Hump Day Reality Check: When Your ‘Comeback’ Takes Three Tries
I’ve been trying to write this post since Sunday. Then I tried again on Monday. Then Tuesday happened. If there is anything that sums up the ‘Low-Energy Lifestyle’ more than being too tired to post a blog about being tired, I haven’t found it yet. But it’s Wednesday, I’m still in my boot, and I’m finally hitting ‘publish’ on the story of my missing month.
The Month the Lights Went Out
It started the Monday before Thanksgiving. I was walking through my house, felt a wave of dizziness, and the next thing I knew, my daughter Taylor was yelling my name. I had blacked out and hit the floor.
I thought it was a one-time thing, but it happened again on Wednesday. I woke up on the floor with a head injury and two very painful ankles. A trip to the ER resulted in a ‘clear’ head CT and a diagnosis of two sprained ankles. I was told my X-rays were fine.
They weren’t.
The ‘Triple Threat’ Fracture
When the swelling didn’t go down, my primary doctor did more X-rays. It turns out I had an avulsion fracture—the main tendon in my foot had literally ripped a piece of my heel bone off.
After a follow-up with an Orthopedic specialist and another accidental fall in the shower, we got the full picture. I didn’t just have one break. I had three:
- The metatarsal bone behind my big toe.
- The middle bone on the top of my foot.
- The break at my heel.
I was placed in a boot and told: Non-weight bearing for the foreseeable future.
A Christmas Eve I’ll Never Forget
Living with MS means your body sometimes has a mind of its own. On Christmas Eve, we went out for our traditional dinner. While waiting for a table, the dizziness hit again. I tried to grab my husband, but I was gone. I blacked out in the middle of the restaurant.
I was so embarrassed. Coming to on the floor in public is a vulnerability I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I fell right on my broken foot, but thank God for that boot—it saved me from even worse damage.
Then once we arrived home I once again blacked out. Luckily this time my husband was standing right behind me and caught me sort of. I didn’t fall but, apparently when I blacked out, somehow I came down on my foot. When I came to, my husband was yelling for me to get off of my foot. He had managed to somewhat catch me so I was in a standing position but I was putting weight on my broken foot once again for the second time that day.
Finding the ‘Grace’ in Low-Energy
This past month has been a series of ‘I can’t.’
- I couldn’t cook Christmas dinner.
- I couldn’t participate in the fun holiday activities.
- I couldn’t even get to the bathroom without help.
But in that ‘can’t,’ I saw what my family could do. My husband and daughters stepped up and made a beautiful Christmas dinner. They took care of me when I was at my lowest.
The ‘Low-Energy Lifestyle’ isn’t just about saving your own spoons; it’s about having the humility to let others carry the load when your spoons are all gone.
What’s Next?
I’m still in the boot for at least another month. I’m still undergoing tests to figure out why these blackouts are happening. I’m frustrated, I’m tired, and I’m a little bit scared.
But I’m back. I’ll be posting when I can, likely from the couch, and sharing what life looks like when ‘low-energy’ becomes ‘no-energy.’
Have you ever had a season where life just took the wheel? How did you handle the frustration of losing your independence? Let’s talk in the comments.