Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Let Them Eat Cake!


Did you all see Joe's entry on the George Washington University students prank on campus police? Bahaha! I love it! Check out the photos they are just too funny! Now I would think this is going to tick off CP quite a bit & it is just the beginning of the term. Oh Boy!

Can you imagine others doing things like this? Like on your spouse...man! HA! Any suggetions?

Monday Photo Shoot: Body Parts

John's Monday Photo Shoot is Body Parts...ha! Too perfect for today...ok so technically that was yesterday now but...

WARNING: Icky surgery photos! If you don't like blood you might want to just not look! :-) Added them this way so you can enlarge if you like!

Pix 1-6:

Those of you following my journal probably already know I had foot surgery a year ago last Sept. I had injured my foot on a roller coaster 5 yrs ago come this July. I had just thought it was bruised & it settled down in about a month but when I went back to teaching that fall I could not walk down the hallways. I was literally leaning against the walls. I had ice on it in my office & on Vicodin & was still in pain. Doctor after doctor they were not very helpful. I did have a great PT guy who did get me walking pretty good, but it never really went away completely & acted up at times. Finally, the 6th doctor MRId it again & by that time I had lost 92% of my Tendon (PLT). I had an aggressive growing Lipoma. Lipomas do develop due to trauma. So they had to go in & take it out & then graft some muscle. I got back about 50% of my muscle which once it gets developed fully it can give me 100% strength potentially.

I was off work for about 9 weeks. It was NOT fun! I had stomach complications after surgery and I am not a good person to just sit & watch tv etc that long. I am use to being out & about...hiking & biking, shopping...that alone was killing me! ....just use to doing  so much in a day & reduced to sit on your butt was not me! Oh and dancing...man it is not good when your spirit can't dance! My hips were going through withdrawal! The first 3 days I was only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom. Next 2 weeks I could only walk 10 min/hr, next 2 weeks 20 min/hr & next 2 weeks 30 min/hr. UGH!!!! Then after that I was still on crutches until about Jan/Feb.  Oh & then in Jan & Feb I stubbed two toes (on separate days!) first one on the foot I had surgery, I killed the ligament in between the first knuckle (tip of my toe) so that is real flimsy now. The second time was a baby toe on my good foot. I was on the phone when I did it & man....well turns out I broke it in 2 places. One healed good, just a line fracture but the chip that came off is not wanting to reconnect. Ugh!It isn't bad now but then I had to get that all taped up to my foot. They don't tape it to the other toes, that can pull the fracture away. So then I was waddling like some women 9 mo pregnant with both feet hurting. UGH! Then one day I dropped a totally filled shampoo bottle right on it! Good thing noone was within earshot! Although the guy upstairs may have just heard me!

Pix 7

I was doing pretty good until this past July. I was shopping at Michaels & stepped off the curb and had pain so bad I was in tears. Every step I took excruciating. I ended up in a cast for 9 weeks...killing the rest of my summer! Again only 20 min of walking per hr. I had tore the tendon, had tendintis, tore the plantar fascia & had Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. He changed my cast every 2 weeks so that was a nicebreather and it didn't look so nasty by the end of the 9 weeks. He said I really didn't do anything that thinks "just happen".

Pix 8-12

These pix are after I got my cast off at the end of summer. Still not great, as you can compare my arches but much better and I was icing it to death. I was asked to go to a PT guy up north who was finishing his Dissertation in Neurophysiology. Dr. Z said for some reason all the patients that go there make such incredible progress in such a short time. I know why! He is WONDERFUL! First thing he told me was I was walking wrong. Had me trying to walk a straight line. Right! HA! I'm not sure I could ever do that! I asked for a note in case some cop stopped me! Ha! No, I wouldn't have a need really but just was funny thinking about it. Ultrasounded it to death...highest level! I could feel my whole foot in my skin! YIPES! Cortisone machine really helped. Then I had to learn to walk on my toes! Ya Right...this is why I never went into Ballet! Exercises everyday, TENS stimulation etc. I was getting pretty good and then my PT benefits ran out in Nov.

Pix 13-18

This was tonight! You can see the arch is not that great & actually it is better than Friday night. I was at a friend's friday and before heading out to dinner we sat & chatted for a bit. I had my shoes off & as I was happily talking I got this HUGE pain...sitting!!! I ws like "what was that?" Then 2 more about 50% of the first one. We did try to head out & walking wasn't hurting too bad so we had a nice time. When I got home & iced it & took the Motrin, Tylenol etc. Called Sat & they said come in today.

I had been to Dr. Z last week just for routine & told him it wasn't really bothering me too much and just showed him where it was hurting a bit & a bit numb. He ultrasounded it & informed me it was not great. It was .34 & needed to be under .30. Said the tendon was not all one color either. When I went in today he ultrasounded it again & it was .44! UGH! And this is down from Friday. He said I may have tore it abit & then said, "It may just go" mean tear completely. He reminded of a story he told me in the summer of a woman who was playing basketball & went up for the ball & it just tore in half. I remembered but thought he just told me that so I wouldn't feel bad then. Today he was much more serious of a tone. I asked if we were still talking about the tendon they repaired since this seems to be more on my heal & he said, "NO! This is your Plantar Fascia!" UGH!!! Fix one & now...He said at least it settled down for me a bit and wants to see if the PT will help. He can do a shot too but wants to wait to see. Classes started today & I had 3 in a row! I tried to sit for some of them. They also have me trekking from one building to another. They are going to work on moving my class...we'll see. He said it could be that it just is getting overworked from the other tendon not 100% or it could be just it was also going to go like anyone else.

Pix 19

My cute pedicure for Christmas...nice Snowman. I tried to pamper myself after a frustrating fall term. Getting my nails done is not a typical thing for me but I am quite enjoying it. A friend of mine took me when I was in the cast this summer to perk up my spirits & it really helped. You can tell my toes are swollen too...man! Were did that ice go again. Oh anyone that has Plantar pain...one past PT said to take an 8 oz bottle of water that you have drank & fill with tap water & put in the freezer. Then you roll your arch on it. It stretches the arch and freezes it & helps for pain. Isn't that a great idea! I also have a splint to wear at night to keep it 90% & he wants me to get a Prism step stretcher for when I'm sitting at the computer etc.

Well, maybe by this summer I can start hiking, biking, shoppng & dancing again. :-)

P.S. Anyone with a foot fetish...I'm probably not the girl for you! HA! At least not yet!

Sunday, January 8, 2006

Holiday Highlights 2

For probably the past 20 years the Geneva Christmas Shopping Day has been a tradition. Started with my mom & an "aunt" of mine. Then I started going. Then my dad & "uncle" came along. Then my "aunt" and "uncle" moved out of state so another aunt & uncle were invited and came for a few years. I think a year or two it was just my folks & I & twice I have gone myself. Last year I didn't get to go because of my foot surgery. It is a sweet lovely tradition that I cherish.

Geneva is a wonderful little town of little shops and it is worth the trip. They are so welcoming. They all have lovely smiles & go out of their way to make your Christmas spirit blossom... punch (some Happy Punch!), little treats and great restaurants. Chianti's has been bought out & not as great now but some great memories. The Little Owl Tavern is great! That is usually lunch!

I love going to Kris Kringle Haus. They have lovely ornaments, angels, villages etc. This year I got Chocolate filled Candy Canes which were great! I'm still eating mine slowly.

The Little Traveler store is wonderful! Lots of little rooms of different types of items and the Christmas wine they have is Awesome! I also loved a sample of Martin & Weyrich Mascoto Allegro, so I had to buy a bottle...nope haven't had it yet! HA! Have to find a special occasion I guess. 

I also love a store called Cocoon
. I usually find some lovely gift in there for someone. There are so many more. It is a whole day experience! We usually start with lunch, then shop & then in the evening the officers block off the street where the court house is & they have their big decorated Christmas tree. The mayor comes to light the tree. Santa Lucia (Swedish) comes and Santa also. They have roasted chestnuts, they make custom wreaths, and many other lovely treats.  They have a live Manger scene also which is fun with animals, horse drawn carriage rides (hopefully one day I'll do that!) and the kids just make it! Watching the kids laugh & be wide eyed at the toys in windows or even playing with some is just what it is all about.

This year my big find that spoke to my heart was something called a branchelier! I didn't get it, but I hope to in the future. I love the woods & I love bringing the outdoors inside in my place. This is the decor I love for my living room & kitchen. I love nature & natural look. Being one with nature I think is the idea. Must be my Miami Indian in me!

P.S. Sorry the pix are blurry...I was cold & shaking! HA! You'll get the idea though!

Holiday Highlights #1

Here are a few highlights of my holiday....

Pix #1: OMG! This Santa was in Wal Mart. It danced (if you call it that!) and talked! I pushed the button & thought Santa was going to fall on me! Some kids in the aisle with me even were a bit frightened. We did have great laugh though.

Pix #2: I was driving around looking at house decorations & I pulled up by a church where some kids were have an awesome time projecting their shadow on the building. They would move back & make their shadows as big as the building! It was so much fun. I rolled down my window to hear their laughter & fun.

Pix #3 & #4: Some more house decorations! Fun!

The Family Stone



I saw "The Family Stone" today! All I can say is that EVERYONE should see it! It was AWESOME!

The message at the end is just so incredibly wonderful for every family to understand. It really makes one "get life." It goes along with one of my main philosphies in life that I have to keep reminding myself occasionally even - "Everything happens for a reason!" EVERYTHING! ;-) It is really hard to remember when you are struggling. It is in retrospect that you "get it."

There are interviews & a trailer here.

It is kinda like "Home for the Holidays" if you saw that. At least it reminded me of it a bit. I will definitely buy the DVD when it comes out. It really made me feel great! Ok with life in a way I guess.

If you get to see it I'd love to hear what you think.

Saturday, January 7, 2006

Who Invented Liquid Soap & Why?


I know I haven't updated you all on my holidays etc but I was browsing the stations & when I saw this listed I had to watch! :-) What memories...actually a variety of memories.

I love when the professor reads his story...

"'Do you love me?' she whispered. Thoughts raced through his mind. Did she really want him? What had he done to deserve this bounty? Does God exist? Who invented liquid soap and why?...Do You Love Me??? Do You Love Me???   No. It would not be tonight!"

Ahhhh! Ask & you will find out! But then again...I think too much! HA! ;-)

He was adorable then & still is! :-)

My what big eyes you have! My what big hands you have! ;-) Sorry couldn't find one with big teeth! HA! He rarely smiles big with teeth showing. Got to have him work on that!

I'll update you soon!
 

Sunday, January 1, 2006

Happy New Year!

Happy New Years Everyone!

Sorry I haven't been making entries too often lately. I was quite busy catching up for the holidays & then trying to actually enjoy the holiday. My spirit really needed it. I will try to catch you up on my Holiday time but just wanted to wish you all a 2006 filled with Love, Happiness, Good Health & Peace.

I hope you all had a lovely time tonight & were able to get a bit of dancing in! I say do some dancing all day today! Start the year off right! :-)


Sweet Dreams for your first night of 2006!