The past three weeks I have thought a lot about my friends. Don’t get me wrong, I think about my friends much of the time as they are an integral part of my life and I could not move from day to day without them. But recently I have focused on several of my friends who suffer from ongoing pain. An old saying reminds us to “walk a mile in my shoes” to gain a fuller understanding of what someone else feels. I have lived that advice, to my dismay, for weeks.
I have no idea what I did to my back. When I went to the Physical Therapist for the first visit, I literally could not stand up straight or walk without excruciating pain. After three weeks I am upright and walking slowly, but better. However, I want it gone NOW. Ask anyone who knows me and you will know for sure that I like being in control. While I have good days and bad, and I can sometimes walk a bit faster, or stand a little longer, this is not enough for me. I want to rewind the clock and regain my normal. This new normal is totally unacceptable. I want the pain gone. Period.
I am sure my hero friends who endure pain every day echo these sentiments. It is difficult to comprehend what they deal with constantly. I wish for them what I am so adamantly working towards for myself. I want the pain gone…NOW.
My wonderful Physical Therapist reminds me how much progress we have made in three weeks time. I get that….but I hate having to ask people to do things I was able to do before the three week nightmare. I hate sitting around most of the day and canceling fun things I had on my calendar because I hurt. Did I mention that I cannot do any exercise, except my PT assignments? Not even yoga which I sorely miss.
So, my thoughts and prayers continue for my dear friends with feet that don’t work correctly, who suffer with Fibromialgia, have cancer, hip or knee replacements, or experience pain on a daily basis for any reason. I totally get it. I know how much it hurts, I know how hard it is to let others assist, I know the disappointment when you have to call to cancel, or the aching when you choose to work through the pain to accomplish the task before you.
My Mother always said that there was no use to complain because it never made anything better. She was right! I did not mean this to be about me, or to bore my readers with complaints. I just want to share that you never know how someone else really feels until you have a similar experience. I pray everyday that this will be gone soon, and that my friends with pain will find relief as well.
Thanks to all my friends who have helped and worried about me despite all they have to do in their lives, or dealing with their own pain. I have, because of you, also learned to let you help, and that everyone should have people in their lives who care as much as you do. Here’s to less pain in the world!