NSV - One year post-accident, Zepbound is life-changing
Posting this today because I may be too busy with work tomorrow. (Fair warning, it's a long one.)
One year ago tomorrow, I fell down a couple of steps and broke my right fibula and the navicular bone in my left foot.
At the time, I was dealing with severe plantar fasciitis, the ongoing effects of early menopause at 45, depression, weight gain, and years of trying to figure it all out on my own. I also never grew up with healthy eating habits, so I kept thinking I just needed more willpower.
That accident became the wake-up call I didn't know I needed.
The first photo on the left was taken right after I got my cast and walking boot. I had spent more than a month in a wheelchair and was depressed, binge eating, and honestly feeling stuck.
Once I was able to walk again, I committed to physical therapy to rebuild my strength and mobility. Around the same time, I decided to try Zepbound through an online practitioner (Ro) after insurance wouldn't cover it through my regular doctor. From my very first injection, the constant binge-eating urges disappeared, and for the first time I can remember, I actually craved healthy foods.
As I started losing weight, I realized I needed a team, not just determination and an online telehealth provider. I began working with a dietitian, an endocrinology nurse practitioner, and a menopause specialist, and I also started HRT.
The photo on the right is of me today.
I know medications like Zepbound and HRT can be controversial, and some people think they're "the easy way out." For me, they've been life-changing. They've given me the ability to build healthy habits that I simply couldn't sustain before.
Today I'm walking regularly, eating healthier than I ever have, and strength training to improve my bone health after being diagnosed with osteopenia. At (just about to be) 55, I finally feel like I have a real chance to stay healthy and active well into retirement.
The last two photos are of my broken ankle and the two boots I left urgent care wearing that day.
It's amazing how much can change in a year. I never would have chosen to go through that accident, but I'm grateful it forced me to take a hard look at my health. Sometimes the hardest moments really do become the beginning of something better.