Leaving Soon

I have put off writing this post for a long time. I have known that I'd be leaving at the end of July but it doesn't seem quite real, even now. But I guess since everyone is asking I should be more specific.

My therapy at Kennedy Krieger outpatient is dwindling down. They've done all they could in the restraints that they had(i.e. back/arm surgeries); the restrictions on my arm are finally been lifted on Thursday, which will allow me to use a walker and the loftstrands(hand-crutches). Thursday also marks the day that I get the PIC-line IV out of my arm, which will finally leg me take a shower without wrapping up my arm, and most importantly, will allow this turtle to swim in a pool. We leave this Friday. Talk about a day late and a dollar short.

These past 7 months have been a never-ending stream of surgeries and after-surgery restrictions. Always fighting to claw my way up to where I was; but to tell you the truth I don't fully remember what it was to just get out of bed every morning and live my life without thought. I don't remember how to do a lot of things. The person that I was is gone, at least in part, changed after so many lifetimes of hard work, pain, blood, sweat, and tears. So much I care for is still in Colorado but it makes me nervous to return. It's like returning to a place you loved as a child; you want desperately to see it again but consciously know you'll be looking at things with different eyes.

This friday we'll pack up the last of our stuff and drive to North Carolina. I haven't been to my parents house in over a year at this point so it'll be interesting to see. Especially now that I'm stuck on the first floor. They did build a giant ramp so at least I'll be able to get in and out. Of course we'll be there during a giant heat wave, so I may be hiding inside more often than not.


After that we take a week-long road trip out to Colorado. I'm dreading that with more fervor since I don't do well in long car rides as is. Pains in my right leg, combine with back pain and the general stiffness that comes from not moving make it a hassle. I have a couple of tricks to combat this: stretching, icyhot, electrical stimulation, medication. Nothing ever works completely so I'm constantly switching between these. We'll see how it goes I guess.

Then I'll be in Fort Collins again. Only a semester late, I guess that's better than could be expected. I'll take it.