12/24/14. The early morning post.

12/24/14: the last few days were a whirlwind.  Scratch that - my life is always a whirlwind.  The last few days have been more like an F5 tornado.  I finished up my work year with a bang, including two unpleasant tasks that made me feel like a real grinch, but it was better than saving them for the new year.  I have definitely earned my holiday break.  

The rest of the time has been filled with rehearsals, Christmas and trip preparations, regular household chores, and a seemingly endless stream of parties and get-togethers.  And when I'm lucky, a little sleep.  I was really looking forward to this morning, when I could finally sleep in a little.  Except I didn't.  I woke up a full 30 minutes before my alarm usually goes off and after 45 minutes of tossing and turning, I finally gave up on sleep.  Thus the early morning post.

My foot has behaved pretty well through it all.  I have the amplitude on the stimulator turned up to "panic mode" and for the most part, it is working.  By the end of the day, my foot is generally red, swollen, and unhappy, but I barely notice it during the day.  Today will be a physically demanding day, but after today I will have some rest time and I hope to be able to turn the stimulator back down.  You know that feeling when you sit with your legs crossed for a long time and cut off the circulation, then you stand up to walk and all the blood rushes back down?  Now imagine having that feeling 24/7. That is what it feels like with the stimulator turned up to this level.  Annoying, for sure, but definitely preferable to the alternative.  

One last thought before I get up to face the day.  For those of you who are church-going people, while you are in services this evening or tomorrow, please take a minute to think about all the work that goes on behind the scenes.  The Christmas season is not a fun time to be a staff member of a church.  (Or the family of a staff member of a church, frankly.) It is three or four of the hardest work weeks of the year, culminating in a few days of absolute frenzy.  My patient, long-suffering husband hasn't had a full day off work in several weeks and any time spent with family and friends has to come at the expense of sleep. Church staff members make these sacrifices willingly because they feel called to do so, but it takes a physical and mental toll on them and their families.  Which is why we go off the grid for awhile after Christmas each year.  

I wish each of you a wonderful Christmas filled with love, laughter, and joy.  And I wish myself luck getting through tonight.  I will have lots of time tomorrow to post, so I will let you know how it went.