The state of the foot, one year later

It's been one year since my second foot surgery.  As far as surgeries go, foot surgery seems about the least risky, judged solely on the fact that it's as far away from the brain and heart as you can get.  So in the grand scheme of things, one morning at surgery and a few weeks on crutches isn't that big of deal.  Yes, it sucked, in many ways but we survived.

It's been more than 4 years since my foot problems began.  That's been 2 surgeries, 4 MRIs, 6 1/2 months in the boot, 7 doctors (5 foot, 2 knee), 9 weeks on crutches, 10 physical therapists, and spent more money than I care to figure out.   My initial diagnosis of tendinitis wasn't right.  Another diagnosis of sprained ankle, ruptured tendon, hairline fracture, and torn ligament has been disputed.  I've been told my problems come from being old (I was 29 at the time), being pregnant (never happened), from having uneven legs (true), from having an extra bone in my foot (true, at one time), from running early in the morning (which I did but the effect is debatable), from wearing a boot for too long (all on doctor's recommendations), and from falling (never happened).  

All this to say, nobody really knows why my foot started acting up in the summer of 2011.  BUT the good news...I think I might, finally, mostly, be healed.  I've been running a few times a week since late July.  I've been able to wear heels again (as evidenced by posts like this and this).  I only take pain meds as needed, down from 4/day earlier this summer.  I can go down stairs facing forward (I figured out a long time ago that it was easier to go backwards with my bad foot, I don't remember why).  My foot rarely seizes up like it used to and my bad tendon rarely hurts.  My bad foot is still a little tight and I still do my PT at home 5 days a week but doing that keeps most of my problems at bay.  Luke's watched me so many times he basically knows them all and usually joins in for parts.

I'm running my first real race soon.  Matt & I have done the Color Me Rad twice but that's not a race at all, just fun.  The race I've signed up for twice before I've had to walk or been pushed in a wheelchair.  Third time is the charm because I'm finally running (at least part of it, I am pretty sure I can't handle 4 miles yet) it this time.

I'm ready for my foot to no longer be a big issue in my life.  For the last 4 years it's been a lot of foot and adoption.  Adoption and foot.  Two things I never thought I'd be dealing with became huge things.  Having just one of those to focus on sounds wonderful.

Every time I'm running and want to quit, I remember my years of not being able to and am able to keep going.  Every time I get frustrated with the adoption I look at Luke and know we have to keep going.  The things you want were once the things you dreamed about.