Reflections From the Low Point That Changed Everything
This past week, I hit my hardest emotional low since surgery. I felt really lost and frustrated, unsure if I was recovering “right.” I searched desperately for stories like mine, hoping to find reassurance, but mostly found vague answers and uncertainty. Even my healthcare providers couldn’t predict how my body would respond, and hearing that only one other patient had similar bloating with minimal improvement was tough to hear.
For a couple of days, I was overwhelmed by pain and setbacks and felt stir-crazy. No amount of advice to rest felt real until I truly hit that breaking point., crying to Andrew, feeling like I couldn’t show up the way I wanted to for my family. It was only then that I finally stopped pushing, slowed down, and truly listened to my body.
Oddly, I think I needed that breakdown. Something shifted afterward. I began giving myself permission to rest, cancel plans (a kid with a fever forced that!), and scale back my activity and that helped me feel better than I have since surgery. By the end of the weekend, I was able to take a slow, gentle walk with my family again, but this time without increasing pain- a small but meaningful step forward.
This cycle of recovery “feeling good, pushing too hard, crashing, resting, rebuilding” is one I’ve been through before. I always think I’ve learned my lesson, yet here we are. Maybe next time will be different. For now, I’m embracing the hard truth: healing isn’t about doing more. It’s about giving my body the space it needs.
I keep coming back to how grateful I am for Andrew. He knows what I need before I do, helps me rest without guilt, and loves me through the darker moments without judgment. That steady support is what’s making this healing possible.
Two-Week Post-Op Update: Progress, Challenges, and a Big Step Back to Normal
Yesterday marked two weeks since my surgery and with it came a milestone that felt huge: I saw my first massage client again. A full 90-minute session. I even lifted my heavy massage table in and out of my car.
The best part? Overall, yesterday didn’t increase my pain beyond what I’d been managing the last few days. I still ended the day with some left low back pain, nerve pain in my left hip, and minimal abdominal bloating and discomfort, but that felt like real progress.
Getting back to work, even just one client and the normal rhythms around that, made me feel so much more like myself again. Along with the walk to school with my kids, some admin work, and bringing the kids to jiu jitsu, this return to a closer-to-normal routine gave my mental health a huge boost.
I know I’m still not at baseline or how I felt before surgery, but I feel closer to that, and more confident that I won’t just recover but feel better than I have in years by the end of this journey.
Before Surgery — The Symptoms I Faced
Abdominal bloating, pain & nausea with exertion: After some major flares, I finally turned a corner a few days ago. I can now get through a day with normal activity (limiting steps to 7,000 and no extra workouts) with only minimal end-of-day bloating.
Right leg swelling (worse than left): Still there actually- I noticed it breaking in new Birkenstocks because I have to keep the right straps looser than the left, but it’s not bothering me much since I’m not yet testing longer standing periods.
Burning in feet/lower legs: No current burning, likely due to reduced activity.
Left foot swelling & pain when walking: Not present now, though walking is still gentle and limited.
POTS symptoms: No dizziness, but heart rate still spikes with position changes.
Post-Surgery — Two Weeks In
Low back/tailbone pain: Tailbone and general low back pain are gone. I still have some daily left sacroiliac pain (0–4/10), which is improved overall.
Pelvic/abdominal pain: No longer daily, but still there and worsens with walking or bloating.
Bloating: Low with limited activity and more cautious about pushing limits.
GI symptoms: A few days of normal bowel movements, cutting back on supplements, improving.
Left hip/buttocks nerve pain: Present with walking but no longer radiates down the leg.
Fatigue: More active with kids home, but pacing carefully.
Tramadol reaction: Rash, swelling, and itching have completely resolved.
What I’m Able to Do Now
Short walks under 1 mile (totaling 2–3 miles/day with household movement)
Gentle diaphragmatic breathing and core activation
Daily thoracic and hip mobility exercises
Driving
Helping with kids, light cooking, cleaning, and basic household tasks
Working at my computer, getting my legs up when I can
Seeing patients/clients again — including that 90-minute massage client yesterday!
Lifting my massage table in and out of my car without worsening pain- a huge milestone
Low-key socializing with plenty of rest
My lifting restrictions were lifted yesterday, and I’m beyond excited to pick up my kids again. Being able to hold them is deeply healing and reminds me why this journey matters.
Healing isn’t linear, and it’s not always pretty. But these moments of progress; returning to work, reconnecting with normal routines, and honoring my body’s pace, give me hope and strength to keep moving forward.
