Overdue Update (and Still Incomplete)
So, here we are — post-procedure, pre-breakdown (kidding… mostly), and finally catching our breath after what feels like a year packed into a month.
Let’s just say: since Shaina’s cranial procedure on April 29, it’s been a lot. A lot of medical buildings. A lot of less than desirable parking situations. A lot of restaurants we don't have in New Orleans. A lot of feelings.
We’re going to write a full update on the actual medical stuff once we’ve had time to properly sit down, breathe, and decode the hieroglyphics that are post-op notes and radiology reports. But in the meantime, here’s the unofficial, behind-the-scenes, real-life recap of what’s been going on since the procedure — or as I like to call it, Shaina and David’s Slightly Unhinged East Coast Advocacy Tour.
Leaving Long Island (aka: “You Can Check Out, But You Can’t Leave”)
After the procedure, we relocated from Dix Hills to the Bronx. This involved repacking all of our stuff — and by “stuff” I mean the equivalent of a moderately stocked Walgreens. Medical supplies, travel pillows, winter clothes (for those colder nights in NY), and enough snacks to feed an entire MEAction rally. We packed it all. Slowly - more slowly than we expected. Carefully - but never careful enough. With aching backs and zero chill.
Shaina, still recovering and full of both new sensations and staples, said goodbye to our Airbnb with the same energy as a queen abdicating her throne. We left behind new friends and a pair of earrings.
I got a chance to catch up with colleagues from EGPS and clients all throughout New York City. It was good to see people that we'd only seen over Zoom. Plus, we got a chance to see some family we hadn't seen in a looooong time. Like 20 years.
We Protested. And Wobbled. And Protested Some More.
Then came Washington, DC.
We made it to the #MillionsMissing protest at Upper Senate Park, where Shaina gave a speech that had people crying, cheering, and generally wondering how someone could be that powerful and hilarious while recovering from an experimental cranial procedure.
There was laughter (see: “Wobble baby, wobble baby…”), rage (see: “Medicaid cuts”), and a few accessibility fails (see: “a million stairs and one lonely ramp”). But there was also joy. Community. Purpose. And the deep satisfaction of saying something true in public. We did that. And we’ll keep doing that.
We Did the Fun Stuff, Too.
Somewhere in the middle of all the big feelings and big moments, we squeezed in a few sweet ones.
We got a chance to visit with more friends and family on the way back. Shaina got to pet some horses, dogs, and cats in North Carolina! We attended the Malcolm X festival in Atlanta where we had some good lemonade and listened to cool jams. On the Florida Coast, we got to the beach for one day - complete with a half dune buggy/half wheelchair contraption.
And Now? We’re Taking a Beat.
We’ve been running on adrenaline, borrowed energy, and the some slightly melted Easter candy. Now, it’s time to rest. Recover. Recharge. And, ideally, stop living out of two sets of luggage and a slew of duffel bags.
We’ll have a more thorough medical update soon — promise. But until then, thank you for walking with us, donating, sharing, DMing, commenting, laughing, crying, and sticking around for all of this. We love you for it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to unpack, take a nap, and discover just how much of a unicorn Shaina is amongst the zebras we thought she once was.
More soon. Stay tuned.
—David
