Martha… in therapy. I have been meeting with Marsha for the past few months. Martha is in her late 40’s and she has been coming to terms with her limitations she has been experiencing as she has gotten older. “I hate that this is real. I cannot do what I used to do.”
In this case, Martha is beginning to navigate the reality of having knee replacement surgery. The pain has become unbearable for her. Martha thinks that having this surgery is kind of like “giving up.” Martha was a world ranked long distance runner for 50 mile plus ultramarathons. This was a huge deal for her as she has not been able to perform like she used to.
Martha said that she has been able to be active using an elliptical machine that takes the impact of running off of the knees. The last few months, even this has become painful. How does someone, anyone, face a limitation that is very real, but they still have this expectation that they can do what they did in their later teens or early 20’s?
The work with Martha has essentially been working out a “pro’s and cons” list as she is slowly realizing that in the long run and temporary pain, the knee replacement will be worth it. When I made this statement about pushing through temporary pain to get to a better place, her response was “that is much easier said than done.”
The moment of truth for Martha came when her husband needed help and she was not able to climb the flight of stairs because the pain was too intense. Martha said that she has the surgery scheduled. She has some friends that have said the procedure is painful, but worth it and they will be there to support her.
About two weeks ago before Martha scheduled her knee replacement surgery, she said she had an epiphany. She realized, “I’m not young anymore.” Martha was stubborn to the degree that she was not going to admit defeat and she would continue running. This realization has been a long process for Marsha, but something she that she is becoming more at peace with.
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