I'm Free!

So, I know that I have been out of the hospital for a week and a half, but I came to the realization this morning that I didn't feel free until today. Why was today different than the last week and half? Well, I got behind the wheel of a vehicle for the first time in 2 1/2 months today ( I stopped driving at the beginning of July because I had to recline my seat too far back to feel safe driving). That may seem like a very insignificant thing to those of you who have been driving for the last 2 1/2 months and beyond, but for me, it was very liberating.

I didn't even realize that I still felt trapped until I was driving. I was headed to the doctor in the car and all of sudden I realized that I was smiling from ear to ear and it was because I felt independent for the first time in months. I felt like me! For the last 2 1/2 months I had been either (A) by myself at home or in the hospital or (B) being schauffered by someone because I couldn't go anywhere alone. (Don't get me wrong, the amazing outcomes we have had were worth the sacrifice, but it was still not fun)

After the doctor I had to explore my rediscovered independent self, so I took a trip to Starbucks and then to Target (this was only to buy diapers, but I was quite excited to step foot inside a Target again and I thought to myself, "I may not get to do this much for a while once these babies are home, so I better make the most of it"), then I took lunch to Clint at work (it was nice to do something for someone else instead of having everything done for me). I enjoyed the sunshine and feeling "normal". And finally, I drove myself to the hospital to see the babies and enjoyed the fact that I was not doing so on someone else's time schedule. I look forward to more independence and driving tomorrow.

The plan for tomorrow is to hang with Jackson in the morning, then it's off to daycare for him (I haven't driven him to or from daycare in 3 1/2 months because I wasn't supposed to lift or wrestle him into the vehicle even before I quit driving), then I am going to run some errands that I want to get done and enjoy a FREE day! YIPPEE!!!

So tomorrow, when you get behind the wheel of your car to run errands that seem very mundane, remember to appreciate your independence. I know I will :)