Separated at Birth

Leaving for work this morning I made my last trip down those 27 stairs. I stopped to snap a picture at the end of the first batch (14). Before I turned for the cement, I spat on the bottom stair. GOOD RIDDANCE! Those stairs tested me daily, often determining how could my day had the potential to be. I am glad they are behind me.

While the little guy was at daycare and my husband was packing and moving things, I worked (and was out of the way). Turns out my computer and I are both going to be gone for awhile. My hard drive is failing and they had to haul the computer away at about 11 a.m. I worked at the desk of a coworker who took the day off.

I tried to stay focused but today was like an extreme sport. Too much life happened today. Things just kept happening. Life-altering news kept pouring in.

• One of my favorite professors — the woman who taught me the difference between working at something and having a passion for something — walked on very unexpectedly this morning. Barbara Mack will be with those of us who knew her and called her a friend for all of our days. She pushed us to be our best, challenged us to believe in ourselves and called us out when we made bad decisions. And she did it with a killer sense of humor. She was like no one else. Thank you, Barbara, for everything you gave of yourself to make each of us better people.
• My husband’s Grandpa will have surgery to remove a mass on his colon tomorrow. I should be out of surgery before his begins. I love you Grandpa and I plan on talking with you very soon. You have made my life brighter and I look forward to many more of those moments. This development means it is best for my husband’s mom to stay in Omaha rather than spending the day at the hospital in Kansas with us. I would have made the same decision. We will see her and her husband soon.
• My sister has three hairline fractures in her foot and a small blood clot and can’t make the drive to see us until she is cleared by a doctor. (She fell almost a week ago and finally went to the emergency room this morning.) So she won’t be here for the first two weeks to help me figure out my new life. Instead, my mom will come this weekend. Nearly two weeks earlier than originally planned.

All of that came rushing at me in a span of about three hours this morning. On moving day. The day before surgery to repair my separated pelvis. I cried in the office. A coworker offered me a hug and I took her up on it.

My last trip down those horrible stairs this morning was the one true bright spot of my entire day. We are sleeping in our new place tonight and we will only have to get up a little early. I have to check in at 9 a.m. and my surgery should start at 11:30 a.m. My husband plans to write a guest blog, but I’m not certain when he will have internet access.

He’s at the old apartment now, getting a few final items. We had great help today from some very good friends. Let me say, it feels AWFUL to watch people haul your stuff around and not be able to do anything.

But I have been showered with kindness and good wishes today — help moving, notes on Facebook and gifts from coworkers to keep me entertained while I’m resting and recuperating.

I’m off to do one last thing that is probably going to hurt. I’m going to make the bed so we can sleep.

As of tomorrow, now steps for at least 12 weeks. Tomorrow is the beginning of Phase 2!