Fall

 My heart is hurting this morning for my Mom. Yesterday she lost her balance as she was trying to disinfect her dishwasher and she ended up falling with significant force. Now my Mom is a bit of a professional faller. She has taken dramatic tumbles across streets, on boardwalks, in hallways, in school parking lots and a variety of other locations during her 'career.'  She has emerged with horrible road rash and gnarly bruises, but she has never caused any damage. Until yesterday.

She began complaining about pain as soon as my sister and nephew tried to help her up. When I learned that she was en route to the hospital, I steadied myself for bad news. It turns out that she has broken her tibia and that her knee replacement may or may not have been compromised. We won't know if surgery is required until Thursday.

In the meantime, she is in a full leg immobilizer at home. Talk about miserable! She is in significant pain and a lot of discomfort from the brace. If you are in contact with my Mom, please consider reaching out. I think she could lean into her support army right now.

 

Halloween

 Another Halloween has come and gone. This year was special because it marked our first Halloween in a new state. I heard that our street was 'epic' for trick-or-treaters, so I decided that this was the year we were going to make our impression. We were going to be the fun Halloween house.

I filled my mom in on my plans and she immediately agreed to come down and to help me with the execution. Friday afternoon was spent moving the fire pit down to the end of the driveway and setting up the treat table. I brought down my wireless speaker and some spooky lights to finish off the effect. By the time the sun was setting, we had the start for a fun neighborhood party.

Sigh. Yet again, I set up a party only to have nobody attend. We hosted maybe 20 trick-or-treaters, all of whom were incredibly impressed by our efforts and our offerings. But it certainly was not the hundreds I was anticipated. Like so much in West Virginia, I was left deflated and confused. Even though nobody came to our party, my mom and I had a blast!

While we were overseeing our lonely party, Scott and Timmy headed out on the scooter to trick-or-treat. The pair returned about 40 minutes later to grab the car keys so that they could venture into 'better' areas. They came back a few hours later with a bag overflowing with candy, many of which are full size, and plans for where they are going to go next year.

 

 

Fun!

 Yesterday was busy but fun. After school was over for the day we grabbed the Halloween costume (and Timmy) and headed to Shepherd University. Robby, who is not thrilled with the dining hall offerings this year, was more than willing to join us for a family dinner out before the trick-or-treat event. It was really nice just hanging out and enjoying a slower paced meal together. Life has been so hectic since I started working, I have learned to relish these family moments.

After a delicious dinner (that I didn't have to cook) we took the boys back to campus for the event. Robby both delighted and surprised Timmy by donning his own food themed costume. (I must admit that the sight made me smile as well.) While the boys went to the Halloween party, Scott and I hung out on campus. 

Night routines were rushed because of the late outing, but that is par for the course for Halloween week. After all, it isn't everyday you are invited to your big brother's college campus!

 

 

Shep or Treat

 I have a brand new pair of Nike sneakers and OMG- the difference in my leg pain is overwhelming. Within a minute of donning the new sneakers the pain radiating up through my leg and into my hip started to dissipate. While I'm still sore from overusing muscles, the constant strain and pain is gone. 

Last night I realized that I am at an age where I cannot purchase shoes simply by their appearance. My need for a structured insole and support will not be swayed by fashion. I only have one biological foot remaining and I really do need to take better care of it. I'm thinking I need to explore socks with arch support next.

The socks will have to wait though because tonight's event has been on our calendar for weeks. Robby has invited Timmy to campus to participate in "Shep or Treat" with him. (Last year we didn't know what it was so Robby did not register in time.) Hamlet has hardly been able to contain his excitement. He is ecstatic to spend the evening with his big brother at his college. The fact that they will be trick-or-treating and getting candy makes it even better! 

Pics to follow! 

shoes

 The pain I feel through both of my legs has become increasingly problematic. Initially I just experienced the discomfort at night after a long day of walking. Now I wake up hurting and the pain only intensifies throughout the day. The pain is omnipresent and is becoming exhausting.

I don't believe that the pain is radiating from my prosthetic side. I have no socket discomfort (knock on everything lucky) and the skin is intact. I feel comfortable in my socket and I don't have any indication that the fit is wonky. Instead, I suspect that the pain is originating through my biological foot.

Trying to look at every variable, I have honed in on my shoes. My current shoes are cute and bright pink. Because I was working from home, those were the only two requirements I considered. Now that I am walking nearly 20k steps a day and climbing 10+ flights of stairs with students, my shoe needs have changed.

I wanted to buy a new pair of shoes after work yesterday but a flat tire stymied my plans. Instead I opted to remove an insole from an old shoe to create my own arch support. The pain did not go away but it definitely lessened. 

On tap for today- acquire a pair of working in the community shoes. I think my body will thank me. 

Email

I've often said that life can change so quickly. A phone call or an unsolicited email can push your life path in an entirely unexpected direction. Earlier this week, we had this experience again.

 So in the weirdest and most unpredictable turn of events, it seems that Scott will be leaving his current position to assume one for which he is incredibly qualified. He applied, interviewed and was denied this position two times already. The final denial was the last straw and the impetus for us to start evaluating other alternatives because getting roughed up on a daily basis was not sustainable for our family.

We spent the morning filling out applications online before Scott headed into work. As I was getting dressed I received a text message from him with a screen shot. Apparently the individual who had been selected for the coveted position is unable to accept it, and they wanted to know if Scott was interested.

I had to redo my make up because the news made me cry.

The thought of Scott in this position, interacting and impacting a wider population of students is amazing. He is going to rock this new role, and I couldn't be happier for him. Selfishly, I am also elated because I am counting on this new professional endeavor to lift the Eeyore mentality that has taken over my husband. 

 

Mom Unfiltered

I had intended to attend the No Kings protest on Saturday with my Mom, but a last minute decision changed my destination. My dear friend's dad has entered hospice and I really wanted to visit both my friend and her dad. Instead of going to the protest, I drove to Allentown to spend the day quietly visiting. (I did wear a protest shirt which garnered some attention, so I feel like my views were still communicated.)

After visiting in the hospital I drove to my Mom's house for the night. The visit was too short but enjoyable. I wish I could have stayed longer, but the whole 'job' thing certainly gets in the way. LOL 

Of course, just because I didn't protest does not mean that my mom did not. Undeterred, she grabbed her walker and went into Harrisburg to lend her voice to the collective. My sister sent my a photo of her at the protest. I could tell by the smile on her face that she was having an amazing time. But the words on her sign made me laugh aloud.  She is certainly embracing the 'unfiltered' stage of life.