Outcomes

I could not have asked for a better outcome. I am almost 3 months out from my surgery now and I have my life back--whole and intact. Last week I was offered and accepted my full time hospice job again. My re-orientation and transition back to work has gone well, and it's gratifying to be welcomed back by my coworkers and the voices (those on the phone of people I have only "met" that way). My memory is good, I have energy, I don't need naps, and I have no pain. It's a

blessing every single day to fully realize how fortunate I am. There were so many times during the past year when I sat with unknowns and wondered what would happen. Now, it seems like I gained much more than I lost during that time...a change of perspective and ability to see that it was just a trying period of time that passed, as all difficult things do eventually.

Yesterday I talked to the very, very nice Erin at Dr. Kopell's office when I needed to change my follow up appointment. It was great to hear her voice again. She was happy to know how well I am doing now, and it just reinforced again how, for so many reasons, I went to the right place for my care. Seems like a small thing, really, but sometimes all you have is that voice on the phone. Now that I am working again, I get to be that voice on the phone for people, and I hope I am providing people with that solid, reassuring feeling that I got from Erin.

I've been enjoying the gardens at home every day after work and am so pleased with how things are growing. Last summer during my haze, I dug up and planted an area near our main door that I called my "greeting garden." The first year you never really know for sure how it's going to turn out since you are sticking things in here and there and cannot be certain how they'll do. But this spring everything is up, identifiable and thriving. Fitting--seems like a good parallel to how things are going for me, too.