Update from Juneau!!!

There's a scene in the movie State & Main where Alec Baldwin's character, befuddled with drugs and alcohol, crashes his car. Stumbling from the wreckage, he says, "...and that happened."

That's about how it feels to be back home in Juneau right now. We're a little dazed, kind of confused, and not really sure how it's all going to feel tomorrow. We're looking at a fair amount of wreckage: our work lives are in disarray, our various plans and projects and hobbies have been all but forgotten, and our normal routines no longer fit the circumstances. We're trying to figure out what Michael can and cannot do in the ordinary course of events. Prep a salad? Yep. Lift a carton of juice off the top shelf of the fridge? Nope.

For Michael, who was in such extreme pain for so long before the surgery, it's a challenge just to remember that he is post-operative. He tires quickly and tends to overextend himself. Above all, he has to avoid creating strain in his neck that could re-herniate the disk. This means not lifting anything more than 5-10 pounds for the next month or two. Michael is determined to ramp back to normal activity levels while learning to truly listen to what his body is telling him about what he's doing, how he's doing it, and how long he's sustaining the activity. There's a lot of self-awareness and self-discipline to be gained on the road to healing. This process will be gradual, beginning with 10-minute walks two or three times a day. For someone who was planning to run a leg of the Klondike Road Relay in September, this is going to require tremendous patience and dedication.

We are grateful for the support and kindness of our friends & family, for wonderful health care, and for flexible and supportive work environments. We're looking forward to discovering the "new normal" of daily life as quickly as possible.

On the up side, our cat, Chrissy, thinks that all this down time is most excellent. The photo is of Michael kicking back with the kitty in his new "injured Papa" chair.