Hello again, blog readers! Welcome back to the saga of my recovery, a journey filled with unexpected twists, turns, and the occasional awkward encounter at eye-level. Last time, I left you hanging with the promise of more updates, and boy, do I have some to share. Buckle up, because the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of restaurant ramps, canine health scares, and the sweet, sweet return to (modified) normalcy.
First things first: I ventured out! A couple of weeks after my last update, The Painted Pony, a local favorite, reopened. Naturally, we had to celebrate my newfound freedom (and frankly, my desperate need for something other than the usual dinners at home). The restaurant was surprisingly accessible. They had a functional ramp, and while navigating the double doors required a bit of a strategic dance, it was manageable. We opted for the patio, which meant traversing *another* doorway, this one sporting a rather impressive lip. But hey, a little maneuver here, a little wheelie there, and BAM! I was basking in the patio’s gentle breeze, cocktail in hand, ready to enjoy a delicious dinner.
It’s truly wonderful to be out in the world again for non-medical reasons. However, rolling past table after table of diners at *exactly* their eye level is…an experience. It feels like I’m briefly joining each table for a chat. So, naturally, I’ve embraced the opportunity for impromptu greetings. Think of me as the roving ambassador of good cheer. A “Hi there!” to table one, “How’s it going, table two?”, “Wow, what a lovely shirt that is, table #3.” You get the picture. I’m basically a walking, talking compliment machine.
Now, for a less glamorous update. Remember Finnegan, our furry family member? Well, he had another seizure less than three weeks after the first, prompting a trial run with Keppra. Unfortunately, the poor guy had extreme balance issues on it. It wasn’t pretty, and he actually fell over three times on the first day! Needless to say, Keppra was quickly discontinued. For now, we’re leaving him unmedicated unless the seizures become more frequent. Fingers crossed they don’t!
But wait, there’s more! Another week crawled by, and I finally had my follow-up appointment with the orthopedist. After weeks of transferring my records to a closer office, everything finally came through. And the news? FANTASTIC! Not only was I approved to be weight-bearing in both feet while wearing boots and using a walker, but I was also given the green light to return to work part-time! It’s a bit of a mixed bag, because the State of Connecticut is paying me to stay home, so going back to work just means I work four hours a day, but make the same amount of money regardless. That said, I’ve been going quietly crazy just sitting all day for weeks on end, so I was ecstatic to be able to do something productive again. Best of all, the ability to bear weight would put me back in my own bed. Huzzah!
On a less celebratory note, I also received confirmation that my upcoming Alaskan cruise would be…challenging, to put it mildly, at this point in my recovery. Factoring in how much extra work Dave would have to do on the trip for my care, I reluctantly cancelled it. Alaska will have to wait.
While I was at the orthopedist getting the good news, Finnegan was at the vet undergoing tests for Cushing’s disease. The diagnosis was confirmed on Monday, and we immediately started him on a new medication. So, while I’m navigating the world of part-time, remote work from my dining room table (my actual office is downstairs, a stair-climbing feat I’m not quite ready for), Finnegan is embarking on his own medical journey.
Stay tuned for the final installment of my three-part series on “The Next Eight Weeks.” There’s still more recovery, more adventures, and some unfortunate and sad news to share. No offense taken if you’d rather skip it and join me again after, since it’s going to be a hard one. Peace & love to all!