best laid plans

I miss writing in my journal.

I miss keeping a record of my life. I miss other journalers, especially ravengirl and nanila and ernestinewalker. I miss core-dumping the contents of my restless brain in over 140 characters per line.

* * *
For a while, my journal turned into less of a life journal and more of a hip dysplasia journal. My life was all about my dysplasia, too. With the exception of occasional check-ups with my surgeon and yearly exams for a long-term study, I'm done. My time as a hip patient is over. There isn't a catch. The surgeries worked and my hips are fine.

My right PAO was two years five months ago, my left one year five months, give or take a few weeks. I don't know how long they will last. I don't worry about it. I'm just living again. And walking.

* * *
Three things are different this year:

1. As I mentioned, my hips are healed. I don't even need a cane. I was evaluated as not having a limp. I have two free hands for the first time in five or six years.

2. The National Hockey League has just ended a long lockout. I'm a season ticket holder. I'm used to going to games when it gets cold. I was surprised by December because hockey hadn't started yet. I was confused by opening night because it was January. I'm really disoriented, but I missed my team.

3. Inspired by ravengirl, I started volunteering with cats at an animal shelter. I was encouraged in this by Seatmate and aided by the awesome volunteer who introduced us to Rocky back in May 2010. I started about three months ago and I love it.

There are several volunteer positions available with cats. I decided to help with cleaning (cages, litter boxes, floors) because I knew the shelter had trouble getting volunteers in the morning. Within a couple of weeks, I was doing whatever needed to be done: feeding, washing dishes, folding laundry. (I get a lot of love for doing laundry.) And spending time with cats.

One of my favorite things about the shelter is that I'm not a hip patient there, or an Ehlers-Danlos patient, or anyone but another volunteer. A few people know about my hips, but I don't talk about EDS. I like that people don't know. The hard floors are tough on my knees and I'm sure everyone's seen me limp, but I'm 42 years old, and so are my knees.

The community of volunteers is strong and welcoming and I fell right into it. We're all satisfied in different ways by what we do, but we're all there for the same reasons: to help cats get through being in the shelter and get them adopted into new homes. We thrive on updates and photos sent by adopters. When you're used to seeing a cat in a cage, it's so great to see him sprawled on a bed.

* * *
So that's my story at the moment: cats, hockey, mobility. I hope you're all well. I've missed you.