Snow Anticipation

The ground is white with frost this morning, and it looks so tranquil outside. After a buggy and humid summer, I'm looking forward to cold weather, sledding, and snowball fights. The nip in the air has motivated me to get my winter gear in order today.

My first winter after becoming an amputee I was utterly miserable. My limb was always cold. I'm not talking about simply being cool or chilly. It often became so cold that it was painful, keeping me up at night and making it difficult for me to walk outside for long periods of time. I knew I was going to have to move to warmer climate or figure out a way to winterize my prosthetic.

After trial and error, I discovered the versatility of those little air activated hand warmers that are often sold in check-out lines and sporting goods stores. Tossed into the bottom of my socket, these little pads keep my leg toasty warm, without overheating, for hours. They are a godsend when I'm sledding with Robby, sparing me from my leg becoming debilitated by the cold.

Remember the leg warmer socks, made famous by Jane Fonda during the 1980's? This fashion faux pas, when slipped over the pylon, helps to keep the cold from conducting directly into the bottom of the socket. As an added bonus, the snow is kept out of the foot shell eliminating the need to dig out the impacted ice that often accumulates between the components and the plastic. I may not be the most fashionable Mom at the sledding hill, but I should receive credit for being resourceful!

Although nothing makes me feel completely stable on ice, Yak-Tracks come pretty close. I appreciate that they fit easily over my shoe, saving me the inconvenience of having to change into boots. I keep several sets of these little slip-ons in my house and car because I never seem to remember where I put them after I take them off.

This morning, in hopeful anticipation of a snow filled winter, I'm going to order a case of hand warmers. (I discovered that they are considerably cheaper when ordered in bulk online.) I will then scavenge my sock drawer to find all my neon, circa 1980 leg warmers. I will probably be singing "Let it snow" by the time I dig through the laundry room to locate my Yak-Trax and hat and gloves. Last year we didn't receive much snow. I'm hoping that we make up for it this year, and I plan to be ready when the first flakes begin to fall!