Hibachi

 Yesterday was wonky because our schools were open while everything around us was closed for the holiday. Because of this disconnect, more than 1/2 of my students did not show up for school yesterday. I'm not complaining though because it was a nice way to ease back into the week. As a bonus, I was able to surprise Timmy with Hibachi for lunch because my afternoon kiddos were AWOL. Needless to say, Hamlet was delighted!

Today we are waking up to a two-hour day due to ice. Sadly the decision to delay was not called until 6:40, at which point we were already up and ready for work. If the call had come an hour earlier we could have slept in, but instead we are watching TV and waiting for the time to click by.

After several days of rest, the sores on my leg have begun to heal. I'm again comfortable in my socket, although I'm continually nervous that something else will happen. Hopefully I'll be able to maintain a status quo until summer break, when I can start the process for a new leg. 

Have a great day!

 

Shook

 In the early morning hours on Friday Robby was awoken by commotion in the parking lot outside of his dorm. He viewed the heavy police presence as an annoyance because he was trying to sleep. It wasn't until he woke up that he learned the reason for the police activity and it shook him to his core.

A student at Shepherd University was 'fatally shot.' He was murdered, but for some reason 'fatally shot' is the softer explanation. Because the victim was in the same incoming freshman class, Robby recognized him from the orientation activities they participated in last year. It's hard to process when a peer dies so tragically. 

I must admit that I am impressed by the campus security response. Within moments of being notified the surveillance cameras were pulled from across campus. The assailant was identified and cornered in parking lot adjacent to the dorms. He was taken into custody without further incident, and for that I am eternally grateful. 

Robby came home over the weekend to get away from the chaos on campus. We spent a lot of time talking about senseless violence and how to regain your feeling of safety. I know he is going to be okay, but this is going to stay with him for awhile. 

Ouchy

 Yesterday was physically difficult. My Thursday schedule is always busy. I've tried rearranging the kiddos service times, but I haven't figured out who I can move without completely disrupting their existing schedule. So, I go into each Thursday morning knowing that I'm going to be exhausted when I come home from work.

Yesterday was especially painful because the pinch cut opened up about 1/2 of the way through my day. Ouch! I spent the remaining hours struggling to keep my liner from rubbing against the growing sore. By the time I finally walked into the house at the end of the day I was hobbling and walking more like Frankenstein than I care to admit.

I spent the night tending to the wound, and thankfully this morning it is scabbed over. My schedule today is rather light so my leg should begin to heal. I'm going to keep it off for most of the weekend, so hopefully by Monday morning I'll be ready to go!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, but we are referring to it as Saturday. All of the males in this house detest the holiday, so I have abandoned my aspirations of pink and red hearts decades ago. If you celebrate, I hope you enjoy your day!  

Lonely

Neosporin and Tegaderm patches have become my best friends as I try to heal my impressive pinch cut. I'm grateful that I worked out a solution so that I can remain at least quasi-mobile during the healing process. Unfortunately I've been forced to slightly modify my gate to keep the weight off of that area of my socket. This has caused muscles to hurt that I didn't know existed. By the end of the day I'm exhausted and I feel tied up like a pretzel, but I am also relieved that I made it through.

Between the pinch cuts and an increase in work frustrations and meetings, this week has been rough. I am feeling incredibly lonely, which is strange in a house full of people. I love my job and my students, but I really miss having local friends. I've tried to form friendships with co-workers, but it feels either pushed or my attempts are not reciprocated.  

I am struggling because I don't feel like I fit in. I never appreciated how difficult it is to forge friendships in your middle years. I'm just feeling very.... lonely.

 

Ouch

 Ouch.

Yesterday I ended up in the middle of a small scuffle in the hallways, which resulted in my getting shoved into a locker. I'm fine except for the ginormous and extraordinarily painful pinch sore that was created as a result of the impact. Right at the brim line of my socket, the sore slowly bled and oozed throughout the day which made working and concentrating difficult. By the time I finally came home, my liner was encased in dried blood and the skin was raw.

Sometimes being an amputee really stinks, and yesterday was one of those days!

I spent the evening nursing my injured limb, trying to coax the skin into premature healing. Despite all of my efforts, I know that it will take about a week for my limb to completely heal. In the meantime, I am going to be aware of each tenuous step. 

 

SleepOver

 Friday was bittersweet.  My dearest friend's father passed away and I traveled back to PA for his funeral. While I was sad for the occasion, I selfishly admit to being excited to be reunited with my friends. While they were the ones who were grieving, I felt like being hugged by my oldest friends was healing. 

After the funeral I went back to her house and we had an old-fashioned sleepover. It has been a hot minute since I curled up with jammies, ate ice cream and fell asleep on the couch, but it was so much fun. Our sleepover was low-key which is made it perfect.  My goodness I have missed having friends. West Virginia is incredibly lonely.

Saturday I headed back to WV. Although the wind was wicked, the drive was easy. Yesterday was spent cleaning, finishing some paperwork and cooking for the week. This week is going to be busy with meetings, so I'm trying to set myself up for success.  Have a great day, and stay warm! 

snow

 We've had a small break in the cold temperatures, allowing some of the ice to finally melt. Unfortunately it won't last long so I am trying to take full advantage of the opportunity. I hate trying to walk on and around icy sidewalks and parking lots. Although I adore a good snowstorm, I abhor the mobility hazards that are often left in its wake. 

I wish I had something more exciting to share.  The first week back to work after an unexpected snow week is tough! My legs are tired by the end of the day, and all I want to do is hop into a bath and relax. I'm not sure how much of the pain is being an amputee, or just getting old.