It's been a rough week. I am in a boot and crutches and was told to not bear any weight on the hurt leg/ankle/foot at all. Usually I mind that instruction except when getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I'm not going to dig out the crutches just to go 10 feet, pee, then go back to bed. So at that time I walk on the hurt ankle/bottom of leg/foot.
My attitude has been somewhat sour. For the most part I smile and pretend like it doesn't bother me and I crutch around like no body's business. However the pain has been intense and more than I feel I can handle at times. It's amazing how many people ignore me, especially when I need help at home, work and at stores. So many doors don't have handicap buttons on them. Now how am I to open doors when my hands are full with crutches? Whatever, I manage, but in the meantime usually put weight on the hurt leg because I have to get the door open to get through it.
I can't do any weight bearing exercise at all like Zumba or running, and was told no swimming, biking or elliptical until the pain is gone so those are out too. So what's left? Basically Body Sculpting (crunches, planks, pushups, weight lifting (sitting in a chair or standing on one foot). I'm tired of this and want to run a really long ways away, but know that when I'm finally not injured in 6-8 weeks that I'll have to re-learn to run so running longer than 2-3 miles won't be for a while.
Thanksgiving was super hard for me as I obviously couldn't do much and depended on others to help me cook.
I managed to prop my body up on a bench in the kitchen so I could sit on my butt, then prop my leg up on another bench so it wouldn't be hanging (the boot weighs a ton) and then prepare as much as I could. I'm sure Jason would have done everything, but I didn't want him to have to do it all.
I managed to make my pretzel/jello salad, brocolli salad, peel all the eggs and make the filling for deviled eggs, peel the squash, cut up all the lemon and banana bread, make a cherry pie and clean out the fridge and rearrange it so we could get more in there.
Jason was awesome and did a ton of things to get ready for our day. He cooked the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, squash, filled the deviled eggs and did all the running for me. I was asking him constantly, "can you get this out, or that out, or can you put this away, can you get me a clean dish towel, can you do this, can you put this in the oven, etc." I'm sure everyone (especially my teens that I picked on way more than usual yesterday) couldn't stand me by days end.
No shopping for me this year, although only once I can ever remember going Black Friday shopping. I'm a huge fan for shopping local and supporting small businesses so I don't like going to those stores that
1. Are open on Thanksgiving (we should get to spend time with our families and so should the people who work at those stores).
2. Have people camped out for days just to save $100 on a TV or other electronic they really don't need.
3. Have people pushing and shoving because they are so dang rude.
4. Or big name stores that open between midnight and 3a.m. just to beat the next store out of their deals.
It's such a rude day and I really can't stand it.
I have to work at my job today. WHY? Because I've only worked at this job a whole year and others have been here for 5-10 or longer years. I have to work today which totally bites, so while my children are home from school I'm here. I don't feel this place should even be open today because nothing is going on, none of our reports are even coming through, no e-mails are coming in my inbox and everyone who is here seems grumpy or is talking about how they would rather not be here.
It's frustrating for me to even be here. At least I only have 6 days left of full time work. Today and all next week since the company declared that my last day will be November 30th, even though I put in for my last day as December 21st. They hired someone early and she is staying so I got a two week notice and I'm out the end of November. I guess I shouldn't be upset for this is what I wanted (to work less and be with my family more), but then again it's a bummer because I did expect to finish off the year working full time and to be out of work 3 weeks before Christmas will be tough on our family. Guess I shouldn't have been so dang nice and given my work a 7 week notice to leave. Should have waited and stuck them with a lousy 2 week notice. Thing is, this job is sooooooooooooooo stressful and takes 1-2 months to learn it, so I thought I'd be nice by not only giving extra notice, but offering to train the new person so it wouldn't put strain on everyone else around here.
I hope I find a part time job soon. I hadn't started looking since I THOUGHT I was working until Dec. 21st and now I'm not so I better find another job soon.
On a good note, I ordered pies from Perkins for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. A lemon meringue for Jason and whoever else wanted it and a Chocolate Peanut butter pie for me and who ever else wanted it. My pie was amazing and I was in heaven for the whole 10 minutes that I ate it.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and got to spend some of it with people they loved.
It all started with Michelle Lewis from Ohio, and Jason Clark from California. We met on a bus in Chicago in January of 1992. This is a blog that documents our crazy life.
1 comment:
Michelle,
I was basically in the same position last year that you are this year. Jim and I spent Thanksgiving day alone, sending Kaitlin and Ammon up to Chelsey's because I couldn't do anything. The kids brought yummy food home but I couldn't eat anything - drugs and I don't get along and I lost my appetite. It was a cheerless holiday season so I get the drift of what you are saying. This year has been wonderful. Our day yesterday was relaxing and wonderful. The food was scrumptious and it was nice just to have one family to talk to and to have a conversation where everyone would hear without a million swirling around. I love to have my family all gather, but yesterday was super relaxing.
It's been one year and a week since I had surgery. It's been one tough year but today I'm putting up the Christmas tree and decorating for Christmas. Gillian did all that for me last year. You'll heal and you will probably look back at this experience and be grateful simply because you will realize what Jason did to help out and what your children did to help out as well.
One thing I did that helped me was to put a large piece of paper on my bedroom door and then I wrote down every little single thing that made me feel gratitude when I noticed what someone did for me. That was to help me look for positive things because it's really hard for me to let others do things that I can do quicker or better. I learned that I couldn't do them better and I felt a lot of gratitude after that. It really helped me get through the first tough weeks.
I hope you heal quickly and that by Christmas you are able to feel the Spirit of love and happiness. The holidays are really hard when you are ill and down.
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