I made it home after seven nights at the hospital! Staying there between Christmas and New Year’s really wasn’t as horrible as you’d imagine. I figured: if anything happens, I’m already at the hospital, anyway. Still, I should confess that I was excited to be released from the presence of my hospital neighbor, a dentureless elderly woman with severe bowel problems whose sounds were revolting. If you’re wondering how petty I am for focusing on that instead of my own fracture-related infection, imagine what Anja’s life is like. (Continue)

After the swelling in my ankle postponing it with a week, I was finally able to have surgery on my left ankle on Wednesday! I’m surprised by how pleasant the whole experience was. Post-surgery, I’m in very little pain, and I’ve been able to leave the Oxycodone in its designated box. Four days later, aside from the anti blood cloth pill, I’m raw-dogging recovery. My pre-surgery phase lasted longer than expected, all because I didn’t understand what “keep your foot up” really means. (Continue)

What I love most about today’s snapshot is the despair I can see in Lemonade’s eyes even when her entire body is a background blur. DJ is a calm 12-year-old dog, and Lemonade was thrilled to see another dog in our home for the first time, but her energy level was high enough that I eventually brought her back to her crate. It was right in time, too, because the afternoon light filling the living room made for a nice little portrait. (Continue)