Enjoying the holiday week ...

Just a few holiday pics from last week to share with you .... the white chocolate cranberry creme brulee was our favorite dessert of the season and the pumpkin cheesecake cheese ball from Dierbergs was our favorite appetizer - both scrumptious!

All seems to still be well with my foot and it continues to get a little stronger each day. There is more swelling than I'd like over the transplanted area, but that is not a big deal. I think my operative foot is going to end up being smaller than my left foot, so I'll need to find a new home for all those shoes that I bought in bigger sizes. Still using the compression stocking, am wearing a shoe and am only taking pain medication as my activity increases and if I feel like I really need it. I have been able to do all the holiday activities that I wanted to do this year and it has been marvelous just doing the simple things at home. Today my big accomplishment was parking in a regular parking spot at Wal-Mart and then walking around Wal-Mart with a cart .... I can't even tell you the last time that happened.

Tomorrow I see Dr. K in St. Louis in the morning and get instructions regarding starting physical therapy on Monday. On Friday morning, I will meet will with Dr. P in Chicago .... can't wait for her to see how great it is doing! I couldn't keep it a surprise so she does know about it already, but she deserves to see it in person. She is also the best one out there for rehab suggestions, so she will provide advice on that as well. The first pt session will start on January 5th after work. I will go to central IL & stay with family on Thursday (this week). My mom leaves for Orlando tomorrow morning to visit her parents and it has been several years since she has been able to go with all my surgery travels - pray that she has a meaningful time celebrating her dad's 85th birthday.

As you can see, today I learned how to import a new blog background from another Internet site. It is probably a good thing that I didn't know about it before now because there are thousands of backgrounds to choose ... if it changes more frequently now you'll know it is because of a new creative outlet.

Stepping forward into 2009,
Jenny

Great Christmas!

We had a great Christmas! It was a very relaxing day filled with yummy food and a grateful heart for the progress we've made in the past year. It was a year ago today that we were visiting the plastic surgeon in Chicago and realized that we had a serious wound probelm that needed help. January & February last year were really rough as we sought lots of medical opinions, but made little progress .... very thankful that is behind us now.

I'm still taking a little pain medication, but it is mainly due to "fatigue pain" that comes from using it and it needing to be stronger.

One of the gifts that I gave my mom was a picture that contained lots of pictures of me wearing a shoe (in the past two weeks) and several favorite pics from our medical journey. It was similar to a photo collage and was in a silver frame. Mom loved it!

We've been busy the past few days entertaining friends from out of town .... hope your Christmas Day was a special one!

Love,
je

Merry Christmas!

I'm sure that my last few days have been the same as yours .... doing last
minute gift and food preparations. Yesterday I left work early and went to visit with a friend from church that has prayed tirelessly for my foot. It was fun to visit with her and she was excited to see me arrive wearing matching shoes.

I went to Sams yesterday for several food items and also left with a great bunch of holiday greens and 16 red tulips. Brought the flowers home and had fun arranging them for a table centerpiece .... Martha Stewart would be proud. We are having Christmas Eve dinner at my house and then will go to 9pm church. Spending the night at mom & dad's house, so I'll already be there for Christmas morning. We always do a brunch and stockings on Christmas morning. I had something special made for my mom to reflect the year that we've had, but I can't tell you about it until she opens the gift. I was crying just wrapping it, so I think she will like it.

It has been wonderful to be at my house this week and be able to do simple holiday things. I had to hunt for my mixer in my kitchen yesterday because it had been so long since I had used it, I'd forgotten where it was stored!

Need to go deliver some gifts to my neighbors ..... wishing you and your family a meaningful Christmas filled with happy times, smiles & a grateful spirit.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Jenny

Busy Holiday Weekend ....

Busy holiday weekend .... I've been trying to make up for a late start with shopping, baking, cards, etc. I went to holiday events at various local churches on Friday, Saturday and tonight. It was awesome to be able to walk in places without crutches or a cast, which hasn't been the case this time the last 3-4 years. I did manage to sneek in buying a new pair of shoes on Saturday afternoon ... anxious to see how those work out. It was my normal size - yippee!

Still walking as much as I'm able. My foot gets tired and then an aching feeling happens, but that will go away with time. This week will only be post-op week #7 ... still lots of swelling in the ankle area, but it does go down each night when I sleep. I was on it a lot on Saturday, so I tried to stay indoors today and wasn't on it quite as much. My next follow-up appt. is on the morning of 12/31 in St. Louis. Pt will start the first week in January - probably 2x/week. I can tell that it does need some strengthening, but hopefully it won't be more than a month. My therapist is in the process of reviewing post-op reports, gait test notes, etc.

We went to a holiday caroling concert tonight and then the family came back to my house for white chocolate cranberry creme brulee, coffee and other snacks. It is a tradition in our family to have Christmas Eve dinner at my house, so I have to get working on that menu. In all the chaos of everything that was happening, I got mixed up .... I do have to work Mon. & Tues. of this week and then I am off.

Better get to bed .... hope you are staying warm!
je

Happy Shoe Day!

The "Happy Dance" happened today, as I made it wearing a shoe the entire day! Actually, I was late to work this morning because I couldn't find the right shoe in my closet .... don't you love it. My boss was cool with it. I found the shoe eventually, put it on, drove to work and then walked around all the cubicles in our office and pointed down toward my feet. Needless to say, everyone was happy, happy - no one has seen me in a shoe since I started working at JA 4 1/2 years ago. Lots of hugs, smiles, tears and amazement. I sent a fax to my mom at work and it read "Happy Shoe Day - hope you are celebrating, too!"

Once again I was reminded to never give up ..... would love to send pictures to all those that said I'd need to amputate, but I'll be gracious & will pass on that. Glory to God for his faithfulness, provision, grace, and BIG JOY today!

December 17, 2008 .... first day of wearing a shoe

je

Thanks, Isaac!

Last night I had the cutest and most heartfelt phone call from my little buddy Isaac (age 4, I think) .... read comment #3 on the previous post for all the details. He was so sincere when he called to tell me that he had received my Christmas card and he liked it. He really wanted to know the date when my cast came off .... who knows why, but it was on his little mind & important to him. We've met before, but it was a long time ago .... he was really excited to finally see the person with "the foot." It was like a Norman Rockwell classic moment, except on the telephone. If he was thirty years older, I'd have found my man!

There seems to be more swelling this week around my ankle area, but it is probably because I've been on it more. I'm using a compression sock and it should improve with time. It is fun to be back at my house and I've been doing holiday stuff each evening at home. On Thursday, I'm delivering Christmas gifts to the family of the student that JA provided clothing for last month ..... can't wait.

Off to make peanut clusters .... I'm going to try a tennis shoe for a few hours tomorrow at work and will see how that goes - hoping well!
je

Still walking well ....

All is still well with the foot. Each day I walk a little more on it with the boot and it continues to stay flat to the ground. I find myself "checking on it" several times a day just to make sure that nothing has changed .... it is the skeptical side of me after all we've been through. No pain has occurred yet - this is really unusual, but I'll take it. I used the scooter at work most of the week .... can't overdo it or I will be feeling it.

Several have asked me this week if the tendon problem was what needed to be fixed all along and the answer is "no." This was a new problem that started toward the end of last June and everyone was hopeful that it would just work itself out over the summer months. It was not until October that we learned from the gait test that the contraction was so severe that this was causing the foot to remain in a fixed and upward positon. We'll never know what really caused it to happen .... I haven't asked, but I am assuming that it is something that can't reappear again.

Knock on wood my artificial hip has been doing well. I was told three years ago that it was close to time to have the revision surgery done and couldn't do it because of the foot situation. I'm hoping to buy much more time with it ... the improved walking should also help my hip.

I did send my Chicago surgeon a picture of my foot this week (you'll see the
picture on my Christmas card) and she wrote back within eight minutes of receiving the e-mail and was ecstatic! She thought my foot looked grand and was very happy. I'm sure it made her week to know that she was a big part of something that finally looks to be ending successfully. I've been on my feet more this week so the transplant area (from May) on my forefoot has been really swollen. I have a compression sock that helps .... it is partially a reaction to the cast coming off this week.

I have students at work next week Tuesday through Friday and then am off for two weeks ... looking forward to the break. I'm going to try moving back to my house this weekend and will see how it goes. Mom & dad need a break. I decorated my house for Christmas before my surgery, so I'd like to enjoy it for a few weeks and am ready to return to my own bed.

Still feeling blessed in a big way and grateful for His faithfulness ....
je

Happy Day!

My big cast off day happened as planned .... lots of lotion tonight, soaked off the dead skin and looking forward to a great night sleep and feeling the sheets on my toes. All still looks really good! Foot is totally flat to the ground and my walking is good, considering there is still stiffness from the cast. Haven't tried a tennis shoe yet, as the shoe I need is at my house ... will get it tomorrow night. I have a walking boot for the next 3-4 weeks, but I have been walking tonight without it around the house. The boot lends itself to more "heel walking," so I will try to do a combination of boot and tennis shoe. The boot is supposed to provide more support. Pt will happen at the beginning of January ... glad I don't have to work that into my schedule in the next three weeks in December. There is still some swelling in the foot, but that will disappear with time.

The foot is about an inch or little more shorter and seems to be smaller all around - probably some atrophy. I'm headed to bed happy, happy, happy! Keep praying that all continues to go well .... I'll be even happier when I get out 4-6 weeks and see that nothing is changing, although I'm pretty confident we have success .... yippee! Lots of thanks to God tonight for his grace, blessings and faithfulness.

Love & hugs,
je

P.S. It turns out that the gal that I helped with the foot dr. referrals last week
goes to my church .... she saw my name on the prayer list. Small world!

Cast Free soon ....

It has been a good weekend, although a bit chilly for open toes. Someone did tell me that I should have painted my toes red-green-red-green .... not sure where you buy green nail polish, but it would have been fun - although soon my toes won't be showing. Toes are done making their "winter debut."

I shopped some yesterday at West Co. mall, but I quickly discovered that it was overly crowded for a large, bulky scooter. I almost took down an entire table of lotion in Bath & Body Works ... decided I'll continue w/holiday shopping after I can walk with no cast. The person that sets up store displays or clothing racks must have never had anyone in a wheel chair or scooter before - there is no room to manuover around. I passed up the shoes at Nordstroms ....someone needs to tell me what is so cute about those Ugh boots. They are the "in" boot, but for the price I don't think they are all that special.

Tonight is the last night for sleeping with the cast .... FOREVER! Needless to say, I'm pumped and excited for 11:40am tomorrow. Let's hope the dr. is on time and not real behind. I am anxious to try walking on it and seeing what it feels like after so long of walking with an abnormal gait pattern.

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, so if you see her tell her Happy Birthday! Will try to update the blog tomorrow night after my appt., but it may be late with a birthday dinner & all.

Love & hugs,
Jenny

Four days until "Cast off Day" .....

There are not a lot of new developments this week …. I am counting down the days until “Cast Off Day” on Monday – 11:40am … I’ve got it memorized. Out of all the casts that I have had this one has been the easiest, but it is still chilly outside and holiday time. Just think …. it is the LAST AND FINAL cast – yippee!!

On Monday I had a huge parent volunteer training session at JA with over 150 parents. One mom came up to me afterward and inquired about what happened to my foot/leg. I gave her the brief version of my saga and doctors I’d seen in St. Louis, etc. It turned out that she had a foot problem as well and was extremely frustrated w/not getting to the right dr. for medical help … been there before. We ended up talking for almost thirty minutes and I felt like I helped her with several referral names with my STL and Chicago doctors. This gal had a previous negative experience w/Wash U that was fairly similar to my experience … glad I wasn’t the only one that thought they are overrated. She was a mom that just wanted to be able to wear a shoe, too ..... my problem was much more complex than hers, but we could have talked a long time.

I have another colleague at JA that just had surgery and is having a major wound issue. We e-mailed back and forth today, but she has a long road ahead. It reminded me that a year ago this time I was the one w/a major wound problem in December and we were still dealing with it last June. I heard of someone else yesterday that has cancer and their insurance company has denied medication coverage to the tune of almost 20K. I’ve done the appeal process with insurance companies and it is a long, lonely road & in most cases the patient never wins.

There are lots of hurting people with medical issues. I find myself having the utmost sympathy toward anyone else that has foot problems or wound issues …. hopefully what I’ve learned along the way can help someone else. Part of me still wonders if one of the reasons I’ve gone through all of this is to possibly change professions to something medically related …. I’ve thought about it for a long time. We’ll see what God has for the new year ahead.

If you are headed to bed tonight healthy, be extra thankful.

je