same surgery, different outcomes.
rarely in life do things ever go according to plan. and rarely in life do equal inputs equate to equal outputs. why? because everyone is different. everyone’s body is different. as such, everyone’s responses to similar stimuli will be different.
what i’ve found challenging, on more than one occasion, is comparing myself to another’s journey. for my first reconstruction, i did everything right. i worked my ass off. i rehabbed twice a day, every day. only to have my teammate, who had a reconstruction six weeks after mine, surpass my progress within three days of surgery. and the worst part? she did nothing “right”. no rehab. lots of alcohol.
disheartening right? just because you do what’s “right” or “best practice” doesn’t guarantee success. luck plays a role too. so does compatibility. sometimes things beyond your control influence your journey more than your hard work ever can. and that’s life. and it’s okay to be upset about it.
merely telling someone to simply “not compare themselves” is not helpful. logically, people know that. but emotionally, we can’t help what we feel. so feel what you feel, cry if you want to cry, it’s okay and completely warranted.
the only thing to remember though, is everyone’s journey looks different. despite the same heat applied to all kernels, popcorn all pops at different times. your time to pop is coming.
