On My Way Back...

Yesterday, I got up!  Yes - I did!  And I got a shower - and put a REAL outfit on.  My plan was to fake it till I made it.  And I made it - until 1:30pm when I went back to bed.  But it was a start!  Yay, me.

Today, I got up!  Again!  I repeated yesterday's program and this time - I stayed up longer.  I took a rest when the boys did in the afternoon, and then I came down for the rest of the day and night.  Woo Hoo!

That's the good news.

The bad news?  I'm still not "well" and I still feel pretty crappy.  You know that feeling when you think that if you could just throw up you'd feel better?  Yep - that's me all day and night.  STILL!  And my abdominal pain is still severe enough that I called my doctor today to whine - "Shouldn't I be better by nooowwwww?  Why do I still have these sharp, stabbing, twisting, awful painnnnnsssss?"  And then he laid it on me - "I'm afraid you will suffer from Irritable Bowel for at least a month while your body heals from this."  

Deep breaths.  In through the nose - out through the mouth.

He called in a prescription for me for a medication called Bentyl to hopefully stop this wicked abdominal cramping.  Fingers crossed.  I have things to do... presents to wrap... a birthday to plan... Santa to see... I have a life I need to get back to, thank you very much.  It's bad enough that I've missed what I have already - and will miss Ed's fancy work Christmas party this weekend.  I love a chance to get decked out.  But my super fancy dress is now super frumpy on my anorexic body.  Ok - I'm done whining.  Let's move on to some great news....

For the past few days, I've come downstairs to see the boys off to school every day.  This morning they both looked extra handsome in the outfits I laid out the night before.  Gavin got lots of compliments at school on his new shirt, Miss Sara told me.

He's been doing so well.  His Physical Therapist, Miss Wendy, said he walked down the entire school hall holding one hand the other day!

And Brian - he makes me laugh all the time.  He was nice enough to pose for me this morning by the staircase garland.

I'm very excited for him that he is "Star of the Week" next week in school!  It's fun that it's the week leading up to his birthday on the 16th!

The mornings have turned cold here.  This past week the boys have been driven to and from school by Miss Sara.  Since coats and car seats are a no-no, she kindly warms up her cars for the boys and then slips their winter coats on before they get out of the car at school.

About a month ago, I came up with an idea to keep Gavin warm in his wheelchair as he waits for the bus.  I turned to my Mom who is an amazing seamstress and she offered to make it for him!  We picked out this cool "burberry-like" fleece and I explained my vision.  I wanted something that velcroed around his neck and went around his seat and foot plate with elastic.  Like a temporary blanket that I can take off just as he gets on the bus.  She came by today...

...with the finished product!  He looks pretty comfortable, eh?  Thanks, Granny!

Brian, who was just finishing up his lunch, was not interested in a photo-op.  He said, in his best "Eyore" impersonation (as Miss Sara calls it!) - 

"I don't want to get my picture taken."  {big sigh}

So I snapped this picture and said - 

"Ok - I don't have to take your picture."  

As I started to put my camera down, I heard...

again, in his "Eyore" voice, 

"You can try again."  {big sigh}

And - POOF! - just like that, he was transformed.

I'm telling you - this little actor of mine is destined for stardom.

My neighbors have been delivering meals every night this week - we are so grateful and so lucky!  It's been such a blessing, as I've said before.  The meals were set to go all the way through next week, but yesterday I wrote to everyone and relieved them of their voluntary "duties," so to speak.  I really think I'm on my way back.  Slowly, but surely on my way back to life.  One of my neighbor friends wrote back to me and said, "How do these things keep happening to you?  I don't understand the man upstairs sometimes."

Well, neither do I.  But I think I'll adress all of that and more about my life in my upcoming book.  Oh, I didn't tell you I'm going to write a book?  Yes - it's going to be my life story.  The working title is... 

"You Can't Make This $h!t Up."

I'm kidding - I'm not writing a book.  But you have to admit... that's a pretty perfect title for my life story.