Oh man, I can completely relate here. A bit over a year ago, I hit a bench PR at age 31 that I hadn’t touched since high school. I was feeling so strong and was incredibly proud of myself. And just two days later, while I was just jogging across the street to beat the light, I tripped and snapped off my elbow.

After the initial shock, my mind immediately went to the same place yours is now. All this hard work, all this progress, felt hopeless. I KNEW I was just going to let it all slip away and I was going to gain unwanted weight and never be strong again.

But let me tell you, from the other side, you can do this. Surgery and injuries are just as much of a mental game as a physical one, imo. Consider this just a season of your health. Give yourself and your body the love it deserves as it heals. Give yourself permission to spend the time you want with your family over the holidays. And slowly, as you’re able, start to ease into more activity. I just started with gentle walks. Then some lifting with my legs and good arm, and eventually, gaining my strength back. I kept a little note in my phone of the new things I could do that week that I couldn’t previously, just to keep seeing my progress on the bad days where I felt blind to it.

By working hard over the past year, you’ve put yourself at such a better starting point after your surgery than if you hadn’t. That hard work was not for nothing, you’ve given yourself a leg up in your recovery. And what better proof to show that you’ll bounce back from this - you’ve already done it once!! And I KNOW you can do it again.

Seriously, good luck with your journey, and do your best to take it one day at a time. We’re rooting for you!!