Update:
Monday is my day off so I decided to sleep in. Instead of getting up at my normal 4:30 a.m.,
I slept until 6:30 a.m. Nice! This is Tech Week for Karen’s play so she
will be gone every spare moment she isn’t working. When I got up, I cooked our normal breakfast
of scrambled eggs, sautéed onion and garlic in olive oil, beans, and turkey
bacon. I got it done just in time for
her to run home from her office and grab a plate to take with her to the
theatre. I made extra so I have
something for my lunch too! It turned
out well and I didn’t burn the bacon this time—nothing brings out the tears in
a man like having to throw away bacon!
After breakfast I cleaned the kitchen-loaded the dishwasher, washed the
George Foreman grill, and wiped down the cabinets. After I finish posting this update I’ll do
about 60 minutes of exercise, do my ironing for the week, and then get ready
for my doctor’s appointment this afternoon.
This is my three-month primary physician follow-up. In the last three months I’ve lost over 30
pounds (another 30 yet to go) and have gone off insulin. I am able to control my blood sugars by
strictly adhering to my diet and by exercising.
My morning blood glucose levels are consistently 95-115. When I am able to ride my bicycle regularly
they are always in the 90’s. I think he’ll
be pleased with the progress that I’ve made.
Since Karen’s gone all day for loading in the stage (moving all the
stage pieces and props to the theatre), I’ll drive myself to the doctor’s
office and she’ll meet me there for the appointment. I am hoping that the rain will stop while I
am getting myself in and out of the truck. I am still not back in my prosthesis,
so getting out of the house and into the truck while in my wheelchair takes me
a bit longer. If it’s raining, I will
get soaked. I hope to avoid that.
After the doctor’s appointment, we’ll both drive to Sam’s Club. Karen will run in and buy the groceries we
need for the week. We’ll load them into
my truck and I’ll drive home to unload them while she returns to the
theatre. Stuck in my wheelchair, I can
go to the store and pick up 2-3 items, but more than that is hard to
manage. If I am wearing my prosthesis, I
can go in and get all of groceries. I
ride the motorized cart around the store and then walk out with the groceries. But today, I cannot do it on my own, so Karen
and will work as a team and get the shopping done.
The sore I developed exactly two weeks ago on the back of my leg is
continuing to heal. I think by this
weekend, it will be good enough for me to wear my prosthesis again. I’m looking forward to that!
The company I hired to replace my gutters was supposed to be here this
morning. With 90% chance of rain all
day, I am guessing that they’ll show up tomorrow when it is supposed to be
bright and sunny instead.
Not much happened outside of the normal Friday-Saturday work cycle this
weekend. All three of my boys came over
to mow the lawn and do about 60 minutes of chores for me that I could not do from
the wheelchair. I had planned on mowing
my own lawn for the rest of the summer; but being out of my prosthetic leg
really changed that!
Limits are frustrating to bump up against, especially since I’ve
enjoyed regaining so many of my former activities. I’m learning to let the little things go and
trying to mentally re-categorize everything into the “little things” group, so
that nothing really bothers me. I’m not
there yet; but fewer things bother me than they did before—so I am gaining on
it. Besides all the reading I am doing,
I’ve really appreciated being a part of two amputee related Face Book
groups. There is lots of encouragement
to be found and I am continually challenged to stretch a little further. The two groups are “Amputee Coalition of
America” and “Abled Amputees of America.”
I’ve always been supportive of our local Pregnancy Care Center. APPLE (located in Eau Claire, WI) does a
great job not only with education but of meeting physical needs with practical
assistance. I’ve participated in their
annual fundraiser each year. This year
the walk is scheduled for September 13th. I don’t know how I’ll accomplish it; but
whether I ride my bicycle, or roll in my wheelchair—one way or another, I am
going to participate this year (trying to walk that distance would violate my
doctors’ orders). Paste this link to
your browser if you’d like to go to my fundraising page to make a contribution: http://www.fundeasy.com/m/1931623/
Thought for the Day:
I’m continuing to read Rick Vujicic’s “Life Without Limits.” Today I read the story of Rick’s birth and how
initially it was so hard for his parents to accept him not having arms or legs. Nothing had prepared them for that shock on
the day of his birth; all the prenatal appointments and tests had indicated he
was a healthy baby boy. Rick quickly
transitioned to how as a teenager he desperately longed to be normal and have
arms and legs like everyone else. And
then he shifts his focus to now…today.
“For my part, I came to see that as great as my challenges were, many
people had heavier burdens than mine.
Today in my travels around the world, I often see incredible suffering
that makes me grateful for what I have and less inclined to focus on what I may
lack. I have seen orphaned children with
crippling diseases. Young women forced
into sexual slavery. Men imprisoned
because they were too poor to pay a debt.
Suffering is universal and often unbelievably cruel, but even in the
worst slums and after the most horrible tragedies, I have been heartened to see
people not only surviving but thriving.” [Rick Vujicic, Life Without Limits].
Wow! I find that pretty amazing!
A guy born without arms or legs talking about how good he has it
compared to others. It really makes me
stop and think, “What do I have to complain about?” We whine about some of the pettiest
things. They seem pretty big in our own
eyes; but comparatively they are absolutely nothing. So what if one of my legs is about a foot
shorter than the other one after my amputation?
I’ve got a wheelchair, a prosthetic leg, a great medical support team,
and a supportive wife and family. And I
want to complain because I’m stuck sitting in a wheelchair for a couple
weeks?
The sad reality is that sometimes we can feel sorry for ourselves for
even smaller, less significant things that aren’t perfect in our lives. Time for us to grow up, put on our big boy
pants and stop sucking our thumbs! If we
take our focus off of ourselves and open our eyes and look around I think that
we too will see comparatively how good we’ve got it as well.
While I stated it pretty strongly, it is mainly because I am pointing
my finger at myself as well as almost everyone else in our culture. We are so “ME” centered that it is hard for
us to look beyond ourselves. We grow
hyper-aware of every tiny flaw in our lives and magnify them way out of
proportion.
Therefore, for the rest of the day, I am choosing to not whine, grumble
or complain about my situation. Instead
I am going to choose a thankful attitude and enjoy are the blessings that I do
possess instead of focusing upon what I feel that I am missing.
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