After all the many calamities I have been through, I can once again start a new plan of action. A new beginning with a real surgery date up ahead in the not too far distance.

It is on September 13, 2023, and that is far enough away that I don't have to be nervous, yet not so far that I will lose hope.

I can finally open my lungs and breathe again. Now that the surgery date is before me I can share with my friends the excitement I feel.

My excitement is only exceeded by my happiness which sees no bounds.

I feel just as happy now as I did when the tooth fairy brought me a quarter for my first lost tooth hidden under my pillow. I couldn't wait to lose more teeth.

Everyone is being supportive including my close friends and my morning caregiver named Robin, as well as my temporary caregivers from Visiting Angels.

I am blessed with a trust fund given by my mother before she passed away. With it, I am able to afford things such as dental insurance, and a great company called Visiting Angels which supplies me with top-notch caregivers when I need them in the evenings and weekends.

With Robin and David, my best friend, I am able to have the care and support I need. They give me comfort and supplies for each week. They will continue to help me as much as they can until I can find a new caregiver who will pick up the slack and allow Robin to go back to her regular duties as the morning caregiver.

David will help me as much as possible as a friend but, there are limits to his ability to care for me since he is retired and needs his own space.

Now on to what the excitement is all about. After the next and final surgery on my right knee, I will be able to walk.

Walking, not just with a walker, but eventually, walking with no aid at all.

And not just walking, but hiking up and down and over tree limbs, as well as, stepping with my bare toes on the beautiful sandy beach.

These are the goals I have been working for, and, with determination, I will finally achieve my dreams of a lifetime.