I can’t believe it, but we’re 75% through 2018! What! We’re heading into my favorite time of the year, so I’m thrilled, but it’s bizarre that we’re closer to January 2019 than we are to January 2018. A lot happened this month
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Currently, I’m …
reading … What Happened, Lies, American Gods, Into the Water – I finally finished What Happened! I always struggle with nonfiction, even if I’m really into the topic, and this was no exception. I do feel like some parts could have been shorter, but it was overall super interesting and gave both a peek at what the 2016 election was like from the inside as well as what being a woman in politics is like. Then I read Lies in less than 36 hours. It was the sort of book that I wouldn’t call amazing, but that I all of a sudden realized that I was halfway through. I did not see any of the twists coming!
I’ve recently started reading Into the Water for Darrian’s book club. I’m not loving it so far, but lots of people say it’s really good, so I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt as I read. And while I commute, I’m listening to American Gods on Audible. This has been on my TBR list all year, as I really enjoy Neil Gaiman’s books and this seems right up my alley. I’m enjoying it a lot so far!
2018 Recent Reads, My 2018 TBR List, all book posts
feeling … excited to be healing well from surgery, still tired a lot, happy I got to visit my sister in NYC – I had a great ankle follow-up the other day! It is fully fused finally (only took twice as long as my left ankle did but whatever) and I got the okay to really up my time out of my cast. I’m trying to get out of it within the next few weeks! And all this extra activity has really upped my fatigue; I went to bed before 9:30 Wednesday night. But I’m so grateful that I got to visit my sister this past weekend. She lives in Queens, so she showed me around her neighborhood and on Sunday we went into Manhattan. I’m preparing a whole NYC guide, but it won’t come out until December after I’ve been a few times.
watching … Bones and Vikings – I watched basically all of Vikings and am rewatching Bones again! Vikings combines two of my interests (history and action) so I really enjoyed it.
thankful for … healing well (if slowly) and my medical team – Like I said, this surgery recovery has so far taken much longer than last time. Which makes sense because my RA is much more advanced now than it was back in 2009. But at the very least I’m healing well, and I’m so thankful for that as well as for my medical team, including my ankle surgery, physical therapist, and hematologist. I had my hematology checkup for my chronic anemia, and my NP decided that since my blood counts were headed toward needing an iron infusion, we should just do the iron infusion before waiting for my counts (and symptoms) to get bad. Super grateful for her!
listening to … my Working playlist – Aside from Audible, this is what I listen to the most! It has nearly 9.5 hours of music of a variety of genres, so feel free to follow it.
looking forward to … being out of my cast 100% of the time, fall temperatures, Outlander returning – I hope to be fully out of my cast as soon as possible, and I’m really looking forward to that as I’ve been in a cast since January 3, 2018. That’s a long time! I’m also looking forward to proper fall temperatures. We’ve been getting closer and closer to them, but keep having a day of heat and humidity pop back up again. And I’m so excited for Outlander to come back for season 4! Outlander is a book series (one of my favorites) and there is a TV show based on it. There’s historical fiction, some elements of fantasy (time travel), love, drama, action, and more. It comes back the beginning of November.
Why You Should Read and Watch Outlander
wearing … still lots of dresses, my fav new Paige pants, Hoka sneakers, my new shirt from Strand, and my new medical alert bracelet – Due to the warm weather, I’m still wearing a lot of dresses like this navy one, which is on sale for $50! I also picked up these Paige pants from Nordstrom Rack a few weeks ago, and they’re so comfortable. The only shoes I’m allowed to wear when I’m out of my cast are sneakers, and I love these Hoka ones. And obviously I picked up a t-shirt from Strand Bookstore when I was in NYC last weekend, and it’s so soft (also, they have one that says “Hermione 2020,” so pick that up!).
And last but not least, I finally have a medical alert bracelet. It only took me a year and a half since I developed a condition that can cause me to pass out, but whatever! (The condition is POTS.) I wanted a thin one, especially because I’m not someone with a life-threatening allergy or something. I wanted something that was enough that an EMT might see if they were summoned but not one that would cause people to comment on. This one from Hope Paige Medical is perfect! It looks just like a silver bangle unless you catch the symbol on it. On the back, I have my full name, “POTS,” and “ICE *phone number*” engraved, “ICE” meaning “in case of emergency.”
Like this post? Check out:
All Currently posts, Most Popular Books Published in 2018 (So Far), Top Drugstore Makeup, How To Get Involved in the Political System Even If You Never Have Before, What To Do in Boston This Fall
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
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