starting chewing my M&M’s and drinking from a juice box. This worked every time. Thankfully!!! After a while, this became second nature, and I didn’t give it a second thought. Another reason why I am a lucky man.
I was also able to quite easily integrate back into my department. My colleagues were welcoming and respectful. We chatted a lot, and I was always open about my illness. I think some people were surprised to see me back at work. But there I was – ready, willing, and able.
Gradually over the fall semester, I became much stronger and more aware of the new routines for the days I taught. Although I still sat a lot while teaching, I could be more animated and walk around some during class. One thing that did not change during my first semester back was that I was very tired by the end of my evening graduate class. Getting to my car took a while.
A decision I made, that continues today, was to reduce my university, school, and department service activities. I led or was a key member of a number of committees and initiatives that entailed considerable time on campus. That was too much for me; and I knew it.
As Clint Eastwood said in his Magnum Force movie: “A man’s got to know his limitations.” I have found that to be a valuable life lesion. And it affects many of the questionable activities that I now avoid. For example, I have bad (arthritic) knees. This means that I cannot play tennis, jog, or even use a treadmill. If I try, I feel my pain immediately. Thus, after a couple of stupid attempts at these activities – all of which I loved, I realized my
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