next steps

these past few days...hard is not the right word. very much awful. my emergency stage is over. during emergency taking care of my body was all consuming. now the emotions are moving to the front. and it's messy.

doctor's appointment yesterday. i'm exactly where she expects me to be - physically and mentally.

i'm learning a lot from this website http://www.phoenix-society.org/

i would encourage you to look over some of it. the society's goal is not just for the burn survivor but the friends and family of such -- what to expect, how to help, etc.  Here is a section I've been reading:

Psychological distress occurs in most survivors of severe burn injuries. While each individual experiences psychological distress differently, people with burn injuries often report:

• Feeling sad, anxious or irritable - "I get sad (or anxious or angry) when I think about the way my injury happened and the way it has changed my appearance."
• Feeling helpless - "There is nothing I can do to stop people from staring at me."
• Feeling hopeless - "I will never feel comfortable with the way people react when they see my scars for the first time."
• Feeling upset about depending on other people for assistance.
• Feeling distant from your family, friends or the general public.
• Feeling alone.

but, like i said, the doctor says i'm right where she expected me to be -- right on cue with the norm of being a burn survivor.

finding a new normal.

grace is coming for the weekend.