Day + 40: Home Alone

For the last two months, my mother had been staying with me here in Boston to serve as my caregiver for my second transplant. When we first discussed her coming down, we hadn't decided on how long she would stay down her to take care of me. Recovery from such a procedure is slow and uncertain. However, I knew that she wasn't able to get much time off from work, so it would be in her best interests to go back as soon as possible. My plan was to do as I had done last year during the first transplant -- go back with her to New York for a short period to finish my major recovery, then return back to Boston when I was ready to be on my own. We decided that the beginning of October would be a good time for her to return to New York, (and of course, with me in tow).

Last week I made the decision not to go back home to New York with my mother. This wasn't decided on a flip of a coin; there were a couple of good reasons why I thought this was the right thing to do. First, I have an apartment here in Boston -- I couldn't stand to pay rent for a place I wasn't living in. Second, my recovery has still just begun. I am only on Day+40, and there's a long way for my body (and hair!) to go. Should I get an infection or other ailment that requires medical attention, it would be best to stay near Boston Medical Center. Besides, it was about this time last year that I almost got a case of shingles. Finally, I want to push myself into being able to manage by myself. One of horrible things about laying on your ass for a couple of months straight is that it takes the same amount of time to get physically active again. I had a major problem with this last year, and I'd like to avoid it this time.

So, Mom's gone and I'm home alone. So far it's been manageable, but I am amazed at how tired I get from doing something as menial as making dinner.