I made it!

Two successful surgeries at St Mary's Hospital/Mayo in Rochester, MN and I am now recovering at home and have been for the last 3 weeks. My chest around the incision site is still very sore and my range of motion with my arms is limited but I am home and feel blessed to have made it. My extended family did such a great job of supporting me for over a week while I was there. Meals were bought, hotels stays were paid for and many, many cards and letters were welcomed. The first days of being home we had homemade meals delivered to us. It's overwhelming to go through something like this and to feel the love from friends and family. Thank you to everyone who has helped in any small way.  

It's a little strange not to be going to school everyday as I laze about the house healing and going on small walks. I've read several books already including The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles which I loved almost everything about it. I'm also catching up on series like This Is Us which I was way behind on. And I have a lot of time to ponder the mess we are in. The anniversary of George Floyd's murder, Robb Elementary School, the shooting in Buffalo and the Roe vs Wade controversy. Like my heart is healing but this is a lot of major trauma to think on and it is so, so very frustrating that we can't pass solid gun restrictions, that we cannot get better police reform, and that the right to choose should be left up to women. How did the religious right and the NRA take over like this? (Ronald Reagan era?)

I'm thankful to have made it through two tough surgeries and I'm happy to be on leave from a job I love and that I will get to heal over the summer. I wish Covid wasn't making such a huge comeback as many people I know are sick again. All we can do is get through this summer with grace and dignity, use our voices and our dollars to make ourselves heard about the important issues laying in front of us, and we can demand change by getting out the vote.  Make this a life worth living, everyday.