Today is the first day of fall, exactly six months from the day that Jimmy broke his back and changed our life, one whole spring and one whole summer ago. In some ways it seems like forever, but even so, it still has a surreal it-can't-be-true quality about it. Some mornings, before I'm completely awake, I think, "Boy, that was one weird dream I had last night".

Jimmy has always been such a strong, in control, take charge person, and I'm so ... not. This illness, with the incapacitation and the strong medications that have accompanied it, has caused an uncharacteristic docility in Jimmy, and a disconcerting role reversal for us. Having to take over as the decision-making tough guy has been neither a comfortable nor a welcomed state of affairs, but you do what you have to do. Fortunately, in the last few weeks he has become more and more his old self, and what a relief it is to have my sweet bossy Jimmy back in action.