Dipping My Toes Back In

I failed to mention it here (mostly because I've been either busy or exhausted), but as of last week I started trying to go back to work on a limited, part-time basis.

I'm not well enough to go back to work full-time - a single day at work, at clinics that tend to book very lightly and have dedicated support staff, leaves me achy and exhausted by the end; two days in a row required another two days of downtime to recuperate.

But that said... it feels incredibly good to be useful and productive again. It feels good to be doing what I'm supposed to be doing, to be talking to clients and handling animals and thinking and diagnosing and answering questions.

And while work is exhausting in the extreme, I can cope. Chemical heating pads and tylenol help me get through the day, and I can usually tough it out until I get home to take more serious meds. If anything, the biggest problem is that I've gotten so into the habit of protecting and favoring my right shoulder that I start getting stiff and achy on the left side.

I'm doing my best not to fall into the trap of worrying about what if this is the best I get - what if I never get any better? It's hard, but I'm doing my best to remember that a month ago walking was a challenge, and that six months ago I needed 800mg of ibuprofen 3-4 times a day just to get through a shift at work.

Progress. Baby steps, but I'm making progress.

Patience was just never my strong suit...