Birthday Plans vs. Couch Reality
Day 16 of recovery. My husband’s birthday. Normally, this would mean hiking up a mountain, cycling into the city, rollerblading like pros, playing football with the kids, or heading off for a weekend adventure. Basically, anything that involved movement and not lying on a couch. This year? Not so much.
Effort Olympics: Gold Medal Winner
Everything feels like effort. Getting out of bed? Effort. Changing clothes? Effort. Even thinking about a birthday card? Effort. Honestly, if “effort” were an Olympic sport, I’d have more gold medals than Michael Phelps.
Prime Seating: VIP (Very Injured Person)
We did make it to the GAA championship final—our local team was playing. Thanks to my injury, we got “prime seating” (translation: I got to sit while everyone else ran around). I should have been thrilled, right? But instead I kept thinking: I don’t want to just be in a chair. I want to be out there, running, jumping, shouting… instead, I’m part of the sideline cheer squad (minus the pom-poms).
Cake:
Afterwards, our family came back for cake. Candles. Laughter. Cheer. And while it looked like a birthday, I felt… off. Like I wasn’t really me. And that’s the weirdest part of recovery: it’s not just your leg that’s broken—it’s your identity that goes a bit wobbly too.
The Envy Spiral: Everyone Else is Doing Life
I catch myself looking at other people and thinking, I wish I was them. I wish I was doing that. And you know what? That’s completely normal. It’s normal not to want to lie on a couch all day. It’s normal not to want to be the “invalid” at a football match. It’s normal to want a birthday that involves more adventure than sitting, hobbling, and occasionally grumbling.
Upside: Cake, Patience, and People-Watching
But here’s the upside (because every blog needs an upside!): recovery gives you perspective, patience, and a free excuse to sit and eat cake while watching everyone else attempt to run without falling over.
Takeaways from Day 16:
- Effort is real, but so is chocolate cake.
- You can survive a birthday without mountains, bikes, or rollerblades.
- Looking at other people’s lives and thinking, “I wish I was them?” Totally normal.
- Being sidelined doesn’t mean you stop being part of life—you just get a front-row seat for hilarious people-watching.
- Patience is exhausting, but it’s also a survival superpower.
Hobbling Forward (with Frosting)
Yes, I’m slower. I’m grumpy. I hobble. I’m not the me I was yesterday. But I’ve got cake. I’ve got family. I’ve got a little hope that tomorrow, maybe, I’ll take a tiny step forward. Or at least get another slice of cake.
