Fourteen Days

I'm only fourteen days away from seeing the surgeon. My hope is that he will let me and the rolling walker go our separate ways. Physical therapy will begin the very next day. Until then, life consists of a series of routines like getting up, showered and dressed. This takes at least three times as long as it used to, but I've mastered an economy of movement that reduces the amount of effort. The rest of the day is punctuated by meals, doing the NYT crossword puzzle, reading and afterschool time with my grandson Noah.

I'm already making a mental list of all the things I look forward to when I can ambulate without the walker, although I may still face some restrictions during physical therapy. 

• I desperately need a perm and haircut. My rapidly greying locks look like they belong on an old hippie, with only the barest hint of curl from a long-ago perm.
• Navigating the grocery store sounds like great fun after only being able to order online. 
• Toby and I will go for short walks along our street. At age nine, he's also had some ambulation issues, but I know he misses having me take him out for a jaunt. (He will not allow anyone else to do this.)
• The detritus around the house doesn't seem to bug anyone but me, however, I need to put things back in order.
• My perennial garden needs attention, like deadheading flowers and pulling a few weeds. Same for my patio plants, a couple of which could benefit from trimming and/or repotting.
• I need to separate my winter clothes and stash them in the closet, while re-organizing my summer togs and maybe purchasing a few new things.
• I've not been allowed to drive, so going places on my own sounds wonderful. I long to do some errands, go to the library and have lunch.
• There's a jewelry exhibit at the Dallas Art Museum that I'm dying to see and maybe have lunch with my daughter. 
• Lastly, I want to resume my Veteran's Administration My Life, My Story interviews. I haven't really felt up to it for the last month, but really enjoyed the interview and writing process.

This experience has been quite an education in what happens when you have a disability, temporary as I hope this will be. We take both our mobility and ability to accomplish the most mundane of tasks for granted, something I will never do again. Stay well, my friends.