Finding Normal.

I was trying to get a fix on what the new normal is in my life. My thought came from a comment, in passing, to someone yesterday when I said, it will be nice when things get back to normal.

Not sure what "normal" is these days.

Prior to September 9, 2007; normal for me was running 1/2marathons and working like a man possessed.
Normal for Janet prior to her leukemia diagnosis, was doing full marathons and running her own business quite successfully.

From September 07 until May 08, my normal was deaf as a stump, walking with first just a walker, then aided by a cane.
A good day was defined by how many lips I read correctly.
Janet's normal was defined by trips to cancer clinic.

From May until now, my personal normal consists of hearing only with the aid of a cochlear implant. I do have a bit of a sway in my walk, but that is "normal" for me now.

I walk using only sight and touch, as my inner ear balance mechanism is long gone. Two out of three ain't bad! So normal walking now has a hitch in my giddy up.

I wake up at the same time as back in my "old" normal days (5:30 am) but my regime is quite different. It seems anything but normal.
Most of it revolves around medical or physical therapy stuff.

I have not worked since that September 9th 2007.

Some part of "normal" returned on Sunday, when Janet returned home after 22 days in the care of Princess Margaret Hospital. Tired, and still sporting a trach and pic line, she is happy to be in the care of Guitar boy and yours truly. We celebrated with pot roast and apple pie on Sunday night, and did everything in our power to spoil her like crazy. Speeder has his "Mom" back and feels more secure in his poodle/neurotic like world.

I wear the right side cochlear "behind the ear" piece with the magnet for a few hours each day, in hopes that sound "appears". As frustrating as that is, I still hold out hope that it will work, and bilateral hearing will come to the brain. In the interim, I am in need of a mapping on the left side to tune up the sound that is arriving a little bit muddy these past few days.

Novembers gray and cold grip graces our lives as we start the regime of driving to medical appointments for Janet in lieu of having her blood counts done while in house. Good news is that she is home and we are delighted. Bad news is that now we do the three hour (return trip) commute twice a week to have them poke and prod and take blood to ensure the rogue cells are staying at bay.

Throw in the mix my upcoming appointments for audiology (two in two weeks) and physio therapy (one this week). And just for sport my GP has decided my cholesterol is running high, and he would like a piece of my action, as would the makers of a statin that will bring my cholesterol into the "normal" range.
There's that word again!

So as the last of the leaves grace my lawn, they will have to wait for a while. My life that I thought was busy before, will move into yet another phase of busy.

Just not sure what stage of "normal" this is.

Warmest,

David