Learning to walk again

I've periodically attempted to take a step or two without the crutches. I'm probably pushing things, but I so want to be back in two shoes again.

The few times I've found myself with my crutches just a few steps too far, I've had to try to get to them. The few steps I've taken have felt like my children must have been trying to take those few steps - robot style.

It's very awkward to walk.

Today, I did manage two steps that felt a bit more natural!

My foot is still a bit swollen. It has no curves!

I saw my doctor today, and she said it looked pretty good. Now we will see what I can manage with physical therapy in two weeks.

Week Four!

On Saturday, I decided that I had enough of the cast and we took it off - so, my ankle went from looking like this:

To looking liks this:

It's still a bit swollen and very bruised. It doesn't like being walked on. Tomorrow I go to the doctor to have the stitches dealt with. In two weeks I start physical therapy. I hope I can bend my foot a little by then.

This is NOT fun.

On a positive note, I had someone come in and clean the house some. It's not organized, but at least it's cleaner.

Oh, how rude

Last night, I went to see Order of the Phoenix. I won't include my detailed opinion of the movie here in case people haven't seen it yet - but I did enjoy the movie! I've never seen a HP movie in the theater and didn't plan on seeing this one except my book group decided to skip talking about the book for this month and went to the movie instead.

As you may remember, my foot looks like this now:

So, we got to the theater early so we could get seats together. I popped my foot up on the seat in front of me figuring if the theatre wasn't too full, I could watch the movie in comfort. In the row in front of me, there were three empty seats. The couple if front of us had put their jacket on one of the three seats (I'm guessing so no-one would sit next to them).

So, two people come in, look at my foot, and sit down in the two seats in front of me - that my foot is leaning on. I guess they thought that moving my foot was more appealing than sitting next to the couple.

Thankfully we had five in our group, so I changed places with a friend of mine and put my foot up on the empty seat. (but, at the end of the movie I discovered that the couple had no theatre manners at all as they left their drink cups in the seats when they left.)

When my friend Cindy came to pick me up, she even brought me a double dinner. Did I mention how wonderful my book group was? Almost every member brought me food!!

If it's not one thing, it's another!!

So, I'm in the last week of my cast and get to change to the walking boot Sunday.

Yesterday, Sarah came home from camp not walking on her foot. She fell off the monkey bars. Looking at her foot, there is a good chance she fractured her foot. So, I'm taking her to the Dr. this morning.

I hope its something clear cut as I'm not sure I trust our lot to find something more difficult. It doesn't seem feet are their specialty.

I'm seriously considering asking my Ortho in Minneapolis to read her x-ray as a distance second opinion. He knows the clinic I go to (they refer enough patients) so he probably would be willing.

I really hope it's just sore (Soccer starts at the end of the month, I'm almost well enough to start doing things, etc)!!


In an "awww" moment, DH told me last night that he's really been sad this week because he took the girls to the beach by our house and biking and I couldn't be there to see what a wonderful job Sydney was doing (she has finally become comfy riding a two wheeler) are doing and how excited they were at the beach because I was hurt. It was very sweet.

Timing is everything!

Looks like titles are still broken.

Yesterday, I was looking at my tomato plants and thinking that I needed to ask DH to pick up another wire support system for my tomato plant because the stakes were not going to support them well enough when the tomatoes start to grow.

At 5:00 am this morning, we woke to a HUGE thunder storm (lighting on lighting so fast the thunder was almost continuous) and very heavy and hard rain.

While making coffee this morning, I looked outside and found my tomato plants broken. My grape tomatoes are ok because they were in the cage. My slicing tomatoes are probably dead.

I'm so sad.

Three down, two to go!

For some reason, I can't type a title, but it's two days early, but I'm just about three weeks down and have one to go before I lose this lovely cast! One week from tomorrow, the girls tear it off!! and I change to the walking boot.

Once I'm in the walking boot, I get to remove it for showers. Walking on crutches won't be so bad because I will be able to put my foot down. I just need to find a shoe for my right foot that will give me the right lift so I don't walk awkwardly. I only wear the boot for two weeks, then start to wean off the boot for the second two weeks. So, between six and eight weeks post surgery, I'll be in a brace and wearing TWO shoes.

I'm only taking pain meds when I'm feeling sore - and I've abandoned my spreadsheet that told me when I can take things.

This week I had to order more parts for my laptop. Back in April, my power cord broke and I needed a new one. HP had them on backorder, but I needed one before I went on travel so I bought an off brand one. Well, it failed this week - and it stopped charging my battery. I decided that would just buy a regular one and we assumed that my battery had lost it's ability to recharge so I bought a new battery. Well, the very nice kid who was taking my order at the "help" line couldn't figure out how to merge this into one order, so each of the three parts was ordered separately - and shipping paid separately. I calculated it the other day and I paid $40 more than if I'd ordered it online myself. So, HP is suppose to call me back to fix it. I debated about canceling the battery as the new power cord fixed the recharging issue (I thought it was strange that it worked one day and not the next), but my battery life is down to 4 hours and most of those on standby, so I could use a new one.

I saw the cutest thing in Better Homes and Gardens. You take bubble wrap and paint it a color and paint a number on it and use it for noisy hopscotch. Kelly, if Jenelle doesn't mind loud noise, she might find it fun.

I'm going to sign off and drink my coffee. I filled out a survey and received a free Senso machine. I need to play with it more because right now the coffee is too strong for me. I may try making an 8 oz coffee w/ one pod instead of two. Or, it may be that I make the 4 oz single cup and add 2 oz of hot water to make a slightly weaker 6 oz cup. If I can make a cup of coffee with one pod rather than two, it would be much cheaper. I may bring the new machine to work for coffee there.

Have a great day. We may try to go to the Strawberry Festival today. With my little handicap parking pass, they may even let us park inside (small town festival here!)

A 4th of July update

"Sunday Six!" is a game where Kelly asks us to have six questions answered. Remember, the idea is to post answers to the following six question, but the trick is to get your kids to answer them! If you don't have kids, use your imagination... Your pet, your neighbor, your elderly family member, your roommate, etc. Did you play? Let me and Kelly know so we can visit you. Today I was able to ask Sarah (SB - age 7) and Sydney (SK - age 4) the questions.

1. What does it mean to be patriotic?

SK: I don't know.

SB: I have no clue.

2. Who made the American Flag?

SK: I don't know.

SB: I have no clue

3. How many stars are on the American Flag?

SK: (gets her american flag and counts stars) 33

SB: I need an American Flag (Sydney hands over hers, Sarah counts) 44

4. What makes a firework go boom?

SK: I don't know.

SB: When it reaches the tip of the sky.

5. How will you celebrate the 4th of July?

SK: I don't know.

SB: Probably go see the fireworks (next year)

6. What do you like about living in America?

SK: We live on a hill.

SB: I don't know.

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First, Happy Canada Day!

It seems that 2 weeks really is the magic number in my ankle's recovery. Friday I did a little bit more than I had been doing and Sat not only was I not knocked out, but I took fewer meds. I still stuck with all my advil, but I only took one dose of tylenol rather than 4.

I go back to work on Monday - but I think I'll limit hours some - maybe 5 hours on Monday and Thurs, Wed I get 4 hours of vacation. So, I'd only have to take a few hours of leave (I don't care so much about the leave, I have plenty!! I just want to not hurt too much since my foot will be up sort of.

And, a friend of mine called on Sat (they just got back from vacation on Friday) and she wanted to check how I was doing and see if I still wanted dinner one night. So, she is bringing dinner over on Monday.

I also think I'll try to find someone to help come clean the house. I can do some, but why should I?