Wednesday, March 24, 2010

It's about 6:30 Wednesday morning and I should be on a plane arriving in Chicago. Instead, I'm sitting in my bed writing my blog. I set my alarm (or so I thought) for 4:15 am so I could leave for the airport by 4:45. I woke up at 5:15 and found the alarm set to snooze instead of to wake. So much for working with my friends at UIUC this week. I am trying to reschedule the trip for two weeks out.

I saw the orthopedist yesterday. We scheduled the surgery for April 21 - a Wednesday. And he said that I would go home either Thursday or Friday. It's the going home part without part of my right leg that is a little scary. I asked where the amputation would occur and had him draw me a line on my leg. 2/3 of my lower leg will be removed. Why so high up, I ask, as it is just above the ankle where the problems begin. This has to do with accommodating the new, hi-tech prosthesis. And to stroll in Seattle and on the Oregon coast and in Paris and Brussels and to do a b&b tour of Ireland, I want a new, hi-tech prosthesis for sure.

Many of you have seen the old picture - 1970 - Annie and "the boys" at the IBM data processing managers seminar in San Jose. I was garbed in an off-white polyester dress with a mini-skirt. I was looking at my legs in that picture just this week. They are big and strong and they look healthy. I am going to miss that right leg, even if it doesn't look like that anymore.

I took some photos of the x-ray of the foot yesterday and will post one of them later today.