Photo by Arek Adeoye on Unsplash

I injured my foot on December 6 of 2019 by stepping on an ice cube at work. There was damage to my plantar fascia and, apparently, two nerves. COVID-19 got in the way of surgery. Today I had a nerve block to determine if one of the two nerves requires an additional surgery. It does.

Finally! The block took my pain away and I was able to go for a (short) walk. At the moment, my foot is aching, but not where the pain has been worst for the last seven months. It is such a relief! I have missed moving around. My movement has been limited to the point that just around the block made my right leg tired. It's been unused in that way--the muscles engaging fully as I go, no limp.

I was told tomorrow and Sunday may be more painful than today. I hope not, but given that I can walk (I CAN WALK!), I'm okay with even this small interval of relief. Chronic pain is no joke. I experience it without this injury. Adding another three layers for the last long time has been . . . meh.

Tomorrow I continue the task of getting my life back on track. I'll be doing my demo lesson for VIPKid. The program allows me to teach English remotely to Chinese students. The hours aren't my favorite, but as I grow my student base, I will gain more flexibility for instruction times. I'm looking forward to building a larger income. I even have an interview Monday for a part-time job locally as well as a meeting with the director of the writing program where I teach to set up a joint writing retreat. I'm especially excited about that as it will be my first completely online retreat and will allow me to structure future retreats with the help of a practiced retreat leader.

I love teaching. The interview is for supporting teens with special needs in job placement and future education as well. I think I'm on the right track, especially as I get my CV cleaned up and ready to submit for other teaching positions. If I can patch together enough teaching jobs, I will have the income I need to save money for travel. Motivation is key, and with pain lessening, I finally have it!

What are you all up to these weird pandemic interval days?

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I teach blogging, expressive writing for traumatic release and recovery and host generative writing sessions at the Center for Creative Writing. Write with me!

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