top of page

Golden Photographer Blog

An introduction to my new project, "What Heals Me"


Out of all of the things that can hurt or kill you in Australia, it was a Lindt Truffle wrapper that did me in, at least for five months.

 

My husband, Lloyd, and I had just begun the journey home to Colorado after our annual month-long stay in Western Australia. We were waiting at a bus stop in Margaret River to catch the five-hour coach that would take us to the Perth Airport. My husband handed me a chocolate Lindt truffle, and, against my better judgement, I accepted. I went to throw away the wrapper and somehow managed to trip in my old Birkenstocks. I knew when I tried to get back up off the ground it was bad, possibly a fracture to my right foot. But we ultimately decided to try to make it to the airport and the two-day journey home.

 

Three days later, the x-rays revealed no broken bones. I was relieved and limped around on my sprained foot for several weeks, until my neighbor, Dr. Julia, encouraged me to get an MRI. Eventually the doctors discovered that I had a Lisfranc injury; where the ligaments holding the bones and arch together in the midfoot are torn and the toes start separating. I was in need of a serious surgery, and it was going to be a long road to recovery. I would not be allowed to drive or put any weight on my foot for at least ten weeks.



Photo of me in the studio


In early May, I had the surgery. I learned that crutches pretty much suck and that taking Oxycodone and MiraLAX is a recipe for shitting yourself. We made adjustments at home. Lloyd slept in the basement, my work stopped, and that’s when it started - the depression.

 

I was getting ready for bed and started sobbing uncontrollably. Lloyd did his best to console me but this was where I wanted to be for a while. I complained, cried, ignored friends and watched 19 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. I told people my story and about the pain, including a man who mid-storytelling, I recall, told me that he had lost his foot to cancer. That’s when I decided it was time for me to stop.

 

I began accepting offers from friends to bring over food, take me to Costco, to the recreation center, and to Boulder for Drag Queen Bingo. My neighbor Greg came over to teach me the mandolin. Slowly, on my knee scooter, I was able to do a photo shoot of a 101-year-old woman on a walker- just my speed. And I began to heal physically and mentally.

 

This entire experience made me wonder what others who have been through some sort of trauma do to heal themselves. Is it friends, family, music, gardening, reading, cooking, volunteering? What makes a person get out of their depression and pain and heal themselves? Starting next week I will begin a monthly series called “What Heals Me,” in which I will be photographing and interviewing others who have agreed to share their stories and what they have learned by going through difficult times. I hope you will join me.  Povy

 

 



2 Comments


Mary Eiberger
Mary Eiberger
Dec 24, 2024

Hi, Povy! I think it is great that you shared your story. Every one of us on earth experiences some form of loss and some form of grief. I have been meditating and trying to stay positive. I have a lot of energy and my best good intentions sometimes come across differently to people. However, this is changing with my new love of meditation. I am calming down! I was rear-ended in March of 2023. No fun!!! I have been to three Dr Joe Dispenza’s meditation retreats. I have learned to calm down in these situations. This truly helped healing, as experiencing intense whiplash and having headaches for months is both depressing and frustrating. Weekly, I turned down invitat…

Like

Sue Foppe
Sue Foppe
Sep 25, 2024

First off, Povy... I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. It just sucks. No getting around it. You just have to go through it.


This is not a contest of suffering but I wanted to share my story with you.


This summer has been challenging to say the least. On June 1, (my wife's birthday) I had to have a neighbor take me to the ER. Severe bronchitis, sinus infection and intense asthma, but thankfully no pneumonia. Drugs got me back on my feet. Weeks later while visiting a friend in the mountains, I developed a stress fracture in my foot. It hurt like a son-of-a-gun but, with an ortho shoe, topicals and tylenol, it was done…


Like

© 2024 Povy Kendal Atchison

  • Facebook Basic Black
  • Black Instagram Icon
bottom of page