When Setbacks Become Setups

Recovery isn't always linear - sometimes it's a series of comebacks, each teaching us something new about resilience. As Angelina shared in our recent conversation, she had to restart her journey multiple times: after being in a coma in college, following a kitchen fire in 2021, and through various health challenges. Each time, she had to redefine what progress looked like.

Here's what we learn about navigating multiple recoveries:

Celebrating Small Victories

• Those first six steps to a chair that seemed insignificant later were actually monumental moments

• Progress isn't measured by comparing to your previous peak, but by today's small wins

• Every recovery journey writes its own rulebook

Building Your Toolkit

• Different challenges require different approaches

• Tools like the iWalk or knee scooter can bridge gaps during temporary setbacks

• Adapting exercise routines (like chair exercises) keeps movement possible even during recovery

The Mental Game

• Understanding that starting over isn't failing - it's part of the journey

• Learning to be patient with your body through multiple recoveries

• Recognizing that each setback teaches you something new about resilience

Whether you're facing your first recovery or your fifth, remember that setbacks often become setups for stronger comebacks. As Angelina demonstrated, losing muscle mass after hospitalization didn't mean losing hope - it meant finding new ways to rebuild, new tools to support the journey, and new definitions of progress.

What matters isn't how many times you have to start over, but that you keep taking those first steps, even if it's just six steps to a chair. Because sometimes, those six steps are actually giant leaps in disguise.

Let's embrace the reality that our stories might include multiple chapters of recovery, each one adding to our resilience toolkit and redefining what it means to come back stronger.Looking Forward