As I prepare for my upcoming surgery, I first want to recognize the wonderful friends who have made sincere offers to assist in the aftermath. I truly feel the love and concern from them all.
I do find it interesting how aghast many are at what my "handicap" will be following surgery. I will have essentially no use of my right arm for at least three weeks. There are questions of how will you drive? cook dinner? get dressed? etc. I can only say that one-armed people all over the world do these tasks among many others every day. Let's keep things in perspective. Okay?
Yes, I will have to make adjustments. The biggest is the fact that my arm will be STRAPPED to my side in addition to being useless. The binding creates additional challenges especially when getting dressed. Regardless, this is not a permanent condition. A blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things. I will be released for full activity in less time than Laura Ling and Euna Lee spent in a North Korean prison eating rice with rocks in it, in less than half the time of a normal pregnancy, and it only represents 4 one-thousandths of my life span. Nothing.
I think people are trying to be sympathetic and I'll credit my Buddhist practice in helping me keep things in perspective. My meditation helps me release my mind's grip on the possible suffering (real or imagined) and focus on the step in front of me. The injury is here. I can't change that. The surgery hasn't happened yet. I can't worry about that. Today, I exercise the uninjured parts of my body, ice the shoulder and go about my day.
I do find it interesting how aghast many are at what my "handicap" will be following surgery. I will have essentially no use of my right arm for at least three weeks. There are questions of how will you drive? cook dinner? get dressed? etc. I can only say that one-armed people all over the world do these tasks among many others every day. Let's keep things in perspective. Okay?
Yes, I will have to make adjustments. The biggest is the fact that my arm will be STRAPPED to my side in addition to being useless. The binding creates additional challenges especially when getting dressed. Regardless, this is not a permanent condition. A blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things. I will be released for full activity in less time than Laura Ling and Euna Lee spent in a North Korean prison eating rice with rocks in it, in less than half the time of a normal pregnancy, and it only represents 4 one-thousandths of my life span. Nothing.
I think people are trying to be sympathetic and I'll credit my Buddhist practice in helping me keep things in perspective. My meditation helps me release my mind's grip on the possible suffering (real or imagined) and focus on the step in front of me. The injury is here. I can't change that. The surgery hasn't happened yet. I can't worry about that. Today, I exercise the uninjured parts of my body, ice the shoulder and go about my day.
1 comment:
still this is something serious and I am sure you already have it plan when it comes...not beeing able to dress, and many other things, requires help...someone who assists you those days...mmm...
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