This past week has been a little surreal, to say the least. But the good news is that I've now returned to classes, am gradually moving around more and feeling more "normal" (if still not 100%), and am continuing to feel grateful for the best friends a girl could ask for. Here's a quick update on it all:
I've been staying at an awesome Oxford friend's flat since arriving back from France last Sunday. I'll probably stay here a few more days, but seeing as I'm getting closer to my old self I'm hoping to return to my own room by the end of the week or the weekend. Last week, for the first time in a very long time, all I did was sit around and try to feel better. My body didn't want to do much more, and I felt utterly spoiled by all the friends who came by to bring me goodies and cook me dinner and chat with me on the couch for hours on end. I've rarely had such sociable days, and everyone's support was truly tremendous -- only a week later, on Saturday night, did I have the apartment to myself! If there's a silver lining to all this, it's that I've seen the best come out in many, many people, and have gotten to know several Rhodies and fellow Oxford people far better as a result.
Over the weekend, I finally made it out a few times (what, fresh air!), walking close by to visit with a friend who came up from London on Saturday and then attending part of the TEDx Oxford event that took place here on Sunday. It still felt like a good idea to stay off my feet, though, so each night I'd plop down on the couches back at the flat and make conversation for a few more hours and then go to bed. Sleep wasn't coming too easily the first few nights after the accident, but has since gotten better, as has my overall physical comfort level/balance/cognitive ability. As someone who's used to being very physically and mentally active, I'm not the best at sitting around feeling headachy and concussed and sore. Which made me wonder how classes were going to be this week.
I've made it out to two classes thus far, plus a doctor's appointment this morning that went well, and though I'm still not feeling completely normal I'm glad to be easing back into things. My two-hour seminar on J.M. Coetzee today was a bit of a struggle, and I'm pretty sure I don't remember any of my professor's comments from yesterday about periodicals and the magazine publishing industry, but at least I went. All this has given me a fresh appreciation for the things my body is usually able to do -- think, read, write, make constructive comments in class, rush all around Oxford with a backpack on all day, have energy to power through a full day's schedule, etc. I'm not able to do any of those things as well as usual right now, and I'm trying to cut myself some slack while being a bit more thoughtful about what similar frustrations must mean for other people. I also find myself wandering through my days with an added dose of big-picture perspective. Nothing like a serious accident scenario to make you reflect upon what's important and what's not. And, may I say again, I'm glad to have all the good things and good people in my life that I do right now.
Now that's enough thinking and writing for the moment. Back to eating, which is what I suspect I do best anyway...
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