The "Bonus Trials"

I was going through a photo album on my computer and found some pictures from my chemo days. It feels like so long ago. And other than a prosthetic leg, I don't have any visual effects left on my body. My hair has grown in past my shoulders, my eyelashes are thick and long again and my skin tone has evened out. I don't have a PICC line to deal with and only a tiny scar to show for that. I don't have to get weekly blood tests and overall, it seems like it was ages ago. But when I carried my son into the operating room and waited with him for the anesthesia to take effect, I took a quick look around and was flooded with all the intense feelings I felt as I had been in a room similar to it having my leg sawed off. It has stuck with me this week. Although I have been focused on my son's recovery, I have had some grieving feelings of my own over losing my leg. I honestly miss my leg. Not the cancer and contaminated leg. That was a blessing to get rid of. But just an average standard leg.
So now I want to put up some pictures just for my own reminicing.


So the hospital was about a 45 min drive to get to and since we didn't want to be late we arrived way to early. There was a Costco across the street so we browsed around and looked for some good books we could read for the week in the hospital and got Kenneth something to eat before the long night of waiting through surgery. (It was a 6:30pm scheduled surgery).
Now I had to be fasting all day and was a bit tempted my the yummy Costco style hot dog. But did my supportive husband really need to include the giant soft serve icecream delight?

 

 

 

Then this next picture is me.. Patiently waiting for him to finish his feast as I have tired, stressed out eyes from my occasional crying and nervous mood. Oh and did I mention I had been FASTING until the above time of 6pm????

 

Wow. I look really bad. But this is what it looks like an hour before your leg is amputated!!

 

 

 

 

Then I found these cool pictures of my RAW leg after taking the first casting off.

 

WARNING!!!.... the following pictures are Gross!!!

 

 

 

Prying the cast off.

 

 

 

2 weeks after amputation. First look at new leg.

 

 

 

 

And this next picture is pretty gross. This is the wound that opened up and had to be packed with gauze everyday for 4 months until it filled itself in with scar tissue. But it is probably one of my favorite pictures of the journey. It just proves again to me that my life has never been easy. Even when I have hard trials I usually get the 'extra bonus' trial to go along with it.

 



 

Yeah. That is still gross to look at. But, I'm still pretty proud of that extra trial.





 

Girls weekend

I got to go on my very own vacation. Charlotte and I flew to North Carolina to visit my brother and his daughter. We have never been there before. It was Great!! What a beautiful place. There were trees everywhere we looked. And we got to eat all kinds of southern food. Char loved spending time with her cousin sofia. Because of the distance we rarely get to see each other.

Best airport greeting ever!

Filling their bags with treasures at the Scrap Exchange

Starting our first morning at Biscutville! Yum!

Trying on hats at a Vintage store.. Why not?!

And Baptism Day!!

My very own Stretch Armstrong

It has been 4 years since we had surgery to correct Ben's legs. The doctor makes a cut in his groin, calves and ankle tendons and then stretches the muscles to a flexed position. He then casts both legs to keep his feet flexed and in a month we have new stretched out legs. It gives him just enough to stand up flat footed and straighten his knees. Right now he walks or runs on his tippy toes always crouched in the knees. Over time he will start to walk with a criss crossed gait and that's when it is time to stretch him out again. So Moday afternoon when I called to schedule his surgery I was greeted with a 'We had a cancellation for tomorrow morning. Are you ready tomorrow?' Woah! After a good talk with the surgeon we decided to go for it. The good part was knowing that Ben was healthy and none of us were sick around here. Not something you can very well predict when you schedule a month in advanced. It went great. Me and him got to spend the day together. The doctor even let me suit up to carry him into the O.R. and help him as they gave him some gas to fall asleep. I don't think he had any fear until they tried to make him breathe into the oxygen mask. It was a good day. Today we are taking it easy. I know it hurts him and he is a tough kid. I am so amazed by his strength. I love him so much!!

School is cool

School has started again!! This was the fastest summer yet. My little chickens are growing up too fast.

12th grade

10th grade

8th grade

5th grade

3rd grade!!

Nice View

My husband and daughter spent this week on a river trip with a group of teenage youth from our chruch. He really enjoyes camping, hiking and just being in the outdoors so this trip was something he looked forward too. A nice break from his everyday office work.
The first morning before they set out on the river he sent me this picture.
It was titled "Look at the view I woke up to this morning!"

Wow! He was right. It is beautiful country where he is. Well, I went downstairs after seeing his message and took a look at the view I woke up to that morning. I couldn't help but take a picture of it and send it back to him. Of course I titled it "And look what I woke up to this morning!"

Sweet music

I reunited with an old friend.

I got this beauty in 1991 and we spent a couple of years close together. But as kids came along, she went back in her case and stayed there for the last 15 or so years.
 My two older sons wanted to take guitar lessons. I was so pleased about it. So out came my old friend and I have had fun playing around the last couple of weeks. I love having the sound of guitar music in my home. It is what I grew up listening too. It feels like home.

Two weeks = New shoes

My sweet littlest boy got a new walker. He is getting taller! He waited patiently while adjustments were being made and even tried to help it along.

Because he puts so much effort into walking, he drags his feet. Especially when he tries to run. His shoes take quite a beating. I have tried buying every type of shoe. From cheap Target shoes, to Stride Rite. The first obsticle is finding a shoe that will fit over his leg braces. And then trying to find ones with toe reinforcement. Not as easy as it would seem.

I found one brand that I order off the internet now that last him 2 weeks. The longest he goes without his toes poking through. I started taking pictures of all the worn out shoes we go through. Here are a couple...



It is so worth all the trouble to see him walk and even run! We try everyday just to help him be as independent as he can possibly be! He is a Champ!!