How to Bounce Back (Carefully) from a Debilitating Injury
Helpful advice for a better recovery
On April 5, 2020, three weeks into the pandemic shutdown, I broke my ankle. I had never broken a bone or worn a cast. I’d never had major surgery or used crutches. But in the midst of a pandemic, I was able to tick off all four.
A year later, here is some advice to help ease the way to recovery if you or someone you know experiences a similar event, be it a broken bone, a severe sprain, or anything that puts you out of commission for any length of time.
Fun facts: In the United States alone, supposedly about 6.8 million people break a bone each year, and on average, every person will experience 2 broken bones over the course of a lifetime. So, you never know.
Err on the side of caution from the very beginning.
It had been raining, and as I started down a set of stairs outside my home, my right foot slid forward off the first step unexpectedly. My left foot twisted behind me in a way it wasn’t accustomed to as the right foot kept sliding down the steps. I knew from the jolt of pain that nothing about this was good.
This is what I shouldn’t have done: I limped back home, which was about 100 feet away, barely able to put pressure…
