Betwixt & Between

Today was a Clinic day. A day that starts out with blood work and then proceeds to a visit with either my Doctor or his Nurse Practioner.

Generally, I associate these visits an increase in anxiety regarding what those numbers are and what they mean. And, yes, I know! I should have paid a lot more attention in High School Chemistry and Biology!

This was the first visit where there was no need for that anxiety with the exception of one element of my treatment, transplant and recovery, which I’ll get to in a minute. But, first, today’s numbers were the best they’ve been — possibly, in years. Two critical numbers finally breaking into the normal range and two working hard to get there.

I’ve gone from being profoundly ill to a return to normal: almost well, as I continue to work toward a complete recovery. That is, of course, a very good thing. But it still leaves you with questions that swirl around how you defined yourself as a patient and how you envision yourself in a future of wellness.

You don’t have to be ill or recovering from an illness to recognize this conundrum of self-identity. Nor, do you have to be ill and recovering to recognize that if you have the will, you have the power to redefine who you can be and the role you can play in that future