April 25 - Come Saturday Morning

Slept great last night except for having to wheel into the bathroom 4 times. I use my Backberry for a headlight and was thinking one of those LED headbands the ultrarunners use would be perfect for this task. I'm sure Jennifer would love for the fashion police to stage a two am raid and catch me.

I got up around 7:30 am and hopped into the shower to get ready for my PT session at 9. I have previous experience from my last operation getting the daily grime removed old rusty so this operation is routine. Two Harris-Teeter plastic bags, one over the stump and one split and tie around. Try that with your green bags and stay dry. ;-)

Cathy the PT arrived at 9 am and we checked out the healing. The stump still has good color and it appears to me the dressing change itself causes some tiny bleeding at a couple of sutures. There is no active drainage so I think we're still on schedule for Monday removal of the stitching. I hope they can put me under for that...jeese ah hates stitch removal.

Back to the PT...I learned some new exercises and she demonstrated how to do some push ups...it was great, she was doing standard push ups with the hand clap, I told her she was just showing off. I did manage a few sans applause while balancing on one foot later, not quite as impressive but still better than a robust nosebleed had I tried her variation.

I got a wonderful card from Kristen, J.R., and Jack. I don't have a scanner at home so this substitute pic will have to suffice. It never fails to make me smile. Kingpop loves you, Jack!

Later in the afternoon I did another workout from the printouts they gave me at Roper. Tomorrow I will do two or three workouts, not overdoing anything, just trying to keep the right leg from atrophying.

As I write this I have the burning phantom discomfort, man I wish I could put those flaming phalanges in a bucket of ice water. I often massage the stump to help, but just as often reach for the heel or piggies to give them a rub especially if I am writing and not looking at the leg.

Never did take the chariot outside for a ride. The neighbors are aware that I had an operation but I don't think any know exactly what I had done. I don't want to shock them - many have small children - but I'm not quite ready for it today. They are great neighbors; most did the bridge run and know I've been on the d/l for a long time.

So I hope to make my first public appearance tomorrow, no foot and all. I'm sure it will be fine, it's like the first time you ever wear tights on a cold winter's day. Eventually the mental scars heal long after the laughter subsides.

Besides, there's not a lot to see with shrinkage equalizing all men great and small.

Happy trails, kemosabes.