Jen Gets Better

She’s coming to the end of her month long, doctor sanctioned you-can’t-go-to-work-you-must-stay-home-and-heal time. Throughout her recovery I’ve  been reminded so much of my own past recovery periods.

There was that early day in the get better process -- the first post hospital shower. It’s a scary, exciting and an ultimately exhausting experience. Oni told us, excitement and concern in his voice “she’s about to take a shower.” We went and got him the shower bench that we used after our surgeries and advised him that he should get in with her (yeah, like he hadn’t already planned on doing that -- rolls eyes at herself). Later we eagerly, nervously asked how it went -- nodding sagely, knowingly as he told us of the nap she had to take afterward.

There was her first walk -- she went too far of course (all the way down to the big beach -- 3 blocks down the street from us) and was in bed for the rest of the day. Today she walked down to the big beach, back our way and then out around Nut Island (a wee peninsula off our little peninsula -- not really an island). That’s about 2.5 miles and all she needed afterward was a brief snooze.

Tomorrow she’s planning on driving down to her father’s -- he lives a few towns or so south of us. ”The docs gave me the green light-- I’m allowed!” she protested like a teenager when I made my frowny I-don’t-think-so face.

I dunno. We’ll see how tomorrow goes. Bob will make sure she has her cell on her and that it’s charged. We’ll both text her to nag her to pull over if she’s sore or tired. And we’ll worry until she gets home. It’s what we do -- one of our more keenly developed talents. 

Monday is her last day at home before returning to work. I’ll take the day off, we’ll get breakfast at our favorite joint on the way to Nantasket Beach where we’ll have a good late winter beach walk. If she’s flagging we’ll come home and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer vids -- if she’s got energy we’ll probably go shopping somewhere.

Hey, we’re chicks -- we’re biologically programmed to shop!