Turning a Corner

Happy for some good news

Well, Sophia and I are both still very fatigued BUT we are finally feeling better. She never got as ill as I did this week, thankfully. I'm finally beginning to feel like I've got just a “normal” cold versus the past week where it's felt like THE WORST respiratory infection and bout of influenza combined.

Earlier this evening, I made a grocery order for delivery—a few household necessities like home COVID tests, more kleenex, and items needed for Sophie’s lunches. I need to make sure I'm testing negative before I'm around other people, or before I try baking cupcakes for Sophie’s classroom.

Right now, I'm negative for COVID. I'll test again before baking, and before her party to make sure I'm not having a relapse.

But for now? I'm grateful for small miracles. Especially since Sophia's birthday is coming up on Thursday, and her roller skating party is coming up on Saturday.

I've got a lot of tasks to attend to this week for both days, and am not yet feeling “up” to all of it, but I'm hoping to gain more energy and momentum as the week goes on. I have at least Wednesday afternoon to figure out if I need to order cupcakes for Sophie’s class or if I can bake them myself. I have at least until Friday evening to finish tasks for Sophie’s party if I want to avoid scrambling on Saturday morning.

My brain is still having moments of feeling… discombobulated… but I've accomplished more today than any other day over the past week. I've done some laundry and some dishes. I've managed a few clumsy moments with a pair of scissors… but all in all, I feel like I'm finally turning a corner, so that feels nice.

I know it must be a pain when my updates here are not just few and far between, but also limited to my most mundane details of life. Illness/health, crises, finances, treading water, and simply getting through the day to day doesn't make for great reads. I certainly don't think I'm interesting enough to manage a “slice of life” Substack, so I'm especially grateful to those of who understand life's worst seasons, and who subscribe to this letter BECAUSE you understand.

That means so much to me.

Also, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has kindly contributed to Sophie’s birthday, whether you funded her party or mailed out a gift—she is going to have such a lovely birthday and party thanks to you.

I'm still DEEPLY stressed about being tapped out with all of the bills for my medical expenses, about keeping up with the expense of my tirzepatide now that insurance won't cover it again, and about not earning a liveable income these past several(+++) months.

Once Sophie’s birthday party is over, and I've had a day or two to recover, I am going to pivot back to writing (picking up where I left off on the fragrance series), and also to finalizing my first batch of DIY exchange card kits which I aim to sell online.

Of course, I'm nervous that these projects will be flops, and that I won't be able to create a sustainable life that allows me to balance my lipo-lymphedema management, treatments, and progress, but I still believe the progress is all worth fighting for. I won't know if I don't try.

Here's to the hopeful, quiet work that fuels our biggest dreams 💗