3 Lessons in Self-Care
By: Megan Brewer, LMHC The first time I had surgery, I was well into my thirties. It wasn’t major—just removing a small abnormality inside my leg. The surgeon told me to expect 1–2 days to heal; then I could walk on it. He also said most people returned to work shortly thereafter. This was good news, because I didn’t want to spend any more time than was absolutely necessary away from my regularly scheduled week. Being kind to my body and giving it time and space to heal is something I have regularly wrestled to do. So, you can imagine my surprise and disappointment when after 1–2 days I still needed my sweet husband’s help to get around the house. I eventually borrowed crutches in order to move about without pain. Two weeks after the surgery, I was still unable to walk without pain and sat in my physical therapist’s office feeling frustrated—like my body had failed me somehow. She too was surprised to see my leg so swollen and so unusable, which helped me to feel a little more va...