Good news and bad news.

This has been a week of good news and bad news. Good news: I'm back at work. Bad news: I am totally swamped from all my time off. Stuff like that. Here are some highlights:

Good news: I had a follow-up with my surgeon and I have been pronounced officially healed. The doctor is totally satisfied with my progress and says that I have "no restrictions" on what I can do. I've been able to return to Group Power and some other athletic activities. Bad news: I haven't been able to run yet. Even though I'm healing well, the sites of my incisions are still a bit swollen and tender, and the pounding of running causes significant pain. Its getting a little less every day, though, and I'm hoping I'll be able to get in a longish run this weekend. We'll see.

Good news: Over the weekend, I ran into a colleague from my first pseudo-counseling job, which I held from 2002-2004. I hadn't seen her in 3 or 4 years, and it was great to hear her news and also get caught up on events in the community where I used to work. Bad news: My former colleague informed me of the death of one of my most beloved former clients. She was a grandmother, raising her grandchildren after one of their parents died and the other was incarcerated. She was one of the strongest and most loving people I've ever known. I told her at our very first meeting that I was there to work for her, and she was humble enough to let me do that, despite being many years older than me and light years more experienced in life. At the same time, she found hundreds of little ways to let me know that she cared for me, as a professional and as a person. I've thought about her and her family thousands of times in the 6+ years since I last saw them, and the world feels just a little colder knowing that she's gone from it.

Finally, a piece of unambiguous good news: I saw a former clinical supervisor on Wednesday who knows about my marathon plans and about the appendix situation. I was updating her on my progress, and she commented that she had talked to her brother (a marathoner) about my situation and shared some of his advice. I was so unbelievably touched that this person had thought enough about my situation to actually talk about it with her family. It made me think about all of the people, throughout all the various nooks and crannies of my life, who are so invested in my marathon experience. I don't have adequate words to express how touched I am that so many people care so deeply about me and my journey. I truly feel like I will be running this marathon with a support team of hundreds. I can not thank all of you enough!