Saturday, August 15, 2009

Looking Forward, Looking Back

My friend Rachel noted in her most recent blog post just how fast her summer has gone. For me, this summer has been quite strange. It's really split into Before and After...with my knee operation being the signature dividing line.

Before Knee Surgery (BKS), I was working at my local Barnes & Noble. I celebrated my 20th birthday. Visitors from Nova Scotia came down to hang out. I cleaned out the clutter in my room and experienced the satisfactory manual labor of sanding and re-staining and varnishing two deck chairs. I started to learn to cook and bake, and read and watched movies. I drove around and hung out with different friends. It was a thoroughly enjoyable (if pretty low-key) summer.

After Knee Surgery (AKS), I spent the first two weeks pretty much just sleeping. I've read and watched movies (like before, only even more) and databased all our movies. People have come to visit me. I've spent time doing pool therapy and going to doctors' appointments. I've slowly started to relearn to walk, but have mostly just rested and let my leg heal.

I don't begrudge the choice I made to do the surgery this summer-- it was the right way to go, to get this taken care of while I had the means and inclination-- but I have to admit that it has made for a rather unusual summer. While I know that this semester will be challenging (especially since I'm not fully recovered yet, and heading back to school next week), I'm looking forward to getting back into the academic routine. Having something to focus my mind on makes being grounded by leg problems much more tolerable.

1 comment:

R said...

It'll also be an added bonus to not have a cane, I imagine. Though your House-like image will be jeopardized.

Kidding aside, I'm glad you're healing up well. And that you're taking care of yourself, because that should come first.