Last week, I took my first flight since 2019! I was scheduled to attend the American Society for Neurorehabilitation, ASNR. I learned not long before the trip that I was elected to the Board of Directors! The BOD met for ~ 10 hrs 2 days before the conference began. Tuesday, we had a dinner meeting focused on recaps from the past year. The next day, we met most of the day to discuss future plans.

Neurorehab is rehab for people with neurological impairments like stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and more. Those are the major ones that people present on at the conference. We're trying to broaden our scope and reach even more people.

Flying was chaos. I got wheelchair escorts at the airports. Frankie at LGA was awesome, getting me to my gate quickly! The airline staff were not so friendly. I was called "wheelchair" many times. The one bad thing of wheelchair service is that we're stuck at the gate. By the way home, I figured out that I can just push my own wheelchair (with my bags on it) to wherever I wanted to go. I got scolded for doing this! But they tell us to arrive early if we need wheelchair service. Lots of time to spare!

The guy at LGA when I landed was also amazing. I learned that parking at the terminal with advanced reservations is cheaper and easier than a cab/uber. The guy took me to my car, and didn't tease me when I forgot where I parked. I got there at like 7:30am outgoing, so I wasn't the most conscientious! The guy must be used to this. He told me to get out my key and make my car beep! All good then! I got home around 11pm.

I got to see some good friends in San Antonio at the conference!! That's always the best part of a conference! I got to see one of my former postdocs, Claudio, and another former postdoc of a collaborator. They're both assistant professors now, and it's so joyful to see them soar in their own labs. We went to dinner one night, the three of us and one of their students. Very fun!

Food was great, got some of my college favorites, BBQ and Tex Mex. I rented a mobility scooter, so I was able to go cruise downtown. There's a lovely riverwalk - sidewalks and restaurants on the river. I took some rides around there! There were some margaritas along the way as well!

Each year, there is a San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. I really want to go this year! I'd hoped to go last year, but it was during radiation. Oncology embraces patient advocates - this is something I want to expand at ASNR. I'd found a curiously cheap hotel near the convention center, so I checked it out. No no no, I do not recommend the Days Inn near the convention center! There is a patient advocacy program called the Alamo something. I'm going to apply! Even if I don't get in, I'll go, assuming my health allows! Academic conferences have outrageous admission fees, because they assume you're getting reimbursed by your employer. They either waive the fee for patient advocates or have a small fee.

Yesterday, my cousin James was in town from London, and he generously came up to Westchester to visit!! It was really fun to catch up!!

This weekend, my mom and I are going to the annual MBC conference. I am really looking forward to seeing my mom and my MBC friends. I'm going to meet my advocacy classmates in person!!! It'll be fun. I'll post about it!!!!!

I'm feeling physically sore, but not so bad. My foot has improved a lot!!!!!!