To fill you in, some months ago, I was coming home from a
different part of the Bronx. It requires
taking the 6 train downtown to Manhattan to the catch the 4 train back up to
the Bronx. I was there for a photo
session with another comic. I wasn’t
told that the photographer wasn’t going to be able to be there.
A little background: In
late 2019, I had Legionnaires disease and it took months to get through
it. But though I was finally declared
free of it, I never got my full breathing back.
Walking anywhere felt very strenuous, both in terms of breathing and in
muscular pain. I had been pushing myself
anyway to build up my endurance. I also
have been making more effort to reduce my cigarette smoking. I’ve been in an on-line group. It is helpful, but this is very hard. Then in the spring of 2020 (pre-vaccine), I
had a relatively mild case of Covid. So,
after all that, climbing stairs is not easy, and I try to avoid it mostly. However, in recent months, I made myself
climb to the 2nd floor once a day to continue to build up.
Okay, now I climbed up to the 6 train which is 2 long flights. I, huffing and puffing, think I’m going to
sit on a bench when an announcement comes on saying that the downtown 6 train
won’t be stopping there due to a stalled train somewhere. We were told to go to the uptown side and take
the train to Parkchester and then get the downtown 6. I didn’t want to believe it. I went down the flights and up the flights to
the uptown side. I couldn’t believe that
this was going to take about 2 hours to get the F--K home. At this point, my legs were feeling
wobbly. I hadn’t put them through this
for a long time. It was too much. I was trying to make peace with the fact that
I was going to have to go farther uptown in order to go downtown and then back
uptown to get home. The train came. I went in and sat, grateful for that. The train stayed there. The doors remained open. Then there was another announcement. The problem was resolved and those needing to
go downtown should go back to the downtown side. I wanted to cry. I couldn’t handle this, given
everything. But I did it. I had not yet built up to this. My legs really couldn’t handle it. The next day, I had Charlie Horse which is
fine, and even welcome, but my leg bones felt not okay. Two days later, when walking down steps to
throw out the garbage, something happened in the side of my right knee. It felt like something crushed in there. I was grateful I was holding the
banister.
I was in lots of pain the day this happened but still had to
go to stores. It was a day I wished I
could send someone else to the stores for me.
It took a very long time, but I got there and back. The next day, there was progress. Each day after, it felt better than the day
before. I was so hopeful I’d be okay
enough to perform in 2 shows I was booked in for the weekend (4/8 and
4/9).
At some point it took a turn for the worse. I felt badly about this, but I told the
booker for the April 8th show what happened and couldn’t be there. She was so understanding and invited me to
let her know when I’m okay to perform.
That was a show at a comedy club with many comics.
The next night’s show was not a comedy show at a club. It was a performance party at ARTS ON
SITE. Most of the performers were modern
dancers. I was the only comic
performing. I really didn’t want to let
them down. It was probably a terrible
medical decision to drag myself to the East Village, but it turned out to be
great for my head. The audience was
ready to laugh before I began. Here’s a
clip of that performance.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxuNdxsPSwp94EPd_f9-oAV2YBqfbE5a5P
I’ve been going to physical therapy since May for my
knee.
Save the date – September 9th – Comedy Show on City
Island at The Artist. Great line-up: Alex Fossella, LaTice Mitchell, Sigmund Zygy Susser, and me of course.
So much love to CGG-M ❤❤❤
Mindy Matijasevic, August 2022
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