Trust the Journey.

Hey guys! It’s been a little while since my last post, but I’m back with some updates. To make this as concise as possible, it seems as though I sustained an injury to my ExoSym heel earlier in the year (falling from a rope) that I let go on for too long (oops…), then inadvertently for months now, I adapted my gait incorrectly to overcompensate and therefore caused some overuse issues in my ankle & flared up some things by not activating the device correctly. I was able to get by for awhile without any issues, but then as my training & events added up this year, it finally became apparent I needed to do something about it. I was back at the Hanger Clinic (the mothership) last week where the Dream Team got me back on track, but I’m really going to need to focus on the basics to get better again. So, I will be taking some time off for the next several months to recover, rebuild & refocus. With that being said and the holidays just around the corner, you may see me posting a little less. Have no fear, I’m still here — don’t hesitate to reach out ☺, but just going to use this time to refocus my energy.

If you’re able to learn something from my experience, that would be a blessing to me. I want you to see that even three years into the device, it’s really important to make sure you maintain proper form and technique with everything you learned when you first received the device, listen to your body, and understand the importance of channeling this new energy for life that the ExoSym so profoundly provides into a longer ranged view instead of wanting to do everything all at once. (hehe) I think in many ways after receiving the device, (whether I realized it or not) I have been trying to make up for lost time from everything that my injury took away in those years I was down — and in some ways control what I didn’t have control over for the years I was struggling in pain — which I think is only natural when you receive the gift of mobility again and there is nothing wrong with pursuing life at 110%… but I’m learning there has to be some balance.

I’ve said it before, but the ExoSym is truly a journey. Take a person who has been through some really difficult times to the point of considering amputation, give them a life changing device, and watch their spirit and mobility soar as they learn to embrace life again. It’s a jolt of energy that’s hard to describe and it’s a journey that I’m learning can be spread out. ☺ I think life sustaining injuries and illnesses teach us that life is precious and in a moment everything can change and that our bodies often let us down — but I think one of the most important lessons the ExoSym has taught me is that it’s okay to trust again. And it’s taken me three years to learn that. Waking up grateful every day to be able to walk and live life fully because of my ExoSym makes me eternally grateful and want to do more and more, but I’m learning to trust that it’s not all going to disappear if I take a rest day. Maybe I needed to devote three years to proving to myself that I could make a comeback, but as I move forward in this journey, I’m planning to channel this energy for life into some different avenues. Maybe get more involved in volunteering, church, practice mindfulness, possibly get a puppy… who knows but what I do know is that looking back I wouldn’t change how I approached this journey — in fact I think I needed to accomplish all these things for myself but as I step forward, I step forward in trust knowing that with my ExoSym I can live gratefully and purposefully without fear that it will disappear.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. Make it ExoSymplyAmazing by allowing yourself to trust the journey. Find balance. ♥

#beYOU #beAMAZING #ExoSymplyAmazing