Making Waves: Birthdays, Boats, and Batabanu!

"Kirstie, I have never heard someone use the word "worry" in her sentences as much as you! You worry about things that are happening, but you also worry about things that haven't even happened yet!"

Those are the words of my fabulous co-worker, Denise. Denise is a Psychologist who hails from Jamaica. She might possibly be one of the most fabulous people I've ever met. Dressed to the nines, nails perfectly manicured, legs that go up to her ears, and the most unbelievably sexy high heels you can imagine, this girl is something else! Plus, she has an opinion. Boy, does she ever. And she will tell exactly what she thinks. So she gave it to me straight one day as I expressed my worries to my office mates.

I'm a worrier. I always have been. I remember, as a kid, worrying about the weather constantly. Being the daughter of a farmer, I always knew when we needed rain, or when we needed the rain to stop. I remember standing outside staring at the sky, "Please let it rain. What if it doesn't rain?" In University I worried about my marks. I remember reading through my finished exam, calculating the lowest possible mark that I could obtain, and determining if my average would be high enough to be accepted into the Speech Pathology Program. I also remember worrying for Evan. Transfixed on that tiny rubber puck, I begged the hockey Gods to give Ev the strength to prevent it from hitting the back of his neck. Obsessed with the shot clock, I constantly recalculated Evan's save percentage throughout the game, hoping it would be above 90%. Did my worrying ever help? Did it actually ever solve a problem or make a situation better? NEVER. Did it give me stomach troubles, anxiety, and sleepless nights? ALWAYS. Bottom line: worrying is ridiculous. A total waste of time. I really want to stop. Being on this island is definitely helping. There's certainly a "go with the flow" "Whatever!" attitude here. I mean, when American airlines actually lost my passport (giving it to another passenger by "mistake"), they didn't seem too worried. Then why the hell should I worry? So I'm working on it. I really am.

Ev and I have one more week in paradise. We have grown to absolutely love it here, and overall, despite the normal stress - work, bills, traffic - our day-to-day life is pretty amazing. We are happy! Unfortunately, my left knee has never shown any signs of recovery, contains a large hole where the cartilage has given up on life, and definitely requires the cartilage transplant that the right knee had 2 years ago. I'm scheduled for surgery in Saskatchewan on May 15 - back in the OR with my incredibly awesome Ortho, to share our 6th surgery together. I'm very grateful that I'm still able to access my health care and this man whom I trust dearly can perform this very new surgery that, given the relative happiness of my right knee, appears to be my only answer. The cartilage transplant on the other knee is still fresh in my mind, so I know what I'm up against. 8 weeks of non-weight bearing, followed by months of intensive rehabilitation. Pain, immobility, frustration, total dependence, and boredom. Thankfully, I'm returning home where all my friends and family, who love me very much, can provide me with the physical and emotional supports that I will require. Ev and I, along with our furry friends, will make the trip back to Cayman in the middle of August - my hope is that I will be walking and able to return back to work, just in time for the new school year.

I'm not gonna lie, I worry (there's that damn word again) that this condition is going to affect more joints in my body - my elbow is giving me problems, and every time my hip or ankles crack, I cringe, wondering if it's a precursor to cartilage damage. But...there's nothing I can do about that. I will just have to see what the future holds. In the meantime, my goal has been to have as much fun as humanly possible. And guess what? I'm winning! Despite the crutches and pain meds, my 36th birthday was one of the best! We are so fortunate to have met such awesome people in our short 9 months here! And I'm very grateful that Evan continues to stay in good shape so that he can transport me around - without complaint, I might add.

We also got to experience Batabano - the Caribbean's smaller version of Mardi Gras or Carnival. It was intense! It's basically a street parade filled with scantily clad women in feathery show-girl type outfits, lots of booze, lots of music, and lots of twerking/dry humping - not sure what you call that dance move? It definitely was not my mama's July 1st parade at Candle Lake!
Cheers!