My recovery has taken quite a while. I made an active decision to take as much time as I needed to have the best start to my post-operative fitness. It began (quite literally) with baby steps on crutches, and now I am back at work doing a very physical job. Just what the doctor ordered.
It became apparent to me that being a truck driver who sits on his backside for up to fifteen hours per day was not going to benefit my recovery in any way, shape, or form. Both my surgeon and my physiotherapist agreed that I need to be a lot more physically active than I have been over the past three years. So, in between doing my daily physio and walking, I began to think long and hard about what I might be able to do. I took online classes in AI prompt engineering, a marketing course, and explored the possibility of starting my own business.
The trouble was that they all involved sitting at a computer for long periods, with little or no guarantee of success (and not helping my fitness/strength goals). I knew that I had to find something that I could do that paid well and helped me to recover fully, so that I could lead an everyday, pain-free existence.
As the weeks turned into months, I started to lose hope and was actively preparing to return to my former role. Not ideal, but at least I could pay the bills until I could find another, more suitable job. Then my former employer moved the goalposts. Despite the promise of having my own truck and no longer being a relief driver, I was told that I would, in fact, have to return without having my own vehicle, something that would have been vital to help me post-surgery. I didn't argue, I just digested it. It was around this time that I spotted a job opening that still involved driving but was within the agricultural sector and offered many more benefits. I would be home every evening; it was a physically demanding position, but I would never have to work on weekends or over Christmas (both of which are very important to me).
I applied, and after a day or two, I was invited for a chat. They liked me, and I wanted them. Within days, I was offered the job; needless to say, I accepted. To a man, everyone at the new job has welcomed me with open arms. They are kind, courteous, patient and helpful. There are no egos on display; it's like a breath of fresh air. I am happy.