Achy Back

 We are in the final stretch towards Christmas. Food needs to be prepped, the house needs to be cleaned, presents need to be wrapped and cookies are waiting to be baked. This is definitely not the time to have an achy back.  Unfortunately my back did not get the memo.

Yesterday morning I felt the all too familiar twinge in my lower back, heralding an impending issue. I tried to take it easy to avoid further injury, but my efforts were useless. I have been on a steady rotation of ibuprofen, back cream and ice packs. I'm hoping that the issue resolves quickly because I don't have time to be idle. 

Getting old stinks!

Mr. Bill's Christmas

 I went to the prosthetist yesterday and, after an hour of tweaking a new test socket, I am completely comfortable. The absence of pain is completely liberating! Even though this leg is considerably heavier (because the test socket plastic is so thick), I feel like I have a new pep in my step. 

It is a good thing that I am feeling energetic this morning because I have a lot to do. I haven't wrapped any presents, and I feel like Christmas is approaching like a freight train. I know I will get it all done and I am trying to not feel overwhelmed, but it is easy to become lost in my sea of anxiety.

I really miss Mr. Bill this time of year. I always used to store my presents in his house, dropping them off by his back door whenever something new was purchased. Mr. Bill would go into elf mode, unboxing and fully assembling everything for me. 

During Christmas week I would sneak over to his house, spread my supplies across his dining room table and wrap all of the presents. He would listen to his Greek music and spin me tales from his childhood while I was tangled in tape and paper. Inevitably he would tell me that I bought too much which always parlayed into the story of his Christmas when he was five years old.

As the story goes, all he wanted for Christmas was a toy gun with a holster. He talked about that gun to everybody he met and wrote letters to Santa. He fetched the water for his Mom and helped his Dad tend to the goats everyday leading up to Christmas. On Christmas morning he couldn't wait to open his presents. He didn't receive his gun, instead he unwrapped a "stupid" bow and arrow. 

His Dad told him that a bow and arrow was more useful than a toy gun. Young Mr. Bill was upset and put the bow and arrow down, pouting for the rest of the morning. Finally, his Dad told him to get his bow and they would go shoot outside. Bill grabbed the bow, drew back and arrow and let it fly- right through the screen door of their little house. His Dad grabbed the bow and he never saw it again.

He would always finish his story with a sigh, a wink and a comment about being a troublemaker from a young age. My goodness I miss him!

Holidaze

 Our holiday weekend was relatively low key. Saturday was spent working and puttering around the house. Timmy and I baked cookies (when he wasn't playing with Friend) and Robby hung out with some friends in an online D&D game.

Yesterday we packed up the boys and headed to National Harbor to watch Holidaze by Cirque. Scott and I have wanted to see this Christmas themed show for several years and we were both excited to finally attend. Because of the threat of Covid, I purposely chose seats in the back corner of the balcony so that we would be away from the crowd. We could still see the show but we did not have to contend with theater neighbors. The plan worked perfectly!

While it wasn't the most awe-inspiring Cirque we have seen, we all enjoyed the show. Timmy seemed to be the most entranced, mesmerized by both the high wire act and the roller skating acrobat. I could see his little wheels turning as he watched the show, trying to figure out how to reenact the show. As soon as we got home he strapped on his roller skates, grabbed some fake snow balls and started practicing. My little guy is both determined and fearless. I know that those traits will take him to both great places and to the emergency room.

After tweaking my socket, I am walking with improved comfort. But until I return to the prosthetist today, I am hesitant to push my limits. Hopefully a socket reduction will fix the problem, and I'll be completely pain free and comfortable this afternoon.  I have a lot to do before Saturday!

 

From Air to Rocks

I finally have a new leg! I was elated to walk out of the prosthetist's office sporting both a new foot and socket. I literally felt like I was walking on air.

As the day wore on, the pressure inside my new socket morphed into pain. I was warned that I would feel discomfort with the new socket design, and that I may even hate the it. For some reason, I assumed that it wouldn't be as bad as I was warned. I assumed incorrectly.

By the time night fell, I was hobbling around and utterly miserable. I ended up taking off the leg and crying. For the first time in a very long time, I felt disabled. 

A good night sleep and some time out of the socket has helped. This morning my steps were tender but not painful. I'm going to use a crutch for the next few days while I adjust to the new form. Hopefully the tissue will "toughen" up quickly and that I will be walking on air again soon.

New Leg? Maybe.

Today I resume my quest for a new prosthesis. I received a call to set up the appointment because my new foot has finally arrived. Although it looks like everything is pointing towards actually receiving my new leg I remain cautiously optimistic. This isn't the first time I've been down this road!

With the addition of Friend into our family, my daily step count has skyrocketed. Each day I am now walking an average of 18,000 steps. With all of that walking, a new leg will be a welcome change. 

Fingers crossed that tomorrow I will be sharing photos of my new leg! 

Shift

 After counting down from 100, it is hard to fathom that Christmas is now only 10 days and 15 hours from right now. My goodness, the time has flown! Despite ample warning, I still feel woefully unprepared. But looking back, I never really feel prepped for Christmas, so using that perspective I guess I am right on track. 

I am making an effort to relax about the holiday this year. I am trying to keep my desire for the "perfect holiday" in check, instead I am focusing on simply enjoying the season. It requires a paradigm shift in my thought processes, but in the end I think it will be better for my mental health. At least, that is what I keep reminding myself whenever I find the holiday anxiety creeping into my thoughts.

 

The Snow Ball

We had a fantastic Christmas themed weekend. On Friday night we kicked off the festivities by taking a trip to a new outdoor light experience. While Scott stayed home with Friend, the boys and I explored and oohed over all of the gorgeous light displays in the park. I was expecting the park to be busy but was happily surprised to find the pedestrian flow steady but not overwhelming. As we meandered through the winter wonderland we rarely ran into another group of people. 

I worked on Saturday until mid afternoon. When I finally logged off, I baked cookies with the boys and watched Christmas movies on the couch. To the disappointment of both Friend and Timmy, it was too windy to do much outside. Saturday evening Robby dressed and attended his first high school dance. 

Seeing him dressed in his crisp suit and red tie, I was awestruck by how handsome he has become. I had no doubt that my little Koopa had (somehow) grown up. I thought I would be heartbroken, but instead I found myself welling with pride and excitement. I eagerly watched the clock until the dance was over, eager to hear about the experience. My heart leapt when I saw his smile. He had a fantastic time at the dance with his friends.

Sunday was spent working and baking. I made two types of cookies and a red velvet cake. (I used the recipe for Scott's favorite childhood cake. He hasn't had it in nearly 8 years and was almost overwhelmed when he tasted the first bite.)

Today we are back to work, although gingerbread houses may (definitely) be in our future this evening.