9/25/24
Hello friends! Welcome to episode number one hundred and sixty three - Limp Free.
So, I mentioned several weeks ago in Episode 158 – Pain and the Complainer that I recently had bunion surgery. I’m finally out of the boot and into normal walking shoes, now, but my foot is hardly back to functioning normally. And I’m limited in the shoes I can wear. And I’ve noticed that even in my most comfortable tennis shoes, I walk with a limp. What I didn’t know would happen after the surgery is that the toe joints get frozen and stiff. Especially the big toe. It gets stuck at the metatarsal joint which connects the foot bone to the first part of the big toe.
Hey, by the way, this is the kind of information the doctor is just going to conveniently forget to tell you beforeyou have surgery. And if you’ve never had this surgery before, you don’t know exactly what to ask in anticipation. And maybe it’s because of that anticipation that the doctor doesn’t tell you things. Because if he does, you may not actually have the surgery…even if you need it really badly. So if you’re going to have this surgery and you have questions, let me know and I’ll tell you all the nasty details. If you want to know.
Anyway, I’m finally going to physical therapy twice a week – which is another thing I didn’t know was necessary. I’m telling you, I went into this surgery almost completely blind. But physical therapy is necessary, because, like I said, those toe joints get frozen and you literally can’t bend them. And being non-weightbearing for 4 weeks makes the muscles in your feet and ankles very weak. I’ve noticed the muscles in my calf have also atrophied. So fun.
Now, physical therapy is not fun. Well, the first few minutes are great. My PT puts special lotion on the bottom of my foot and massages out the plantar fascia ligament. Oh, it is so tight and that feels so good. Next, he ever so slightly starts touching the top of my foot, rubbing over each incision. The skin here is so tender, like the nerve endings are all spiked up, sitting right at the top of my epidermis. I get teary every time. But the more he touches those tender spots, the more desensitized they get and I’m able to handle it better the next time.
Then he starts working on those toe joints. Wiggling the toes, pushing them forward, cranking them back. Then taking the big toe with a towel to pull it, what feels like, out of its socket altogether. Oh man. You talk about pain. This definitely brings tears to my eyes, it hurts so bad. And did I tell you that after the first week of therapy I got an infection in the largest incision on the top of my foot? That’s where they put the plate and screws. I know, yuk. Sorry if that makes you queasy. I usually can’t handle hearing that kind of stuff myself. Which, to be honest, is why I probably didn’t know much about the surgery beforehand. Because you can find everything you need to know about everything on the internet, right? Probably even pictures or a video of the surgery. But I can’t handle any of that, so…
But after I took the antibiotics for 7 days, I had to get right back to PT. And when he touched that skin again it was like touching it for the first time. That skin was so raw. Wow, so painful.
But I knew I had to let him do it. I knew that if I didn’t let him touch those tender places and push the toe joints beyond their current limits they will never be fully healed. Those bones can literally fuse together like that over time. And I will never be able to run – oh, who am I kidding, I don’t run anymore – but I certainly won’t be able to walk 10 thousand steps a day either. I may not be able to do a whole lot of things anymore. See, you may not realize it unless and until you have a foot problem, but you need a 50-to-60-degree flexion or bend in your toes to walk properly. You toes must roll to push off as you walk. Otherwise, without that flexion, you’re going to have a limp for the rest of your life.
So, yes, physical therapy is painful at the time. It’s even a little painful afterwards. I usually have to go home and ice my foot. And then I have homework. I have to crank my toes out of joint myself. And then try as hard as I can to put my foot into flexion – as far as it will go before the tears start coming. I don’t like to do this, myself. But again, I know if I don’t I won’t be fully healed. And I’ve got a lot more active living to do to be stuck like this.
Do you know where I’m going with all this? You’re smart, and you’ve been listening to my podcast for a while. You probably do. My experience with physical therapy is exactly like mental and emotional therapy. It’s hard. It’s painful. You don’t really want to do it, but you know that if you don’t, you’re going to be limping for the rest of your life. And what will that metaphorical limp look like? Anxiety, irrational fear, broken relationships, co-dependency, people pleasing, self-loathing, inability to love or to be loved, anger, addiction, affairs, and the list goes on.
When I get to PT the first thing the therapist says is, “Take of your sock and shoe, and remove the Band-Aid from your wound.” I must expose the wound for him to look at. Even debride it if necessary. I must let him test the toes for evaluation to see where we need to go from there.
When our wound is in our heart, or maybe even in our head, we must expose it to know where to go from there. We must remove the masks and other things we hide behind that we use to protect ourselves and keep others from seeing what’s broken and unhealed. We must allow someone to press on those pain points to ultimately release the pain. We must, because if we don’t, we will limp. We will never be fully healed. We will live with those limitations of that limp - acting out for attention, looking to others for approval, lashing out with hateful words, letting people run all over us and treat us poorly, hiding, making ourselves smaller, losing ourselves. These are the consequences of refusing to face the momentary pain that can ultimately lead to our healing and wholeness.
When I went back to read the literature the doctor gave me to make sure I was using the correct names of the foot joints, I read this:
“A bunion might be a small bump of bone, but it can have a huge impact on your ability to move through the world comfortably. If it feels like you’ve tried every treatment and nothing’s worked, it might be a good time to consider bunion surgery. Your podiatrist will help you make the decision that’s best for you, your foot, and your overall health.”
Friend, a past or present wound might present as just a small bump in your mind, but it can (and probably is) having a huge impact on your ability to move through the world comfortably. If it feels like you’ve tried every treatment and nothing’s worked, it might be a good time to consider Life Coaching for your overall health. But, unlike bunion surgery, we’re going to do some brain surgery that’s more like skipping right to physical therapy.
Friend, don’t ignore the signs that you need the help. Press through and release the pain that can ultimately lead to your healing and wholeness. You deserve to be free from that limp, too.
Hey, your certified Neuroscience coach and certified Life Coach, here, and I’d love to help you make the decision that’s best for you and your overall health. Grab a free 30-minute call on my calendar so we can do a basic evaluation of where you are and how I can help you. The link is in the show notes.
Also, don’t forget to get the free, downloadable Listener’s Guide that accompanies this episode with a few prompt questions to help you think through this topic. That link is in the show notes also.
Have a wonderful week, friends. See you next Wednesday for the next episode of Another Beautiful Life.
SHOW NOTES:
I’ve had bunion surgery recently and now I’ve got a limp when I walk. If I don’t go to physical therapy, my toes could get stuck in their frozen position and leave me with a limp for the rest of my life. But physical therapy is hard and painful. And sometimes it makes me cry.
I’ve discovered this is the perfect analogy for our lives that are full of wounds from our past or present that’s creating a metaphorical limp – anxiety, irrational fear, hopelessness, etc. If we don’t get the healing mentally and emotionally, we will most certainly have that limp for the rest of our lives. Listen in to hear why pressing on your pain points will bring you healing and freedom to live your life more comfortably.
Are you wondering how Life Coaching works? Would you like a free, 30-minute session? Click this link to set up a Consult Call: https://calendly.com/triciazodylifecoach/30min
Get the free, printable guide here: www.triciazody.com/guide
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