By Katie Lannan
MediaNews
BOSTON — For Brittany Loring, the past six months have been a whirlwind of milestones.
She turned 29 on April 15, the same day of the Boston Marathon bombings, in which she suffered a skull fracture and leg wounds.
Since then, she’s undergone three surgeries, graduated from Boston College with both a law degree and an MBA, moved into a new apartment, gotten married and is now set to start a new job.
“There was definitely a lot going on, and I had to remind myself of that,” said Loring, an Ayer native. “I’m used to the idea that working is being busy, and then not working is not being busy. Dealing with all of the health implications felt like a full-time job in and of itself.”
In July, friends organized a Brittany Strong 5K race and 1-mile walk in Devens, which drew in more than 300 participants.
“Thank you for reaching out to me, for showing that you care, and for proving that there are way more positive, good people in this world,” Loring wrote in a thank-you note to volunteers and runners. “From the moments after that bomb went off to today, I have had nothing but positive, wonderful people in my life.”
While still undergoing physical therapy, Loring joined in for the 1-mile walk.
She said last week that she’s been trying to get back to a regular workout routine, which has been difficult.
“I’d just be so sore afterwards, not in a way that I was typically sore from a workout,” she said. “I’m starting to feel like I’m getting back to myself workout-wise, which for me is a relief. It took a long time, it felt like, for me to get back to some semblance of normal.”
Loring finished physical therapy in late August and is now able to fully extend her left leg, which was torn by shrapnel in the explosions.
“That’s something I was very grateful for, but I guess took a little bit longer than I expected,” she said. “But I’m really happy that I’m getting close now.”
Planning her Sept. 21 wedding to John McLoughlin helped Loring keep her mind occupied while healing.
“All I was really doing besides that was doctor’s appointments and physical-therapy appointments, so it really helped me get back to a sense of normalcy for me,” she said.
The newlyweds returned last week from their honeymoon in Hawaii.
Later this month, Loring will start work in the international tax department of the professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“Right now, it’s getting back to some sense of a normal life that I had before,” she said. “Every step feels like an accomplishment. Getting back to work will be great. I’m definitely on my way.”
Follow Katie Lannan on Twitter and Tout @katielannan.
