Five For Friday 12/15/17
1. Medical Stuff:
- 1 Day of PT with a very stuck thoracic! We got it moving thankfully. Still did cardio and exercises.
- 1 Day of Home Rehab. Running and exercises. My foam roller was my bestie afterwards.
- I had an infusion on Thursday. A big shout out to Chris who works at the hospital for always pretending I’m at the spa. He brings me drinks, food on fancy dishes, and warm pillows and blankets that he uses to “tuck in my piggies.” The people who work at the Sparrow Cancer Center are the best!
2. FIRST SNOW DAY of the school year! You guys, there is something magical about finding out you get an unexpected day off, and get to stay home all cozy in your pjs! It’s the best.
3. Saturday, Allie and I spent the day at Eastern Michigan University. We are super grateful to Michigan Elite Gymnastics Academy for choosing Life as a Zebra Foundation as the charity to support for the second year in a row at their season opener at MEGA Magic Gymnastics Invitational! They believe in our quest to bring visibility to invisible illnesses and that is super touching and SUPER awesome.
4. Christmasing, christmasing, christmasing, oh my! Music, gifting, ugly sweaters, decorations, lights…I LOVE this time of year. Can’t I just keep our tree up all year long?
5. An elderly woman at Physical Therapy today asked me when I was going to heal, get better, and graduate from PT. I told her I wasn’t because what I have is a chronic condition, and I will always need a degree of rehabilitation. I joked that I was “a lifer,” and explained that I must continue keeping my body strong in order to stand, walk, teach, function…
Her reply was a reply I get often: “But you’re so young, and you’re always happy and smiling.
BUT then she asked me something people don’t usually ask. She asked me for my secret, and why I seemed so content with everything. That kinda made me stop in my tracks. I wasn’t expecting her to continue. People usually stop at the “you’re so young” part.
I thought about that for a few seconds and told her that my life is definitely not always rainbows and butterflies. But I told her one thing I do for perspective; that I rely on my “get to’s” instead of my “have to’s.” It’s that simple. Like, I get to go balance on that super cool balance ball on one foot because I am strong. I get to get up at 6:30 in the morning every day to go teach some of the greatest children in the world. I get to wake up each day and try again. I get to see some of the greatest doctors and therapists. I get to find out a lot of fascinating stuff about my body and then try to help others understand too. I get to have infusions so I can maintain my GOOD health.
I told her that when I think of my get to’s, rather than my have-to’s I feel pretty blessed, and am able to find peace.
She hugged me, thanked me, and wished me a Merry Christmas. I hugged her back and thanked her for asking. I love when people try to understand.
Tags: Allie, Christmas, Ehlers-Danlos, Events, Favorites, Fundraisers, Get To's, Gratitude, Infusions, Invisible Illness, Life as a Zebra Foundation, MEGA, Perspective, Physical Therapy, POTS, Snow Days, Teaching, Thoracic