offendicula

You did a Very Good Thing. Thanks for sharing your story. If only a story like yours could go on the front page news every time a horror story ran.

Anxiety is worrying about things that aren't happening yet. Your worst case scenarios might never come true. Things will be different and there will be adjustments but you've already fought through all these years with your foot broken. And you did good, fought the bureaucracy, got all this treatment, and made a really hard decision that sounds like the right one. And you're still here!

If you're not seeing a psychologist right now, I'd recommend scheduling a few appointments with the purpose of talking through your thoughts and feelings on the current situation. It could reduce your anxiety.

This is really striking a chord with me because I was talking with some people about motorcycle accidents just last night. An acquaintance once showed me the scars from the reconstruction of his leg and hip and it looked like train tracks had been laid into his body. Cars hitting motorcycles is nasty, nasty stuff.

Thank you for your service, and no thanks to the sleaze who hit you and ran away.

Yes, very much so. I'm very glad to hear that getting a psychologist is already on your to-do list. I don't know if the VA allows this, but if the surgeon doesn't see a need, I'd recommend trying any and every other doctor you have that the system will take a referral from. Medicine has come a long way in understanding that mental health care is necessary but a lot of doctors still haven't gotten the message. Not just old doctors. Even young ones sometimes.

And especially the ways in which physical pain, anxiety, and depression are closely connected. That I learned straight from a VA psychologist.

I send you Internet good thoughts.