Today it has been 17 days since I came home from the hospital. How is that even possible? To mark this milestone, a lunch date was arranged with my wise counselor Marti Huff and her co-counselors who specialize in laughter and distraction therapy. Oh how wonderful to be out in the world carrying on like a regular person, granted with the aid of a trusty cane.
Marti reminded me of what her mom used to tell her ,"everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better", which is a helpful mantra as one starts to second guess themselves regarding the speed of their recovery. There was also discussion about reminding ourselves in the middle of the night, when all things can seem like more than they are, that... "this too shall pass". When you have a counselor who is 99, and has lived through all the things that life has thrown at her, and is thriving, you feel great comfort in her wisdom. I sure do.
We toasted ourselves with a glass of wine, discussed potential future outings, and enjoyed sweet potato wedges, Brussels sprouts, a lyonnaise salad, lentil and sweet potato Shepards pie, and an earl grey creme brûlée.
The scheduling of outings is as important as solving 5th grade math problems when one considers the cognitive and emotional aspects of recovery from surgery.