I don't really think about the pain I went through last year. In fact, I work very hard to keep it at bay, holding it at arm's length hoping to never experience it again, but one of those memories decided to show up uninvited.
Today, I was sitting on the floor in the guest bathroom, sponge in one hand and cleaner in the other. The smell of bleach proved I was already done with the shower. I pulled the toilet seat cover open and before I knew it, I was transported back 9 months to the moment when I was sitting in this exact same place. Screaming.
9 months ago, I had just gone to the bathroom and I couldn't stand up. I literally couldn't. The excruciating pain that would run through my body when I moved in any direction made me completely unable to move. I looked around to find a solution. The only thing I could come up with was maybe if I threw myself off to the right, I could put one hand down on the edge of the bathtub, use my momentum to turn around and push off to get standing. This sounded like the worst idea of all time, but it was all I had.
So, I counted. 1.... 2.... 3. And like ripping off the worst band aid of all time, I threw my body off to the right, only my hand slipped off the bathtub, causing my body to shoot forward. My ribs crashed onto the edge of the bathtub and then I slid down to sitting on the floor. My back blazing with pain, my leg throbbing and moving uncontrollably, and my ribs shrieking. And I just screamed; out of anger, out of pain, out of frustration.
I slithered down to floor. I laid there on my back and cried for a long while until the pain subsided to it's usual unbelievable level. I asked all the same questions. Why me? Who am I now? Will this ever end? What if I never walk normal again?
And then I remembered, these questions don't matter. Getting up matters. Finding a solution matters. So, with that, I slowly rolled to my side. I used my foot to slide my cane into my hand. Then I rolled over onto my hands and knees. With one hand on my cane and one hand on the toilet, I screamed as I stood up; hunched over as usual.
I looked at that girl in the mirror; 22 pounds heavier than usual and swollen red eyes. I never would be the girl I was, but I'm so curious to find out who I will become.
