Our Georgia crew will
be arriving about 5:30 p.m. today for Easter weekend. Daughter-in-law Sarah
said she will bring everything Easter and for us not to worry. So I’m not
worrying. Husband Walter, AKA Baboo and cook in our household, kicked into
grandpa mode early this morning, though, restocking pantry and refrigerator
with some of his usual kid- and grandkid-pleasing items.
A visit from grown
children, their spouses and, of course, grands will pile up even more to be
joyful about and thankful for this Easter.
Today is also one of
two days that mark the anniversary of my stroke. The burst blood vessel in my
brain did a number on sensory receptors and mobility on my left side. The
life-changing event occurred on Good Friday almost two years ago. Good Friday
in 2011 was on April 22, the other stroke anniversary day.
Although I have to
expand on that “life-changing” description of my stroke. The reality is that I
have to be thankful that the multitude of life-changing events in my past are a
source of joy: meeting my Savoir when I was eight years old, marrying my best
friend, the birth of our children, the marriage of our kids AND . . . ta da . .
. grandkids!
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Looking back
I am short on
computer time lately, so I am cheating on the look back I wanted to post about
my stroke recovery. Instead I am cleaning up a draft of impressions I had
recorded on September 15, 2012 but never posted. That is, I don’t think I
posted this before:
Stroke recovery: 9/15/2012
The last few weeks I
have been experiencing days (September 2012) of really low energy. A walk with
Husband Walter around our neighborhood yesterday gave me confidence that I will
be able to recharge and boost energy levels. Since I passed the one-year
anniversary of my April 2011 stroke, I have gained stamina. Usually a brief
rest will ready me to go again.
I don’t nap, but I
usually follow periods of physical activity by spending a little time with my
feet, legs and hips on the same plane, preferably sitting up in bed reading,
with my left arm stretched out on a squishy pillow.
Wednesday had included
strenuous therapy, a bit of housework, and an evening date with another couple
at our favorite coffee shop. When
Hubby and I took a walk the next morning, the rapid evaporation of my energy
unnerved me a bit.
By Friday, though, I
woke up feeling energized. By the time Hubby returned from running his three
early morning school bus routes, I had laundry well under control. That was a
significant accomplishment on my personal feel-good scale. We have unruly
laundry. Without daily attention it tends to reproduce in the dark and erupt
into what affects me as overwhelming, paralyzing proportions.
A neighborhood walk
met my goal of walking at least 0.6 miles and pushing a bit beyond. We had measured
from our home to a busy intersection as 0.3 miles. Going north across that
intersection would take us over railroad tracks and to a shopping center that
includes Coffee Fusion, one of our favorite gathering places.
Unfortunately, that
route is extremely unfriendly for pedestrians and especially for a stroke
survivor with challenges in maintaining balance. There are no sidewalks in that
direction and the shoulders on either side slope almost steeply away from the
street.
So we stopped at the
corner of the intersection where I did a fist pump, celebrating that we made it
safely 0.3 miles. Rather than immediately retracing our steps, we turned left
onto a sidewalk and the next safest direction. Then I picked out new goals—the
next utility pole and after that a decorative streetlight. On the way back no
smokers occupied the two benches outside a neighborhood laundromat. I took advantage of the
benches for a brief rest then easily made the trip home.
And that was the way
it was September 2012.
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Easter greetings
For those celebrating
Easter, may your Easter be filled with meaning and joy. For those of different
beliefs, have a glorious weekend.