Recovery

October was a busy month. 


I hosted a birthday party for my daughter.  The party included my family, friends and their kids and my daughters' classmates.  

She requested that her party be in the Hamptons, but we compromised and had it at Chuck-E-Cheese.  It was a monstrous success. 

I went on to celebrate my birthday at several different locations with various people.  I hung out with my boyfriend, my family and a multitude of friends.  

I went to the 40/40 club in Manhattan.  I went to restaurant/ bars in Brooklyn; Therapy Wine Bar, Beso, Milk River and Peaches.  I also partied at Katra nightclub.  I had a Libra dinner at my cousins’ house.  I had a wonderful thirty-something birthday.

The biggest thing that I went through mid-October after the celebrations was a surgery.  It was a surgery related to a "black cyst" (yuck), that formed due to my prior C-sections.  Double Yuck.  After years of misdiagnosis, I found the surgeon who knew what it was and how to tackle it. 
My parents and sisters thankfully helped me with my kids during my surgery and recovery.

My boyfriend graciously helped to take care of me. He rode me to and from the hospital, he made sure I ate and he supported me.  

My doctor said it would take up to 6 months to recover. But in less than a month, I was feeling better than ever without that nagging cyst.
The recovery of my physical body made me think about how we recover from everything whether it's heartbreak, injury, divorce or death. We go through phases. Some are harder than others but they seem to have the same three steps. 

1. The Pain - Whether it is physical, mental or emotional the first step is painful. We often wonder whether we will ever feel better again. We believe that our current state will last forever. But then the next phase comes. 

2. The Work - We have to get up and do things to improve the situation. Fortunately and unfortunately, I was back to my grind.  This included taking the train to get my kids to and from school and going to and from work.  This was only after four days of rest.
It was painful but I managed to get it down. I got my rest and I also got moving. I took medicine when needed.  But the physical movement helped me to get better. 

When we recover from something emotionally painful we also need to "get moving".  We may need to get spiritual guidance, talk to friends, journal, yoga…  We have to do some kind of “work” to improve.

3. The Recovery – I felt myself getting better day by day, but one day came when I realized I was no longer sore and I no longer needed a pain killer.  I no longer needed an alternate way to sleep.  (It was very uncomfortable to lay flat post-surgery.)
There comes a moment when you notice you feel better when experiencing other situations.  We realize our lives are no longer focused on “that issue”.

I am very thankful for the wonderful surgeons at Lenox Hill Hospital and for the support I received after the surgery. 
Now that I am getting better, my kids and I have to hit the town so that I can continue blogging.

ExposureMom