7/24/14. The post where I part reluctantly with my stimulator.

7/24/14.  Had a strange night with lots of dreams, which my health monitor (for once) accurately recorded.  Tons of REM sleep and I did not feel rested when I woke up, although I slept for plenty of hours.  

I planned to do one last long walk while I still had my stimulator and as I was ready to head out, the heavens opened unexpectedly and the rain came down.  Rain we needed desperately, for more than half an hour.  I was disappointed to miss my walk, but glad for the rain.  

My trial was over and I went to the doctor's office to turn in the stimulator and have the lead wires removed.  I kept the stimulator on until the last possible moment, to the point that I made the nurse laugh.  When she removed the wires, it did not hurt, but it felt very strange.  A couple of bandaids and I was on my way, with a promise that the permanent device would be implanted in September.  

It takes less than five minutes to drive from my doctor's office to my house, but by the time I got home, my foot had already started hurting again.  Wow.  On one hand, it's great to know that the stimulator does such a good job of masking the pain signals.  On the other hand, it's not good to know that I have to wait until some time in September to have the stimulator again.  I changed into my work clothes and my prescription shoes (sigh) and went to the office.  

It was a short work day.  I left a little early to meet some friends at my house.  Just recently I read an article that said happy people regularly schedule time with friends.  Since I was alone this week, I tried to spend some time with friends I don't see often enough and I was very glad I did.  It helped me get through a week that would have been otherwise even more difficult without my patient, long-suffering husband.  

We met relatively late in life, so we have a two-step philosophy.  Number one: we try to spend as much time together as we possibly can.  Number two: our careers are also very important to us, so when we have to be apart for work, we try to make the most of it.  He is working really hard to prepare for a big fall concert while he is gone and I am trying to make it easier for him to be away by staying occupied.  I spent a lot of fun time with friends and it made the time pass quickly.

I'm back up to a 5 tonight and my foot has gotten red and swollen again.  But this time I know it is only temporary.  I don't know my exact surgery date yet, but I am already starting the countdown to September.  Enjoy your next six weeks, prescription shoes, because they will be your last...