Less Metal, More Love: How My Tribe Transformed Surgery into a Feast of Friendship

Getting the hardware removed from my January 2023 snowboarding spiral fracture of my tibia and fibula was surprisingly smooth…Checking in at 5:30am and being home all snuggled up by 9:30am.

But let’s be honest, the real story isn’t about titanium leaving my leg… it’s about the golden hearts of my chosen tribe who made recovery feel like a festival of love.

There were calls and texts, and amazing unexpected care packges from afar, but the thing that all connects us and brings us together that I wasn’t expecting was the: FOOD.

Photo by Giorgi Iremadze on Unsplash

Green Smoothies and Friendship: A Perfect Post-Op Prescription

Adear friend knows that nothing says “welcome back to the land of the living” quite like a perfectly blended green smoothie from our favorite place, Sprouts here in South Lake Tahoe. There’s something magical about sipping on liquid sunshine while your anesthesia brain fog clears.

And then there’s my bestie, my food guardian angel, who practically gasped at the mention of canned soup. “Progresso? Not on my watch!” she declared, arriving with homemade chicken noodle soup that tasted like a warm hug in a bowl.

There is something about how she chops all the vegetables perfectly and seasons everything with such care that can’t but help exude the love.

Recipe Cards: Where Love Leaves Its Fingerprints

When (relatively) new soul sister showed up with her mom’s meatball recipe — showing me a photo of that beautifully worn, sauce-stained piece of paper carrying generations of comfort…

I could not help but feel the love.

Photo by fatemeh habibyar on Unsplash

Those aren’t just stains on that recipe card…They’re timestamps of family dinners, celebrations, and now, healing moments. The meatballs and spaghetti weren’t just dinner; they were edible evidence that the best family recipes don’t always come from your biological tree. (Even those are great too! Just some key players happened to be out of the country at the time.)

The Feast of Friendship Continues

Bestie (bless her “cooking for an army” heart) didn’t stop at soup. Her beef stew arrived like a warm blanket for the soul, packed with winter vegetables that will carry Clint and I through the recovery and beyond.

Halloween was the date of my surgery so how apropos she had already toasted pumpkin seeds…Pizza-flavored pumpkin seeds at that? Pure genius — because sometimes you need a tasty savory snack that makes you smile while you’re propped up on pillows.

When Food Becomes More Than Just Sustenance

There’s something profound about being cared for through cuisine. Each dish wasn’t just about filling my stomach — it was about filling my heart. These weren’t just meals; they were edible love letters from my chosen family.

In the end, getting titanium removed from my leg taught me less about medical procedures and more about the priceless value of friendship served with a side of inherited recipes and endless love.

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

Tribe: The Family You Choose, The Love That Chooses You

Sure, I could tell you about the quick surgery or the relief of having less metal in my body.

But the real story?

It’s written in the recipes shared, the containers still sitting in my kitchen, the care packages sent from afar, the time out of their day spent with me a little loopy and the hearts of friends who showed up not because they had to, but because love made them want to.

And that, my friends, is the kind of medicine no doctor can prescribe.

. . .

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Have you ever had surgery and were thoroughly impressed by the care you were given by your chosen tribe? Where family recipes became not only sustenance for your body but your soul as well?

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