Optimistic but realistic

I don't know if there is any real significance to the words, "optimistic but realistic."

Optimistic but realistic, however, is how my wife, Teresa, and I go into each day. Many of you know that Teresa is battling serious health issues that have basically left her a paraplegic. You can read further posts in this blog to get the details if you are unaware of her plight.

When I say optimistic but realistic, I mean exactly that. We're optimistic that Teresa will get better. At the same time, we're realistic knowing that the best that she could do is just get around in a wheelchair. Reality could likely keep her in a paraplegic state the rest of the her life. Her health issues are that serious.

With that said, lately Teresa has tried to stay optimistic even though she has had days that have set her back, both physically and mentally.

I guess you could say that Monday was one of those days. A rheumatoid arthritis specialist came in to see her at the hospital in Denver, and after a complete examination, he basically told her that she probably won't walk again.

Talk about a hard dose of reality that feels like a punch to the jaw. While we have known for a long time that that is a possibility, it is still hard to hear those words spoken from another, especially a doctor.

It didn't help that I was at work in Cheyenne. From what I could tell, Teresa took the news about how you would expect. She was upset, sad and probably a little mad.

Yet, she is still optimistic that she will get better, even if she is a realist knowing that she may never walk again. She is preparing physically and mentally for both situations, at least as much as a person can prepare.

Later on Monday, Teresa texted me and said she was watching a cooking show, Master Chef  (over the Bachelorette ), to try to lift her spirits. I texted back, "good choice."

When Teresa was home, she watched The Food Network like I watched ESPN. Believe me, I never complained about her cooking experimentation from watching various shows.

As it turned out, the show got her fired up. "I can't wait to cook for you again," she texted.

"I can't wait either," I answered.

Will our lives ever be the same? Probably not. That doesn't mean we can't live them to our fullest and that is why Teresa is optimistic but realistic for her future. We're both excited and scared at the same time.

Teresa may never walk again and we know it. Tuesday could be a good day or it could be a bad day. We know that too. We take it one-day-at-a time; that's all we can do.

If she doesn't walk again, however, it won't be from a lack of effort. It may be realistic, but Teresa is why I am optimistic.