Depressed, that is the question. And the answer is NO! Well, try very hard not to be consumed by too much fretting and worrying about your Charcot foot condition. Indeed there are moments when we realize how much our lives have changed and how much they will surely change in our future. But every horizon holds a glimmer of hope and that is where I try to stay focused. My upcoming surgery is a huge fear, and I worry about that 50% failure rate…but that’s also a 50% success rate too! So it helps me to try to find that glimmer of hope. Will I be able to return to work, be able to even walk ever again? All these thoughts are shared by all of us with Charcot foot. But only time will reveal the answer to those questions, and spending one’s day going over and over the same thought could lead you to be depressed. I find that the best way to prevent that is to keep your mind occupied as much as possible. I find that hand/eye coordinate activities are best for me. Some things you might try doing are:
- Jigsaw puzzles. I prefer the 300 to 500 piece because of the smaller finished size, and thus more likely to fit on my desk.
- Crossword puzzles. I do all the easy questions first, and hope to have half the letters already for the ones that stump me!
- Papercrafts, such as making homemade thank-you cards. I like to cut out images from magazines and letters/words to use on mine.
- Or any other kind of craftwork. Wood carving, painting, etc. I enjoy hand painting old vintage purses, bringing new life to old.
- Reading the daily papers. I find that reading the larger daily newspapers front to back to really take you mind on a road trip away from worry and fret. (Well, at least away from your own!) As discussed in another post, try to make your surroundings as pleasant as possible, and make sure to keep items within arms reach that you might need throughout the day, and most of all, keep your mind occupied. Not with the big-picture, and “what-if’s?” but the daily, the here and now. Make today your only concern. That old adage of “one day at a time” really does work! I’m amazed, looking back, that I have been laid-up with non-weight-bearing for five months already!! It has gone by so fast, and it shall for you too. So chins up my fellow Charcoters, and have a pleasant day!