It took an unexpected gallbladder surgery to make me realize just how much of my everyday life had changed.

Eating had become complicated over the years. Severe heartburn, medication side effects, and what seemed to be food intolerances had gradually narrowed my choices.

No starches. No dairy. No eggs. Lean meats only.

Try finding something on a restaurant menu with that list!

Cooking at home was a different story. Creating my own recipes had always been something I loved. Experimenting with ingredients and discovering new combinations made spending time in the kitchen enjoyable. Even with restrictions there was usually a way to prepare something delicious.

The kitchen was a place where my imagination could take over.

That changed after bariatric surgery. The enjoyment of cooking gradually disappeared. Preparing a meal was still possible, but the excitement of creating something new was missing.

Then came the unexpected gallbladder surgery.

Learning how many digestive problems a troublesome gallbladder could cause got me thinking. Once mine was removed, would I still have all those problems with food? There was only one way to find out, and curiosity got the better of me.

The first attempts were cautious. One or two bites were enough to begin with.

Garlic bread with plenty of garlic. A little macaroni and cheese, which apparently counts as a vegetable here in the South. Even a few bites of smoked sausage.

Nothing extraordinary to most people, but these were foods that had seemed completely off-limits for years.

Healthy eating still mattered. There was no intention of making those foods part of an everyday diet. The surprise came from discovering that some restrictions might not have been quite what they seemed.

It felt as though a window had opened.

Writing had faced its own share of obstacles. Aphasia had already made finding the right words difficult. Reconstructive surgery on my hand added another uncertainty to something that deeply mattered. There was no guarantee that all five fingers would work as they had before.

Scary? Yes.

Writing stories again mattered too much to give up on the possibility.

Just as that part of life began finding its way forward, there was still the familiar hip pain to contend with. It had been limiting my activities more and more for years.

Even bending over to pick up my grandson became difficult as he entered his toddler years. Dancing in the streets had once brought me so much joy. Hip pain eventually brought that to a complete stop. Walking mountain trails and chasing waterfalls had become distant dreams.

Physical therapy, injections, and other treatments had been part of my life for years. Eventually it became clear that hip replacement was the next step. The thought of another surgery wasn’t exactly exciting, but neither was the idea of continuing to live with that pain.

Now I’m nearly five weeks into recovery. That awful gripping pain that once stopped me in my tracks is gone.

There’s still some pain from the surgery. I’m following the recovery guidelines and gaining strength with each passing day.

The exciting part is being able to imagine those activities becoming possible again. There’s something wonderful about looking forward to long walks, dancing, and exploring trails without wondering whether pain will bring everything to a stop.

These experiences have something in common despite being so different. The pleasure of creating recipes, the necessity of communicating through words, and the freedom to move all became difficult in ways that changed everyday life.

Some things have returned in unexpected ways. Others have required a different approach. A few are still waiting to be discovered.

There’s no desire to turn back the clock. The future interests me far more than the past.

The obstacles along the way have been real. Some required patience, some required a different approach, and others required the courage to try something unfamiliar.

Don’t let the hiccups along the way convince you to stop looking forward. Give yourself permission to explore something new, change direction when necessary, and keep discovering what you’re capable of doing.

There are recipes waiting to be created, stories waiting to be written, and trails waiting to be explored.

And who knows? One day I might even run.

Now wouldn’t that be something?