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My Monday adventure began with a trip to Burwood hospital for back to back appointments. I first stopped at the artificial limb building where I was greeted by a woman in trendy orange glasses who complimented my hot pink leggings. She looked at my faded but bright green shoes and promptly told me that they couldn’t give me anything like those. She also informed me my braces had held up quite well for eleven years but were ready to retire. After looking at the janky old strip of velcro I’d used to keep the top part in position and the shredded original bottom velcro, she took the braces into a back room and cut me some new straps.

While she was out, the neuro-physio I’d met just before Christmas popped over to chat with me and hear the update on my braces. With apologies from the specialist that I’d have to wait a while for the new braces and would be better off just buying my own new pair of shoes based on my wear and needs, I was quite delighted to learn her idea of a long wait was 4-6 weeks. The physio and I then headed across the massive hospital campus to the special spinal workout gym where she saw me in December. I’d had my initial assessment with her just before my botox treatment, so I was delighted to show off my actual skill set without the risk of wetting myself. I’ve definitely lost some balance and stamina, but I think she was pleased to see how much more I could actually do than what I completed with her initially. Armed with a new morning exercise list, I headed out to the bus stop and hopped on a bus to the beach.

What a treasure that I do not take lightly that for a dollar and twenty minutes, I can get dropped from the hospital right at the shoreline to spend some time at a coffee shop before parking my wheelchair at the edge of the pavement and just enjoying the waves on a warm January day. I love the ocean, and I love January summers.

Those were just some of the gifts of my week as I started back at work after a holiday pause, and I’m so pumped about the plans for this year ahead. Time is wild to me, and I kinda can’t believe it’s already mid January, but next weekend I hit the 11 year traumaversary where I mark the massive change in my life that brought me to this place where I get to have free specialised treatment and discounted bus fares and access to the ocean on a Monday afternoon. But it’s also the life that currently has me limited to a wheelchair with reduced capacity. There’s a both and, and I’ll be saying goodbye to my flatmate from the past year next week as I celebrate her marriage. I’m excited for what’s next in Alicia’s life, and it also means room for God to change things in mine with who might move into my house next.

Among lots of other good things that I treasure from this week, I spent a lot of time digging into Psalm 20 this week to prove it doesn’t say God will give me all my selfish wants, and I ended up sharing with the church this morning that God does want us to ask for big things and believe that he will follow through. I really do believe that I’ve been asked to ask this wild and crazy request for a full and miraculous healing. I’ve already seen the miracle in progress with the steps I’ve taken so far, but this year God has so much more in store. Please keep praying with me, and come back on Saturday for the Traumaversary special – scheduled as always. Texts and messages are always treasured though I usually refrain from responding. This year, I’ll have my arm occupied in the morning with getting a tattoo before putting my phone on silent through the wedding.