Trista Sutter Has Surgery After Breaking Her Ankle, Thanks Family and Friends for Support

Trista Sutter is on the mend after having surgery on her left leg and foot.

The Bachelorette star recently shared on Instagram that she had undergone surgery “to fix a broken tibia, torn ligament and syndesmosis tear” after an incident where she “rolled [her] left foot while all [her] weight crunched down on it” as she was playing tennis with friends.

“I had never broken a bone before, but leave it to me (and Murphy’s freaking law) to break my ankle 3 days into not having insurance. We’re all good thanks to Cobra, but ugh!” Trista, 47, captioned her Friday selfie.

“Scary, but life,” she added of her diagnosis. “I checked in this morning and was in happy land by 8:00 am. My anesthesiologist did the best job ever with a concoction that left me with no pain or nausea (and I am THE biggest wimp EVER!).”

Trista said she was focused on “staying on top of potential pain” and “hopeful to get restful sleep thanks to my doctor’s prescriptions,” adding that she “definitely [has] a newfound appreciation for those out there dealing with injuries or disease, lack of insurance or lack of funds and single parents who may not have the assistance of someone like my hardworking, thoughtful, stepping-up husband and kids, and my sweet friends.”

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Ryan Sutter/Instagram
Ryan Sutter/Instagram
Trista Sutter | Ryan Sutter/Instagram
Trista Sutter | Ryan Sutter/Instagram

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The following day, Trista shared a smiley photo of herself sitting up in her hospital bed with the bottom portion of her leg wrapped up in a cast, beginning her caption, “Broken ankle and slits for eyes, but a heart SO full of gratitude for the care and generosity of my family and friends that it tends to roll onto my cheeks a lot lately.”

“It shouldn’t have to, but sometimes it takes something drastic (and really freaking painful!) to shine a light on what makes this life worth living … and that’s the people and the connections and the love,” she added. “I’ve already said it but it can’t be said enough … thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. 🙏🏼❤️.”

The mother of two’s husband Ryan Sutter also shared images of his wife post-surgery, first in a wheelchair and then a pair of snapshots showing her sound asleep, resting in bed at home while also juggling the responsibilities of being a “hockey mom.” (The couple shares daughter Blakesley Grace, 10, and son Maxwell “Max” Alston, 12.)

“Tirelessly working? After surgery this morning to repair a broken tibia and torn ligaments in her ankle, @tristasutter is finally home, recovering and ‘listening’ in on the hockey board meeting,” Ryan wrote alongside the post. “Thanks to everyone who has helped us out the past few days. Not the best timing or situation but definitely the best group of friends and experts we could ever hope for.”

RELATED VIDEO: The Bachelorette‘s Ryan Sutter Recalls Witnessing Wife Trista “Unexpectedly” Suffer “Violent” Seizure On Vacation

Trista’s surgery isn’t the only medical hurdle she and Ryan, 45, have had to deal with in recent years. In June 2017, the former reality star suffered a “violent” seizure while on vacation with her family in Croatia.

“In Europe, I was given a gift. It certainly didn’t feel like a gift at the time, but I’ve since come to realize that with my seizure brought the gift of awareness and perspective,” she wrote on Instagram weeks after the incident. “I need to remind myself to find joy through the lens of my everyday life, and lately it’s been tough. With the pain of a brutal sinus infection to contend with, I’ve allowed fear to lessen that gift and turn my focus to the negativity and pain.”

She then proceeded to apologize to her husband, children, friends and herself: “Let this be a reminder, @tristasutter, that you are blessed with each breath and heartbeat. You are allowed to be sad and scared. You’re human.”

“You are not allowed, however, to wallow and waste away your days on the worst case scenarios,” Trista added. “Life is beautiful. Enjoy it and those who make it worth living, while you have the chance. One day, chances will run out. Just do your best to make sure that when they do, the smiles outweigh the sadness.”