Crutches: UGH

Oooof. Is it just me or was this the LONGEST week?  I think a big part of this feeling is knowing I go to the doctor on Monday to get a walking cast.  I am not sure what this entails, but hopefully it means No More Crutches.

'Cause man, am I sick of those things!

But,  I have learned a few lessons.  Most of which involve varying levels of misery (much like Dante's 7 circles of Hell, crutches sometimes feel like they induce 7 levels of unhappiness).  And a (few) positives.

Pros:

• My upper body is still pretty strong.  I've been very, very lazy.  Like picked-up-a-dumbbell-once-level-of-lazy.  But my arms are still looking pretty toned - mostly because crutches require you to essentially lift and shuffle your entire body using upper body strength alone.  Lesson #1 - I should have done more shoulder work in the weeks leading up to surgery.  
• I can fit lots of stuff in my cleavage.  I knew it would come in handy one day.  I just didn't think it would be to hold my ID and phone.  
• My balance on my right side is great.  You know how trainers tell you to do squats and lunges and planks on an unstable surface to force you to work the supporting muscles?  No need to invest $99 in a Bosu ball, just grab a pair of crutches.  When all your weight is shifted to one side all the time, those supporting muscles tone up fast.  
• Now that I am not doing dishes/housework constantly, I don't wash my hands 9,000 times a day.  And amazingly, my hands are no longer bone dry with cracked cuticles and chipped nails.  
• My kids have been awesome helpers.  Especially Big Sis.  Almost anything I ask her to do, she does with no eye rolling or moaning.  How did I get so lucky?  
• I'm so glad I did this in the Spring.  I can't imagine trying to maneuver on crutches with snow and ice coating the ground. 

Cons: 

• My house is filthy.  I know, everyone is dirty in their own way, and I am not overly OCD about having a clean house, but this is getting ridiculous.  I hope that I get that walking cast just so I can sweep, vacuum, and take less than 15 minutes to gather and start a load of laundry. 
• My left leg is shrinking.  Visibly.  I was getting dressed last weekend, and almost cried when I saw how much muscle I've lost in my thigh.  I knew this was going to be a long process, but I am readjusting my expectations on recovery.  Looks like I probably won't be starting couch-to-5K August 1.  
• The dog has been a jerk.  He knows that I have limited mobility, and when he is feeling sassy, he knows just how far to stay out of my reach.  
• I hate feeling helpless.  On a normal day I am overly independent and reluctant to ask for help.  Pretty much ever.  For anything.  So this has been very humbling.  
• My healthy eating has taken a back seat to just getting through the days.  We are not hitting the drive through every day, but I will say there have been multiple meals of PB& J.  Meh.  A little cereal for dinner never killed anyone.  
• I am super emotional.  Analytically, I'd say I have a touch of depression.  I guess that's what happens when you spend months floating on a cloud of exercise-induced serotonin, then sit on your bum for weeks on end.  Most days my nerves tend to fray by about 4pm.  But then there was the afternoon that I came home, J went down for a nap, and I watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  And sobbed.  That's totally normal, right?    
• I have very little to wear in public.  This is mostly mental.  Because I have to wear the compression sock 24/7 until I am cast-free, I feel embarrassed to wear skirts.  I have a few pairs of work pants I can pull over the cast, 2 long skirts that cover everything up, and 1 pair of jeans.  I'm sure no one would say anything out loud about my non-matching legs, but the crutches draw enough attention to me.  I don't need to feel like a harlequin jester by exposing my one bright blue leg and one blazing white leg.  

Enough whining!  Let's end on a positive note:  

Husband harvested the first jars of honey this week.  We're giving some to friends, but I foresee us having a sizable stock by the end of August.  And I can't wait to use it in a honey peach frozen yogurt recipe I found!

Weekly Recap: May 2013

Not sure exactly why I'm doing a weekly recap, as it wasn't anything super special.  Mostly because it's the first Saturday in 2 months that we didn't spend scrambling to gather our stuff and blast out the door to make it to a soccer game.

So essentially, because I can.

First, here is my mini Iron Man.  He had the pleasure of attending a mid-week birthday party for one of his pals, and had a BLAST.  I think the highlight was when he had the fastest time on the obstacle course.  Yep, small but speedy.

Second, I cut myself some bangs (gratuitous selfie alert!).  I still love my new haircut, but am having trouble styling it.  It is wavering into dork territory, and I thought I'd help out by adding some bangs.  Love it when it's pulled back, and it's very ugly-chic when down.  I'm sort of enjoying it.  

Finally, I thought I had posted this last month, but along with the other minor kitchen upgrades, we got rid of the hideous ceiling fan & swapped in track lighting. 

Before (moving day) 

After

We'd talked for months about ditching the ceiling fan, and once it began to buzz and flicker like an electrical fire waiting to happen, April suddenly seemed like a GREAT time to make that swap.  

I went back and forth for days about simply replacing the fan with a more attractive version.  I don't care for ceiling fans in the kitchen, but they are definitely practical in the summer months.  In the end, aesthetics won out.  After all, we do have central a/c.  

I initially ordered a track light from Home Depot and LOVED it.... but of course it arrived broken.  It was just a single shattered light cover, so I had high hopes that it could be easily replaced.  

But, NO.  

I was told that because the product was Made in China (and um, what isn't these days??) that no replacement parts were available.  And of course it took me several hours and 2 phone calls to get this Final Word on the matter.  I was incredibly irritated (and so was my husband, who had proceeded to begin installation due to the assurances of the FIRST customer service rep I spoke to), so that night we drove the 30 minutes to the nearest Home Depot to return the broken light.  And then went to Lowe's and bought a replacement that was half the cost and works just fine.  Food prep is much more fun now that I have a bright kitchen to work in!

The End of Spring Soccer

The weeks felt long, but the season was short.  I can hardly believe that last Saturday was our final day of Spring soccer games.  

The Orange Warriors went out with a bang - almost everyone on the team scored a goal, including J!

He's already excited for the Fall season to begin.  

And even the Fireballs won, with M scoring 1 goal, and 1 assist.  

I am so proud of these kids.  I was never athletic as a kid (pudgy + nearsighted = incredibly uncoordinated), and I sincerely hope that our encouragement and support of athletics will benefit them throughout school and beyond.  We never push them - choosing to participate in sports is totally up to them - but we make sure they understand that once they commit, they MUST follow through with every practice and every game.  As long as they enjoy it, we are happy to keep supporting them.  Even if they are never soccer "stars", good things will come from this... for all of us.  

Chopped

You know I am a little weird about my hair.  It's truly a love/ hate relationship.  

And every time we move, I feel like I have to start over again - figuring out what shampoo, conditioner, styling treatments, and tools work best with the new climate and kind of water. 

And of course, I am resistant to change, so that's fun, too.  

I liked my long hair, but I had to face up to the fact that it wasn't working for me.  Or maybe I just really needed to switch things up.... after all, it has been a year of major change for me, so what's one more?  I've been thinking for months that it was time for a major trim, and it turned into me sitting in the chair and saying "Cut it off".  

So I did it....

Before

After

5" gone and I actually love it.  

I was very fearful of descending into Old Mom haircut territory, but this makes me feel cute and sassy and I am hoping it will keep me cooler for the summer, too.  It looks like I darkened it, but I didn't - it's just different lighting.  And I can still pull it into a ponytail, so there's that.  

What do you think?

Notes from Recovery

• Although I planned and prepped, one thing I didn't anticipate was how helpless I would feel on crutches.  Hobbling even short distances is exhausting, and it never even crossed my mind that I wouldn't be able to carry ANYTHING unless it was tucked into my cleavage.  Looks like I'll be pulling out my old backpack when I return to work next week - because I can't even manage a small purse much less purse, lunch, coat, etc.  

(waterbottle tucked into my sports bra)

• The upside to the cast/ crutches is that my arms and right side are getting a workout!  My balance on the right side is vastly improved in just a week, and I don't need to worry about working out my upper body - hauling myself around on crutches means a constant arm/ shoulder/ ab workout.  
• Sherlock on Netflix is brilliant.  I am sad that season 3 won't be out for months.  
• I mentioned this years ago after having Big J, but seriously - someone needs to open a drive-through mini mart.  It's probably best that there is not one locally, as I would have cleaned them out of People magazine and ice cream, but I still think it's a brilliant idea.  
• Next to freezing a bunch of meals, the smartest thing I did was to have Husband install a handheld showerhead in the downstairs bath.  I would be one stinky girl right now if I was trying to clean up using a traditional shower & a trash bag wrapped around my cast.  
• This actually happened prior to surgery (the day before, in fact), but it's worth including here:  

The note reads: My Mommy gave me a bath and I said thank you by chewing off the cord to her steam cleaner.  And I'm not sorry!  ~Luke

He's a good boy 80% of the time..... but the other 20%... look out. 

It's a good thing I am on one leg right now (and unable to clean anything), so I'll have time to save up for a new steam cleaner.    

The Vicodin Detox Diet: Do Not Recommend!

Consider this a Cautionary Tale.... A Life Tip.... a Do Not Recommend.....

I was given Vicodin to manage the pain after my surgery.  

I had anticipated this, but didn't think much of it.  

I started to write a detailed story about my experience, but I think I am going to condense the message to this: 

Vicodin is not my friend.  

2 days of following the prescribed doses gave me 3 days of misery and the cleanest gut in town.

Not worth it. 

And now, pictures!  

Yesterday I had my soft splint taken off & a hard cast put on. 

This is the side that had the work done: 

The tape around the back side closed the 2nd incision they had to make to get out the os trigonum.  It was so large they HAD to make another cut to remove it.  

This is the inside of the ankle.  Lots of bruising, and on the top you can see one of the sutures where they inserted the arthroscope.  

I picked blue for the cast.  I know, you probably thought I'd go with black, but I was feeling spring-y.  And the pink was REALLY bright.  

4 weeks in this bad boy, and then I get to move to a walking cast.  I am counting down the days.  

Surgery Day

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my ankle issues.  Well, Tuesday was the Big Day. Finally. I had spent so many days and nights preparing, worrying, planning, that it seemed as though April 16 would never arrive. 

Due to a 6am check-in time, at the last minute we decided to head to Columbus on Monday evening.  The kids were tickled because we surprised them with a late movie before a late bedtime. All went well until a 4:15 fire drill at the hotel. Not to worry, I wasn't sleeping anyway. 

Once they took me back to get prepped, the time flew by. The last thing I remember is moving to the OR bed, and then waking up in recovery. 

The surgeon was booked back to back, so we didn't have a chance to talk with him before leaving. Thankfully, we were out the door by 10am. 

So far, so good! The anesthetic block they used lasted until yesterday morning, so I didn't feel much for the first 24 hours. This splint stays on until next Monday, when they'll put on a hard cast.  I am hoping that I'll be driving by next week.  And I'm super grateful that I have another week off after this one.  

Update: 4/19 - rough night.  I took less Vicodin yesterday (just 2 during the day), but was having pain at bedtime, so I took 2 at 8pm.  I woke up multiple times between 3am and 6am, sweating and feeling like I was going to hurl in my bed.  I gimped to the bathroom multiple times, but ended up with nothing more than severe stomach cramps and body aches - and horrible sleep.  We're not sure if it's the Vicodin or the antibiotic, but either way, it has not been a fun day so far.  Here's to hoping the weekend is better.