Katie's BMT Updates

My computer is dying, but I am not. It has long pauses between web pages, the letter "V" doesn't always work and the cursor randomly flutters around the screen or jumps between fields on web pages. As I type now, it takes a second for the actual letters on the screen to catch up.

I have no excuse for not writing. I have been recovering from ankle surgery for the past four weeks and so have had plenty of "down time." What happened to my ankle, you say? I didn't have an accident. I had PVNS -- Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis -- a condition that is basically a build-up of gunga on the joints. For the last ten years, it's been "that bump on my ankle" and it didn't bother me. But steroids and other immunosuppressant drugs aggravated the problem and I started to experience a stabbing pain in my ankle every now and again ... One of the joys.

I've never been on crutches before and I'm here to tell you it's harder than it looks. But now, after four weeks, I am both cruising and so sick of hauling them around. Also, I can't drive. That means I am home a lot more than usual and I was home a lot before. I haven't been away from the house since last Saturday. No joke.

For lack of other stimulation, I've been spending more time in the garden, literally watching seeds grow into plants. I have never had a green thumb (I tried to grow mint once and, believe it or not, failed), but Ian's parents have planter boxes filled with lettuces, radishes, carrots and strawberries. Ron gave me a private lesson on planting and, gosh darn it, my plants are growing! I shouldn't be so proud, but it's wonderful to see something so bright and green poke out of the soil.

Speaking of life, it looks like I'm going to have a long one. I'm still a little too thin and have a sundry of other little issues -- numb toes, random stomach aches and whatnot -- but I can't believe how good I feel!