A New Year, A New Leg

 

Anna officially received her new leg last week! We are so happy with the incredible job they did. She is no longer telling me to take off her leg as soon as she gets home because she's outgrown it and it's uncomfortable. She is walking great and has had no problems adjusting. It makes a world of difference having her prosthetist in town, instead of hours away- I know she is getting the continous care and adjustments she needs to grow and walk properly in the future. Now that she has her leg she can go in any time to have her gait checked and to ensure a proper fit.

 

Lately she wants to run so badly- her little legs go as fast as they can, but she just isn't able to make them go fast enough. The prosthetist told us that it would be difficult for her to run because the ankle in her prosthesis doesn't bend. When she gets older she could get a special leg if she desires to run. I can't lie, that makes this mama a bit sad- the other day I saw all the two-year-olds at her church school running to the playground together, and I can't help but picture Anna struggling to keep up and being left behind. But, as her teacher says, she is 'feisty' and I have no doubt she can handle that and the more difficult situations she will encounter in life.

 

Anna got her first pair of real sneakers! Prior to her new leg she was wearing a foot that was three sizes too small, so we could not make sneakers fit. Now she has the appropriate footwear for outside and doesn't have to climb on the playground in slippers!

 

Here are some shots of Anna in her new leg.

 

 

 

Lastly, I want to thank those of you who gave and are still giving to Anna's Leg Fund. It has been a tremendous blessing for us during this difficult transition to provide for Anna's medical needs. Since most of you gave anonymously, I don't know who you are (unless you want to tell me!), but I assume that you read this blog since it is the only place I posted the link. So know that we feel loved, blessed, and that your generosity brings tears to my eyes. May God bless you tenfold.

 

The Bubonic Plague

If you're wondering why I've been MIA (a whole MONTH without a post- sheesh! That's a new low for me)... it's because I practically crawled from the dark recesses of my new home, the bathroom,  to write this post. Our family has been experiencing a local outbreak of viral gastroenteritis ("the stomach bug"). This has been no ordinary stomach bug, mind you. First it hit me and I was vomiting more than I've ever in my life. My WHOLE life. If I reflect on all the times I've tossed my cookies over the years, this surpasses them all. Worse than the time my whole family survived food poisoning at Disney World. Worse than any of my migraines that landed me in the ER from dehydration after heaving from intense pain. Worse than after eating street food in Peru that my then-fiance Ben tempted me to eat (while he abstained - still bitter).

I threw up every hour for, oh, TWELVE hours. And it was no easy vomiting, let me tell you. It was full-on upheaval at its worst. It chewed me up and spat me out. I have a chain smoker's voice to prove it and can sing tenor for the first and hopefully last time of my life, which kind of freaks my husband out.

I have my toddler to thank for sharing the gift of gastritis. Anna's still battling the symptoms after five days. She's been vegging in front of the television to Cow Tunes for three days now, methodically, filling in the cracks between the couch cushions with cheerios. After realizing I have been humming/singing/rasping along to Cowabunga all day long, and can't close my eyes without picturing a cow getting a suntan in Aruba, I dare to turn off the TV and suffer the demand of "Cow, cow, cow, COW!!" coming from my firstborn. Normally I am stoic to her demands, but sometimes you just have to chalk it up as a loss and give in to the couch potato you just created in a matter of 72 hours.

Tonight she came to me begging, "Night Night, NIGHT NIGHT" at 5:30. I think that's a new record. So I changed my daughter into her pajamas, and was reminded how she has regressed from 18 month to 6 month clothing. Another pound lost, and I might be able to wrap my hand around her waist.

If we have any peaking Tom neighbors, which incidentally I've heard that we do (another story for another day), they might think they've come across a macabre set of the latest Zombie movie. In fact, I think I've just had an "ah-ha" moment. If I ever made a Zombie movie, I would select my entire cast from the waiting rooms of urgent care centers and hospital ERs.

Not only did every person in our family get the bug (including Baby, though she had it the easiest, go figure), but we wiped out our two helpers as well. Poor Jacky spent only a few hours with us and hours later she was damaged goods. My mother-in-law came to relieve her, and eight hours later she was camped out on the bathroom floor.  Meanwhile, Ben goes off for another weekend call day at the hospital (leaving You-Know-Who to juggle dirty diapers, crying kids, and frantic dashes to the toilet...I digress) and manages to give every person at the nurses' station on 7 North South a crick in their neck as they turn to the sound of Niagara Falls.

 I think this qualifies as Bubonic Plague level sickness.

In other words, forgive me for my absence from the blog world...as I make a mad dash back to my favorite haunt.