Ok gang, we are getting back to normalish. Sleeping in bed again (haven’t done that much this year with all the surgeries and recovery time), walking daily, and checking in with my transplant team every other week. Back to work, which I must admit I didn’t really miss. Don’t get me wrong I am super grateful to be gainfully employed and have an employer that has worked with me during my kidney disease journey, but being off work was a nice sabbatical. I was able to focus on me and my recovery without feeling torn between two worlds. That is probably the biggest stressor returning to work. 

You see with any chronic illness, especially mines, there are different treatment modalities that help you sustain life, but they do not cure you of your illness. I still have chronic kidney disease, even with the transplant, that does not change for me. And on top of that, there is a constant, and life long fear of organ rejection. So yeah, I am kinda out of the dark part of the woods, but there is plenty of forest ahead. That being said, the balance of health and work are now back in play. 

So the first week back to work was overall ok. Nothing spectacular except for the outpouring of support and love shown to me by everyone. That was super cool. I think that in and of itself helped me push through my challenges and try to dive back in.  Now I must say work is still work and not much has changed in my time off. That is both refreshing and disheartening. I remain optimistic that there will be this spontaneous enlightenment happen and that work becomes a haven for fundamental change and finally gets out of its own way of achieving greatness. But alas, not just yet. 

The funniest thing about being at work to me was the fact that I was not used to sitting in my office chair for 8 hours which was causing my pain in my mid section where they cut me open, and my butt. I mean if all the things having a sore butt from sitting was the last thing I expected to have to contend with being back in the office. 

The scariest thing being back is germs, germs, and more germs. I feel it is just a matter of time before someone passes something on to me that I can’t fight off due to my suppressed immune system. Even with the constant hand washing and sanitizing I am paranoid about talking to folks, shaking hands, touching doors and handles, and just being around this many people so often. I have to date resisted the urge to wear my face masks daily, but the more the weather turns colder and cold and flu season ramps up I think it is just going to happen. 

So other than the crazy paranoia and sore butt, work integration has been a success. Well...mostly a success. I did have a bit of a hiccup this week with a medicine change. I woke up and my dizziness was back and my blood pressure dropped down to 90/66. I was having trouble standing and walking again, but with a little rest and time, things finally evened out and I was able to recover. 

I guess that will just be what happens from time to time as adjustments are made and my body reacts to those changes. 

And as our famous looney tunes characters would say, “that’s all folks.”