Today

Preregistration and blood work this morning in preparation for Husband Walter’s upcoming gallbladder laparoscopic surgical procedure was quick, and the lady drawing blood was an expert, no-pain sticker. Expectations are that Hubby will go in Monday at noon and be home recuperating the same day. All prayers and positive thoughts are appreciated.

Our fluctuating weather from warm to chilly has brought temperatures in the 50s and low 60s daytime and low to upper 30s nights. Those low temperatures increase the stroke-induced tone of my left side. As a result, my left shoulder, arm, wrist and fingers become uncomfortably tight much of the time. Even my left leg seems inches shorter and my ankle aches. Later this month I am scheduled for another set of botox injections to relax the tone in my arm, wrist and fingers and that will help a lot.

Even as the tone has intensified and the effect of my previous injections is beginning to wear off, my therapy has continued to produce progress in my elbow and arm movement. The changes are in infinitesimal increments but progress nonetheless.

Hubby and I will shortly head out the door for a walk around our neighborhood. That should loosen things up a little.

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We just returned from our walk. Hubby surprised me. We reached a corner where we have often turned in a direction that expands the distance of our return home. He nixed that option and suggested we go straight, across a busy intersection and after that along a challenging stretch with lots of traffic, no sidewalks and an incline up to a railroad crossing.

I knew immediately what he was up to. We were going to walk all the way to our favorite coffee shop, Coffee Fusion! I laughed out loud. And, oh yes, I can now laugh and walk at the same time without losing my balance. A leisurely session with our hot drinks fortified me for the return trip. Roundtrip was a little more than one mile. Hooray!