10/31/14. The post where I am officially overwhelmed.

10/31/14: got back into town just in time for a really important all day meeting yesterday.  Which meant two things: 1) I had to have my A game, and 2) I could not catch up on the last five days of work I had missed.  It was a long day.  Then I spent the evening at the last rehearsal (not counting the dress rehearsal) before the musical Saturday night.  I can't count the number of times I nearly quit last night.  But in the end, I didn't.  I'll let you know after the show tomorrow whether that was a good idea. 

Today was more of a catch up day.  I got an amazing amount done, and all that did was remind me how much I still have to do.  I had a post-op doctor appointment first thing this morning that went pretty well.  I let him know that I had just about hit the ceiling on the amplitude of my first program, and he told me I should plan on adding programs about once a month for the next six months.  He said the scar tissue that has built up around my lead wires will begin peeling off and as things change, I will need different types of stimulation, but after about six months it should even out.  He also told me that because of the placement of my lead wires (which is unusually low), turning the amplitude up too high can cause some unpleasant sensations - another reason to add different programs.  I will call the medical company rep next week to do some reprogramming.

But for now, I need to get by on what I already have.  Dancing in the musical seems like a less good idea then it did six weeks ago, but I'm in it to win it.  Tomorrow will be a really long day, but then it will be over.  I can rest on Sunday.  Except for a handbell performance.  And the choir anthem.  And selling tickets for the upcoming music series concert.  And grocery shopping.  And catching up on a million other chores.  Come to think of it, I'm looking forward to the work week.  

Our ensemble had the night off tonight, because the people in my musical take their Halloween very seriously.  This meant my patient, long-suffering husband and I got to hang out with our friends for awhile.  Should I have been rehearsing on my own?  Probably.  But I think a few hours of rest will do me, and my acting/dancing chops, some good.  

Time for bed.  I need to get a little rest so I am fresh for the big show Saturday night.  I'll tell you all about it on Sunday night. So for now, sit back and enjoy the weekend.

10/29/14. The post where I finally have a moment to catch my breath.

10/29/14: wow.  I knew I was going to be busy the last few days, but it was even crazier than I expected.  Classes and presentations all day, official conference functions every evening, and then a little time for networking with colleagues.  I made time to work out a little each day and we did a lot of walking from the hotel to the convention center, which I hope mitigated all the eating and drinking I did.  I haven't seen a scale in five days, so I have my fingers crossed. (As does my friend who is waiting patiently to buy shoes, I imagine.). 

My foot behaved okay during the trip, but it started to get a little impatient in the last day or so.  Considering what I put it through, it did better than I had any right to expect.  And things aren't going to slow down any time soon.  After my flight lands, I have a few hours to unpack and then rehearsal for the upcoming musical.  The musical is Saturday night, and I am woefully underprepared, but I have rehearsals every evening between now and then, so I should just make it.  Tomorrow is also an important work day.  Fortunately, I have been able to stay fairly well caught up from half a country away.  The blessing (and curse) of modern technology.   And somewhere in all this madness, it would be nice to spend a little time with my patient, long-suffering husband, whom I've missed like mad.  Being an adult isn't always easy.  

Another pretty good experience in the security line.  This time I was prepared and told the first TSA agent about my implant.  He gave me a slightly exasperated look and said, "You can let them know when you get to the metal detector."  I started to explain that last time they had told me to be sure and tell the first agent, then I decided to just smile and move on instead.  I told them at the metal detector, and after a quick trip through the body scanner and a swipe of my shoes, I was on my way.  In front of about 700,000 people waiting in the regular security line.  I guess getting to the airport three hours early was overkill.  I was afraid that getting the implant would negate the benefits of having the known traveler number, but all has worked out really well.  I imagine the experience would be much worse if I were going through the regular line.  I'm glad the process doesn't take long, because turning the stimulator off for just a few minutes is bad enough.

I have another work trip coming up in a few weeks, and I am much more confident now that I've done it once.  The upcoming trip is the training trip I postponed when Mom got sick.  What a difference six months makes.  

10/24/14. The post where I make it through security.

10/24/14:  four hours of sleep is not enough.  Just sayin'.  Hoping I packed appropriately.  If not, at least I have a credit card.  My patient, long-suffering husband took me to work and we had the usual tearful pre-travel goodbye.  Only this time it was in full view of a co-worker with whom I'm barely acquainted.  So, the day was off to a good start.

I spent the morning frantically getting caught up at work.  I looked a little more at my conference schedule and it looks like my days are going to be pretty full, so I figured I would not have a lot of time to keep with work.  I set out for the airport two and a half hours before my flight so I would be prepared for any issues I might encounter in security. I turned off my stimulator just before walking into the terminal, because I knew things might get confusing quickly and I figured it would be safer to have it turned off, in case I got swept through the metal detector before I had a chance to protest. 

There was no one in line at check-in, so I got my boarding pass and checked my bag in no time flat.  There was also no one in line at the TSA "known traveler" security check, so I went straight through to the carry-on x-ray machines and metal detectors.  So far, so good.  I put my carry-ons on the conveyor belt, walked up to the metal detector and announced to the TSA agent that I could not go through the metal detector, proudly holding up my "get out of jail free" card.  "Ohhhhh..." he said.  " I wish you had told me that before your bags went through."  Uh-oh.  This meant I had to go through the new fancy techno dance machine. (Fortunately, I had just learned at my doctor's informational meeting a few days ago that I could go through that machine without the stimulant being ripped out of my hip.)  Which was in another, longer line. And now my purse and carry-on were safely inside the secure area without me.

The TSA employees were extremely helpful and got me into the other line without me having to wait again or take off my shoes, I did the obligatory dance moves in the machine, a TSA agent waved a Star Trek-style instrument on my shoes, and I retrieved my carry-ons.  The whole process still took significantly less time than it took for everyone waiting in the "normal" line.  That day trip a few months ago to get a known traveler number seems even more worth it now.  The whole process from the front door of the terminal to the secure area of the airport took about 15 minutes.

And guess how long it takes for my foot to start hurting when I turn off the stimulator?  About 15 minutes.  I limped to the airport's wine bar, turned the stimulator back on, and enjoyed a leisurely glass of wine and some pasta while I waited for my flight.  It was actually an interesting experiment, but not one I'm eager to repeat.  By the time I got to my gate, I felt much better, but I was not back to "normal".

The flight was uneventful and a little cold.  (Yes, patient, long-suffering husband, to answer your question - I do need to pack all those scarves.)  I am reading a book for my book club called (curse word warning) "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say #%$" by Amy Alkon and I happened to be in the chapter on airplane etiquette, so I tried to follow her advice, making sure I did not unintentionally do anything rude.  While the title may be off-putting to some, I think it is a very helpful modern guide to basic decency in our technological age and while I don't agree with all of her recommendations, it is a good read and I have learned from it.  Apparently, everyone around me had also read the book, because I was surrounded by quiet, thoughtful people.  It was almost too good to be true.

I met up with colleagues at the hotel and had a nice, casual evening watching baseball and catching up.  I'd better get to bed early, because class starts early in the morning.  My foot is still a little upset over the brief period without the stimulator, but it is calming down.  I shouldn't have to turn it off again for five more days.  Wish me luck...

10/23/14. The post where I get ready for an adventure.

10/23/14: my alarm worked this morning...sort of.  The settings were all screwed up, but it managed to go off within 15 minutes of the expected time.  A few more days and I should have it down.

A really busy day at work, although I managed to sneak in a manicure/pedicure at lunch.  "In My Santa Suit" from the OPI 2013 Holiday collection.  Just so happens it matches my new car.  Coincidence?  I think not.  

After work, it was home to do laundry and pack.  Because I am taking my first post-stimulator plane trip tomorrow.  A five-day work conference.  Which means airport security.  And carrying my luggage.  And looking tough in front of my co-workers.  I think I am ready for it.  I'll try to check in periodically and let everyone know how it is going.  In the meantime, I'd better get packing...

10/22/14. The post where things are looking up.

10/22/14: my alarm did not go off this morning.  That is the second time this has happened since I got my new phone.  The first time it happened I woke up at alarm time anyway, but this morning I was so tired I didn't wake up until almost an hour later.  I had to skip my walk to catch up so that I wasn't too late to work.  It was nice to have the extra sleep and I didn't have any early morning meetings, but I guess I need to resolve it soon, before I get a reputation. 

It was another busy day at work.  In addition, I completed the paperwork to sell my old car, got a haircut, and went to choir practice.  I've quickly learned that having short sassy hair comes in handy when you drive a convertible.  Another interesting thing I've learned - when I drive my car with the top down at slow speeds, my health monitor thinks I am riding my bike!  While it would be nice if my body were also confused, I seriously doubt I am burning cycling-level calories while driving.  Speaking of which, I hope to be riding again in November.  So far, it is looking good.  

In fact, most things are looking (and feeling) good.  Mom continues to feel better every day and all of her latest tests look great.  My patient, long-suffering husband is continuing to make progress with his physical therapy and hopes to be back on his bike soon as well.  My head is feeling a lot better.  The incision is still a little raw and according to my patient, long-suffering husband and my hair stylist, I still have a small divot where the cyst used to be, but I can put it in the win column.  I am also officially drug-free.  Well, okay, I am still taking allergy medicine and vitamins, but I am officially CRPS-related drug-free.  Which has done wonders for my stomach.  Now that I have a functioning car again, things are just about normal.  My new phone still has a few glitches in addition to the alarm app issue, but my patient, long-suffering husband is on it like a hipster on the hunt for a new food trailer.  My stimulator continues to buzz away, doing its thing.  It's been a tough year in many ways, but things are looking up.

10/21/14. The post where I am such a stimulator expert, I get to teach a class.

10/21/14:  another late night and early morning.  Good thing I had a restful weekend trip, so I had a little energy stored.  I spent the morning catching up at work, then had a nice lunch with colleagues.  I rarely take a lunch break at all, and when I do, I am usually running errands, so this was a real treat.  

My patient, long-suffering husband made the drive and cleaned out my old car, which was no mean feat, and found that my title was not there.  Apparently the ninjas got it after all.  Or more likely, I will find it in six months in the wrong file when I am looking for something else.  This meant I needed to get a duplicate, and pronto, so we could sell my old car to the shady Internet car buying company.  Which involved two trips to the county office and a trip to my credit union for a lien release that should have been filed two years ago when I paid off the car.  Since I had a new car to drive, I didn't mind so much, and it all went surprisingly quickly.  

After work, I went to my doctor's office, but not for an appointment.  My doctor had scheduled an informational meeting for other patients who are considering having stimulators implanted and asked if I would come and speak.  I thought this sounded like a great idea and would have been helpful before my implant, so I immediately agreed.  I'm glad I did.  There were six other patients there, some with their families, and a few of the medical reps from the stimulator manufacturer were there as well.  The doctor gave a very good explanation of the science behind the stimulator and the implant process.  The patients asked a lot of questions and were very curious about my experience.  Some of them even wanted to touch my hip and see if they could feel the stimulator.  So I guess I wasn't so much a teacher as the main attraction at a stimulator petting zoo.  In any event, I think it was helpful and I'm glad I could play a role.  I even learned a few things about pending advances in the software and technology.  

After that, it was back into town for a rehearsal and then finally home.  I put a lot of miles on my new car today and it was pretty fun, although my left foot is very confused with no clutch to push.  My foot was a little irritated today, but not enough to turn up the stimulator further.  If you had told me three months ago I could have an active day like today with a pain level under 4, I would never have believed you... 

10/20/14. The post where I buy a new car. Or maybe two.

10/20/14: went to bed too late last night and woke up too early this morning.  I took my morning walk and then got on the scale to survey the damage from the long weekend trip.  You may have heard my reaction.  It sounded a little like this:  http://youtu.be/Pr3sBks5o_8  Which is probably not as bad as the sound my friend is making right now as she reads this and thinks of all the shoes she is not buying while she waits for me to lose 10 pounds...

The plan was fairly simple: go to work in the morning, call the dealership when they open to get the trade-in value, then make the hour drive there and back to either trade my car in for a new one or at least empty out the contents to sell to the shady "we buy damaged cars" guys.  In and out, nobody gets hurt, right?  

From the very start, things didn't go as planned. I left a detailed message with the dealership explaining the situation just after their stated opening time, and after an hour, no one had returned my call.  Strike one.  I called back an hour later and finally got someone on the phone, who got all the details and backstory about my car and my contact information and said he would get the trade-in value for me.  Spoiler alert - more than 12 hours later I still have not heard from him.  Strike two.  During the time I was waiting for someone to return my phone call, I did a little more research and just couldn't get comfortable with what I saw about the reliability.  Strike three and you're out.  

So instead of an hour drive, we decided to go to a dealership for a different maker, about two miles away from our house.  Six hours later, I had a new car.  And coincidentally, so did my patient, long-suffering husband.  We decided over the last week to try thinking more strategically about vehicles, rather than continuing the "yours and mine" concept we had when we first met, and I think we came up with a good plan.  But ask me again when we make our first payment.

I think I am going to be really happy with my new car.  I went with an automatic transmission this time,  much to the relief of my family, friends, and doctor, but I made up for that small bit of common sense by also going with a hardtop convertible. Perhaps it is a bit of a mid-life crisis car. Or more likely, a mid-life, new medical disorder, not-sure-how-much-longer-I'll-be-able-to-drive-this-kind-of-car, crisis car.  There are much less healthy ways I could deal with this, I suppose.

With such a complicated transaction, we barely completed it before it was time for rehearsal.  After rehearsal, we celebrated with grocery store sushi.  The only kind we can afford now.  My patient, long-suffering husband generously offered to make the drive tomorrow morning to give my old car a proper burial.  The fact that he has a new car with which to do the deed may have factored into the offer, but I decided I'd better take him up on it before he could change his mind.  

My foot made it through the day, but it didn't share my excitement about the new car.  It has developed an annoying need for attention that seems to cause it to act up at inopportune times.  Time to turn up the stimulator again.  I had hoped my new car would have a Bluetooth spinal cord stimulator amplitude control option, but no dice.  Guess I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way.

10/19/14. The post where I unintentionally get something accomplished.

10/19/14:  took one last long walk this morning before we packed up for the drive home.  I saw this on my walk: 

  

Seems like a good sign, don't you think?

We had a very nice trip home, stopping for a late lunch at a Biergarten and doing a little wine-tasting along the way.  Not bad for a travel day.  I've been gradually turning up my stimulator over the weekend to stay comfortable and at lunch today I had one of those "positional" moments where the particular chair and my sitting position caused the vibrations to get really intense, so I had to turn it back down quite a bit.  

On the car ride home, my thoughts began to turn back to my car situation.  I decided that tomorrow I am going to go to the dealership, empty out my car, and either let them make me a really good trade-in offer or sell the car to one of those companies that buys non-functional cars and tows them away for you.  I contacted one such company over the weekend and got a surprisingly good offer.  After all, my car has extremely low mileage and I've kept it in pretty good condition.  It's a great car, as long as you don't want to drive it anywhere.  Now I have a little ammunition for my trip to the dealership.

We got back home in the early evening and I expected to have a leisurely night.  All I had to do was get out my car title so I would have it with me in the morning.  I went over to my neatly organized car file...and no title.  Then I looked at the stack of paperwork in my in box to be filed and got a little sick.  It's amazing how little chores like that can get out of control, even for an organizational freak like me.  And I do as much as possible online these days, which made the pile even more disconcerting.  Rather than make a huge mess rifling through the pile to find my title, I decided to go ahead and tackle the project, and it wasn't as bad as I expected.  Less than two hours later, I was completely caught up on filing.  And still no title.

I wracked my brain trying to think of where the title could be, imagining all kinds of bizarre and unnerving scenarios, including stealthy ninja identity thieves who are familiar with my filing system.  Then it hit me.  I got married and changed my name after I bought the car, which meant I needed to change my name on the title.  So, at some point in the not-so-distant past, I gathered up my title and a copy of my marriage certificate so I could take them down to the county and update the title.  And where is the most logical place to put them, where I would be sure to have them available when I had the time and the inclination to spend an afternoon waiting in a government office?  In my car, of course.  Which is now at a dealership more than 50 miles away.  

At least, that is my recollection.  In any event, I am going to presume that the title is exactly where I have now convinced myself I recall putting it.  If not, I suspect there are other options available.  If, as my patient, long-suffering husband suggested tonight, I am in fact more organized than 90% of the population, then I am probably not the first person ever to have lost a car title.  Wish me luck tomorrow - I have already guaranteed it is going to be an interesting week.  But at least my files are up to date.

10/18/14. The post where I enjoy doing nothing.

10/18/14:  we are in a place that prides itself on getting people to slow down and enjoy doing nothing. And I am a rule follower.  I took a long walk this morning, snapping lots of photos along the way.  The rest of the day was about hanging out.  And eating.  We did play some cards and take a walk around the neighborhood, just to feel productive.  It was a beautiful day, so we did a lot of our nothing outside.  I found out today that my patient, long-suffering husband can juggle, because...of course, he can.    

We capped off the day by spending a little time in the crisp evening air looking at a bazillion stars.  There were so many stars visible that it was almost impossible to pick out any constellations.  (Not that I can pick out many constellations on any given night, but I usually have a few up my sleeve.)  My foot was a little attention-starved and acted up a bit tonight, but I turned up the volume on my generator and then ignored it.  

Tomorrow is our trip back home, but we intend to make it a leisurely day, with lots of fun stops along the way.  I'm not anxious to get back to the real world, where a broken down car and a whole host of obligations await me.  It's been a nice break and I'll try to carry a little of this good feeling back with me to get me through the next week.

10/17/14. The post where I get into vacation mode.

10/17/14: yesterday was a travel day, but a great travel day.  We took our time getting to our destination, stopping at wineries and interesting-looking rest areas along the way.  When we got to our final destination, we wandered around town and then had a fantastic dinner.  We spent the rest of the evening in a quaint little bar, chatting up the locals.  My kind of day.  It often takes me several days to get into vacation mode, but this time I switched gears almost instantly.  It didn't even bother me when I got the call from the dealership confirming what I already expected: that my car had breathed its last breath.  I asked them to leave it on the lot over the weekend and told them I'd be back in touch Monday.

I woke up surprisingly early this morning and went on a long walk.  Our hotel had a very large garden area and grounds with a walking trail, and I was the first one there this morning.  It was a cool, crisp morning and I walked for several miles, with nothing but crowing roosters, barking dogs, and the occasional braying donkey to break the silence.  (Never saw the donkeys, and for all I know it may have been a donkey soundtrack. If such a thing exists.)  it was the most serene I have felt in a long time.  My leg and foot have been vibrating more than usual the last day and a half, probably because of the car ride, but I'll take it.  I'm not sure I could have done this trip two months ago.  

After a leisurely brunch, we set out on a scenic drive to the next destination on our brief journey, where we had rented a house, and waited for a third couple to join us.  It was an awesome day - beautiful weather, good food and drinks, and no TVs to remind us of the real world.  We played cards, chatted, and watched the stars.  Tomorrow should be more of the same.  Our friends are going on a long bike ride in the morning.  I wish we could join them, but neither of us are cleared for take off yet.  Instead, I'm planning to take a long walk through town.  It won't make up for all the eating I've done over the last two days, but at least it's a start.  

10/15/14. The post where I brag about my patient, long-suffering husband.

10/15/14:  in the midst of all the mechanical difficulties I've had recently, my cell phone began to exhibit signs of dementia.  I decided I'd better order a new one before it completely shuffled off its mortal coil and, of course, the new phone arrived yesterday.  I decided it was not the best day for me to attempt to do anything involving electronics, so I was content to leave it in the box.  However, my patient, long-suffering husband took pity on me and activated it.  When he was finished, everything looked identical to my old phone and it worked perfectly.  Because he's awesome that way.

During my car debacle, he's been at his most patient and longest-suffering.  This is his first experience with me searching for a new vehicle since we've been married and, while it is probably terrifying, he's handling it well.  Even I recognize that I take all the fun out of getting a new car, with the over-analysis, second-guessing, elaborate research (including spreadsheets, of course), and general bad attitude.  Which is why I like to keep my cars for so long.  He is being helpful and supportive while trying not to interfere with my "process".  I'm sure he'll be glad when this is all over, though.

And I hope that will be soon. My car was towed to the dealership this morning and they started trying to diagnose the issue.  They expect to contact me in the morning with some information.  I'll be on the road with friends, starting a long weekend trip.  I would say that I hope they don't give me any bad news that will ruin my happy vacation vibe, but since I am expecting the very worst news, anything else will be a pleasant surprise.  

Today was a busy day at work, followed by choir practice.  My foot's been a little edgy today, so I've turned the stimulator up and down several times to keep things interesting.  I'm curious to know how it does on a road trip.  Everything is an adventure these days.  I am supposed to be packing right now, so I guess I'd better get on it.  It's going to be a long night.

10/14/14. The post where my head hurts.

10/14/14:  everything that happened today made my head hurt in one way or another.  In retrospect, this might have been a good day to stay in bed.  When the best part of your day is having stitches removed from your head, it's pretty safe to say it isn't a good day.  

As you know, we are still a one-car family, and we both had medical appointments scheduled at the same time this morning.  It's a good thing my doctor is less than a mile away.  Instead of my normal morning walk, I walked to the doctor's office, which was actually not quite as long a walk as the normal one.  Just before I left the house, I got the fateful call from the mechanic.  One of the cylinders is dead.  For you non-mechanic types out there, that is not good news.  This meant there was no way to rig it up well enough for me to get it home.  The mechanic did not recommend trying to repair the car, as the cost would likely be about twice the blue book value of the car.  (In the "restore your faith in humanity" category, the mechanic refused to take any money for the work he did on my car, saying it didn't take that long and he was sorry he couldn't do anything to fix it.  While I hope not to need a mechanic again for a long time, and certainly not one whose shop is two hours away from my house, if I did, he would be my guy.)

I started processing this information as I walked to the doctor's office.  About halfway there, I remembered that in the excitement of the phone call, I had failed to take my allergy medication before leaving the house.  What reminded me?  About 17 violent sneezes in a row after passing someone mowing and edging their lawn.  I got to the doctor's office a little early and checked a few work emails in the waiting room.  I finished reading an email about a huge issue that was going to create a lot of work for me just as the nurse called my name.  The stitch removal hurt a little more than I expected, but it was quick and they thought the incision was healing pretty well. 

A pollen-filled walk home, a quick change of clothes, and it was off to work to save the world, in the car this time.  I averted my eyes as I passed by the mountains of boxes and art in my office still needing a home and sat down at my computer.  Which was dead.  I spent most of the rest of the day either in meetings or sitting in one of my guest chairs (the only one not covered in boxes) trying to work on my cell phone while the tech support person sat at my desk and resurrected my computer.  Oh, and finding a way to get my car towed to the nearest MINI dealership to the mechanic's shop, which will be a 70 mile tow and will result in my car still being more than 50 miles from home.  

My final stop for the day was the first song rehearsal for our upcoming musical.  Most of my hobbies requiring rehearsals are run by my patient, long-suffering husband, who has the same organizational tendencies as I do and runs a tight ship, resulting in a very high quality product.  These rehearsals are, shall we say, a little more "relaxed".  Somehow, the musical comes together each year just in the nick of time, but the first few rehearsals always make me feel like my head is going to explode.  And since my head already felt like it was going to explode, this was the last thing I needed.  But I made it through the rehearsal with my head intact.

One more (very long) work day this week, and then a much-needed getaway with friends. I'm hoping to come back refreshed enough to fix a work problem that should have been resolved before I was born, buy a new car, and put my office back together.  No worries, I've got this.

10/13/14. The post where my office is a wreck.

10/13/14: in the first week of returning to my walk, I have shaved more than a minute off my time, which is much better than I expected.  At this rate, I should be back to my old time within a month.  I'm still about two weeks away from being cleared to ride the bike again, but I'm hoping it goes as well as the walking has.

On my way to work this morning, I remembered what would be waiting for me when I arrived.  A big mess.  I had new wallpaper installed in my office over the weekend, which meant all of its contents had to be packed up and removed.  After 20 years with the same employer, I've accumulated quite a bit of stuff, so this was no mean feat.  I had assistance, but it still took much of the afternoon to empty the office.  And now I have to do it all in reverse.  Unfortunately, my dance card was quite a bit more full today.  I got my computer set up so I could get some work done, but that's about all the office set up I had time to do today.  So I worked in a sea of boxes.  I'm hoping I'll have a little more time tomorrow to get things back in order.  That may be unlikely, though, since I'm having my stitches removed in the morning.  I may have to get used to the boxes, at least for the next week.

I spent the evening at handbell rehearsal, then doing laundry and looking at cars on the Internet.  No word yet on whether I will have anything to trade in, but I'm still hopeful.  My foot's been kind of fussy all day, but it still feels loads better than before the stimulator.  And speaking of the stimulator, a friend forwarded this article about spinal cord stimulators being used to help people with spinal cord injuries regain the use of their limbs.  http://www.people.com/article/christopher-reeve-spinal-cord-injury-breakthrough.  We live in an amazing world, don't we?

10/12/14. The post where I tell you about my weekend.

10/12/14: if there is one word I would use to sum up the weekend, it would be...FOOD!  Mom and Dad got in around lunch time Saturday, and it seems like we never stopped eating.  My kind of weekend.  We had a wonderful time cooking, eating, drinking, watching sports, and catching up.  It will take me several days to catch up on my diet, but it was totally worth it.  

I also started doing a little car research.  Rather than getting me excited about a new car, it just made me confused and depressed.  I don't want a new car.  I want my car...minus the whole "breaking down in the middle of nowhere" thing, of course.  Since that seems pretty unlikely at this point, though, I guess I need to get over it and start looking in earnest.

Late this afternoon, I went to my first dance rehearsal for the musical.  Yes, I said dance rehearsal.  Just what the doctor ordered.  Okay, technically probably the opposite of what the doctor ordered.  But I was determined to try it.  And I'll be honest, it didn't feel great.  But I made it.  This was another reminder that I am not cured and that the new normal is very different than the old one.  I keep reminding myself that I am not doing any physical damage with activity, regardless of how it feels.  Next time, I will turn the stimulator up at the beginning of the rehearsal and see if that helps.  We're experimenting right now, remember? 

Looking forward to a short work week before a long weekend trip with friends.  Presuming we can continue to be a one-car family for a few more days, I should be able to spend more time carefully pondering my next form of transportation.  I only have a few requirements: unique, stylish, safe, reliable, fun to drive, fuel efficient, and packed with all the latest options and conveniences.  Oh, and did I mention cheap?  Let me know if you come up with anything that fits the bill.

10/10/14. The post where I get ready for some special visitors.

10/10/14: still borrowing my patient, long-suffering husband's car, so I dropped him off at his office, then went to mine.  I'm getting new wallpaper this weekend, so part of the day was spent packing up my office and removing pictures from the walls.  At lunchtime I had my nails done ("OPI Scores a Goal" from their Brazil collection) and ran some errands.  

I heard from the mechanic today and he didn't have a lot of information yet, but he was not optimistic.  He was waiting on a piece of diagnostic equipment and if it came in today, he said he might have more info this weekend.  Luckily for me, my patient, long-suffering husband is good at sharing. I didn't have any time today to start researching vehicles, but I hope to do so next week.  I am already starting to get a steady stream of advice and recommendations from friends and colleagues. 

We had a quick trip out for sushi and then spent the rest of the evening getting the house ready for visitors.  More musicians, you ask?  Good guess, but not this time.  My parents are coming this weekend!  While I always look forward to their visits, this one is really special, because it's their first trip here since Mom got sick.  She's about six weeks removed from her last chemo treatment, and she's gaining back some weight and getting stronger each day, so she's ready to try a little field trip.  We're planning a very quiet casual weekend, full of food and football. I probably won't check again until the end of the weekend, so I will leave you with this advice, which I received today from an RSD support group I follow on Facebook:

10/9/14. The post where I race through the day.

10/9/14: my patient, long-suffering husband graciously allowed me to borrow his car today.  He had an early morning PT appointment, so I stayed home until he came back.  The timing had to work out perfectly because I was teaching a class that started mid-morning.  And it did.  I made it to work just in time to get to the classroom.

After the class, I had a few minutes to sit in the office, catch up on emails, and eat a quick sandwich before sprinting across the work campus for a long meeting. By late afternoon I was pooped.  I finally got caught up from yesterday and left to pick up my patient, long-suffering husband.  We were both pretty worn out, but we had planned a home project this evening and we got it done before collapsing in front of the TV for awhile.  A cooking show, of course.  Because when you are on a diet, it's a great idea to watch shows where people cook delicious, fattening foods.

In all my racing around today, I didn't realize until late in the day that I hadn't heard from the mechanic. That is probably not a good sign.  After 24 hours of "encouragement" from my patient, long-suffering husband, my mom, and one of my best friends (who I feel certain were all in cahoots), I am warming to the idea of trading in my car.  Presuming I ever see it again.

My foot felt left out by all the attention my car was getting, so it acted up a little tonight.  It swelled up and turned pretty red, and for awhile it was more painful than it's been post-stimulator.  Turning up the volume did the trick, but the stimulator is now at the highest level it's been.  Tomorrow will be a much easier and more casual day, and I'm hoping to turn it back down a little.  I guess I'd better start doing a little online car research, too...

10/8/14. The post where you are not going to believe it when I tell you about my day.

10/8/14: woke up at about 3:30 this morning and couldn't fall back asleep.  Argh.  Since I was going to be in a car most of the day, I wanted to be sure I took a good walk this morning.  While on my walk, I saw this:

Not sure what chain of events led to this, but in my imagination, someone is sitting on a bus, looking down and saying, "What the...?  I know I had on two flip-flops when I left the house this morning."

I set off on my two and a half hour drive and it was awesome.  The weather was great, the landscape was beautiful, the sights were interesting, and my foot felt fine.  All was well, until I got about ten miles away from the ranch, when the temperature warning light came on in my car.  Did I mention that this ranch is in the middle of nowhere?  With no cell reception?  I slowly coaxed the car to the ranch's entrance gate, where it finally gave up.  I tried calling and texting my colleagues who were already there, with no luck.  So it was time to hoof it.  I knew from the directions that the house was about three miles from the gate, so I figured I'd better get going.  Because, as the song says, the road goes on forever...

I was about a mile down the road when a pickup came from the house to pick me up.  My texts had finally gone through and they knew I needed assistance.  We tried adding water to the radiator with no luck, so they pushed my car inside the gate and took me to the meeting.  After a couple of hours, they went to get the car and got it started enough to bring it to the house, where we saw that the engine was shaking rather violently.  Uh, oh.  After a call to AAA and another hour wait, my car was on a tow truck headed to who knows where.  

Since I now had to rely on the kindness of one of my colleagues who lives in the same town to get me home, I had to stay until the rest of the activities were done.  Which included skeet shooting.  This is a group of men who shoot guns on a regular basis.  They invited me to participate, no doubt intending to have a laugh at the expense of the girl who spends most of her days sitting behind a desk. What they didn't know is that this was not my first rodeo.  I haven't shot skeet in a long while, but it must be like riding a bike, because my first shot turned the clay pigeon into a puff of black smoke, and I must admit I enjoyed hearing the collective "Whoa..." behind me when it happened.  My entire outing was only average, but I hung with them pretty well.  The best part?  None of them knew I had a battery in my hip and stitches in my head.  Nope. To them I'm just the girl who can walk a mile down a caliche road in cowboy boots and isn't a bad shot.

As I finally walked in the front door tonight, I was thinking that for a day when my car broke down in the middle of nowhere, it was a pretty good day.  Then my phone rang.  It was my credit card company calling with concerns about a possible fraudulent charge.  Oh, you mean the tow truck charge from the middle of nowhere?  Nope.  They asked if I was in Illinois today.  (Spoiler alert - I was not.)  Sure enough, someone with a counterfeit copy of my credit card tried to use it to buy nearly $1,000 worth of clothes from the Polo store.  My compliments to the evildoer on his or her good taste in clothing.  Fortunately, the charge was declined as being potentially fraudulent.  So the last few moments of the evening were spent getting the card deactivated and a new one issued.  

Today definitely had its ups and downs.  But my foot felt pretty good all day,  Tomorrow will be challenging with no vehicle or credit card.  And no skeet shooting.

10/7/14. The post where I talk about my diet.

10/7/14: happened to wake up before my alarm this morning.  And by "happened", I mean the world's loudest garbage truck came down the street earlier than usual and startled me out of a deep sleep.  (Thanks a lot, efficient city employees.)  In retrospect, I'm glad it did, because it meant that I started my walk a little earlier than usual, which meant that I ran into a neighbor and had a pleasant conversation while we walked.  So pleasant that I walked a half mile longer than I meant to do and still made it to work on time.  

I had another pleasant surprise this morning.  A retired co-worker I haven't seen in some time showed up at the office this morning for a function and we were able to visit for awhile.  It was nice to talk about old times and catch up.  It was also a reminder that I am one of the few old-timers left in my office.  Not quite sure when that happened.  All I know is those kids better get off my lawn.  

You may recall me talking about the pact I made with my friend where neither of us would buy a pair of shoes until we each lost 10 pounds.  So far, I am not doing a great job of keeping up my end of the bargain.  I keep losing the same three pounds, which means I'm not really losing them, I guess.  But I'm really trying.  I am being careful about what I eat, and now that I can get some exercise again, I feel like I'm back on track.  And I have even more incentive now, because guess what?  My friend has already lost her ten pounds and started on the next ten.  Boy, do I feel like a creep.  I would gladly release her from her obligation, since she did her part and besides, it's fall boot season.  But so far, she's sticking with me.  I choose my friends well.  Wish I could say the same for her.  She's in luck, though.  The only thing that motivates me more than new shoes is guilt.  

I went two inches shorter on the heels today and I got to sit during most of my rehearsal tonight, but I'm still a bit uncomfortable at the end of the night.  Nothing too serious, though.  I think I am falling into a pattern of turning up the stimulator for awhile each night.  The medical company rep told me I would need to do a lot of experimenting to figure out what works for me.  Tomorrow will be an even bigger experiment.  I will spend much of my work day driving.  I am speaking to a group of colleagues who are meeting at a retreat several hours away from my home.  I would normally consider this one of the perks of my job.  A drive through the country on a beautiful fall day, away from computers and phones and desks.  I hope I still feel that way after tomorrow.  

10/6/14. The post where I concede that I might possibly have overdone it today.

10/6/14: up early for my pre-work walk.  I did the hilly walk again and felt fine afterward.  Then I got ready for work and slipped into these beauties:

Boy, did I enjoy that!  I knew it was going to be a day spent mostly sitting at my desk, so I figured I could get away with it.  When I got home, both of my feet were a little sore, which I expected since I haven't worn heels that high in some time, but my foot wasn't red and I didn't seem to have any ill effects.

I changed into jeans and my comfy sneakers to go to handbell practice.  After an hour of standing, I could already tell what my foot was going to look like when I took off my shoes.  And I was right.  Five bright red piggies that were swollen up like little sausages.  And after I sat down, I started to feel the familiar pain.  I quickly turned up the stimulator.  In fact, I turned it up pretty high.  After about 30 minutes, the pain was mostly gone, the color was normal, and the sausages were replaced by toes.  But the tingling is intense enough to be really disconcerting.  I plan to turn it down as soon as I'm sure the coast is clear.

I'd like to blame it on the comfy sneakers, but I suppose it is possible the walk and the ridiculously high heels were contributing factors.  It is good to know the stimulator works.  All the same, maybe I'll dial the activity down just a bit tomorrow. Or at least the heel height.

10/5/14. The post where I make better use of a perfectly good fall day.

10/5/14: slept much better last night.  And today, I took my first post-CRPS walk on my old, hilly route.       It used to take me a little under 28 minutes and today it took 32 minutes.  I can live with that.  Even though it is approximately the same length as the walk I've been making, I used some muscles that I haven't used in a long time.  The entire walk is quite hilly, with one 11% grade at the halfway point.  (Before you start thinking I'm some sort of geometry genius, I have cycled up that hill many times, and the computer on my bike tells me the incline.)  I'm a little sore, but it felt great.  I am going to go back to doing my "real" walk every day now.  Guess I'll have to start getting up about four minutes earlier, at least until I can get my time back down again.

I got ready for church, but without my personal hair stylist, there was no chance of rebandaging my head, so I went without it.  At least I was able to get my hair arranged over my stitches without assistance.  It was much too pretty out to spend another afternoon indoors, so we went to the nursery to pick up plants for our fall garden.  We spent the afternoon planting the new purchases and pruning the existing plants.  A very productive and enjoyable afternoon.

After a full day, my foot is none the worse for wear.  It turned red a few times during the day, but never really hurt and I did not have to adjust the stimulator.  My head bothered me more than my foot did, although it is also feeling much better.  I think I am ready for another full work week.  And guess what? No doctor appointments this week!  That's a trend I'd like to continue.

10/4/14. The post where I waste a perfectly good fall day.

10/4/14.  A long night's sleep, but long doesn't always equal good.  I guess my mind was wound up, because I spent much of the night dreaming, as verified by my health monitor this morning.  As a result, I woke up a little out of sorts and stayed that way all day.

I went for a long mid-morning walk and saw a lot more people than I do during my early morning weekday walks.  And everyone was happy.  It was a beautiful, sunny fall day and everyone I saw seemed to be taking advantage of it.  There were a lot of outdoor activities in town this weekend, so besides the normal joggers and cyclists, I saw adults pulling coolers and holding bags full of goodies, kids chasing each other around wearing soccer uniforms and football jerseys. It was the perfect day to spend out on a deck somewhere, watching college football or just hanging out with friends.  So what did I do?

Laundry.  Errands.  Dishes.  A trip to the grocery store.  Chores.  I did take a break in the afternoon to watch part of my college team's lethargic football loss.  Then I got really wild and crazy and cleaned out my closet.  Maybe not the best use of this particular day, but they were all things that needed to be done.  And now they are done.  And who knows?  Tomorrow is also forecast to be a pretty day.  Maybe I will take advantage of it.  Although my sock drawer does need to be rearranged...

10/3/14. The post where I have a strange episode.

10/3/14: after my post last night, we were treated to a spectacular lightning show.  As I may have told you before, our house is on a bluff on the northwest side of town, so we have a great view of the city as well as a view for miles to the east.  There were some serious storms to the east last night, so we stood on the deck and watched the lightning for a long time.  The storms continued way past bedtime, so we went to bed, opened our curtains, and fell asleep still watching the lightning.  While I hope no one was injured or had property damage due to the late night storms, they were beautiful from a distance.  

Morning came early, but I felt pretty good, so I went for my customary pre-work walk.  Then it was time to remove my bandaid.  ("Alex, I'll take 'Things that Suck' for $200.")  Even after completely soaking it, it refused to let go of my hair.  When I finally wrestled it loose, there was a big chunk of hair attached to the bandaid.  Yep, they should have just shaved the hair around it.  My patient, long-suffering husband redressed it and fixed my hair to cover the bandaid.  He is becoming quite the hair stylist.

I had a good day at work and came home and decided to make dinner for the first time this week since I was feeling better.  After about an hour on my feet, I looked down and my foot was pretty red.  It didn't hurt, but it was really buzzing and feeling strange, so I decided to sit down for a bit.  After awhile, the color died down a little, but the buzzing got more intense and my foot started itching and cramping. It also felt warm and I have a feeling that without the stimulator, I would have been in serious pain.  Despite the vibrating, I finally decided I'd better turn up the volume.  I did and all the weird symptoms went away, although my entire leg is now vibrating like crazy.  I hope I can turn it back down in the morning, but I want to make sure whatever happened is completely gone.  I guess I learned tonight that this thing is not going down without a fight. But, guess what? Neither am I. And I would recommend putting your money on me.  

Another thing I learned today? November 3 is CRPS Awareness Day.  (Yes, everything has an awareness day these days.)  I will remind you as the date approaches, but there is an initiative called Color the World Orange.  Orange is the "official" ribbon color for RSD/CRPS, meant to symbolize fire.  (Get it? Fire? Burning pain? There are a million more CRPS puns where that came from, and all of them are available on tee shirts.)  So start checking your closet for orange clothes, because I will ask you to wear them on November 3.  Sorry I didn't pick a disorder with a more attractive color.  If it makes you feel better, I don't look good in orange, either.

10/2/14. The post where I make a good recovery.

10/2/14: rough night last night, but I felt a little better this morning.  It took nearly an hour to remove my dressing, clean up my incision, carefully wash my hair, and redress my incision.  My patient, long-suffering husband helped me redress it, which required him to stand on a step ladder.  In retrospect, I imagine we made quite a sight.  Two weeks until the stitches are removed, and I'm supposed to go through this ceremony every day until then.  Not sure that's going to happen.  The good news?  I got the pathology result back today and it was benign.  Whew.

I got back to work mid-morning, with nothing but a bandaid on my head to indicate that anything was out of the ordinary.  My head was still pounding, but I made it through the work day.  To reward myself, I went with my friend to the open house of a new spa and then back to their house for pizza.  Not a bad recovery day.

Tomorrow is already Friday, and then another weekend with few obligations and plenty of recovery time.  And a 20% off coupon for a massage from the spa open house.  Things are looking up!

10/1/14. The post where my head hurts.

10/1/14:  can't believe I thought I was going to work today.  Once the local anesthetic wore off, my head started hurting like half my skull had been removed.  And for all I know, it was.  Guess I won't know for sure until I take the dressing off.  

My alarm went off this morning and with my first movement, it was clear I would not be going anywhere.  It was nearly noon before I could sit up for more than a few minutes at a time.  With all of my various medical malfunctions, I have been very fortunate most of my life when it comes to headaches.  I rarely have headaches that aren't associated with seasonal allergies, and I've never had a migraine.  I also thought that after CRPS, no other pain would affect me.  I've never had pain like this in my head before, though, and I hope never to have it again.  In the long run, it's better that I had the cyst removed and I'm glad it's over, but right now I am not too pleased about the result.  I have a small list of other necessary medical tests that I have been saving until after I had my foot under control, and I think I will wait a few more months before taking care of the rest of them.

On the bright side, my generator hip is feeling better. Or at least my head pain is taking my mind off it.  I'm optimistic I will feel better tomorrow, in which case I will be back in the office after I remove my dressing and treat the incision.  I know my co-workers will be disappointed not to see me with the dressing on, but hey, Halloween is less than a month away. Maybe The Mummy will make another appearance.