Support Systems and Broken Toes

I broke my toe.  It hurt.  Bad.  I stubbed it on the coffee table.  It was so swollen, black and blue, and I could barely walk.  I would post a picture, but I know some people have weird feet phobias...so I will spare you :)

Just recently I have been getting back into exercising and it feels good!  I was so upset when I hurt my toe.  I didn't want to stop my exercise group and I didn't want to get off the exercise bandwagon.  I decided to tape my toe to the toe next to it and put my shoe on and see how it felt.  I was enthused!  It still hurt, but it was manageable.  I went to my exercise group and came home and was cleaning the house and ya know, doing the mom thing and I thought, "My toe has made a miraculous recovery! It feels so good!" And I felt quite proud of my body for healing something that was so hurt so fast.  (Never feel proud, it will come back to bite you!)  Well, I took off my shoes and untapped my toe to jump in the shower and when I stood up from the couch I literally buckled under the pain in my dear little toe (who knew toes were so essential to walking and living!)

I was shocked.  I CANNOT believe how much pain my toe gave me when it was required to stand on its own, and I CANNOT believe how little it hurt when it had the support of the toe next to it.  One little piece of tape made all the difference.

And since I relate EVERYTHING in my life to...well...postpartum junk, I couldn't help but think of the analogy here.  Support Systems!

If you try to stand on your own when you are having Postpartum Struggles, you will buckle under the pain and agony of it.

If you place one little "piece of tape" around you and a buddy toe (your support system) the pain and agony will feel so bearable (not gone, just bearable) you will begin to think, "I don't need my support system, I got this."  But don't be fooled, pull that piece of tape off and...watch out tiled floor...I'm gonna fall down.

So rally support around you.

I have found this to be tricky.  It is hard to know who to "tape" yourself too.  Postpartum Struggles and Mental Problems altogether are extremely hard to understand if you have never experienced them before.

So who do I tape up to?

1. My husband.  Yes, postpartum struggles are hard for him to sympathize with, but he loves me and he is by me no matter what and he wants to understand (even if it is hard for him.)

He's my Everything!

2.  My sisters.  Most of them have experience some sort of postpartum struggle between the 31 children we have produced!  They sympathize, understand, and let me complain.

3. My mom.  She is my mom and she is willing to sacrifice anything to help me.  (Including losing a week worth of sleep to allow me to sleep :)

4.  You. Fellow Postpartum Strugglers.  Your words.  Your look of understanding.  Your laughter.  We are not "freaks."  We are normal women sacrificing a LOT for our dear little children and we get each other.  You get me, right?

They are worth the sacrifice!

5.  My Savior.  I have NEVER expected this trail  to be taken away, and it hasn't, but it has been made light and I believe that our Savior understands and appreciates what we go through.  I will never remove the tape between us.  He is the best support system.

They made me this cake for my birthday!  So cute!

What if you feel like no one understands you?  Look around.  I bet you there are women near by who have gone through what you are going through.  Reach out to them.  Find your "taping buddy."  And don't remove the tape for a long time.  It takes a year or more to fully recover. 

And by the way, I love taping buddies!  And email friends!  (postpartumstruggles@gmail.com)



 Trust me, I feel for you!

-Over and Out