Today was the best Monday I’ve had in I don’t know how long. Nothing exceptionally wonderful or even remarkable happened by “normal” standards. But for me, it was amazing.
We got up early to take Einstein the Prius (our family car) to the doctor (Toyota dealership). En route my husband dropped me off at the gym on campus. I hit the track in my new shoes at about 7:15 a.m. The track is 1/10th of a mile. I walked the first two laps, then ran 1/4 of each lap for four laps, then ran a lap, walked a lap for four laps. WOW!
It felt truly indescribable to actually run. To break a sweat because of my own action in a way I haven’t been able to do since before I ever met my son made me speechless. I didn’t stop there. I stretched out and did a few yoga poses in addition to my physical therapy exercises and some conditioning for my lower abs, using a stability ball, that the wellness coordinator recommended. As I got ready for work in the locker room I fought back tears of joy. (No crying at work means NO CRYING AT WORK no matter what!)
The positive energy and “Yes I can” feeling carried through my entire day. I got a lot done. I helped other people get things done. I had lunch with my husband. I had some great conversations. I ate great food for all three meals and both snacks. I got to read books to my son, pet my cat and hear my mom’s voice. And I didn’t hurt.
My hips are tight. But I don’t hurt. I stretched out again after dinner and I’m feeling pretty great. I’ll stretch again before bed and hopefully tomorrow will feel just a great.
Feeling this healthy makes me think a lot about the changes we’ve made in the last 15 months, about the running I did before I separated my pelvis and about the fitness goals I’ve had throughout my life. I wonder sometimes if things could have been different for my pelvis — for us — if we had switched to plant-strong eating before I got pregnant. Would my ligaments and connective tissue have been any stronger? Would I have been more able to stretch to get the Little Guy here without the dire consequences of diastasis symphysis pubis? Could the DSP have been avoided? I don’t think there’s any way to know that. And, really, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am doing everything I can to give my body the best chance at a complete recovery.
Fueling my body with good, whole foods has got to be making a difference. I believe it played a huge role in my post-surgery healing. After only 366 days, my scar is hardly visible. Once I was able to get up and moving, my body responded well and began to rebuild muscle. Comparing pictures from February to now, for example, I think I look much healthier and certainly happier. I am lucky to have a husband who loves to cook and is passionate about our nutrition and wellness. He is a great cook and he has made the transition to a whole-food, plant-based diet both fun and easy for me. (I have serious kitchen issues and I’m honestly not sure if I would have stuck with it on my own.)
It’s a great feeling to LOOK FORWARD TO TOMORROW! I never realized how much I missed that feeling. I wish each of you the feeling of hopefulness that comes with feeling well, strong and whole!
Separated at Birth 