One Year Since My Tibial Plateau Fracture

Yesterday marked one year since my injury. My "akneeversary", if you will! And while it was at the back of my mind, I did my best not to focus on it. I've spent every day of the past year focused on this darn knee of mine and I wanted to reclaim June 27th.

I played with my dog and stood out on my balcony in the sunshine. I stood at the stove and made dinner and cleaned up around the house. Just standing has become such a beautiful gift to have back! I tried not to think about the things that now take more effort or that I can no longer do. I did the things that I can do! I'm not back to where I was, I might never be. I still walk with a slight limp until I get my extension back and I pull out the cane for long distances. But I'm walking and I'm stronger, mentally and physically now.

I approached the day quite scared of how I would handle it, but the thing is that I CAN handle it. I've had to handle a lot this past year and this just put it all in perspective. Each day gets a little better. Maybe I'm not where I want to be in progress, but I can't deny myself the acknowledgment of the progress that has been made.

This year has been the hardest thing I have ever gone through and injuries like this put your emotions through the ringer. They put everything you have to the test! I started off in the most physical pain I ever been in, went through anger, sadness, impatience, more sadness, more anger, and then finally acceptance. This is an injury that I have to deal with for the rest of my life. I have one plate and six screws in my left leg. They'll stay there unless they begin to cause problems. I have a higher chance of arthritis and a knee replacement as I get older. It is a lot to take in and accept!

Some people expect you to just bounce right back and that just isn't the case a lot of the time. I slowly went from wheelchair, to walker, to cane, to my own two feet. Three months were spent not being able to put any weight at all on my left leg. A year later and I'm still going to physio twice a month and would go more if I could afford it. I'm still barely at 80° flexion on a good day. I'm still learning how to walk properly and do daily activities like getting up from chairs, stairs, etc. I'm still building up all of that lost muscle and beating down scar tissue to straighten my leg. Every single day is leg day. And yes, it sucks.

This tibial plateau fracture is tough and a hard pill to swallow. The lessons I got from it, though? Those outweigh the bad things. I learned how strong I am. How hard it is to be so dependent on others and appreciative of them being there at the same time. I grew in my faith. My husband really stepped up to the plate and I realized just how concrete our bond truly is. I am more of a fighter than I thought I was, because this forces you to tackle everything head on.

It takes a lot from you and gives a lot back in various ways. I won't say I'm grateful (that would be crazy talk!) for the TPF, but I am no longer angry or sad about it. I hope to one day not have to focus on it so much, but I refuse to let it define me. One day at a time, one glorious step at a time!

To read about how I fractured my knee, I talk about it here. And if you come across this post because you also have a TPF, I highly recommend joining the Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery Facebook group. You'll find that you are not alone and it is a safe place to vent, celebrate, and everything in between! That group has continued to help me a great deal.