Let’s be perfectly frank here. I’m getting a little tired of my broken ankle. It’s been almost 7 months that I’ve had this thing in my life, and I’m ready to say good-bye to my life of being “with-cast.”

That will be in a few weeks, but I’m all ready. I’m pumped. I’m preparing for the good-bye, and getting really into it.

This time of year, many of us are getting ready for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. One of the ways we do that is by counting our blessings, appreciating the good in our lives, and refraining from complaining.

Great goals to have. So at this time, my way of NOT complaining is to express how HAPPY I am to have come this far…to experience soon the end of my foot journey.  I am very excited to bid good-bye  to the lifestyle I have led the past 6 or 7 months.

Here are the 10 things that I’m looking forward to saying good-bye to very soon. Good bye and good riddance!

1. Good-bye to awkward getting in and out of cars. I’ve used a scooter to get around and when someone drives me places, I have to edge the scooter close to the curb, then hoist half my body onto the seat of the car, while holding injured foot in mid-air. Then I move my injured foot with a plop onto the floor of the seat, while pulling the seat belt around me. Reverse for getting out of cars. Hello easy meneuvering!

2. Good-bye to scooter. I will be able to put weight on and use both feet and legs. What a concept. Walking, driving, and getting around and putting weight on both feet – not just my good foot. Hello 2 feet!

3. Good-bye to plaster cast. I will be able to see my leg in the flesh. I will no longer have the cumbersome, itchy, and stuffy cast hovering around my bones and holding my healing ankle stiffly in place.  As I will be transferring to a “walking air cast” – i.e. removeable cast in a few weeks, that will give me more freedom. Yay! Hello open air on leg!

4. Good-bye to four walls and stale air of my home. Most of the days I stay at home. Soon I will get to go outside more often, because of my upcoming independence.  Hello fresh air!

5. Good-bye to bad posture.  Today I was in an elevator in a doctor’s office building, and I noticed that I was standing hunched with my knee on my scooter. It’s an inevitable pose, given my state of being with-scooter, but it’s hardly good for posture. Hello straight back!

6. Good-bye to Facebook 24/7. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But you know what I mean. When you have a life, you don’t need facebook all the time, or do you? Hello Life!

7. Good-bye to denial about weight gain . Hey, it’s easy to deny weight gain when you can’t put foot down to weigh oneself on a scale for all these months. Not to mention a heavy cast that would distort the weight anyway. Hello facing the music!

8. Good-bye to lack of structure in day. Yes, I’ve kept very busy the past half year with many hobbies and other pursuits. But my days were unstructured. I’m ready for a set schedule in my life. Hello real job!

9. Good-bye to only elevators. Ever try going up a staircase with a scooter or crutches? It ain’t easy, and depending on the number of stairs, it is downright impossible. Hello stairs and escalators!

10. Good-bye to pain killers. This is something I’ve said good-bye to a few weeks ago already, but I look forward to not having even a low level of pain. That may take some time, as I am going to have physical therapy which is likely to be painful at times. But still, I’m moving in the right direction of recovery and I’m looking forward. Hello to comfort!

What I will do with all these things remains to be decided. I don’t think I will be throwing out the above ten concrete or abstract things, but I will definitely be happy to say good-bye.

And on that note, I say good-bye to this post. Stay tuned to a future post where I thank all the wonderful folks who have helped me survive this journey.

What are you saying good-bye (and hello) to during this season of High Holidays?

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