Recovering Just Fine

For those of you who have asked me about this over email and other online sites, I thought I would put this out there for you. I am recovering just fine from my surgery last Friday. Thank you for all of your delightful messages. I had a plantar fascia release last year on my left foot after five years of extraordinary debilitating pain. This was after cortisone injections, physical therapy, prescription orthotics, night splints, autologous blood draws, acupuncture, massage, and losing weight. The pain only worsened. The surgery was a tremendous success that I decided to undergo the same procedure as soon as my right foot developed symptoms back in the spring. I am working from home this week. I haven't had the need to take any of my prescribed narcotics (the same was true last time). I'm eager to hear how all of you are doing. Continue sending me those emails and posting to your blogs; it's always nice to read your news.

In other delightful news, Nathan and I had some fantastic travels over the past month. During the last week of May, we traveled to the East Coast to see my parents and to attend my ten year college reunion at Bryn Mawr. It was wonderful to see some of my class-mates and professors. Some of my class-mates now have exciting careers and young children, and some of my professors are now highly lauded fellows and are also taking their sons and daughters to tour college campuses. I used to babysit my thesis advisor's children while in college (the eldest was in first grade when I graduated). He has now finished his junior year of high school and is contemplating where he would like to apply in the autumn.

It was also wonderful to connect with other women whom I have befriended through the alumnae association. I have explained to Nathan that at Bryn Mawr, the year of your graduation does not matter. The sisterhood is all-age-encompassing, but I imagine that this philosophy is true at any small college. I have gotten to know the outgoing and incoming alumnae association presidents quite well, and they are both remarkable women. I can only hope to be as successful and happy as they are when I am in my 50s and 60s. It has been nothing but an honor to serve with my college, and for this, I was most grateful when they rewarded me with the Young Alumnae Service Award on Sunday morning. I left my beloved owl stone with my mother as she loves Bryn Mawr as much as I do, and it is a great sense of pride for her that I earned this. However, nothing is as treasured as my Bryn Mawr lantern. Here I am at Friday evening's step sing.

We capped off our weekend with a Broadway evening. We saw Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart. I had read the play and wanted to see it live as soon as I saw that Jim Parsons and Lee Pace had joined the cast. In the end, I think Ellen Barkin was the best, and she did win a Tony for her performance. The play was wonderful, and nearly everyone in the audience was sniffling by the end. I cried reading it, and I feel that if one isn't moved by it, then one lacks a pulse. I am very curious to know how the play was first received in the early 80s as we were first discovering what HIV was.

Nathan then passed his general exam (he defended his dissertation proposal) in early June. To celebrate and to savor my last weekend with no cast, we traveled to Vancouver Island. It was nearly a six hour journey to get to Sooke, BC, but it was worth the wait. The hiking trails along the Juan de Fuca Strait are full of great views. The mist of the sea feels so good when it hits your face, and a little bit of rain actually makes the hike more pleasant.

We shared a beautiful day also in Victoria (don't forget to stop at Butchart Gardens!) where we walked around a charming English-style city, but we were too cheap to attend high tea. Instead we went to a pub, but we didn't eat fish and chips because I was insistent that we have Chinese food (BC has great Chinese food!). The food at Dynasty Restaurant is delicious, but the service leaves something (OK, everything) to be desired. On the other hand, if you dine in Sooke (which we highly recommend), you'll have a great dinner at Markus' Wharfside Restaurant.

I am very excited about Nathan defending his dissertation next spring. We have every intention of traveling someplace far away from home: Egypt, Greece, Australia, Peru, Ecuador, Germany, or anywhere! His advisor is very pleased with his progress. Only one more year for him!