Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke
There is something deeply satisfying about waking up and realizing: no doctor’s appointments today. Today, my wife had her post-op checkup. For the past few months, my calendar has been cluttered with visits to a hematologist across town, a 20- to 30-minute Uber ride that, thanks to Nashville’s legendary downtown traffic, somehow manages to swallow an entire afternoon. So, when do I get a free day like today? I guard it like a precious gem.
And what did I do with this gleaming gem of a day? I mowed the yard. Very glamorous, I know. But honestly? There’s something therapeutic about knocking a chore off the list. After breakfast and a brief, guilt-free sit-down, I fired up the mower and got it done. The rest of the to-do list is still waiting patiently, but I’m on schedule, and at this rate, I’ll be ticking everything off well before bedtime. Small victories!
Tomorrow is a different story. My wife had surgery exactly a week ago, and we’ll be heading to her post-op checkup. She’s been a champ in recovery, though not without some pharmaceutical drama. Tylenol 3, it turns out, came with an unexpected side effect for her: an absolutely baffling hunger that made her feel like she’d gone 30 hours without food. Which, for most of us, would be alarming, but for her, it was a recognizable sensation. She’s a seasoned fast learner who regularly practices 16-, 20-, 24-, and even 30-hour fasts, convinced (and she’s probably right) that it sharpens her mind considerably.
But here’s the maddening part: she had to eat something with her medication, because Tylenol 3 on an empty stomach is a recipe for trouble. So there she was, feeling ravenous for no medically valid reason, while rationing painkillers like a hero. Post-surgery, she took ibuprofen once for the initial pain and reached for Tylenol 3 only twice, both times when her incision started feeling warm. I call that impressive restraint. She calls it Tuesday.
She’s also asked me to come along to tomorrow’s appointment because, like many perfectly rational human beings, she finds doctors unsettling. I’m happy to be her support human.
My Plan
breakfast, accompany her to the appointment (which shouldn’t run too long), and then get my run in after we’re back. It’ll be a bit chilly if I try to go early, so the post-appointment window works perfectly.
Here’s to the quiet days between the hard ones, and to a good checkup report tomorrow.
Now if only the yard could mow itself.