Shopping Battle

As predicted, yesterday was a wonderful mixture of excitement and chaos. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the afternoon with cousins (whom I don't get to see enough) and gorging on good food and amazing desserts.  By the time the sun set, I was exhausted but I knew that another task was looming.

Planning for our Black Friday attack has become a honed skill. Working together, Scott and I painstakingly evaluated the sale options and devised our list. Compared to other years, our list is short this year. We plan on hitting only four stores, and fully expect to be done by breakfast. (This is a good thing because I'll definitely need a nap today!)

Wish us luck as we battle the crowds in our quest for the ultimate deal. Hopefully we'll be done with all our shopping by 10:00.  I must admit, this is the one day a year I fully enjoy and utilize my disabled handicapped parking tag.  Happy shopping!

Thanksgiving!

I have come to the conclusion that Thanksgiving ranks among my favorite holidays. For me, Thanksgiving is all about family. We don't see each other often enough, but we remain close despite the distance. Every time we get together we end up laughing, eating and goofing around. Thanksgiving is special because it lacks the stress from shopping and gift exchanges that often accompany other holidays.

Thankfully my phantom sensations have shifted from painful to uncomfortable, allowing me to walk with more ease. I remain acutely aware of each step, but I am no longer limited by the pain. Hopefully my leg will continue to improve and I will be back to my normal self by tomorrow morning. After all, tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year and I need to make sure I bring my A game!

I'm beginning to suspect that my phantom sensations may stem from more than the weather. Although I try conceal the bump by wearing Scott's sweatshirts, I am now beginning to show. I theorize that my leg is beginning to swell (along with every other appendage), causing the tissue to become squished inside the socket. I hope that this is not the case, although I know that it is an inevitable result of being a pregnant amputee. I suppose I should begin laying the insurance groundwork to secure a new socket, but I am dreading the battle which will ensue. I resent that I have to fight my insurance adjustor to receive such basic prosthetic care.

Today is not about complaining, so I'll put off fretting about the socket until next week. This morning I'll be helping my Mom finish cooking and ready the house for company. I know that once everybody arrives, it will become chaotic and loud. I am going to try to enjoy these quiet moments before the clamor begins.

After the meal has been eaten,  I will end up in the living room, surrounded by my cousins as we carefully plan our respective Black Friday shopping tactics. I'll go "old school," using the newspaper ads to help plan my retail attack. Scott will use more high tech tactics. He'll fire up my laptop, log onto my Hotspot VPN and fortify my information with product reviews and online price comparisons. Together, we'll get the best deal possible. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking time out of your holiday to read my blog. I am thankful to everybody who has supported me and cheered me on over the years. I will be forever grateful for the authentic and genuine friendships which have been formed because of this blog, and I know that I am a better person for getting to know many of my readers.  I hope that everybody has a wonderful Thanksgiving. May your day be filled with love, laughter, good food and cupcakes!

Phantom Pain... UGH

The weatherman predicted the storm accurately, and yesterday morning I was greeted with sleet and freezing rain. As feared, Robby's school had a delayed opening. My hours of cooking and baking were going to go unappreciated by his class, but my neighbors certainly made out like bandits as they happily received trays of mashed potatoes, corn, and rolls.

I wasn't surprised by the winter storm. In fact, I predicted its severity with more certainty without needing to watch a single weather report. My leg was doing the jitterbug kick all night keeping me awake with the electric shocks that always herald a huge weather event. By the time I finally rolled out of bed, the phantom pain was so severe that I had trouble donning my prosthesis. I knew I was in for a long day!

Robby's class did not enjoy the scheduled Thanksgiving Feast, but they did enjoy the turkey craft projects I purchased. The last thing I wanted to do was to spend the day on my feet and walking. All I wanted to do was take off my leg and try to will the pain away. But I made a promise, and I didn't want to let Robby or his classmates down.  Besides, my little guy was proud as a peacock when his teacher announced that I would be taking over the class for the day. My leg was killing me, but seeing his happiness made the pain seem minimal compared to the payoff I was receiving.  

We had a successful crafting and cupcake party. Although I do wish I had put more thought behind the finger painting activity. I'm fairly certain that I ended up wearing more paint than both the students and their turkeys! 

After the party, Robby and I headed up to my mom's. The drive was slow and made difficult by the slick roads and thick traffic. I was relieved to finally pull into her driveway, eager to finally relax and elevate my leg. Most of the times being an amputee is inconsequential in my daily life. Days when the phantom pain has decided to intervene, I really miss being bi-legged. 

Today I don't have any time for phantom pain, so I am hoping that it leaves. I'm going to be helping my Mom prep for Thanksgiving dinner and I don't want anything to interfere with our plans! 

Cooking Tornado

It is a good thing I rested over the weekend because yesterday was bustling. After I dropped Robby off at school, I headed straight to the grocery store. Armed with a list, I picked up the remaining supplies I needed to complete my culinary quest.

Although I'm going to be spending the holiday at my mom's, I spent yesterday prepping three Thanksgiving meals. My kitchen smelled insanely good, and it felt torturous that I wasn't going to be able to enjoy any of the food I was cooking. One meal was earmarked for Robby's class to consume during today's much anticipated Thanksgiving Feast . He graciously volunteered me for all food prep.  The other two meals are being delivered this afternoon to friends who are recovering from illnesses and are not able to cook. 

I spent the majority of the day on my feet, standing over the counter top and sink in my kitchen. By the time I pulled the final tray of cookies out of the oven, I was physically exhausted! Between the pregnancy, my thyroid issues and the recent bout with dehydration, my body is not accustomed to being in constant motion.  

After cooking all day, my kitchen looked like a disaster area. Butter wrappers stuck on the floor, egg shells on the counter tops and apparently potato bits flew from my mixer and stuck onto every wall. I never claimed to be a clean cook!

Before I knew it, it was time to pick up Robby from school. I briefly debated about whether or not I should change my clothes, but a look in the mirror confirmed the decision. I was covered with mashed potato and cookie dough splatter. I knew I could fix my attire, but I doubted I would be able to mask my exhaustion. I tried to conceal my limp as I hobbled into his classroom only to find myself berated with questions from his concerned classmates. Hoping to avoid a lengthy discussion, I blamed the pain on the impending weather and hurried Robby out of the room.

Of course, blaming the weather was not too far out of the realm of possibilities. Today we are expecting our first winter storm, coating the roads with ice and sleet during rush hour. There is a good possibility that Robby will not have school today, and that we will be schlepping all of the food up to my mom's for Thanksgiving. Even the best laid plans have to be flexible when Mother Nature is considered.

Rest and Hydration

This past weekend was not my best; I woke up Friday with an earache. By the time I picked up Robby from school, the dull pain in my ears had gravitated across my entire cranium. When I was finally finished with my evening student, my headache had turned into a full blown migraine. I was shaky, had chills and couldn't stop vomiting. I crawled into bed, surrendered Robby's care to Scott, and tried to escape the pain.

My sleep was fitful, but by the time I woke, my headache had subsided. Unfortunately I was experiencing cramping, a symptom I found quite worrisome. I broke down and called my doctor's office, fully expecting to be chastised for calling on a Saturday morning.

 I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised when the doctor finally called me back. She was kind and understanding. I can't say that she was terribly helpful, but at least she didn't make me feel dumb because I called. After recounting the past 24 hours, I was prescribed rest and hydration until the cramping stopped.

I spent the remainder of the weekend watching Christmas movies on the couch while drinking obscene amounts of water. Robby's friend, the neighbor down the street, came over to play each day, and the pair accepted the unspoken mission to keep me entertained. They performed Christmas songs, dance routines and little skits to keep me from becoming bored.

 By Sunday morning the cramping had subsided, allowing me to actually relax during my prescribed rest. I'm feeling much better now and, although I hesitate to admit it because I enjoyed the doting, I don't think I need to continue with the rest directive. I am going to pace myself, but there is a lot that needs to be done. After all, Thanksgiving is just a few days away!