April 15, 2010

Need to put a check in the mail to the government today. And the the big tax stuff is done for another year. Whoopee, I think!!

The surgery is six days away. Was brushing my teeth last night and thinking about how this is going to change my daily routine. Reading about prosthesis, I find that it is recommended that, when you take the new titanium leg off at night, you should clean up the cup part of it and you should wash your residual limb. Seems to me that says to "take your shower at night". And that would be after you stand at the sink and brush your teeth, or maybe you brush your teeth sitting in the shower on the shower chair? And then, if I shower at night, do I shower again in the morning? I am a morning shower person because the warm water in the morning gets these old joints warmed up and moving. Fingers are stiff, neck doesn't turn as well, back doesn't bend as well until I've been in the shower. Does this all mean I bathe twice a day, morning and night? Do I have the time for that? Interesting, the little things one can stuck on.

Here's another one - one where a change is already being forced. I am a "get up and make my bed" person. My unmade bed offends me - and besides I like to see the quilt that is on the bed at any given time spread out and being its beautiful self. So, I get out of bed, make the bed, and then head to the shower. This is harder to do right now, because the foot is really barely connected to the leg; standing on it before I put the brace on is not easy. So, I head to the shower on two crutches, shower, return to my room and dress, including putting the brace on my leg, then I make the bed. It bothers me to do it this way. It feels backwards. And I'm sitting on an unmade bed as I dress. Is this the way of the future? I know I need to get the prosthesis on before I can move around and make the bed, so I guess is it.

And isn't it interesting how stuck we can be in "the way it is". Here I am, someone who talks all the time about managing change, and I'm balking at these small changes to my daily routine. One of my favorite expressions for folks that I am working with or my family is "get over it, honey". I'm telling that to myself, but I don't like it anyway.

On another note - I slept alone in my house last night. First time in more than 14 months. Son and family slept in their new (old) house last night. I hope it went well for them. They moved their beds and their clothes yesterday afternoon. They moved themselves and the two dogs and the cat (and the cat and dog food too). There is still all sorts of stuff in my house that they need to take, but they are on their way. I am so glad for all of us. I had someone painting one of the bedrooms last night, and will get the guest beds in today and the big long arm quilting machine out of family room and upstairs in the other room before the end of today. Taking this house back is another recovery process!!