9 Days Out. My leg hurts so much; I wish I could cut it off because that would feel better than this. What happened to my life?! This pain and discouragement make it hard to believe that God still cares. Maybe He forgot about me.
I started keeping a journal during my recovery and this is one of the first entries I have shared from it. Looking back, I can’t tell you exactly why I decided to keep a journal. I’ve always been a writer, though not a consistent journaler per se. As I’m flipping through the pages now, it appears to be a disordered collection of thoughts, feelings, get-well cards, appointment reminder cards, daily activities, and song lyrics. The pages are torn, and wrinkled, and things are stuffed in and falling out; taped, folded, and stapled to the pages in every which way. It’s spiral-bound and thick with a frilly design etched from Easter grass green, lacy white, and sky blue. This passage graces the cover-
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things and at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8
Totally not like me – the disorganization, the lack of forethought, the frilly things, and the Bible passage. I don’t recognize some of the writing because it doesn’t sound like me either.
Yet, for three and a half months in the summer of 2012 after my pulmonary embolism, it was me. And I wouldn’t change what is in it for anything.
Recovery is hard. Very hard. And there were – and still are – days I thought I may not make it through. Sometimes, it’s the small – or even big – things that remind us why we are here, why we keep pushing, and why we shouldn’t settle for less than what we deserve. Upon reading through my journal, I found out how to get inspired in 7 steps.*
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You are better than you think!
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Hope sets success in motion.
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Times don’t stay tough. Easier days are ahead.
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You’re more important than your to-do list.
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Things can turn out even better than you’ve dreamed.
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You shine brighter than the sun, moon, and stars!
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Believe in the power of today!
Write them down, read them, save them to your desktop, or snapshot them on your phone for inspiration when you’re feeling blue. You can also pin, share, tweet, or post how to get inspired in 7 steps with the graphic below-
Share your story. Have you kept a journal during your recovery? Are there any motivational steps you would like to share? Which of the above seven steps is most inspiring to you?
There is hope for healing and you are not alone,
* Please note, these seven steps originally appeared in the June 2012 issue of Women’s World Magazine as seven days. I adapted them to fit my own recovery.
That was beautiful Sara!! Well said and thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Jackie! And thank you for reading.
It is so good to see a community of people that are going through the same thing! Although this is unfortunate, it is good to see that there is a support group out there!
I am starting a blog about my experience and would really appreciate it if you could check it out and share it with those you know!
https://bloodisthickerthanwaterr.wordpress.com
Please do not hesitate to comment/leave feedback
Thank you so much!!!
Jenna
Following my DVT’s in both legs and bilateral PE’s at the same time I really do empathise with this. I woke each morning in the hospital with profound anger and disappointment that my legs…….(now trebled in size….my toes like little tiny balls stuck onto my feet)…… had yet again, NOT been just chopped off as I very clearly requested the eve before on the meds round. The pain was so so intense despite morphine. I had actually given birth without pain relief some 29yrs before. Yes a long time ago. However, not a pain you shall ever forget I can tell you. But this…..this was like no other. Nothing would make it go away. As you say…..chopping the very painful offending legs off would have been one less….well two things less to be worried about trying to get them back to normal again. Things are never normal again. You have to live with a new ‘normal’…..a new you…..a slower you…..a much less patient you….a very very tired you…a damn right grumpy you. Unless this is you…. This was, and still is the new me. Welcome to the post DVT/PE me. Keep strong everyone…..we made it! x