Healing - Week One aka Be Careful What You Wish For

This afternoon marks one week since I've been home from the hospital. Well, it hasn't officially been a week, but it's 4 in the morning and basically, I'm too sore to lay in bed any longer. Since I'm up, I thought I would jot down a few things.

If you ever wish for some time off from your job, you may want to be more specific in the your wording of your wish than I was. I can remember saying something along the lines of, "I really would like a few days off this summer to do things with my friends."

WRONG. You need to say something like, "I really would like a few days off this summer on days when the weather is fantastic, I feel great, the kids are all taken care of, transportation is no problem and there's some fun things to do with my friends.' I'm tellin' ya. Learn from my mistake. Be specific.

All in all, I have zero complaints. Who can complain when my family could be writing thank you notes for unnecessary flowers at my funeral? Instead, I have a long list of thank you notes to write for wonderful things.

We have been well loved by our friends who have shown up with meals, gift cards for meals, transportation for the kids everywhere and they've even spent their day off making ice cream for the shop so that it can remain open. My employees have been nothing short of FANTASTIC. I have not worried one second about the shop. They are great! We even had our first surprise health inspection yesterday - zero violations. We run a tidy shop.

I've ventured out to church, to the shop twice and once to Sam's Club. I think that was a social experiment of sorts for Amy, who wanted to see how people would react to seeing someone so banged up. Would I get preferential treatment? Would people get out of the way of someone who looked like they had been drug behind a car for a block?

I don't know. I couldn't really see anyone's faces because the neck brace pretty much keeps me looking downward, unless I want to put extra pressure on my throat. Which I don't. So all I saw were little kids. But one little kid really, really put the stink eye to me. He was in a Scout uniform though, and Amy said he was just wanting to help me out in some way. I'm not entirely convinced.

I do know that the lady giving out the peach samples gave me an extra one with the comment, "You look like you need another bite, sweetie." Really? How did she figure that? It didn't really matter because the peaches were delicious. Usually you have to circle the entire aisle before you can come back for more without getting a dirty look. So I just moaned at bit and gratefully stuck my bruised hand out for more. Then I bought a case to bring home. I told you they were delicious.

I have my return appointments made with various doctors. I go see my favorite orthopaedic doctor Thursday to check out the handiwork of another surgeon on my shoulder. My ENT will see me the following week but I don't go back to the neurosurgeon in Louisville until August 12th. Which seems like an eternity from now. So I will be wearing the neck brace and not driving for at least the next 23 days.

I think I am doing amazing considering how I looked a week ago. Bruises are fading, new bruises are showing up and every day brings a renewed appreciation for the wonderful feeling of a long, hot shower.