Read the Room, Vanessa

Well, that was a week. From last Tuesday to last Friday, I received difficult news or experienced something difficult, or both, every day. In this post, I’ll write about what was/is, in many ways, the easiest to process and one of the most time-sensitive. (“Time-sensitive” probably isn’t the right word choice here, but I don’t … Continue reading Read the Room, Vanessa →

AFO

I have a new body part. (That’s what you call an ankle-foot orthotic, right?) Acquiring it took time (of which I have near-endless amounts) and patience (of which I have almost none). Since the orthotic is custom made, the orthopedist had to come to take a plaster mould of my foot and leg and carefully … Continue reading AFO →

Steady(ish) She Goes

I’ve been at rehab for over two weeks. I’ve settled in and already feel as if I’m making progress, though I’ll admit that, being the impatient person I am, I get frustrated that I’m not a specimen of perfect human health already. I try to consistently look back and reflect on where I was a … Continue reading Steady(ish) She Goes →

Transition

It’s been a hectic but very positive week. Real progress is being made, readers! I traditionally haven’t done well with transitions. As I’m sure I’ve written a bazillion times before, my preference is usually to remain in an uncomfortable situation rather than face the risk presented by change. (Which happens to be one of my … Continue reading Transition →

It Was Purple Day (for Epilepsy Awareness) on Saturday

… and, to be honest, I only remembered because a friend sent me a text wishing me a happy Purple Day. I’m pretty sure the fact that it totally and completely slipped my mind makes me a bad PWLWE (Person Who Lives with Epilepsy). Or maybe it has more to do with the other “stuff” … Continue reading It Was Purple Day (for Epilepsy Awareness) on Saturday →

Return of the LEGO Fairy

It was on a particularly challenging day last week that I received a message with an offer so generous it made me want to cry. (OK, fine; some tears were shed. I’m becoming an increasingly emotional beast with each passing year.) It was from my LEGO Fairy, who wanted to know if she could purchase … Continue reading Return of the LEGO Fairy →

Yet Another LEGO Appreciation Post

If you know me in “real” (scare quotes because what’s real, even, in this day and age?) life or read this blog, you almost certainly know that I’m a LEGO superfan. Those little plastic bricks aided me as I recovered from a brain injury; they’ve distracted me during long hospitalizations; they’ve rewired neurons fried from … Continue reading Yet Another LEGO Appreciation Post →

Looking Forward (Happy NYE!)

Tonight is New Year’s Eve. It isn’t a “holiday” my husband and I have traditionally celebrated in any major way, mostly because my bedtime is around 9:00 p.m. This year will be much the same; our plan is to play a game in the late afternoon, have a festive meal (with the Christmas crackers I … Continue reading Looking Forward (Happy NYE!) →

This Christmas

I'm taking a few minutes from my Boxing Day to wish you a happy holiday week (if that's relevant to you). I hope that you're striking a balance between celebration and safety and that you're responsibly marking the season in a way that feels right to you. In other words, Merry Christmas! Or not. My … Continue reading This Christmas →

Boosted!

My husband and I each got a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday afternoon. So many (unexpected) emotions! Most of all, I’m grateful, relieved, and more optimistic than I was about my ability to hunker down and survive—emotionally and otherwise—whatever this next COVID curveball throws at us. In a word, I’m boosted. I don’t … Continue reading Boosted! →