Six months ago, right about this time, I was waking up in my hospital room, having been admitted after a rough go in Recovery following foot surgery. Today, my brother came home after a week-long hospital stay, following an emergency appendectomy. As you might guess, it's been a rather momentous year for us and our insurance companies.
In the six months since my bunionectomy, I've learned a lot about the foot, the toes, the delicate nature of the human body intertwined with its resiliency, and my own capabilities. I am still hoping to be able to participate in this year's Jingle Bell Jog 5K in December but I may have to face the reality that I may not. I walked Maddox the other day for a relatively short distance, and realized I still have foot pain. All new shoes will be on the agenda, because none of my old ones fit anymore. Hello wide width everything.
And I really decided that should I ever entertain the notion of going to law school, I want to specialize in disability law. I'd never paid much attention to ADA requirements, etc. until I found myself the beneficiary of such regulations. The thing I wanted to say most was, "Hey, that blue striped section in the parking lot is part of the handicapped parking space, NOT an extra place to park ....."
And would I do it again? You betcha. To not have a muscle spasm in my foot, yes. To be able to walk more than 10 minutes without being in such excruciating pain that you have to stop, yes. To experience even a little of the dirty stares and assholish behavior of others while shopping, something that the permanently disabled face every day and more, sure .... It built character and compassion in me. It made me appreciative.
So yes, it was worth it.
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