I decided I did not want a hand controlled car. My car is so little (Mazda Miata MX-5) that it just cannot have a whole lot of "stuff" in the floor or there won't be any room for me! Then I came across a hinged left foot gas pedal. This is a pretty cool adaptation that can be made to just about any car. It allows you to keep the right gas pedal, but it gets put on a hinge. A left foot hinged gas pedal is added. So, if my husband wants to drive, the right pedal stays down and the left pedal goes up out of the way. If I want to drive, the left pedal stays down and the right pedal goes up. The brake stays the same. It is a really cool adaptation and I am super excited about it.
Notice: left gas pedal up, right gas pedal down
So the plan is to see an occupational therapist to teach me how to drive with my left foot only. She has to train me and certify me before my pedals can be installed. Then, once they are installed, away I go! Woohoo! We are going to get everything done before the amputation so that I can get used to driving with my left foot only.
My appointment with the doctor that will do the amputation is tomorrow. I am so excited! I am hoping that he wants to do it sooner, rather than later. I am already wanting to be on the road to recovery so I can get back up and work on getting my prosthetic leg. There is also a lot I want to ask him. Recovery time is important. My goal is to have the surgery done and be back to working in August in a wheelchair. I won't be up walking, yet...but I can at least get around. We'll see what he says. :-)
I had a slight meltdown a couple days ago when I realized that getting into my shower might be a bit of a challenge. We have a step over to get into the shower, and with one leg, my fear is that I will slip because I will have to almost "hop" in. Fear of falling is already hitting me! But my husband reassured me that we will go to Lowes and see if we can find some shower bars that we can add to our shower to allow me to get in slowly and carefully. Then, the goal is to have them redo the floor of our shower to make it a zero-step shower (also know as a wet room shower). I would love to make that change in our shower and then it would be way easier for me to get into the shower without the extreme fear of falling. We will work on that...
No step shower entry...cooh, huh?
I went back to work this whole week. I was definitely worn out at the end of the week. It is difficult using that wheelchair to push around all 128 pounds of me! Of course, the new goal is to lose at least 10 pounds by the surgery so I won't struggle to move myself around during recovery. I must strengthen my arms, as well. I am also doing exercises each day to strengthen my thighs. Right now, they are flabby. The kind of flab that when you stop running, the thighs are still shaking like jello! :-( So I have a lot of work to do. My goal is to get those thighs as strong as I can so that when they do the amputation, my right leg recovers as easy as possible.
I saw the coolest thing at the prosthetic place the other day. There was a man that had a below the knee amputation and when he was putting on his prosthetic device, he unzipped his pants on the inseam of the leg. It was awesome! So I may have my mother-in-law (queen of the sewing machine) to make me a few pairs of pants like that. It is kind of neat!
I have also decided I am really, really excited about half-priced pedicures! I have only had a few pedicures in my life. One of the reasons I am not cool with it is because I hate anyone messing with my right foot. It hurts and the nails grow crazy so that it is hard to tell if you are cutting nail or skin. It does not like the massage they usually give either! How crazy is that?? So I just don't get them. But...now I can get my left foot done and completely enjoy it! No worries!!!! Woohoo!
In preparation for the amputation, I am getting my teeth worked on. I have had two root canals (no fun) and get to finish it up next week with putting the caps on. I must say, thought...these dentists that did the work were WONDERFUL. I went in and told them that I was having an amputation in a few months, and I was way more nervous about the dental work! They were awesome and told me that they would use "profound anesthesia" and they did! Barely felt a thing...at one point I almost fell asleep! That is awesome! Definitely a very different experience than the first root canal I had! I come by my dental fears honestly. But these guys made me not so fearful of the dentist any longer because I know that they have really good happy gas and happy juice! :-)
Right now I really only have one worry...and that is finances. My husband and I have always worked hard to make sure that we kept plenty in savings in case of an emergency. Well...we have just about sucked that dry with all of the doctor visits, medication, and dental work (about $2000 just in dental work!). But I need to remind myself of one of my favorite sayings:
"If someone has already done something, that means I can do it, too. If someone has never done something, I can be the first!"
There are lots and lots of people that have dealt with the financial issues that come with doctor bills and amputation. If they can do it, I can do it, too! :-)
Still looking for that dream job, too! Now that I am so close to my doctorate, I am wanting to teach at the college level. My goal is to end up in Rogers, Arkansas (or there abouts) to teach new teachers about classroom management and using technology in the classroom. I am very thrilled that I am so close to finishing my doctorate. I am ABD (all but dissertation) and the only thing I have left is my dissertation (two chapters to go). Hopefully with some downtime from the amputation, I will be able to tie it up with a nice bow and GRADUATE! Wouldn't it be awesome to walk across the stage in my new leg! Holy cow, that is exciting!!
Well...another blog post down. I have so much I have been thinking about and so glad that I have a way of putting it all down, thus letting my brain rest a little. Until the next post, I hope you have a GREAT week! Updates on the date of the amputation and the "Big Plan" will be coming soon! :-)
Oh...by the way...my husband made me promise that we would not have a funeral for the leg...so I must think of something creative and outside the box...any ideas??
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