Almost there

 The last few days of the semester are upon us. The energy in the hallways is electric as both students and teachers prepare for a long two week respite. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to putting away my bras and good pants as I prepare to lounge and relax throughout Christmas break. This year has been nothing but exhausting and I am desperate for a break.

Robby, who has already begun his winter break, is settling into full relaxation mode. I love having him home although I can tell that he is struggling to assimilate. It is hard to go from being on your own to being a child back in the family home. Of course, by the time we all figure out our footing it will be time for him to go back to school.

Speaking of going back to school, I need to scoot. My students await. Have a great day. 

Shoulder

 I have a sore developing on the outside of my residual limb. I am not terribly surprised by the skin breakdown. After more than 2 decades as an amputee, I know that cold weather and increased activity are my perfect storm for blister development. My experience has also let me become adept at treating the issues quickly which usually allows me to avoid immobility. 

I felt the sore start to develop towards the end of last week. I immediately applied a blister band-aid and adjusted my gait to relieve the pressure. While the sore healed quickly, adjusting my gait led me down a rabbit hole of issues. Almost immediately the knee on my sound side started to hurt. As my body adjusted to compensate for the knee pain, my hip began to ache. 

Ugh. I was miserable walking over the weekend, but I was determined to heal before work. I brought out the crutch and informed my family that mom was taking a day off. Almost immediately after this declaration I reached into the pantry for a can of beans and twisted my back.

The pain on Sunday was relentless. I usually have a high threshold, but Sunday's back issues brought me to tears. Each movement led to wafts of pain radiating across my shoulder and down through my oblique. After medication and a lot of stretching, the pain began to ease into a manageable misery. 

In the wee hours of Monday morning I felt a strong desire to twist my back. The popping that was created within my shoulder brought stars to my eyes it was so intense. Almost as instantly, the nagging pain released and I felt better.  My shoulder is still very sore, but I am again mobile. 

Getting old stinks! 

Pentatonix

 It has been a long time since I've attended a big holiday event. Last week that unfortunate streak finally came to an end when I attended the Pentatonix holiday concert with my Mom, sister and niece. It was an amazing show! 

My mom, who still has her leg in an immobilizer, refused to let her leg keep her from the show. To our surprise she agreed to utilize the wheelchair for the event, which was our saving grace. Guest services changed our tickets to the press box so that my Mom could remain comfortable and we could all stay together. Talk about an upgrade!

If you have the opportunity to see a Pentatonix show, I highly recommend going. After such a difficult year, it was the perfect way to switch my head into a holiday mood. I'm still struggling to fully embrace the season but I definitely felt uplifted and happier because of the show. 

This weekend was also special because we moved Robby home from college. It is hard to believe that another semester has come to a close. I'm so proud of him, and I'm really looking forward to having him home for an entire month!