Have you received enthusiastic applause just for walking down the hall in the middle of a regular school day? It happened to me this week.
“Look at you go, Mrs. Anderson!” crowed on of my fellow teachers, “You are really speeding along!”
“You are going faster than I am now,” chimed in our principal, who was standing nearby.
At the end of last school year, I was limping along the halls. People would offer to go pick things up for me. I was sitting more often than standing. Someone would always roll over their office chair for me. My hip was giving up on me, and I was just hanging on until my surgery day.
I had a total hip replacement and recuperated over the summer break. As we shared our summer adventures coming back to school, I joked that I spent the summer in my recliner. Of course, there was also physical therapy. My therapist, with his sense of humor (and compassion) made those sessions a happy part of summer vacation, too.
Now back at school, I am amazed and grateful daily for the difference in mobility. And I have been flooded with encouragement from my colleagues who are also amazed at the difference. Sometimes, there is even applause!
I celebrate my new walk!
I wrote this on Saturday- now it is Slice of Life Tuesday, and I have another celebration of my new walk. This evening, my daughter (who was my “coach” when I had surgery) and I are going to a “reunion” dinner for those who had joint replacement surgery in the same month. It will be good to see others who have gone through the same experience and share our stories. I also look forward to another opportunity to thank the caregivers who were so kind and encouraging while I was in the hospital. I hope I never take for granted this renewed health!
