Celebrate The Small Things -- May 30

It's Friday and I'm Celebrating The Small Things!  Celebrate The Small Things is a weekly celebration where some bloggers have decided to post about something worth celebrating...no matter how big or small it is.

This week I'm celebrating good friends who don't make you feel bad when you have to ask them for weird favors.  "Oh, you're going to Bed Bath & Beyond?  Can you pick up some glasses for me?  I'm down to 5 from the original 16 I started with 15 years ago.  I'll give you a check when I see you."  She also took pictures for me and sent them over email so I could see what my options were.  Also, she dropped them to me on her way home.

Never did she make me feel like I was an inconvenience or question why I couldn't just go myself...because she knows my medical problems.

Friends like this are hard to come by.  Thank you Julie!

What are you celebrating?

If you'd like to Celebrate The Small Things, head on over to Scribblings of an Aspiring Author, by VikLit, for more information.

 

Going For A Road Trip

My stress level has been pretty high over the past few weeks...with dealing with my plateaued progress with my ankles, and some upcoming family events.  But this past weekend I noticed my anxiety getting markedly worse than it's been.  This upcoming weekend we are going out of town for my brother-in-law's wedding and I'm really dreading the whole trip.  Don't get me wrong, I love my BIL, and my future SIL, and I'm happy to attend their wedding, it's all the other stuff that's a problem for me and my medical state these days.

The only long trip I've made in the past year was when I went to visit my parents in Delaware back in November.  Visiting them is a 3 hour car trip each way, and although it took a lot out of me, there was nothing expected of me.  We didn't go anywhere...I could wear my sneakers...I could put my feet up when needed...and I knew that if I didn't feel well, I could always go and lay down and rest.  Bottom line...I didn't have to pretend to be happy and well if I really wasn't.

 Most people don't realize how much pretending, or putting on a happy face, goes on when you are a chronic pain sufferer.  Even the simple question of, “How are you?” is a difficult one to answer.  Are they just making conversation? “Okay, and how are you?”  Do they want the short version of the truth? “I've had better days, but things could always be worse.”  Do they want the whole truth? “I want to go home and load up on pain meds until I fall asleep and don't have to deal with the pain any longer.”  By the way...I usually go with the short version answer so I don't have to freak people out and make them feel uncomfortable.  Aren't I nice? :)

This weekend allows me a limited amount of options.  Not only is it a longer car ride, but I can't wear my sneakers, I can't put my feet up, I have to go about things on my own (without my husband's help since he's in the wedding party), and I can't just leave and lay down if the pain gets too much.  Not only will I be bringing all my pain meds along with me for this trip, but my Xanax for the stress of it too.  It's amazing how much more anxiety I get when I feel like I'm backed in a corner and have no plan B.

Say prayers for me my friends!  I have a feeling the anxiety is only going to get worse.  Hopefully the pain will be less than the anxiety, although I have a feeling it probably won't :(

Celebrate The Small Things -- May 23

It's Friday and I'm Celebrating The Small Things!  Celebrate The Small Things is a weekly celebration where some bloggers have decided to post about something worth celebrating...no matter how big or small it is.

This week I'm celebrating new linens.  I've had the same towels for about 15 years or so.  Some are bleach stained, and some are starting to unravel.  I'm having company stay for a week next month, so this was the perfect time for an upgrade.  I'm also down to one sheet set...which is a pain when I have to do laundry.  I hate having to worry about washing, drying, and putting my sheets back on all in one shot.  An extra set gives me a little more wiggle room to be lazy :)

Also celebrating the 15% cash back from Ebates.com for ordering all my new linens from JCPenney online (never even had to leave my house!).  Just an extra little something to look forward to...a rebate check coming in the mail in a few weeks.  (Anyone interested in joining Ebates.com, click here and I get a little kickback for the referral.)

BTW...all this is SO #firstworldproblems and I'm well aware of it!  But this is a little things celebration, so I'm entitled to be happy about whatever I'd like :)

What are you celebrating?

If you'd like to Celebrate The Small Things, head on over to Scribblings of an Aspiring Author, by VikLit, for more information.

 

Total Ankle Replacement: 24 Weeks Post-Op--Ankle #2

If anyone is following this blog because they are interested in my progress, and you are looking for some updated stats...look at last months stats and add five pounds to the knee machine and ten pounds to the leg press machine. That's all the progress that I've made in four weeks time :(

This week marks 24 weeks since I had my total ankle replacement on ankle #2. Ankle #1 is almost at the year mark (June 12). Last month I talked about how I don't feel anywhere near “normal”, and I'm starting to think that I'm never going to even come close to that at all. The past four weeks have been very depressing as I've realized that I've plateaued in my recovery for the last couple of months. Now, I've had plateaus happen before with other surgeries, but it's usually for just two weeks or so. Looking back at my progress in my March posts, I realize that although I've gained more strength in my legs, I haven't gained any endurance at all. At all. I can't stand on my feet longer than ten minutes without being in a terrible amount of pain. I'm starting to think that this isn't going to get any better.

Whenever I mention this to anyone, they remind me that I'm only about six months out and this can take a year to eighteen months to fully recover. But I'm almost at a year with my left ankle (#1)! And that is not any better than my right! They are in the same level of shitty pain!

Getting fed up.

I've had both hips and both knees replaced, so this replacement thing is not new to me (I told ya I was a cyborg!). I know that rehab is painful, but after it's done, the benefits can be life altering. My hips were so bad that after I had my replacement surgery I felt like I hit the jackpot. The replacement hips were new and improved and better than the originals (they took about 3 months to rehab). And although my knee replacements were a bitch to rehab...by far the worst pain I've ever encountered....the trade off was that I was pain free after all was said and done. The biggest downside to my knee replacements was that I lost a lot of range of motion (ROM). This is always a possibility, and I knew that going in for my ankle replacements. But I was willing to trade off ROM for no pain...no such luck. My ROM for my ankles is within normal range, but there is still so much pain whenever I stand or walk.

I'm not scheduled to see my surgeon until July. I think I may call just to ask if I should be worried, or if I need to be seen sooner. Can't hurt to ask, right? Only thing is...what if they tell me that this may be it for me? I've been so depressed over the past few weeks, that I don't know if I want to hear bad news right now.

Both the hips and knees, after rehab, gave me a (mostly) pain free existence in those joints (there's the occasional "I feel the rain coming"). I just assumed that I'd have a similar experience with my ankles. This is not the case, yet, and I'm starting to lose hope.

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To read about my full ankle replacement journey, please click on the Total Ankle Replacement tab.  

I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.  Please comment below, or email me privately at:  thecyborgmom@gmail.com

My Babies Aren't Babies Anymore

Geez...I've been so emotional lately!  Really struggling with depression these last few weeks because of all my medical crap.  And today in church I was almost in tears watching all the little kids process to bring flowers to the Blessed Mother (it's a Catholic thing).  The year my daughter made communion, she was asked to crown the BM, and that's all I could think of today in church!  Maybe I was just missing her because she's been gone this weekend for a tournament, but I think it has more to do with the fact that my babies aren't babies anymore.  DD is a teenager (just barely at 13, but definitely if you're judging on attitude!) and going into high school in just a few short months.  And DS, who is my baby of babies, is going into middle school next year.  I'm having a real hard time with them growing up.  And with both of them moving up in schools at the same time...seems like too much for this mama to handle. 

Is this normal?  What am I going to do when they start leaving for college?  I'm already an emotional wreck!  Somebody please tell me this will get better.  They're only 13 and 10 for goodness sakes! 

My girl, crowning the Blessed Mother

Celebrate The Small Things -- May 16

It's Friday and I'm Celebrating The Small Things!  Celebrate The Small Things is a weekly celebration where some bloggers have decided to post about something worth celebrating...no matter how big or small it is.

This week I'm celebrating my grandma.  It's been a few years now since she's passed, but I have things of hers that remind me of her.  The pictures that I took for my post on Wednesday were taken on the chair of hers that sits in my bedroom.  My daughter went to her 8th grade dance a couple of weeks ago and she and her friends were checking themselves out in the mirror that hangs in my living room that once hung in my grandmother's "parlor".  I even have my grandma's sugar shaker that we used the other day to dust some powdered sugar onto our french toast.

I love you grandma!  I'm so happy to have so many reminders of you in my life!

What are you celebrating?

If you'd like to Celebrate The Small Things, head on over to Scribblings of an Aspiring Author, by VikLit, for more information.

 

Arizona Braces and Custom Orthotics

Monday morning I had my appointment to get fitted for my custom orthotics.  So, in other words, I'm full on my way to being a grumpy old lady ;)

I went to the same place, and had the same dude, that I got my arizona braces (AB) from.  Those arizona braces basically held off my ankle replacement surgery for about two years.  Wearing them helped me to stay on my feet just a little longer because they work by simulating a fusion.  They're not the most comfortable things to wear, but without them I would have been so much worse than I was.

For those who have never seen these braces in person, they are made of a rigid plastic and covered in leather.  The inside, where they touch your leg, has a thin foam layer.  You put them on (with socks, or they will end up stinking to high heaven), lace them up, and then wear them with a rigid shoe...I sized up a half a size, took out the insoles, and wore them with sneakers.  The worst part for me was that they got very hot in the summer and I even ended up getting athlete's foot and had to treat my feet with over the counter spray.  Yeah, not so sexy.

Looking at the picture, you may ask, "why are they different?".  One is taller than the other and the heels are different on them as well.  The only answer I have is that since these are custom made, and I had them made about a year apart, they will vary.  I do think that the one that did not have the rigid plastic on the heel was more comfortable than the other.  At times my right heel would go numb because of the plastic.  So if you have to have these made, ask for a soft heel.

When I was fitted for my ABs, it was all very hi-tech.  I placed my foot on a stool and then the tech, Ryan, used what looked like a grocery store scanner to “paint” my foot and leg with the laser.  The images came up on the computer and are then sent to whoever makes them.  It takes about 2 weeks for them to come in.

Getting fit for my orthotics was different.  No laser beams that look like a scanner.  Instead, I had to place my foot into this blue foam.  Actually, Ryan took my foot and gently placed it in there and then pushed down on my toes and in the correct places on my foot to insure that I had a perfect footprint.  The foam felt like I was stepping in sand, but when I took my foot out it was all clean...no debris left.  I did this for both feet and we were finished in about 5 minutes.  Easy peasy.  Like the ABs, they should also take about 2 weeks to come in.

As a kid, I had custom orthotics made for my flat feet.  They were horrible and very painful to wear.  I asked Ryan if my new orthotics would be like those, all the while hoping that in the past 30 years that medical science had greatly improved in this area.  He said that they don't even make those kind anymore because they were too rigid.  Thank God!  Ryan said that the new ones will be firm, with a thin padding on top.  I'm just hoping that they will fit into shoes other than sneakers.  I've been confined to sneakers for the past 3 years or so because of the arizona braces.  I'd really like to wear some boots!

I miss my boots!

Celebrate The Small Things...May 9th Edition

I'm Celebrating The Small Things!  Celebrate The Small Things is a weekly celebration where some bloggers have decided to post about something worth celebrating...no matter how big or small it is.

This week has been a rough one for me, which is why I'm posting on Sunday instead of the usual Friday.  See, I threw my back out Tuesday night and have been in bed popping muscle relaxers ever since.  Today is the first day that I've come downstairs to sit.  Through all of this yuckiness, I'm thankful for a few things...

• My wonderful supportive husband
• My helpful (most of the time) kiddos
• My comfortable bed
• Muscle relaxers
• Heat packs

Without any of these, I may still be lying in my bed!

What are you celebrating?

If you'd like to Celebrate The Small Things, head on over to Scribblings of an Aspiring Author, by VikLit, for more information.

 

Total Ankle Replacement: 11 & 5 months Post-Op ROM Video

STAR -- Total Ankle Replacement was done on my left ankle (#1) in June 2013, and my right ankle (#2) in December 2013.  This shows ROM (range of motion) on May 6, 2014...approximately 11 months post-op for #1, and 5 months post-op for #2.

Here is the comparison from my last video where I was 5.5 months out with ankle #1.

For a full set of all of my ankle replacement posts, please click on the Total Ankle Replacement tab.

I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.  Please comment below, or email me privately at:  thecyborgmom@gmail.com

A to Z Road Trip 2014

This year was the first time that I participated in the A to Z Challenge and I had a great time (see my Reflections post for all my thoughts).  Over 2000 blogs signed up for this challenge and I'm going to attempt to visit as many blogs as possible on the list.

Yes, it's crazy, but that seems to be the theme of my life :)

Now, how should I attempt this?  Well, since both my children were born on odd number days, I'll think I'll start there...visiting the odd numbers first.  If I make it through, then I'll move on to the evens!  Sounds like a plan!

Who's with me???

A to Z Reflections Post 2014

Congratulations to everyone who took on the A to Z Challenge!  Because I'm being a bit lazy, I'm doing a short list of my reflections.  This will make it easier for me to write, and easier on the readers who are blog-hopping the A to Z Reflections posts.

Here we go!  My thoughts on the A to Z Challenge...

1. Met some great people.  I mean, really cool, interesting, and creative new people.  (They're not actually “new people”...they're just new to me.)
2. Participated in my first Twitter chat.  I still don't like Twitter, but I can see now why, and how, twitter is useful for chats.
3. Found some awesome new blogs.
4. Had complete strangers say the most wonderful and supportive comments to me.
5. Realized that I can blog without cursing, although it's a lot harder and not preferable (see Lent post).
6. Learned how to schedule posts ahead of time.  I really loved this and in the future will make more use of it.
7. Thought that I'd feel completely overwhelmed by the blogging everyday thing...but didn't (see #6).
8. Proved, once again, that I can do whatever I put my mind to!

The two improvements that I think can be made with the Challenge itself...

1. A registering system where you can fill in your blog topic instead of having to pick from pre-made ones.
   
2. All the blog topics would be sorted alphabetically.  OCD much? ;)
   

Overall, I'm happy that I accepted the challenge and can't wait until next year.  The gears are already turning...

What are your thoughts?  Are you glad you took the challenge?

Click Here for other Reflections Posts

Click Here for a full list of my A to Z Challenge Posts

Celebrate The Small Things -- May 2

It's Friday and I'm Celebrating The Small Things!  Celebrate The Small Things is a weekly celebration where some bloggers have decided to post about something worth celebrating...no matter how big or small it is.

This week I'm celebrating the end of my first A to Z Challenge!  I'm so grateful to my friend, Nicole, for telling me about this challenge.  When she first filled me in on the details, I was very hesitant to take this on.  But I'm so glad I decided to just say, "f*ck it" and do it anyway!  I've met lots of cool people and come across some fantastic blogs.  Now I have to think of a theme for next year :)

What are you celebrating?

If you'd like to Celebrate The Small Things, head on over to Scribblings of an Aspiring Author, by VikLit, for more information.