Monday, January 17, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
After posting a rambling comment on a friend's blog entry today, I realized it'd probably be better to go ahead and spill a few words in my own blog than to continue hijacking others'.
*****
I really don't have much to say about my ruptured achilles tendon, the surgery I had to repair it, and the 10 days' postsurgery recovery I've had. Other than some slight tightness and pressure at night, I really have not experienced any real pain yet. I'm scheduled to have my splint and bandages replaced with a cast on Monday, a thought that would've freaked me out a few weeks ago but that seems less intimidating now that I've become somewhat accustomed to having my foot and lower leg enclosed in a fairly tight space (I've not worn a cast before).
*****
My employers have been more than generous in letting me use my company computer and telephone at home, meaning that I haven't had to bum rides to work the last couple of weeks. Having a dedicated phone line tied in to my company network has been, frankly, kind of fun: I participated in a meeting via speaker on Wednesday, and I now know that wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt allows one to relax a bit more than office meetings usually allow one to do. On the down-side, I was included in an office-wide announcement that cake and cookies were available to all in the breakroom.
Other than relax my dress code, I have tried to otherwise maintain the morning rituals involved in going to work: showering (sitting on a stool and wearing what is essentially a shrink-wrap boot over my bandaged foot), shaving, making coffee, saying brief prayers, eating a little breakfast, and starting up the computer so it's ready to go when I "clock in" at 8:00. I'm pretty sure that I just finished the most productive work week I've had in years. I really thought I'd have a harder time being mentally present in my work, but I've been able to focus fairly well. I think, though, that part of the increased ability to concentrate derives from the dearth of usual distractions (which more often than not involve planning the route for my afternoon run). I miss that, of course, but not agonizingly so for now. I'm often tempted to give my avocations more of my mind, heart, and energy than my actual vocation (of being an editor), so it's probably not spiritually unhealthy to take a break from my extracurricular amusements, even a forced one. And the upshot is that I've remembered that I really do like my job.
*****
I should also add that my wife, Cindy, has been nothing if not kind, patient, and thoughtful during what must be a frustrating time for her as well. Moreover, she's been the calm, steady voice to counter my sometimes apprehensive and anxious, sometimes despondent and pouting one (reading account after account of others' experience with the same injury one is currently enduring can be overwhelming; I don't recommend it). I "married up," as they say. Other friends and family have been similarly considerate, giving me rides, bringing us food, just stopping by to say hello or leaving brief notes online...all of it has meant the world to me. I'm blessed beyond measure.
Glory to God.
*****
I really don't have much to say about my ruptured achilles tendon, the surgery I had to repair it, and the 10 days' postsurgery recovery I've had. Other than some slight tightness and pressure at night, I really have not experienced any real pain yet. I'm scheduled to have my splint and bandages replaced with a cast on Monday, a thought that would've freaked me out a few weeks ago but that seems less intimidating now that I've become somewhat accustomed to having my foot and lower leg enclosed in a fairly tight space (I've not worn a cast before).
*****
My employers have been more than generous in letting me use my company computer and telephone at home, meaning that I haven't had to bum rides to work the last couple of weeks. Having a dedicated phone line tied in to my company network has been, frankly, kind of fun: I participated in a meeting via speaker on Wednesday, and I now know that wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt allows one to relax a bit more than office meetings usually allow one to do. On the down-side, I was included in an office-wide announcement that cake and cookies were available to all in the breakroom.
Other than relax my dress code, I have tried to otherwise maintain the morning rituals involved in going to work: showering (sitting on a stool and wearing what is essentially a shrink-wrap boot over my bandaged foot), shaving, making coffee, saying brief prayers, eating a little breakfast, and starting up the computer so it's ready to go when I "clock in" at 8:00. I'm pretty sure that I just finished the most productive work week I've had in years. I really thought I'd have a harder time being mentally present in my work, but I've been able to focus fairly well. I think, though, that part of the increased ability to concentrate derives from the dearth of usual distractions (which more often than not involve planning the route for my afternoon run). I miss that, of course, but not agonizingly so for now. I'm often tempted to give my avocations more of my mind, heart, and energy than my actual vocation (of being an editor), so it's probably not spiritually unhealthy to take a break from my extracurricular amusements, even a forced one. And the upshot is that I've remembered that I really do like my job.
*****
I should also add that my wife, Cindy, has been nothing if not kind, patient, and thoughtful during what must be a frustrating time for her as well. Moreover, she's been the calm, steady voice to counter my sometimes apprehensive and anxious, sometimes despondent and pouting one (reading account after account of others' experience with the same injury one is currently enduring can be overwhelming; I don't recommend it). I "married up," as they say. Other friends and family have been similarly considerate, giving me rides, bringing us food, just stopping by to say hello or leaving brief notes online...all of it has meant the world to me. I'm blessed beyond measure.
Glory to God.
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