Like recovering from a storm, healing takes time

After every storm, there’s a moment when you think the hard part is over. The winds calm, the skies clear, and you take that first deep breath of relief — only to realize the real work is just beginning: the cleanup, the repairs, and waiting for things to return to normal. But normal doesn’t return overnight.

It struck me recently that recovering from a hurricane is similar to recovering from a hemophilia bleed. There’s the immediate damage, the swelling and pain, and the disruption to your plans. Then comes the slow, quiet phase where healing happens on its own timeline, no matter how much you want to rush it.

I’ve always liked to move forward quickly with things. I like to fix them, cross them off my list, and keep going. But my body has taught me, over and over again, that healing doesn’t work that way.

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Lingering in the ‘almost healed’

When I had a foot bleed years ago, I thought I’d be back to normal in a few weeks. Instead, the healing stretched into months — and that foot has never been quite the same since. It has become a problem area, almost like a target joint, where pain and swelling return after something as simple as walking too far or standing too long. It’s my body’s gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) reminder to slow down, even when I don’t want to.

My bleeding disorders complicate recovery in ways most people never have to think about. After abdominal surgery, what should have been six months of healing stretched into two years. The bruising, internal bleeding, and delayed wound healing were constant reminders that my body plays by a different set of rules. Somewhere in the middle of it all, depression set in. Patience felt impossible, and acceptance was even harder. It isn’t easy to make peace with a body that won’t cooperate, even when you know it’s doing its best.

There’s a particular kind of fatigue that comes from being “almost healed.” It’s that in-between space where I look fine but still feel fragile. I want to trust my body again, but I hesitate. I tell myself not to make a big deal out of it, but inside, I know I’m still rebuilding.

After hurricanes Ian, Helene, and Milton hit my town, I saw that same quiet exhaustion in my neighbors. Everyone was tired — not just from the physical cleanup, but from the emotional weight of starting over. We were all learning the same lesson my body has been teaching me for years: Healing takes the time it takes.

My town still isn’t fully healed. Playgrounds remain closed, walkways are still broken, and the marks of each storm linger in ways only locals notice. Like the body, the community keeps mending: slowly, unevenly, and on its own timetable.

There’s no shortcut for rebuilding trust, whether it’s in a physical structure or in the body. I patch one part, then find another that needs care. Some repairs are visible, while others are hidden until something shifts again. I think I’m done, but healing whispers, “Not yet.”

I’ve come to believe there’s wisdom in slowing down — in listening to the messages our bodies, and our lives, are trying to send us. Sometimes, the act of resting is what allows strength to return. Sometimes, stillness is its own kind of progress.

So, if you’re in a season of healing from a bleed, a setback, or a heartbreak, give yourself the grace to take the time you need. Don’t compare your timeline to anyone else’s. Don’t apologize for moving slowly. Healing is not a race; it’s a reclamation.

Every step forward, no matter how small, is part of the process. And when you finally feel whole again, it won’t be because you hurried. It’ll be because you allowed yourself to heal at the pace that was right for you.

Note: Hemophilia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hemophilia News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hemophilia.