has taught me, though, is to cherish EVERY run. Even when my pace felt a little sluggish in those first months back, simply being able to run again was euphoric. We've had an especially hot and humid summer this year (and it's not even July yet). I'll just runfess to you all.... the weather has not seemed that big of a burden to me this year. Granted, I'm one of the rare ones who doesn't mind the heat as much as others do. 

Having missed out on so much last year, I am cherishing every opportunity to be back in my running shoes this year. Just Thursday, the temps were in the upper 80F's (upper 90F's feels-like), and I was almost overcome with an unexplained energy. I did a speed workout on an outdoor stairway...70 flights up (and down), with only two brief rest periods (don't worry, I had plenty of water with me to stay hydrated). I don't usually get an endorphin "rush" from speedwork, but I did after that stair workout. I'm very lucky I could do that in those warm conditions, and I'm grateful.

taking it to the stairs

So, yeah. Happy Birthday, Voldy! One year old (but we won't be celebrating with cake or ice cream).

The past year has been a wild and crazy ride. Although it's not a journey I would have chosen, I'm thankful for the adventure. I learned a great deal about dealing with what life (or Fate?) hands me. For myself, finding a reason to laugh (or at the very least, smile) at my circumstances serves me far better than dwelling on the stuff that makes me want to cry. Believe me, there were a lot of things I could have cried about a year ago, but there were many more things to be thankful for. My recovery was not fast nor easy, but it did (eventually) happen. I'm grateful for that as well.

Enough about me...
How about you? Do you have anything to runfess? Ever been through an unexpected journey that left you more grateful than bitter? Have you ever been sidelined for an extended period of time?

***For more specifics on my surgery and recovery, my Road to Recovery is documented HERE.

I'm linking up with Marcia for the ever awesome monthly Runfessions. Please join us!

I'm also linking this with Meranda and Lacey and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0.