Bye Bye Shoebootie...

...hello walking!

I am delighted to announce that I have graduated from shoebootie. I still have one more x-ray to come and I'm still using an elastic type tape -- a miracle product that replaces the old ace bandage -- and regularly icing my foot, but I am officially in two sneakers and I am loving it. I am scheduled to get my new orthotics in two weeks and I'm really looking forward to wearing shoes, real shoes and not sneakers. 

I do have a round of rehab to look forward to, but it's probably my sixth or seventh go at physical therapy and I am actually looking forward to it. I know it will be much easier to walk when I am finished and my back will feel better, too.  I will also then be able to return to my exercise classes and in one part of my life all will truly be right with the world. I know there will still be a few aches and pains, but not this set of aches and pains, and I feel very fortunate for that.  

Please stop by tomorrow for one of my favorite parts of the week, Random 5 Friday. It won't be quite as random as usual -- the date of November 22, 1963 has been on my mind -- but it's just about my favorite post each week. 

As always, thanks for stopping by. Sweet dreams and take good care of yourself. 

Dear Shoebootie, I Love You

Here I am waiting for the bus after my appointment today with my orthopedist. Cute socks, one sneaker and yes, one shoebootie. I was highly optimistic that I would be wearing two sneakers when I waited for the bus home and I had my sneaker in a plastic bag in my tote bag. My orthopedist is pleased with my progress, but I have at least two more weeks wearing my shoebootie.

I have decided to have a different attitude and love my shoebootie. I am going to look at it as an instrument of healing and not one of torture. No more sighing, no more complaints and no more longing for two shoes that match. I can't change my physical reality, but I can change my attitude. I do want my healing to be as complete as possible, and my orthopedist spoke these sobering words, "You'd hate to lose any of the progress you've made..." I would indeed, and I am thankful for my friend, shoebootie.

It was a glorious day in New York City today and I loved wearing a wool blazer in November. No heavy coat, no gloves, no scarf! It felt so sweet and summery that I treated myself to the perfect summer snack frozen yogurt. I did go with autumn flavors, pumpkin and Oktoberfest stout. I'm not sure what Oktoberfest stout actually tastes like, but it's yogurt counterpart was yummy. Not to race the season along I am eager for the Christmas flavors. I'm dreaming of gingerbread and eggnog frozen yogurt.

As always, dear blog buddies, thanks for visiting and take good care of yourselves. 

I'm Dreaming of Two Matching Shoes

The good news is that my foot is healing well. The less good news is that I'm still dreaming of two matching shoes. This is my status quo...

One sneaker and one surgical shoe eagerly eye winter boots...

...and a vast assortment of shoes. 

Right now two matching shoes are fourteen days away and that stretches like eternity. But when I think about fourteen days as the mature, rational being that I am, fourteen days is a blink, especially when I remember the lesson of my braces. 

It's Hartford, 1965. I'd gone from having the worst buck teeth in New England to perfect teeth. This miracle occurred by the wonder of modern orthodontia. I wore braces for four years and a retainer for one year at night. My parents had gone without to make this happen and I knew I was lucky, but I wasn't especially grateful. I couldn't wait for the day when I no longer had to wear my retainer, and I'm sure I complained bitterly about it.  

Dr. Freeman, my orthodontist strongly recommended that I wear the retainer through high school, three endless years. I'm sure I was hysterical at the thought and I'm sure my mother was tired of listening to my histrionics. I stopped wearing my retainer and was thrilled about it. Fast forward four decades and my perfect teeth are no longer perfect. There has been a small, but obvious shift. I'll never know if there's a connection to my retainer or if teeth just shift, but if I had listened to Dr. Freeman. I might have avoided it.  

Remembering the lesson of my braces and so many other issues when I didn't take expert or simply sensible advice, I am wearing my surgical shoe and being grateful for my thoughtful, conservative orthopedist. I really do trust his judgement and at 63 I am worried about possible long-term issues. But I still would love to get back to exercise class with two matching sneakers. One day...  

Is there advice that you wish you had taken?

As always, thanks for visiting. Please stop by later today for another trip to the Buttercupland Fair. We've got a big treat there. I hope you're enjoying the autumn and take good care of yourself. Sweet dreams! 

Just Call Me Cinderella

There was no pumpkin coach, pulled by mice in livery. I arrived as usual by public bus. There was no castle, just an office building. There was certainly no Prince Charming, though I do think my orthopedist is kind of cute in a bearded middle aged way. I entered his office so, so eager to depart in two sneakers -- a modest request -- and instead I got a new shoe that fit perfectly. Good bye, surgical boot and hello, my new friend, surgical shoe. Shoe, you're an answer to this girl's prayers. You're not the answer I was praying for, but you're the answer I received.

I was so hopeful that I could "graduate" today to two sneakers that I carried my left sneaker in my tote bag. But I'm not there yet, and I am happy to now be the wearer of much more comfortable foot wear. I may be back in two shoes in two weeks or I may not. If nothing else, I am learning patience from this episode.  I can skip the pumpkin coach, a castle is more space than I need, and the time frame is certainly not in my control, but I do want the matching shoes and yes, Prince Charming would be nice, too.

Tonight I'm Cinderella, but tomorrow I'm back to Buttercup. I've got some kitchen cleaning to do, bills to pay and it's time to sort through my turtleneck sweaters. We've finally gotten the fall weather I was waiting for and it's time for long pants, long sleeves and a jacket.

As always, thanks for visiting and take good care of yourself. 

Bye Bye Pain Fairies

As I've been sharing lately, I've not been a stranger to pain this week. Thankfully, it's nothing super-serious, but I feel the pain fairies have definitely stopped by my house. A few days ago I came home to find a gift from my friends at UrgentRx. These are credit card sized envelopes that you carry with you in case of sudden upset stomach, pain or headache. Just imagine, you fall on a slippery supermarket floor and there's not a water fountain in sight and you would love to take something for the pain. Or imagine, you're on the subway and squished and hot and get a headache. The headache relief powder -- you don't need water for any of them -- is lemon-lime and the flavor for an upset stomach is cherry. And, they dissolve immediately, giving instant relief.

I'm optimistic that my visits from the Pain Fairies are over, but I've once again learned that anything can happen any time. I'm going to tuck the envelopes I received in my tote bag. I hope I don't need them any time soon, but it's a comfort to know they'll be there. Again, thanks friends at UrgentRx, and just a suggestion, can you make an envelope for those of us who are easily the victim of insect bites? We can get itchy in the middle of Manhattan. Please, I need something to keep the Itchy Fairies away.

It's summer again in New York City. It's hot and it's humid. I walked over to vote in the primary and stopped at a Mr. Softee truck on the way home, one last day of summer treat. I'd like to think that today will end the endless phone calls for the candidates -- there are eight people running for City Council in my district -- but I would wager there will be a runoff in several races, which will increase the calls. I dislike the calls, but really like the ability to vote, so I'll take the not so sweet with the very sweet.

Thanks for all the comments about yesterday's post. I appreciated everyone who stopped by and will definitely stop and visit all of your blogs. It may take me a day or two, but I will be by.

So glad you all stopped by to visit. You make my day happier.


P.S. I was not paid by UrgentRx for this post, but I was given samples of the product to try.  
  

So Happy It's Random Five Friday

Thankfully, it's Random 5 Friday, one of my favorite parts of the week. And what a week!

1) A picture is worth a thousand words...or at least four. The magic words are six to eight weeks. I broke a major bone in my foot as a result of my fall on Monday and yes, black boot is the new chic. I'm sure I won't be asked to be part of Fashion Week, but I think the look has a certain je ne sais quois.

2) This solves my problem of when to switch from my beloved Croc flip flops back to sneakers. Today was blissfully cool and I wore a light sweater and this foot ensemble to my next medical adventure...

3) ...to the opthamologist. My eye felt funny yesterday -- I know that's not a clinical term -- and I was able to wangle an appointment to have it checked, just in the nick of time. I now have antibiotic drops for the next week and will be diligent in using artificial tears on a regular basis. Just one application of drops and my eye is feeling much, much better.  

4) And, yes, I'm going to take it really easy. I think this is a sign from the heavens to read, blog, watch movies and sit quietly outside somewhere close to my building.

5) Am I the only person in America who has never watched "Breaking Bad?"

I'm stopping and smelling the roses this weekend. I will be back tomorrow for Pink Saturday, and yes, it's a flower theme, so you can join me in some quiet floral time. Until then, thanks for visiting and sweet, sweet dreams.