getting there

My sister-in-law's cat. I'm not really a cat person,
but even I can read the "what the heck are YOU looking at"
expression in this furry face.
(click on image for bigger version)



Toronto's not a particularly cozy place right now, what with the SARS scare and the freezing rain. I looked out my window this morning to see a car slowly spin out of control at a nearby intersection, unable to find traction on the icy road.

It's been only a week since I started my physio treatments, and I've already been impressed with the results. A few weeks ago I could type only with one finger on my left hand (and even that was painful), could barely hold a spoon when eating my breakfast cereal. Now I can type with (*gasp) ALL MY FINGERS for short stints at a time.

I've been writing somewhat longer Blatherings recently as a gradual warm-up to getting back to my regular writing, testing the waters. I have good days and bad days, but there are more good than bad recently, which is encouraging.

The whole experience is certainly teaching me a new appreciation of what it must be like for someone with longterm problems using one or both arms. Even a simple walk through the underground malls can be challenging, what with the multiple swinging doors that have to be pulled or pushed, fumbling in one's wallet for change to pay for a drink...tasks that are no-brainers normally, but become tricky and somewhat painful challenges.

Last night I went to a Greek restaurant with my friend Luisa, and felt extraordinarily proud of the fact that I could actually cut my own food. Sounds like a little thing, but I felt like doing a Snoopy happy-dance right there on the table (but I refrained).

Everything takes me longer, from eating a meal to putting on my coat and boots for a walk outside. I write my daily Market Watch column over several hours, taking frequent breaks from the online research, e-mail, and text editing that I have to do for each column. I wrote today's Blathering over one and a half hours the same way, with frequent breaks, ice/heat packs, doing the hand/arm exercises I learned from my physiotherapist.

Not quite ready to plunge back into my regular writing, but I'm getting there. :-)

Apr/2003 comments: Read | Post | LJ