Flippity Flop

I am still trying to figure out how to wear shoes. I have a pair of running shoes that I wear everyday. My prosthetic foot is adjusted to fit that shoe. So if I take my shoe off and go barefoot then it feels off and is hard to walk on. I have one other pair of shoes that I wear on Sunday to church. They are flats with a sturdy sole. Nothing fancy. Just plain. They are still not adjusted as well as with my running shoe. It would sure be nice to be able to adjust the incline of my foot with the pair of shoes on put on in the morning. But for now I am just glad to walk. I do miss being able to wear cute shoes, high heels, and especially flip flops!!! My fake toes are all one piece so there is no way to wear shoes that go between my big toe. I miss flip flops alot.
Yesterday I was at Nordstrom Rack. It is like a buffet of shoes. Amongst all the shoes I was able to find one pair that had a solid sole without any incline of a heel. They are made by Sperry. Did you know that Sperry's are back in style again? Well that is what my teenager has told me. I remember my big brother buying them in the 80's. Who'd have thought they would be cool again. And the best part? Only $21.98. Nice.
I now have 3 pairs of shoes and I am quite content. I have come to terms with the fact that no shoe will distract from the metal bar coming out of them.

Want to arm wrestle?

 I met with my oncologist yesterday. I will tell you that walking into the Oncology department isn't as emotional as it used to be. I still remember the first day there. Just seeing the huge letters
ONCOLOGY dept. on the wall just made me feel sick. I remember saying to my husband, "This is not a department I thought I would be sitting in for a long time."
On the brighter side, I think the nicest and funniest people are in the waiting room for oncology. Probably because most of them are over the age of 70 and say whatever they want. Yesterday, one such older man blurted out, "Does anyone here want to arm wrestle me while we all wait?". See what I mean? Cool people. One time a gentleman asked where he could get such a fancy wheelchair as the one I was in that day. I tried to explain to him that I had borrowed it from the clinic and it wasn't mine. He continued to ask me about the design and how I liked it. I'm not sure he heard me or understood it wasn't mine. So I talked with him as though it was and told him all the features I like about it. He decided he wanted one like it too. I changed the subject and asked him about himself. Found out that he fled from captivity from his communist country as a young man. His brother was caught and tortured by his oppressors but lived to escape to another country. His story continues and I was fascinated in all he had been through. He is now in their 80's and finally living the American Dream. I was dumbfounded by the extent of his life's experiences. And now he was facing cancer but was just so thankful for life. I could go on and on about the cool people I have met in the waiting room there. I was so refreshed by yesterday's arm wrestle challenge. I am proud to have joined in the ranks of  'cancer patient' with these amazing people.
And for some good news.... My scans came back clear. No new suspicious nodes. One word sums up my day. Gratitude.

Security check.

I had another 'First' this week. I went through airport security!!! I was picking up my nephew at the airport. Since he is a minor they allowed me to go to the gate. Me and 4 of my kids. We made it through with ease until I was detained for the full body scan. The security agent said in his radio, "Be advised. The next passenger has a prosthetic leg." In hindsight I shouldn't have told him anything and let the agents be on their toes to find out why I was beeping. After the full body scan I still had to be searched with the beeper wand thing they wave around your body. And why do the wands have gauze stuff attached to the end that they wipe over the palms of your hands? What are they searching for?

Gum Grafting..?

Even though I got through all the chemo and it's effects on my teeth with out any cavities... It did do a job on my gums. I got to get a gum graft yesterday. Basically the gum tissue disconnected from one of my teeth. I was really dreading having this procedure done. Not because of the pain factor, but because of the creepy factor. I don't like having my teeth or my eyes messed with. Creep out factor. So having a surgeon cut off my dead gum tissue, then harvest good gum tissue and sew it on the bad area just a little freaky. I lived through it and it was pretty quick and I didn't even pass out. Sore today. Really sore.

Breathe in.... Hold your breath....

For the next 5 years I will need to be under the care of the oncologist to make sure my cancer doesn't re-occur. For the first 2 years I will have a CT scan every 4 months and meet with the doctor. I had my first  re-check scan this week. I don't know why but I was really nervous about it. Even anxious about it. The CT scan is an easy harmless scan but it just drums up all the feelings I had going through the whole cancer stage. It wasn't pleasant.  During all the poking, proding, amputating, chemo, IV's, needle pricks, etc. I would just make my mind go to that 'happy place' so I could deal with all of it. Otherwise I would have surely had a nervous breakdown. Although I never found that 'happy place' that some are able to find. But I did learn how to block out what was happening to me and just get through the procedure.
So I got my mind back to that place and went in for the scan Tuesday. Done. Now just waiting to see if any new spots have emerged. I will meet with my oncologist next week.

Legal Action

Checking in for the big test...

I have my first official teenage driver in the family now. My girl passed her driving test first try.

We spent the 4th of July holiday driving around town and the DMV. We even practiced parking at the section marked for 'driving test students'. We made 3 different trips to the area and made sure she knew all the speed limits and left turn yeild signals. And on the way to take the test we were blessed to have a firetruck approach so she even got to practice pulling over to the side of the road for it to pass. As she departed for her test she ran over the curb (her signature move) and then wouldn't you know it, but an ambulance came down the road. She was able to pull over without complete panic thanks to our experience that morning. She returned only 10 minutes later and I waited to see if she gave me the thumbs up sign. Yeah!!!!! Thumbs up! I am thankful that is over. But still scared to send her off alone in the world.

Ready to begin test and drive away..

And even more good news. .. We have decided on a name for this new car of ours. We are naming him "Carlos" in honor of the nice instructor who gave her a passing grade.