Back to Work - Full time!

As of last week, I went back to work full-time. I had mixed feelings going back to full-time, since I had become used to and somewhat enjoyed my medical break routine: I walked in the morning, prepared and ate lunch, napped, and then walked again. I would even have the television on in the background to listen to Chopped, Kitchen Nightmares or CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. As I mentioned in one of my tweets this week, I have memorized most of the commercials – at least, those on CNN, BBC, and The Food Network (just ask my husband!).

I had planned to work from home all week, but my project required me to spend some time in the office. It was a welcome change to being home, but I was concerned about the drive and the ability to stay awake (no more naps!). My plan was to enjoy a phosphorus-caffeine-boost (translation: a soy coffee latte) midday to keep me up and about. An added bonus was being able to get new nail polish and a new CD this week – from an actual store!

Actually, things went quite well this week. I went into the office twice and got to interact, catch-up, and laugh with my friends at work. I was also able to both start and complete my project. The only casualties were a cancelled meeting (so I could complete my assignment), my jeans, and now a sore back. My tummy was still a bit bloated, so my jeans were really tight while I sat down.  Bummer, but it gives me a chance to wear (cute) dresses more and shop for accessories. The sore back may be due to sitting and not moving around very much. I guess my body is rebelling from sitting 8 hours a day in the same chair.

Next week is another full workweek. I am again hoping that I can work from home most of the days. However, as has been said before, the best laid plans often go astray. I probably should rest up!

Back to Work

I’m back to my day job, at least part-time this week. I am slowly introducing parts of my “normal” life back into my daily routine.  

I am a bit nervous coming back to work since I have been out for couple of months. To add to that, I will be working on a completely different project, so it will feel like an entirely new job.

My doctor and I planned on having this first week as a “warm-up” for when I return to full-time.  I really wanted to ease into things so I am doing my best to resist the temptation to work a full day. My manager is flexible enough to adjust my work hours.  I find it really easy to be enthusiastic and work a full day the first day, only to deal with getting too worn out after.  In fact, that happened on my second day. I worked for five and a half hours, only to be extremely tired that evening.

Also, as part of my first week, I mostly sat at my desk at home, instead of working from the couch. This should give me a chance to build up my energy to sit-up for a full day. Each day, I worked a bit more. I found that working kept my mind off my blood pressure, fluid retention, and weight gain, which may be mentally and physically healthier for me.  

My daily walks are now a treat, rather than a chore. At the end of the work day and after being indoors all day, I love being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air, sights, and sounds.

The next couple of weeks should be interesting. I suspect that I will not be able to blog as much or as long. In the coming months, I am hoping that I can slowly integrate the more fun things of my life, like going back to hula and aikido. Still, we’re taking it one step at a time.