Matching shoes and prayers ....

I spent the better part of Sunday getting things organized at my house and trying to get situated after having not lived at my house since early February. It is good to be back at my house, but along with it comes standing and walking. I had a rough day emotionally and was frustrated by what felt like lack of progress in Chicago. I spent considerable time researching the three prescribed medications, and probably learned more than I should.

By Sunday evening, I was feeling pretty low, in lots of pain, and was upset that there doesn’t seem to be any “good” future option as for choices. I had sent an e-mail to the Chicago orthopod expressing several concerns, and to my delight she wrote back right before I went to bed Sunday night. She didn’t write back a lot, but it was enough for me to end the day on a “better note.” There is a foot/ankle conference in Toronto at the end of this week, so she is going to speak to one of the doctors in attendance about my case. She said that she’d contact me after the conference as to how we should proceed. In the meantime, she encouraged me to take it day-by-day and just do my best. . I often feel the need to solve “everything” by tomorrow, which is not always a good thing.

She (Chicago orthopod) had the greatest “alligator leather” loafer shoes on at the Friday appointment …. I notice shoes on everyone now. I have worn an Adidas flip flop for three years on one foot and am tired of it. There are worse things, but I am ready to have the ability to wear two matching shoes. I have always loved shoes, even though there are lots that I can’t wear because of the artificial hip situation.

Blessings from today ….. this morning I arrived at work and received a job promotion (title & salary), which was a positive start to the week. Our new fiscal year started July 1 but it still came as a pleasant surprise.

I had also sent an e-mail over the weekend to the plastic surgeon (that did the skin grafting) in Chicago and updated him on my situation. I told him that we decided not to go to Baltimore at this time, since he was the one that had told me about the Baltimore doctor. He e-mailed back this morning saying that this was perfectly fine and that he’d be praying for me. In three years of seeing surgeons, no physician has ever offered to pray. I was stunned, because faith and the medical profession rarely are found together. We had a brief conversation about faith and where I went to college, within five minutes at my first appointment with him.) I think I am his first “out-of-town” patient but I am so thankful that he was willing to help me and do the skin grafting, when others in St. Louis wouldn’t even see the wound at an appointment. He has been a delight to work with …. I have the utmost confidence in his medical opinions and he has a heartfelt desire to see things get better for me. I had two names of plastic surgeons in Chicago and I picked this doctor without even calling the other person – it is not a coincidence. Although my immediate needs for a “plastic guy” are over, my gut feeling is that we are not finished working together.

As for the medication suggestions, I have not done anything with it yet. I am not normally in the “questioning mode,” but find myself very cautious about medical decisions all of a sudden. I will likely follow the plan, except for the pain medicine suggestion. I may e-mail the pain doctor some additional questions tomorrow & will do something w/it by middle of the week.

I am now on my fifth Kleenex since starting to write this, so I’d better close …. thankful for my strong relationship with the Chicago orthopod and plastic surgeon, big and little blessings of today, family, friends, and your continued prayers …. Go put on your favorite pair of shoes for me ….

je