Just My Opinion - By Mary Kilen
Up On Two Feet
I’m not moving quickly. I won’t break any land speed records. I am certainly not dancing yet and I won’t run any marathons, not that I would do that when fully healthy. But, I am up on two feet.
I had my appointment with Dr. Joshi at the clinic here in Stanley last Thursday. I’ll admit I was nervous. I’m almost 60 and I have osteoporosis. I wasn’t sure exactly how well my broken bone was going to heal.
They cut the cast off and sent me for x-rays and then I was back in the exam room waiting. Dr. Joshi came in with a smile on his face and I took that as a hopeful sign. After spending the previous week preparing myself for the possibility of a new cast, I was hoping for at least a walking boot.
Instead, I was given the go ahead to start walking. While the bone is not completed healed, I have to be somewhat careful, but I’m walking. I’ve never been so excited in my life.
I left the clinic and took the long hot shower I’ve been promising myself. It was glorious.
Then I came back to work, walking gingerly on my foot. It felt strange after not walking for eight weeks. I brought a cane with me just to provide some additional stability, but found that was almost more of a hindrance and gave that up after the first day or two.
I had to go buy a new pair of shoes. I wanted something that I could easily put my foot into without bending it too much. I also needed something with some support. Turns out that after being in a boot, splint or cast for the last two months, my plantar fasciitis has made a screaming return. I’ve had it for years, but for the most part it only bothers me in the colder months. I can spend the summer in flip flops and sandals and my feet don’t give me much trouble. Once the weather starts turning, I can tell almost immediately. My feet hit the floor in the morning and I want to just curl up in a corner somewhere.
Since getting the cast off, my left foot has been acting like that. I’m sure it was the lack of use along with the fact that my foot may have flattened out some since surgery and with the cast.
I knew what I really wanted, but wasn’t having a lot of success finding it in Minot on Saturday. I ended up buying a pair of Nike shoes that are mostly mesh so that it breathes around my foot and is easier to slip into as I try to avoid bending the foot too much to start with. They also have some needed arch support. Putting them on Sunday morning was a bit of a relief as they helped alleviate some of the issues.
I also discovered that my foot and ankle are prone to swelling right now. That was scary when I noticed how swollen they were on Saturday night. As I sat and tried to decide if there was something really wrong, I decided to Google it. Turns out that some swelling is not uncommon after you get a cast off as you start using the affected area and the blood flow and circulation return to the tissues. I have to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get out of control and I’m hoping that resolves soon!
As I write my column this week, I’m staring at the calendar knowing that this is the week Dale and I would usually go to Vegas in the fall. I’m sad about not being able to go, but I know I wouldn’t enjoy it much if I was always having to slow down and deal with the pain. We’ll just have to find a different time to go when our schedules allow.
Meanwhile, being back on two feet has given me the freedom to drive myself anywhere I want to go. Buddy just stared at Dale and me on Friday when I left to come to work. He’s gotten used to bringing me to work and coming into the office every morning for breakfast and a treat. He seemed to think he was being cheated. I, on the other hand, am enjoying that freedom again and I’m pretty sure Dale is glad he doesn’t have to drive me everywhere.
We are also contemplating a trip to Dickinson this weekend for the Blue Jay playoff game. The Blue Jay football team has not been in the playoffs since 2017. Being in Dickinson, if we go, would also mean that we will likely make a trip to Bismarck to see Amanda, Zach and the kids. We haven’t seen them since I broke my foot and we’re missing some family time.
As Seen On Facebook
A friend of mine shared this one over the weekend. I’m not sure where they found it, but it has some great words of wisdom for parents. It’s titled “Someday I’ll tell my children”.
Someday, when my child is old enough to appreciate what motivates a parent, I’ll tell them....
I loved you enough to bug you about where you were going, who with and what time you would be home.
I loved you enough to worry and nag about your health.
I loved you enough to choose your temporary upset, in the hope that the lessons would bring your long-term happiness.
I loved you enough to be “overprotective”.
I loved you enough to not make excuses for your bad manners and lack of respect.
I loved you enough to choose to put myself last, every day.
I loved you enough to ignore what ‘every other parent’ did.
I loved you enough to remove people that I loved from my life, so that I could protect you.
I loved you enough to let you stumble, fail and fall, so that you could learn to stand alone.
But most of all, I loved you enough to risk you hating me for decisions that I made in the hope that I was doing what was best for you, that was the hardest part of all.
As I read through this, I thought about how deep those words really are. It is hard sometimes, being the parent and the adult. It is hard when our kids are angry because they have been disciplined or not allowed to do something they want to do. In the end, we only want what is best for our kids and that includes making the tough calls and decisions. We want them to grow up to be responsible adults as well and we have to set the example for them to follow.