three little monkeys

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Surgery Virgin's Random Notes

Yesterday I had surgery on my freaky left foot. I have extremely flat feet -- so much so that they don't look like normal feet to me, but more like hobbit feet (except not hairy!) The problem with having freaky flat hobbit feet is the excruciating pain I feel after running/walking/hiking long and not-so-long distances. I began seeing a podiatrist last October who took x-rays to confirm that I actually have 2 extra bones in my left foot. When I told my mom that, she laughed and reminded me that I had a couple extra teeth that had to be taken out of my mouth when I was younger. Now that explains a lot -- I have this theory that there were supposed to be two of me, but I ate my twin in utero and now she's trying to break her way out of me. It would definitely explain the crazy voices in my head!

I've never been under general anesthesia before. Even when my wisdom teeth were taken out I had local anesthesia and remember how odd it was that the oral surgeon was practically straddling me, yanking at my teeth with pliers, and how I didn't feel a thing. I wasn't freaked out by being put under, but I have seen J come out of surgery a couple times before and wasn't looking forward to that. But really, life is so fleeting -- anything can happen. I realized that I wasn't afraid to die, if it was my time to go and that's a comforting thought, I guess.

The anesthesiologist was funny. He was alert and confident, which put me at ease. The last thing I remember was him saying, "This one that I'm putting in now will feel a little weird, but you don't have to worry -- you're off to Never Never Land! Ha! Ha! Ha!" And sure enough, 2 seconds later I was out...

I woke up about 75 minutes later after having a dream about the podiatrist saying, "I'll come back when she's more awake" (really not a dream). Apparently I didn't amuse or entertain anyone while under or waking up. Oh well -- J's amusing enough for both of us when he wakes up.

The Surgical Center is like a factory -- they just pump people through. I laid there half-asleep watching everyone come out of surgery -- older people, people my age, little kids -- fast asleep, being wheeled by the OR nurse and anesthesiologist in their blue scrubs with their blue shower-cap-like things. Like a factory. Interesting.

So what are my thoughts about my first (and hopefully last) surgery?
*Not a fan
*General anesthesia is weird
*Ouch
*Better be worth it. I'm clinging to the hope that I will soon be able to "run and not be weary, walk and not faint."
*Lortab -- not a fan, but grateful, none-the-less
*I have the sweetest husband who is taking care of me, the kids, the house, and working from home all at the same time. He's amazing! Too bad I feel so yucky I can't enjoy being waited on!

Updates will follow.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Skiing

My sister came into town the Tuesday before Christmas with her two boys. On Wednesday we went skiing. My last memory of skiing was when I was eight. I've repressed most of the memories from that trip; all I remember is that I fell down and cried a lot. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I trust J and didn't have the heart to squelch his enthusiasm, so off we went.

That's my sister on the right. She is passing me. I am going very very slowly. To my credit, I didn't fall at all getting off the lift. I made up for it, though.

Near the end of the day when S's class went up the lift to go down the mountain, J took pity on S's teacher, who was trying to ski backwards down the mountain with S and his cousin M clinging to her legs.

The bunny slope was more to S's liking.

O, on the other hand, is a natural. We have a great little video of him flying down the bunny slope after being told by his instructor to wait at the top. The instructor caught him at the bottom but couldn't be mad at him, because O was obviously so thrilled and had exhibited perfect form. He's been asking to go again ever since.

Somewhere in J's head is the hope that, in addition to being a hiking, camping, exploring, 4-wheeling family, we will also become a skiing family. Hmmmm... Give us a couple years and a few more ski lessons -- then we'll see.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

December Recap, Continued

We made it to the Ward Christmas Breakfast this year for the first time in 10 years. S and O were shepherds in the Nativity and S sang a song with his friend at the microphone.

H and J enjoying breakfast:

Mom and H

Little shepherd O, who carried around a snorkel as a shepherd's crook all week in preparation:

S sang a duet with a friend. I tried to post a video of it, but it was taking forever, so I'll try again later.

After the Breakfast and Nativity J wanted to try out a few of the 4-wheeling features of the new vehicle.

We drove to Saratoga Springs and beyond to get our FJ up snowy foothills.

Here is J, looking pleased with himself:

This is what the kids thought of it:

O and H loved it -- the bumping around, the loud noises issuing forth from the FJ. S? Not so much.

The view outside the ride was much better:

That little truck-shaped dot is in fact a truck that tried to get up to where we were, but failed.

And the mighty little vehicle itself, looking all rugged and manly:

December Recap

December was a month of firsts for our family. A brief recap before we get into the specifics:

Bowling
Nativity solo (and ward Christmas Breakfast, for that matter)
4-wheeling
Skiing
Fires
Hosting Christmas

Let us begin with bowling...

We took the kids bowling for a Family Home Evening at the beginning of December. The last experience I had bowling was when I was 8 with a church youth group. I remember that I didn't like it and hadn't been since. We didn't know what to expect.

Here we are having dinner. H looks wary.

Here is the most experienced bowler of the family. He really liked the feature on the monitor that told how fast the ball went, so speed became his goal.

Here am I. That look of astonishment is disbelief that I actually knocked down some of the pins and didn't get a gutter ball. (This was my 4th or 5th turn. The others were all gutter balls. Yeah!)