Sylvia's Journal

The operation is fading into the background, and the recovery visible on the horizon: next week I start with physical therapy, on May 8 I can permanently remove the sling and all its Velcro attachments that attach to everything. In mid-June I can start to lift more than a cup of coffee with my left arm. It is now a rare occasion that I look for pain relief; the only pill I take is a little yellow pill with a tiny heart embossed on it, a low dose aspirin to prevent blot clots, till May 6

We had a quick escapade to New York City on Wednesday and returned on Thursday. It is a lot of driving, all of which Axel had to do, for a very short visit. The occasion was an award bestowed by the St. Paul School’s Alumni Association on two of its members. One we knew well and was the reason we drove to New York, Ted Achilles who founded the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) where Axel and I were volunteer teachers while we lived in Kabul. We saw some of our students and the entire Achilles clan which had flown in from all corners of the US to see Baba Ted honored.

After the festivities we joined Axel’s cousins for a meal in the West Village and then taxied to their home in Brooklyn. It is there that I realized that couch surfing two weeks post-op is not a good idea. Not only did I go to bed much too late, but sleeping on couch pillows on the ground turned out to be nearly impossible, considering that I have to sleep with my sling on.

Tired and a little irritable, we drove to New Haven the next morning to see a brilliant Whistler etching exhibit at the Yale Art Museum and then onward to Boston where we cashed in a gift certificate Sita and Jim gave us at Christmas for a delightful meal at a fancy restaurant (Troquet) on the Commons. Troquet, according to Sita who did the research, is, known for its excellent wine and wine pairings. I was happy with the 2 oz portions of wine which made it possible for me to partake in tasting some of their amazing wines to accompany the creative and delicious meal we were served. This ended our quick NYC trip and started the celebrations of our 35^th wedding anniversary (April 12, 1980) in which we will engage for the next few days.