Have you ever been at a Chinese restaurant and played the game where you add the words “in bed” at the end of every fortune? For instance: Something good come your way…in bed. It is a silly way to get a laugh, made better by the often poor English translations. I ask this because I feel like my life has been turned into a bizarre version of this game. The photo shows just a few of the activities I’ve engaged in (in bed) since coming home: sleeping (lots and lots), painting, reading, and writing. I’ve also listened to music (Radiohead at the moment), given myself a manicure, eaten (oh the crumbs!), watched A LOT of television, movies, and lucky for me, entertained visitors.
Despite enjoying some of the Queen-like aspects of such an existence, I must admit that it’s been rather hard on me, and, sometimes, the dear hubster. I am a homemaker by trade. I think this is the first time I’ve admitted it so honestly. Though I love to write, this is my bread and butter. I receive great pleasure from keeping house: gardening, cooking, cleaning, sweeping. To say it has not been easy to hand over all of these duties is putting it mildly. At first it sounds good, and really is, because there’s no way anyone should engage in such activities after a surgery like mine, but then the reality of not being able to do it sets in, and it gets depressing. I have shed quite a few tears over not being able to make the bed, water the garden, or do the laundry entirely on my own. I have also been a little wicked and expressed my distaste at how the hubster doesn’t do things like me. Bless his GIGANTIC heart, he has taken it all in stride and forgiven me my cruelty. Oh, do I love him so.
However, I have a BUT for you, dear readers! This morning, I actually had enough strength to water the garden, sweep the main floor, tidy up the TV room (which is upstairs!), and clean the kitchen. Though it took twice as long as it normally would, and I did much of the cleaning while sitting down, I did it! Progress!
Here’s a bit more, too. This is a photo Gregory took of me on Friday (on his Blackberry – we haven’t graduated to taking the camera everywhere). I am wearing the Office Tiara (maybe I am a queen – tee hee!) while waiting for my specialist and my first post-operative check-up. She removed the remainder of my steri-strips (ouch!) from the incisions and was pleased as punch at the rate of healing (I still feel a bit like Frankenstein – more emotional work to do there). I was given the all-clear for another two weeks, as well as a new hormone prescription that we hope will, as Liz said, “Keep the endometriosis on the run.”
Speaking of being on the run, I still can’t drive (lack of mobility + narcotics consumption= bad idea), but haven’t really wanted to anyway – there’s no place like home. I’ve walked to the neighbor’s house with the help of my cane (watch out Kramer), and that seems plenty far to me. Same goes for this post. It’s been a busy day. I think it’s time for a nap!
