2023 was going to be my year, the year of Alison. The year of having enough disposable income to go on a few trips, returning to work and making it what I wanted it, my kid starting daycare so I had my days to myself again. I had a trip to Disney and a trip to NYC planned, both with friends and without my kid. I was training for a half marathon that I was going to run in NYC at the end of February.

Then, the year started. Daycare started disastrously – communication was terrible, the teachers weren’t present on the first day, among other issues. Fortunately, we got a call from a daycare near my husband’s work who had a spot so we were able to change that fairly quickly. Okay, all good, right?

Well, at the same time as this daycare stuff went down I was facing a big decision about whether to change law firms. I was presented with an amazing opportunity, but it meant leaving the place I had been for the last 5 years so it wasn’t easy. Ultimately, I ended up giving notice to the daycare and my firm on the same day – January 7. Whew. Okay, a bit of a transition then back on track to the year of me, right? Well… the next morning, our daughter spiked a fever and tested positive for the flu the next day. Since I had used a snot sucker on her (dumb… never do that), I got the flu the next day. Since my firm agreed to let me out of my contract early, I spent the week caring for my sick daughter (with my husband’s help), being quite sick myself, and trying to transition my practice.

The next week, we were both feeling better and I flew to Ottawa to finish the transition. Everything was looking up. My new firm is amazing and very much my vibe, and new clients were coming to me in droves. I was looking forward to spending my 33rd birthday having a chill day with my family, eating some cake, and finally opening that bottle of sparkling wine we were saving from Prince Edward County.

On my birthday, we started the day by going for a family walk. We were enjoying the fresh air, talking about the adventures to come over the next year… then bam. I slipped on ice, my foot went into a hole, and I heard a crack. I ended up laying on the ground in extreme pain. My husband could see my foot was pointing the wrong way and called 911. Over the next few days in a haze of pain and painkillers, I learned I seriously fractured my ankle to the point that I needed to be referred to a trauma surgeon. Talk about a set back.

Disney and NYC are off. Everything got shifted to my husband’s plate, and the amount of work I will be able to do in the short term has become unpredictable.

It is going to be a long road to recovery, I know that. The last few days have been a rollercoaster of wallowing in self-pity, being in a lot of pain, but also being grateful for my support system and the amazing healthcare I have been receiving.

So, onward… how do I deal with this set back? Honestly, it’s going to very much be one day at a time. I don’t know how much I will be able to work initially, and I don’t know how independent I will be able to be in the coming weeks or months (though that half-marathon training has paid off so much as I am strong and fairly mobile because of it).

One thing we are doing is making a plan for when we can make a plan – when I can walk without a cast on, we will go on vacation somewhere to celebrate and recuperate from all this. I am also setting some goals that I would like to achieve in my recovery (such as running again), which I will hopefully be able to discuss and plan with my physiotherapist sooner than later.

Finally, I am going to try to focus on gratitude. Gratitude for my friends, for my amazing family, for my flexible work and for an incredible surgeon. I know this won’t be an easy road, but feeling my feelings while also practicing gratitude is how I am going to try to weather it.

If you are also in a difficult season or dealing with setbacks, no matter how big or small, easy or overwhelming, I am sending lots of strength your way to get through it. ❤️