Project Kate: The Plan

It has been a solid 3 weeks since I quit my job, and I’m back in Boston now. I’ve already told you generally what my plans are, but I want to take today to get a little more into what I’m calling Project Kate because things have changed a little bit. What’s the saying? “Want to see God laugh? Tell Him your plans.” So true, and it has only been a few weeks already.

This post talks about my physical health, mental health, grad school plans, work plans, and more. I have bolded all the sections. Read one, some, or all, depending on what you want!

2 weeks ago, I dislocated my knee again, and also managed to injure the soft tissues in my knee in the process. This made moving extremely painful and difficult, and also meant that when I got back to Boston, I immediately went into rest time. I saw a general practitioner last week, and she’s the one who told me that I managed to pinch the tissues in my knee when I dislocated it, which was why it has felt so much worse this time around. She also told me that when people do something like this, it takes 2-4 weeks of intense resting time to heal. Which makes total sense, since I couldn’t bend my knee without excruciating pain, let alone walk more than a few yards at a time. Luckily, I have progressed, and am now able to walk several blocks (even though I do need to lie down for the rest of the day after.)

I’m seeing an orthopedic surgeon this week, which means we will hopefully be able to get the ball rolling on knee surgery. This is something that has been in the works for a couple of months after 3+ years of cycling through dislocate knee, discover cyst in knee, go into physical therapy, have cortisone injection, recover, be fine for a few months, and then it starts all over again. We’re aiming for surgery by Thanksgiving, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Getting my knee fixed won’t just fix my knee. My rheumatoid arthritis overall has been very rude over the past couple of months since my big dislocation back in May. It should calm down once I get my knee all settled.

In the meantime, I’m hoping to start some light exercise again soon. I haven’t been able to do much yoga over the past few months with my knee being an idiot, but hopefully I will be able to start on that again. I’m also starting to do some walking around the neighborhood, which helps because I have the dogs to take with me. Getting started on this will hopefully help build up my muscles again and provide the right amount of movement. After all, as we say in the arthritis community, motion is lotion!

I won’t lie. It has been an EXTREMELY difficult month for my mental health. Quitting my job because my physical health is horrible? Not exactly the best pick-me-up. Leaving behind my home from the last 5 years? Same deal.

I’ve mentioned before that I have generalized anxiety disorder. One of the many things I need to do is find a doctor so I can work on that. My anxiety has been a bit better since I’m not dealing with all the stress of working as a high school teacher, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. And as much fun as it is to have anxiety attacks on a regular basis, I’d rather not.

Since I’m already not working, I figured that this is probably the best time to apply to (and hopefully get into) graduate school. I’m leaning pretty heavily towards getting my masters in English literature. That means that I need to take the GRE soon so I can apply to programs and start next fall. I don’t really see myself studying for and taking the GRE, let alone doing the rest of my application, in time to start in January. This decision is also a great reason to work to get my anxiety under control.

Well, I’m obviously not working a regular day-to-day job right now. I am hoping to get a couple of tutoring jobs once the school year gets underway here in Boston (pssst – if you know anyone in Boston who needs a tutor for English in the 7th-12th age range, let me know), but in the meantime I’m focusing on this blog and my writing. I want to have a first draft of my next book finished by January, and since I have so much free time right now, I’m hoping to be able to make this blog even better than it already is.

I’m also offering my editing services again! I charge $5 per 200 words. If you want me to check any of your blog pages (your about page, contact page, etc.), I’m willing to negotiate a price for a deal. Reminder – I majored in English and in secondary education in college and took an entire class on the rules of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. I also worked as a 9th grade English teacher last year. Shoot me an email if you’re interested in this at all!

I’m trying to make sure that I’m eating really healthy since 1) I’m not doing as much exercise as I was last year and 2) I need to put good things in my body that aren’t going to go to war with my arthritis. I’m on an anti-inflammatory diet, but I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always stick to it as closely as I should. Also, you know, making sure I drink lots of water every day

I’m also trying to push my own boundaries a little. I’m kind of an extrovert and kind of an introvert, which makes my life interesting. For example, I would really like to get involved with the Delta Gamma alumnae association in Boston, but I’m sort of struggling to bring myself to actually reach out to them. I have all these great ideas of how I could meet people in Boston because I want to be social and everything, but I need to bring myself to actually do it. I love to talk to random people while I’m out walking with dogs, but I also want to go to the house in Maine where I’m never going to run into anyone ever because it’s in the middle of the woods. It is an interesting combination to say the least.

Happy Monday! I hope you have a great week.

Kate Mitchell

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.