Upsides to Recovery

As you can see from my last post, I have had lots and lots of free time in the past month. Like, a ton.

Today, I present to you some of the positive aspects that have characterized my free time. There have been many upsides to recovering from open heart surgery, some funny, some serious, but all of them an important part of my speedy recovery. 

Recipes

I've had so much fun making food from recipes I've found online. I haven't made anything intense, and I haven't invented any groundbreaking recipes of my own, but progress is progress! Here are some of the lovely things I've made. I've linked them to the recipes in case you want to give them a try.

• Homemade Iced Coffee
• Baked Granny Smith Apples
• Green Monster Smoothie (my absolute favorite)
• Overnight Oats
• Twice-Baked Potatoes 
• Pot roast  (this was the only less-than-perfect outcome. My sister described the flavor as "vegetables and water"). 

Tip: If you're recovering from heart surgery (or any major procedure) I would not recommend cooking/baking anything that takes a lot of cutting, chopping, lifting, or repetitive arm motions. My chest was in serious pain after chopping and slicing apples. Who knew? 

Baked apple, pre-oven.

Also, make sure you pace yourself. I was completely wiped out at the end of my baked apple endeavor that I had to take a nap before enjoying my creation. 

Art

I will never get tired of arts and crafts. When I got home from the hospital, I decided to continue in the acrylic paint vein (a worthy endeavor, as demonstrated by my previous woodcut masterpieces). I painted a little canvas with a quote that I love. It reminds me that even though I might not be able to change my circumstances, I can always choose what kind of attitude I'm going to have. Joy is a choice.

I maek purty things. 

DVDs

One of my best friends sent me three seasons of Alias in the mail (thank you, Colleen). I started watching and immediately got hooked on the catchy yet predictable plot and Jennifer Garner's dangerously impulsive character... I was so hooked that I watched way too many episodes at once. One day, my sister left for school, and I was watching Alias. She came home from school and volleyball practice and I had watched--don't judge me--7 episodes. Oh boy. I think I left the room to eat, walk and go to the bathroom. I have since taken a hiatus from Alias because I started an inner spy monologue in my head and needless to say, I became super paranoid about everything. 

Cleaning 

Friends, I clean my room every day. This may or may not be an obsession. At school, I would get stressed out if my room was untidy and disorganized. I now have loads of time to organize and tidy my room as much as I want. Maya: 1. OCD: 0. 

Comfy clothes

I love my athletic shorts; I wear them every single day (except Sundays). Here's some of my collection. I have since added a few more colors. 

My Physician Assistant told me to wear more sports bras everyday, to minimize stretching and tension on my scar as it heals. Easiest orders I've had to follow. The shorts and sports bra combo is hands down, the comfiest outfit ever. 

Quiet

When my youngest sister is at school and my mom isn't home, it's just me, my dogs and the house. Sometimes, this turns into the Maya + Dogs Freak Show, a strange (but entertaining) phenomenon in which I talk to the dogs and they talk back, sometimes offering extremely insightful comments. But most of the time, being home without anyone else around gives me a lot of time to think  on my own. I can reflect on what's been going on and think and about where I am and where I want to be. Lately, I've had some great quiet time with God, which was something that was hard to find during my busy semesters at school. 

Naps

While I'm 90% sure that I don't feel the same tiredness that I felt pre-surgery, I am still pretty tired. Healing your body takes a lot of energy! Naps are a necessary part of my everyday routine, and I couldn't be happier. 

Seester time

I love hanging out with my family, and I especially love being with my little sisters as much as possible. When I was at school at Notre Dame, I was only home during Christmas and summer breaks, and missed a lot of life events in my sisters' lives. Now that I'm home, I get to be a bigger part of their lives.

Three lovely sisters

• My 18-year-old sister just started college last week. I got to wake up at 4:30am, hug her goodbye and see her off as she drove away. I got to tell her, in person, how proud I am of her, and how excited I am for her. That moment is, and always will be, irreplaceable. 

• Last year, I was at school for all of volleyball season, and consequently, I missed all of my sisters' games. Now I get to sit in the stands at every game (so far) and watch my 15-year-old sister dominate as an outside hitter. I love it.

• I've also gotten to be a part of a big milestone in my 15-year-old sister's life: learning how to drive. Last week, I was in the passenger seat of my car teaching my sister how to turn as she drove around the block (insert comment about how someone with a broken sternum shouldn't be driving with an amateur). Between the "OHKAY SLOWDOWN and the "Good, just a little more gas this time", there were a few moments of silence, and it hit me: this is why I'm home. I'm here, and I get to be a part of my little sister's life. I almost started crying. I've almost started crying more than a few times. 

There's so much good that has come out of this experience. Admittedly, it's not always rainbows and butterflies (thank you, Maroon 5). Stay tuned for my next post, where I'll outline the downsides of my recovery.