Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Week 2

Some thoughts after my first full week of sick leave:

1. Bra-less-ness.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh :)

2. Netflix, how I love thee.  Thank you for indulging me in all the movies that Dom hates.  Time to catch up on my horrors/thrillers!

3.  I just realized, despite not working, I do have my own uniform.  It goes like this:  sweatpants, t-shirt, slippers, bra optional.

4.  Man, I love my couch!

5.  Wow, I can kill time like nobody's business.  I can't believe I thought I'd be bored!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

When Life Hands You a Float, You Ride It

So, I work at a feminist organization, and one of the events we hold each year is Take Back the Night.  It's an opportunity for women to march down the street, chanting, singing, holding signs and protesting violence against women.  Supportive men wait for us at a local park, bbq-ing and preparing for our arrival.  Then it's fun family time with singing, poetry and other open-mic type entertainment.

This is one of my favourite events we hold.  It's utterly empowering, thrilling and totally fun.  Over 100 women and children, a float and a lot of noise.

                                                      Getting ready for last year's march

However, this is going to be the first year that I may not be able to walk.  I've been in a major flare impacting my right hip and right knee (with some major neck muscle pain to boot) for about two weeks.  I can barely make it around my house most days, never mind a 30 minute walk.

As I mentioned above, we do have a float, and I will be taking full advantage.  So, this year, instead of walking at the front and chanting until my throat is raw, I will be riding in the back and chanting until my throat is raw.  I'm still participating, but I'm a little sad that it's not how I want to be participating.

This is all a lead in to the fact that the march, this Friday night, will be my last day of work for a month.  I'm taking off a month paid sick leave to try and get my health back on track, then re-entering work on a part-time basis for a period of time.  My workplace is beyond supportive, for which I am unbearably grateful.  I know not everyone has this option.

RA got the best of me, y'all.  But I'm not going down without a massive fight, and I plan on rising from this crap by taking care of myself and RESTING.  What a novel idea :)