Tasks

Next stage today is to add 25 lbs to my weight-on-ankle. It's interesting to experience this gradual buildup to what it takes to walk again. Of course, when I was a baby, the first skills came with tumbles and falls, I assume, but nothing too far from the ground. And, looking at my baby pictures, I was pretty well padded in all areas, so if I took a fall it had plenty of cushion. Although I would venture a guess that I have added padding to my butt, after sitting on it a lot for over two months, the idea of a fall scares me a lot. I am very cautious about where I walk now, although I almost stumbled with the walker at a cafe whose floor mat got caught up in the walker poles.

So, the prospect of going without the walker, even though I want to get there and do it, poses some mental stress. I guess the concept of gradually building up the physical strength of the ankle is parallel to building up mental strength, also. As my confidence in the mended bones increases, I will be ready, in two weeks or so, to really walk (with the boot). One step at a time.

Mark and I enjoyed our lunch with friends yesterday. It was so good to get out to a) another restaurant and b) reconnect with our peers. All of our meals out so far have been with each other and/or Dad and Aron. Family times are good, but it is also important that Mark and I can connect with people closer to our own age and life experience. He and I also are enjoying our evening swim times and I am trying not to get pulled into an early-depression about his upcoming trip. Even if I can walk down to the neighborhood pool, I don't know if trying to get in and out without help is worth the risk for a couple of days. But if I don't get out, I will have a rough time getting through the days. Oh, well, we'll see what happens this week and go from there.

I know I have to refocus on work, billable or not, and put energy into external life, not just the internal healing of my ankle (and psyche). Yesterday, I dealt with accumulating papers in my home office which was a start. Today, I need to apply more of my mind to accumulating tasks.
So, I will, like adding more physical weight to the ankle, apply more mental weight to what I need to do.