I think these socks represent some of what I am feeling in my leg now. Well my thigh anyway. Splotches of zings and zaps. Occasional muscle spasms that can be short and isolated to spasms that quake my whole leg. I also get the wierd sensation that water is running down my leg. It’s. The weirdest thing – my leg is dry but I swear something dripped down my leg!I am now just about 4 weeks post anterior left total hip replacement. Things are going well except for the swelling and the things I mention above. The swelling is much improved though. I am no longer using the walker at all and I only use a cane if I am walking longer distances or in the gravel. It is kind of my security blanket! If I feel wobbly, I can stabiloze myself with the cane easily. If the swelling would just go away, I think the leg length discrepancy wouldn’t be as noticable. I got a new lift for my shoe and when the swelling is down it is great. So I sit and ice my thigh and wear compression stockings!PT is going great. No more “shocking” experiences – at least in the negative sense! Every time I go, they add on a new exercise. I am doing well they say! I have come a long way since I statted there! I just need to be patient. Before long I will be ready for some more action. I need to build up endurance. Slow and steady right?This is going to be a hard week for my extended family. We are laying my Aunt Cecilia to rest. She was a great woman. I loved her a lot. I wish I could be there for my uncle and cousins. But its a long way away and there is no way I could drive or even fly there right now. Please say a prayer for the family if you are the praying type.
Electrocuted 21 days Post THR
I had a shocking day at PT this morning. All was going well and as usual at the end I get a relaxing session with electro-stimulation and icing. Well I couldn’t feel one set of the pads at all turned all the way up and the other set was wonderful way down low. Turns out the first set wasn’t plugged in correctly. When someone noticed and plugged it in right – WOWSERS! It about sent me through the roof! Holy moly that HURT! He quickly turned it down after my scream shook the whole room! He couldn’t have been more apologetic! Poor guy felt so bad. I laugh/cried for a few minutes. I am still tingling….On the bright side of things, I am now using a cane not the walker! Yay! Walking is getting easier and exercising it feels good. My blood sugars have been really great lately too. My daughter has been feeding me very well and building muscle certainly helps. Can pain cause your blood sugars to increase like it can your blood pressures?To relax, I have started watercolor painting again. I did these two little bookmarks the other day. I will be giving them to some friends who brought me some gifts during recovery. Need to laminate and add a tassel. How do you relax?
The Scar, 15 Days Post THR
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Orthopedic surgeons really do have a different mindset don’t they? When I saw mine 13 days post surgery, he said my scar was beautiful. Umm, not so much doc. It’s big and ugly to me but I know eventually it will lighten up and be just fine. Here is a picture.
It actually looks better today than it did two days ago but it is still jarring to see. The swelling at my hip also bugs me but at least the swelling below the scar is getting better.
Today I start outpatient physical therapy. I am using a different company than the hospital amd home health company that started my therapies. Probably some negatives in that decision but the surgeon did say I could choose either place (and he is at the hospital). I just like the billing practice at this facility better than the hospital. At the hospital you can’t pay your co-pay at the time of service. They bill you later and you end up with a huge bill. At the other place you pay as you go. I much prefer that. And parking is better there too! My daughter used to go there and we liked them. I will let you know how it goes. I am looking forward to getting healthy and strong.
Goals
My ultimate goal is to be walking without a limp and to be pain free. I want to be able to hike in the woods for work without fear of needing to be airlifted or otherwise rescued because I can’t make it. Before the surgery, I was in so much pain that field work that would require a mile or even less hiking was just out. Trips to Wal-Mart were even horribly painful. I am looking forward to being able to exercise to lose weight also.
If you have had a THR, what are/were your goals and have you achieved them? How long did it take?
#anteriortotalhipreplacement #hipreplacementrecovery #THRscar #leftTHR
14 Days Post Anterior Hip Replacement
It is 1:30 am and I am awake. I should be sleeping but I made the mistake of thinking I didnt need to take a tramadol tonight. I just corrected that mistake and also brought a hot water bottle with me. They tell you not to let the pain get ahead of you but gosh I just want to be done with it!The doctor took the last dressing off yesterday. I am so happy because ripping those things off hurt like hell! He is pleased with the way my scar looks. I think it is ugly but it will look better soon right?The thing that bugs me the most is leg length difference. He assures me that it won’t be so bad before too long but in the meantime PT will help with that and get some inserts for my shoes. Might have to get sandals with a built up sole for hot weather coming! Any recommendations?Ok I think the meds are kicking
in. Must rest up and heal.#anteriortotalhipreplacement #hip #hipreplacementrecovery
My Earliest Memory
Memory From My Early Childhood
I have a few very early childhood memories. I grew up in Chicago on Greenbay Avenue right in front of the Marblehead Lime Company. Anyone who grew up there will remember the days when everything was coated in a film of white powder. It’s probably why I have asthma now that I think about it. That’s not a very good memory, let’s skip that.
One thing that I remember very fondly was my transistor radio. In my mind, I think it was in a white leather case, much like this brown one here.
My Transistor Radio
I LOVED that thing. I was probably 4 or 5 years old when I had it. It was my most prized possession, other than my dolls probably. I was the kind of kid that could play in my room alone for hours. That radio was my go to comfort in the evenings or at nap time. I remember pulling up the antenna and turning the dial to find whatever I wanted to listen to. I remember listening to baseball games, music, and stories read over the radio. I think that was my favorite. I listened to funny stories, adventure stories, and I even liked to listen to scary stories! My older brother would listen to the scary stories with me sometimes. He had his own transistor radio, but it was fun to listen together.
I was reading by 3 years old (I went to school with my older brother because my mom was a teacher aide, so I learned to read with him). So listening to stories was just an extension of reading for me I think. I still love to read and I still love to listen to stories while I am busy creating things (crochet, painting or otherwise crafting). I just got an Audible account on my kindle and I love listening to the stories.
What is your earliest memory? Let me know in the comments!
Peace!
Managing Type 2 Diabetes
The Diagnosis
When I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes approximately 2 years ago, I was devastated. I had fasting blood glucoses that were very high and my first A1C was 12.7! The first trip to the grocery store was extremely overwhelming as I looked at all of the labels of the food I usually bought and saw how tiny a serving size was and how many carbohydrates each serving had in it. I literally cried in the store that day. I had no idea what I could or should eat. My doctor had just told me to watch my sugars and the websites I visited said to eat a low carb diet. It really wasn’t very helpful at all.
A few months later, I found a diabetic education class that met once a week or 4 weeks in a town about an hour away from where I live. It was the best thing I could do. I also joined the American Diabetes Association forums – click here to see the site (and subscribed to the magazine) and the support and advice I got from both of those groups was amazing. I learned what I could eat and how to test my blood sugars to get to the optimal ranges. I learned daily exercise is important (though I admit I am terrible at this). I was also put on Metformin. I could only tolerate a low dose, but luckily for me it really worked for me as I worked to control my numbers through my diet (and occasional exercise). I lost weight (25-30 lbs since diagnosis – that 5 pounds keeps fluctuating). Things continued to get better. My A1C decreased to 7 by the first time it was retaken! By last summer it was down to the 6’s.
How far have I come with my Type 2 Diabetes.
My A1C was drawn a couple weeks ago. Last week I got the great news that it was now 5.8! WOW. I actually thought it would be higher because I did a lot of cheating over the holidays. My doctor took me off of the metformin and I now have to do it all (control my blood glucose) through diet and exercise.
It’s been less than a week since I am trying this and it has not been easy. My numbers have been high to low…I am having trouble getting things into the range I really want (they aren’r ridiculously high, but the lows are troubling because they happen quickly with just a little bit of exercise). I think I need to go back to the diabetic counselors and get things figured out so I can do this right. It’s a little scary being off of the medication, but it’s also exciting. I don’t want the chemicals in my body unless I absolutely need them. Pray for me or send good vibes my way. With God’s help I know I can do this! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! – Phillipians 4:13.
Question for you.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, how are you controlling your blood glucose numbers? What advice would you give me?
Pity Party for One Please!
It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want too…
Remember that song? There’s a new song out too, you can search for it on YouTube if you’d like. It’s a little dark for my liking but I relate none-the-less! Who hasn’t thrown their very own pity party at least once in a while?
Pity parties are one of my least favorite types of parties, but there are just times in your life that you just want, no need to, throw yourself one. There are all sorts of reasons and I get into that a little later but first we need to define what a pity party is.
So, what is a pity party. I think the Urban Dictionary has a great definition that you really need to read here. But in short, it says a pity party is a “way of experiences grief, in which you spend your time feeling sorry for yourself and whining endlessly about how crappy your life is…” To be clear, I am not talking about the way you experience grief after a major life event. View the stages of loss and grief here. I’m talking about the feeling sorry for yourself & whining type of pity party. You’re with me on that right?
Why do we throw a pity party?
We have many reasons or excuses to have a pity party. Perhaps we think we were treated unfairly at work or school. Maybe there was a break up or suddenly our BFF was a complete jerk out of the blue. Many times we can have a pity party because of the cards we were dealt in relation to our health or wealth!
As the mom of a child with several chronic illnesses, I have had my own pity parties when I am overwhelmed by it all. Why my kid? Why don’t the doctors understand and fix her? Where did all my “leave” go (doctor appointments, staying home to support her when she’s too sick)? Why can’t I have a big vacation (no money, no leave)? And on and on. These pity parties don’t take too long. I cry it out in the shower, then dry off and put my big girl panties on and deal with it. I love my children and this is what a mom does.
As the mom of a teenage mom (other daughter now 21 and a mom of 2), I know I have had many pity parties related to this whole situation. Again, why my kid? Didn’t I teach her better than that? People are going to think I am a terrible mother! Ha! I’m now raising her oldest child while she is finishing cosmetology school. Some might say I am enabling her to use me. But in reality I am enabling her to do well in her life and be able to get a decent job to help raise her kids. But I digress, this is about me and my pity parties. I can have some because this is a time in my life when both of my girls are older (the younger one is 15) and I should have a little time to myself right? Not so much with a four year old. I get feelings of selfishness once in a while and whine about it. But I cry it out, create some art or crochet something and get over it.
My husbands aunt shared with me how she and her daughter (then a teen) would occasionally throw themselves a pity party when the daughter was in a serious car wreck and hospitalized for some time. They would have cake and ice cream and a good cry during their pity parties. And why not, it sucks recovering from injuries in a hospital! But they would have their pity party and then get on with the business of healing.
I think a pity party can be a healthy thing. Not necessarily eating the cake and whole tub of ice cream, but letting your emotions out is very healthy mentally. Sometimes we just need a good cry. Sometimes we need to vent.
But I’m of the belief that we shouldn’t hold long pity parties and I don’t think we should invite too many people to the party. You know when someone is having one and they want to invite you in because they are posting about it on social media. I’m all about giving a hug or an ear where it’s needed but please, don’t drag me into a rage or depression over what has got you down. Let’s keep it to sympathy or empathy! It can’t get ugly destructive when the wrong folks come to your pity party – what if all of you were having a pity party at the same time about different things and you all just added to each others piles. Not cool, especially if you can’t end your pity parties when they need to be ended.
Pity parties that last too long can turn into depression. If you have trouble ending your pity party you should probably seek help. Talk to a trusted friend about why you are feeling this way and ask them to help you! Go to your pastor if you are religious, pray about things and give it over to God, ask for help. Go to a psychologist or other counselor and get help. There’s even online help (Here’s one potential source of help).
So go ahead and have your pity party. Cry, scream, eat a tub of ice cream if you want. But then say a little prayer, count your blessings, and blow out those candles on that party cake. Now go have some fun.
Peace.
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
It’s Tax Time!
My taxes are done! I e-filed today! I have “rendered unto Caesar the things that are Caesars..” (Matthew 22:21). “Caesar” also gets to give me a little back.
That part is always nice. A little refund is welcome to me. If it weren’t for our “little deductions” (and the big ones too (house)), we’d probably owe taxes. We’ll have to re-figure our W-4’s once the little guy starts school full time and child care costs diminish.
A Hot Topic.
Taxes are such a heated topic among politicians and those who like to discuss politics (I’m really not one of those folks). We are hearing plenty of talk on the subject by the political candidates right now though the debates and political ads. Our tax dollars fund a lot of things and you should probably look up how that money is spent. Go straight to the source here. There are many good government programs and some that maybe aren’t. My point here is not to get into a political debate, rather I am just pointing you to some facts on where our tax dollars are really spent, instead of believing potentially misleading commercials or statements. You should also look up all of the candidates plans for taxes and their tax voting record.
Catholic Viewpoint on Taxes & Voting
I’m not an expert in this subject at all. A few years ago (2008), Archbishop Charles J. Chaput authored a book for Catholics (and anyone else) facing a U.S. election year, called “Render Unto Ceasar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life” (Find book on Amazon). It may be a great time for you to read the book for the first time (or again), especially if you are Catholic, and are struggling to pick a candidate to endorse (as I am). You can also read the transcript of a talk the Archbishop gave on the same subject here.
Paying taxes is a civic duty we must all engage in; as is voting in our elections. I have participated in my tax duties and will vote this year. Will you?
Do you have your taxes done? Let me know in the comments.
Peace.
Top 10 Books to Read During Lent
Books during Lent?
Lent is a time when many Catholics “give up” something for 40 days. It’s a way to hopefully discipline ourselves – taking away something that we’ve become addicted to or spend too much time doing. Some people choose to “take on” something that will help them grow spiritually. Those practices could include going to mass daily instead of just on Sunday, helping at a soup kitchen weekly, going to do the Stations of the Cross on Fridays, or taking on the reading of spiritual books. See my recent post for more.
Books that are geared towards spiritual growth are plentiful. You can even listen to audio books as well. Here’s a list of books that I have enjoyed reading over the years or that I am looking forward to reading this Lent (in no real order).
My Top 10 Books to Read for Lent
10. Memorize the Faith by Kevin Vost. I read this book in chunks. There are a lot of things to memorize in the Catholic religion! The system used in this book is built upon the mnemonic system of St. Thomas Aquinas. If you need help memorizing the Ten Commandments, the Stations of the Cross, the Books of the Bible, and many other Catholic things, this is the book for you.
9. A Guide to the Passion, 100 Questions About the Passion of the Christ by the Editors of Catholic Exchange. I know many people will watch Mel Gibson’s movie every Lent. This guide is a great companion to the movie.
8. Spirituality You Can Live With – Stronger in Faith in 30 Days by Chris Padgett.( Find his book here.) There are 40 days in Lent, but once you get through the 30 chapters with questions for reflection you will have achieved some spiritual growth. I really liked this book.
7. The Cross and the Beatitudes by Fulton J. Sheen. This 92 page book is one I read (or at least read parts of) every Lent since I got the book. It really speaks to me. With lessons on mercy, purity, poverty, zeal, peace, and mourning, I am sure you will find something that speaks to your heart as well.
6. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. I have never gotten through this book but this Lent, I am going to do it. Probably through the audio book.
5. Scripture, Nourished by the Word by Margaret Nutting Ralph, PhD. This is a great book if you are looking to learn about the meanings of the storied in the Bible in short format.
4. Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice A guide for Spiritual Survival by Rev. Joseph F. Classen. I love this book! The writer, Fr. Classen, is an outdoors man who loves hunting and fishing. Much of his spiritual story telling is gleaned from his experiences of God’s creation. In these ways, he speaks to my heart. Many of his stories are set in the Midwest too and it’s fun reading about his experiences at places I’ve been.
3. Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. My pastor at St. John Vianney Church, Fr. Scott Mansfield, recommended this book. If you are looking to better understand virtues and live a more virtuous life, this book is for you.
2. Living Lent With Mercy – Encouragement & Daily Prayer by Pope Francis. Obviously his book just came out for Lent this year. I just downloaded it onto my Kindle.
- The Holy Bible. l don’t think anyone could go wrong reading a bit from the Bible daily.
What books would you recommend reading for spiritual growth this Lent? Leave me a note in the comments with your favorites.
Making the Most Out of Lent 2016
Lent is Upon Us!
Can you believe Lent is here already? Wasn’t it just Christmas?! It seems like it got here in a hurry this year. Ash Wednesday is February 10th – that’s this coming Wednesday. Did you know Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation? It isn’t, but going to mass on Ash Wednesday and receiving ashes on your forehead is a good way to start the Lenten season. Lent is a time for reflection, repentance and spiritual growth.
This year Pope Francis asks us to remember the importance of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. If you’ve forgotten what those are, fear not, I have it covered!
Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Shelter the homeless.
Visit the sick.
Visit the prisoners.
Bury the Dead.
Give Alms to the Poor.
See here for ideas on carrying out the corporal works of mercy
Spiritual Works of Mercy
Counseling the doubtful.
Instructing the ignorant.
Admonishing the sinner.
Comforting the sorrowful.
Forgiving injuries.
Bearing wrongs patiently.
Praying for the living and the dead.
See here for ideas on carrying out the spiritual works of mercy
Making Changes this Lent
Many people give up things like Cheetos and chocolate for Lent. Some may even give up things like Facebook. These practices are all fine, if done with the right intentions. But how about we give up things like pride, greed, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and laziness (the seven deadly sins)?
Let’s strive to grow in the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance; and the Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Or how about growing in self-control, compassion, responsibility, patience, a sense of duty, self-discipline and restraint, honesty, loyalty, friendship, courage, and persistence?
Matt Linton (See the article at Busted Halo) summed up Lent beautifully, “…Lent is as much about quitting the obligations that clutter our life as it is about learning to dedicate ourselves to more eternal tasks…”
This Lent, I’m not going to give up Cheetos or chocolate or even Facebook as I have done in the past. But I am going to work on self-discipline and restraint. I am going to work on controlling my Type 2 Diabetes through exercise and diet. I need work on other areas as well in the same category. Patience is also an area I can use some growth in. All of the virtues could use growth if I am really honest with myself. I’ll be reading some books, including the Bible, to help my spiritual journey (look for a post coming really soon). I’ll also be looking for opportunities to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy and to grow in virtue.
Please share your ideas for spiritual growth in the comments. Let’s help each other grow this Lent.
Peace.