On My Own Two Feet

Sometimes it seems as if my recovery is proceeding at a snail’s pace—three steps forward, two and a half steps back—and then, out of the blue, I notice a cascade of changes. Friends very generously stopped by to hang out with me on Wednesday so that my husband could go to a work function. (Thanks, … Continue reading On My Own Two Feet →

An Afternoon on the Town

My husband and I talked all summer about going to Koreatown, which is within easy, TTC-accessible distance of us and is the site of a few of my favourite stores, one of my favourite parks, and, importantly, a Baskin-Robbins. In other words, a trifecta of happiness. This must’ve been the fourth or fifth Sunday in … Continue reading An Afternoon on the Town →

Flexing

I’ve been working really hard to be less rigid in how I approach, well, everything, including rigidity itself. My attempts to be more adaptable and open are usually ridiculously inflexible. I spend inordinate amounts of time mapping out precisely how I’ll challenge the OCD rules that dominate many aspects of my existence, creating charts and … Continue reading Flexing →

A Headache

Besides a few teasers of reprieve, I had a migraine most of Wednesday and some of Thursday. Just a migraine, yes, but it sucked, as might be expected of a debilitating headache. My reaction to it certainly didn’t help matters at all. My tendency, especially over the last few months, is to jump to unproductive … Continue reading A Headache →

It’s a Good Day to Celebrate a Pops

My dad changed a digit in his age today. He’s a respectable, respected, hilarious, intelligent, curious, loving, creative, and charming gentleman of both the East Coast and the West Coast, and I’m immensely grateful that he was born. Dad, or Pops, as I’m wont to call him, is spending his birthday convalescing from a surgery … Continue reading It’s a Good Day to Celebrate a Pops →

Home Is Where the Floss Is

Yesterday marked another important milestone in my slow journey back to life: I made a trip to a large craft store for the first time in recent memory. It was pretty great. My husband and I had decided to break up the normal tedium with a date day, our version of which entailed a streetcar … Continue reading Home Is Where the Floss Is →

All I Really Want

All hail Alanis. (With that out of my system, I can now proceed.) I’ve been finding it really hard lately to accept help from PSWs. There are several reasons for this, chief among them that support workers represent, to me, what I’ve lost in terms of independence. As I’ve become increasingly capable, I’ve also become … Continue reading All I Really Want →

Spa Day for Toe(s)

Yes, the title of this post is a little misleading. I had to draw you in somehow, though, and I’m weirdly excited to share news that it’s kind of weird to be excited to share (and also kind of weird in general). My big toe—the one on my right foot, to be specific—had its second … Continue reading Spa Day for Toe(s) →

The Gift of Gab

My parents called this morning to remind me that it’s an important anniversary, one I honestly would’ve forgotten had they not remembered. Exactly a year ago, I regained the ability to speak. Though I hadn’t known the precise date, I do remember the moment. There had been some buildup to to it, and my anticipation, … Continue reading The Gift of Gab →

New Wheels, Gotta Roll

At very long last, my new wheelchair arrived on Thursday. It’s a thing of beauty. More importantly, it’s mine. Not on loan from the medical supply company. Fitted for me, with everything tightened up where it ought to be. Smooth and shiny (for now, anyway). Ready for the accessories I’ll inevitably buy to make it … Continue reading New Wheels, Gotta Roll →