It is good to have the ability to take it easy, to relax with a good book in my lap and fall asleep when my body tells me to.

I don’t take this pleasure for granted.  My sister Christi has been fighting a sinus infection (or something) for over a month and has pulled herself up by the bootstrap every morning to soldier herself into work.  My husband regularly does the same thing, and since he has a virtual office, there’s no risk of spreading the wealth of infection.

Where I mess up in own health care is that I mostly ignore the doctor’s orders.  I’ve been known not to take my pain pills.  Or to forget to take my anti-biotic.  Or to just say no to most recommended medications.  The worst is that I push myself to resume normal everyday life too quickly.

Maybe it’s an age thing, or perhaps this dental surgery has taken more out of me than one would think, but this time I’m not pushing.  I’m listening to my body and trying to give it what the doctor ordered:  Cold packs every 20 minutes yesterday and today it’s cold and hot packs alternating.  If I’m hungry, I force myself to eat a little something unexciting.  For now, it’s a soft food diet — all cold yesterday — today it’s warm and cold.  If I’m in pain, I’ve taken pain medication.  Although, already I’m weaning myself as I hate the groggy side-effects.

As I was eating my lukewarm lunch a few minutes ago, I was comparing life after surgery to becoming a baby again.  Lots of sleep.  Lots of soft food.  And someone who I call ‘Honey” magically taking care of all of my little jobs to keep my slice of the world going  — the laundry, feeding the dogs and getting supper for himself and Kyle.

Just a little bit ago, my husband checked in to find me in bed.  I had been up earlier.  But at noon, I had gone back to bed.  Rather than making fun, my husband said he was proud of me.  But you’re not going to believe the best part:  With a big smile on his face, he told me that I was beautiful.   Imagine that.  I didn’t know my man had a weakness for that half-puffy jaw and smashed bed hair look.

But then… my husband is scheduled for lasik surgery tomorrow afternoon…