That minor procedure to get to pain-free running

May 02 2024 by Minel D

That minor procedure to get to pain-free running

A couple of days ago, I had my surgery. The procedure itself felt short to me, but it actually took about two hours. The buildup to the day was the worst part—I couldn’t sleep or focus. We woke up early because I had to be there by 5:30 AM for preparations.

I’m scared of needles, which is why I usually avoid surgery at all cause. But I kept telling myself this would make things better, and I could run again without pain someday.

At the surgery center, my husband stayed with me in the prep room before they took me to the operating room. The nurses, anesthesiologist, and other medical staff came in and out, repeatedly asking for my name, date of birth, and which part was being operated on. (No wonder HIPAA is an important regulation, those are privacy questions repeatedly asked for!). When it was time for the IV (needle!), I looked away as it went in. Then the anesthesiologist gave me the ‘cocktail.’ and I quickly fell asleep. It felt like just a second later when I woke up, groggy and back in the prep room. I kept asking my husband if it was over, if I was dreaming. He said I repeated that a lot. They wheeled me out of the surgery center, and we went home. I rested for the rest of that day and have been resting since. I took this whole week off work, knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus.

Phase 1 is over—the surgery. Now I’m in Phase 2—recovery. No weight bearing on my left foot for six weeks. I have a cast until I see my doctor again in two weeks. My spirits are low because I can’t walk, and it’s sinking in that I can’t run for six weeks. But I’ll be patient, knowing this will get me to a better place soon. Tomorrow, a few friends are coming over for a ‘happy hour’ here at our new place, since we haven’t had a housewarming party yet. My first friend here in Texas planned it, well, sort of impromptu, and it’ll be nice to see everyone.

Added photos below to memorialize the week.