Foot Update

Monday I had my stitches taken out (before racing to be with Jeff and Chase at Chase's allergy testing appointment). I think the most exciting part about having the stitches out is that I can now take a real shower without worrying about my foot getting wet, which by the way, is impossible!!!!! Dr. M said my foot looks good, in fact, it looks so good that if it were any better it wouldn't look like I had surgery! As a result, I only have to wear my walking boot through next Monday and then I can go back to my tennis shoes until my follow-up on the 18th!!!! I am so excited! While my walking boot is highly fashionable, I'll be so glad to be out of it because fashionable does not equal comfortable! ;o)

Several of you posted about having the same issue with your foot and my heart goes out to you. If you are not experiencing, words really can't describe the pain this can cause. I'm talking debilitating, make you want to cry pain. I think I posted this, but I know I went too long without getting in to a podiatrist. I dealt with the pain for about a year and then went to my regular MD. She told me stretches and exercises to do, but to be honest, I should have immediately just gone to a specialist. I truly think that had I done that in the beginning, I would not have gotten to the point of doing surgery. However, I didn't and even after doing stretches, exercises, insoles, and cortisone shots (ouch!) mine did not get better. So, surgery was my last option. It has not been easy, but I don't regret my decision at all. If you are having issues, I strongly urge you to go to a podiatrist asap so you can hopefully avoid surgery.

Now for the graphic pictures, this is my foot 11 days after surgery:


Those are not the best pics because they were taken with my phone in the dark (thank God for flash on the phone), but you get the picture. It's pretty tender because there is more pulling now that the stitches are out and it's not wrapped as well (basically just a bandaid at this point), but I can already tell it's better than it was before surgery. Hopefully I'll be back to 100% very soon!!!

****I am grateful for
1) a great recovery
2) not much longer in my walking boot
3) healing
4) beautiful weather
5) little moments that make lasting impressions

Cutest mugshot I've ever seen!

On Saturday Chase lost another tooth!! Can't believe how much of a difference there is when it's a top one, totally changes his looks! My baby is growing up too fast!!!!

****I am grateful for
1) The Tooth Fairy
2) lost teeth
3) adorable mugshots
4) big, happy smiles
5) another day in paradise

Our Angels

Our sweet twins should have been turning two today, instead they are in heaven watching over us. I bet Molly is sitting right beside them and their other brother (I know Chase's twin was a boy, just as I know the twins were a boy and a girl, I have no doubt). One day I'm gonna hold those four in my arms, it's going to be an awesome day! ***I am grateful for 1) Even if I never got to hold three of our sweet babies in my arms, I get to hold them in my heart forever, and I will meet them one day 2) Chase, he is truly a miracle from God 3) Emery, she is our secodn miracle from God 4) every single day, you just never know 5) Under 40 days of school left, I can do this.... right?

Opening Day & Chase's 1st Official T-Ball Game!

Today was Opening Day 2011 for WYAA and it was crazy! We had a lot of fun and our Little Aggies play hard! Even though we lost by three points, they did awesome!!!! Chase got base hits both times he was up to bat AND he scored a run! He had lots and lots of family to cheer him on too! Our umpire was Coach Blake from our school and he snagged the game ball and put it in his pocket early on and threw out another one for them to play with. After the game, you'd never guess who he gave it to. ;o) How awesome that we have the official game ball from Chase's first official T-Ball game! Emery was the team cheerleader (along with her friend Lilly, who's big brother also plays on the team). She was adorable and completely worn out by the end of the game, but in her defense, it was a long day. She is even in the official team picture! Here's our day in pictures!

















****I am grateful for
1) an awesome game
2) such a fun opening day
3) our awesome family
4) the game ball, thanks Coach Blake!
5) being so very blessed

Ugh, ouch, and OMG that hurt!

So, way back when I was pregnant with Emery I noticed the side of my left foot hurting, like I had cracked it or something. I have a fairly high pain tolerance and just complained here and there and totally ignored it for way too long because I really didn't have time to deal with it. Pregnancy, newborn, toddler, kindergartner, karate, work, house, etc... my schedule is booked. Then last summer came and there were times that I could barely walk on it. I'd limp around like a lame duck, looking pathetic, and then just getting really, really, really pissed. I played Dr. Google and diagnosed myself with planters fasciitis of the left foot and tried stretching and all of those good things that Dr. Google says to do. Then I went to my doctor who confirmed what I thought and told me to get some good insoles and stay off of it because really, "rest is the best medicine." Umm, toddler, kindergartner, karate, work, house, etc.... rest does not fit in with those others words. So I did what I could and it got worse, and worse, and worse. My high pain tolerance was seeming less and less tolerable. Long story short I went to the podiatrist who ended up giving me three cortisone shots in the heel (holy mother of God they are like 10x worse than any IVF shot) and that would work for a little while and then the pain would return.

Now I can think of one good reason to have surgery: hello, we are hitting Disney World in less than 10 weeks and I have got to be able to do some walking!!!!! Considering I could barely walk the rodeo I knew I'd never make Disney in this shape. On the other hand, I could think of about a zillion reasons not to have surgery. Toddler, kindergartner, karate, work, house (two story house w/all the bedrooms up at that), etc... I'm telling you, you have no clue how valuable a foot is, until you can't use it!

Long story short (as if it's not too late for that), he said surgery, I said no. Then he said surgery again and shoved his thumb right into my heel, causing me to crumble into a zillion bawling pieces and I said bring it cause I think I'm going to die now. So, after postponing it one more time I finally gave in and had the surgery last Friday.

Recovery has been tough. Real tough. The Princess does not understand why I can't be at her beckon call and Chase is worried, but really he's more into the crutches and knee walker (look it up, pretty cool). Fortunately, Jeff has been awesome, he really is the.best.husband out there! The stairs are my worse enemy and even little things like going to bathroom, I know TMI, are a total nightmare. I know it was the right thing to do, but OMG this has kicked my butt. I am using muscles that I didn't even know existed and ache all over. I was told to take two weeks off minimum, but unless I want to pay $240/day back to the district, that was not going to happen. Since I didn't want to pay $240/day, I went back to work today. I now know why they say to take off. Ugh. I'm beyond exhausted and can barely move. Fortunately I have awesome co-workers who have been going out of their way to help, which I'm very grateful for.

Now that I've rambled, here is my new fashion accessory. If I'm going to wear a boot, then it's going to look good! ;o) Please ignore the dirty toes, the t-ball fields and playground are so dusty that after one step, you're covered.

Now, if you're not squeamish and can handle nasty pictures, here's a picture of my foot three days past surgery. It was briefly unwrapped, checked, and rewrapped Monday afternoon. Once I saw it I knew exactly why it hurt and was quite eager to have it covered up again. Can we just say gross? Stitches come out next Monday.

So, right now I'm just praying and begging that it heals right and I'm done with all of this nonsense for like... ever! This my friends, has just knocked me on my ass.

****I am grateful for
1) a smooth surgery
2) awesome coworkers
3) the evenings when I can rest!!!
4) every day of recovery that is behind me!
5) never having to do this again (I pray)

Some fun and totally useless information.

Fun blog post for the day. Thank Amber!

1. Age: 34
2. Bed size: king
3. Chore you hate: 99.9% of them
4. Dogs: Three (French Bulldog and two boxers, just lost our English Bulldog, Molly, a few weeks ago)
   
5. Essential start to your day: lovin' from my three sweeties
   
6. Favorite color: pink and blue
   
7. Gold or silver: I like both
8. Height: 5’ 3"
   
9. Instruments that you can play: a little piano
   
10. Job title: Teacher and Mom
11. Kids: Chase - 6, Emery - 1
    
12. Live: Texas
    
13. Mom’s name: Darlene
    
14. Nicknames: Don't really have any
    
15. Overnight hospital stays: 2 different ones when I was 13 for a very severe staph infection; when I had my two children; 4 days after Chase was born I was readmitted for what we later found out was my gallbladder; then gallbladder surgery
    
16. Pet peeve: smokers (blech) and know-it-alls
17. Quote from a movie: "Don't make me light my butt" Raymond from Princess and the Frog... butts are VERY funny around our house
18. Righty or lefty: Righty
19. Sibling: Two - William and Katie (my twin in heaven)... technically I have more half siblings than I can count thanks to my father... at least if I ever need an organ I'm good! ha!
    
20. Time you wake up: butt crack of dawn (ha, told you butts were funny in our house)... seriously the alarm goes off at 6:00
21. Underwear: whatever is clean
    
22. Vegetables you dislike: cabbage... ick
    
23. What makes you run late: I have a 6 year old and a 1 year old, enough said
    
24. X-rays: foot, leg (staph infection)... I really think that's it
    
25. Yummy food you make: Enchiladas and Chicken N Dumplings
26. Zoo favorite animal: Giraffe
    

If you blog. fill out your own ABC’s and leave me a link in the comments so I can check out yours.

****I am grateful for
1) love the weekends!
2) a good surgery (more on that later)
3) a quick recovery (I pray)
4) rest
5) 9 weeks of school left until summer!

Rodeo 2011

This year we frequented the Houston Live.stock Show and Rodeo twice. On the 15th Jeff and I went to see KISS and then last Saturday we took Chase to see Brad Pais.ley. I have never really listened to KISS, but Jeff loves them so I was more than happy to go. Even though I've never really been in the KISS Army, the show was good, that I'll admit! Brad was awesome too, he always is. We didn't take the camera because there are so many people and so much walking that we didn't want to deal with it, but we did snap a couple of pics with the phone. Here's Chase in front of the freshly hatched chicks:



Here he is totally enthralled with Brad Paisley

The parking was horrible and they seriously need to get that under control but the rodeo/concerts were worth it. Not to mention the one-on-one time he got with Mommy and Daddy - priceless!!!!

****I am grateful for
1) one-on-one time
2) two great concerts
3) a night out
4) a great rodeo
5) I know surgery will go well on Friday, I have faith