Thursday, March 24, 2011

The faster I go...

The behinder I get!

I've been sick this week. So sick that I stayed home THREE days in a row! I finally feel better this afternoon but this morning I was still too much under the weather to consider sitting at my desk all day. Of course, that means I have to play by the rules and get a doctor's note to return to work tomorrow. No problem, my doctor is glad to do it. She knows me and knows that I rarely even go to the doctor myself and if I take myself then I'm really sick. I've not even showered for two days and, let me tell you, there's not much that prevents me from taking a shower.

I've actually been off all week. Monday morning I took Ron to a funeral. The wife of one of his co-workers passed away after a long struggle with cancer. While we were out, he fell so we ended up spending an hour or so at the "fake leg" office to have his peg-leg worked on. We did get some very promising news from the prosthetist.

He is going to start on Ron's permanent leg and it will be different than his current leg. Currently, he has a stockinette that he puts on, and then he puts on a formed "cup". The cup then goes down into the "socket" part of the leg. The whole thing is then covered with a neoprene sleeve that grips the leg shaft and his thigh and holds the two together. The new leg will have the neoprene sleeve directly on his leg with a pin that goes through the socket and locks into the leg mechanism. He'll put a stockinette on over the neoprene and this will be the surface that the socket glides on. Once the pin is locked into the mechanism, it's not coming off. That will make walking so much easier for him.

This is the best part... After he does all that and Ron gets used to walking with it, he's going to take the temporary leg and fix it so he can wear it in the shower (so he can walk into the and actually stand there) and into the swimming pool! That is just amazing to me and something we are both looking forward to. He'll silicone the screws and other parts to keep them from breaking down (he told me something else but I didn't hear it exactly) and then he'll fix the bottom of the foot so it can be stood on just like a real foot, and put a non-skid coating on it. Isn't that just amazing? That will open up so many doors for Ron and make it so much easier for him to get around.

Now, if we could just get his short-term memory loss to stop or reverse. That is my biggest concern right now. He forgets things that he's said sometimes within moments of saying it. Or, conversations within minutes. It's very odd what just seems to pass through his brain like water and what he retains.

11 comments:

Southhamsdarling said...

First of all Teresa, I am so sorry that you have been feeling so poorly, and I hope that you get better very soon. Secondly, that is such good news about Ron's prosthetic leg. Anything that will make things easier for him, has just got to be good. Nice to hear some positive news!

SkippyMom said...

I hope you are feeling better and are able to get back to work soon.

I have never worked for a company, nor has Pooldad, that hasn't required a doctor's note after three days. I don't think that is asking too much regardless of what you think is happening with other co workers in your company. It IS industry standard. God knows I have written a bunch of HR manuals [corporate and private] and they all say the same thing. Three days. I really don't think they are singling you out for special/nefarious treatment.

Great news on Ron's leg. Very promising. Can't wait to hear about the progress.

Hope you are rested and work isn't too much tomorrow. Take care.

Rae said...

You have had a rough week. I hope it gets better. I'm surprised you are not sick more often with all the stress you have in your life. You have an amazing ability to handle it all. Great news about Ron!

Kristen said...

Shoot! Did I get you sick?? I hope you feel better soon. My anitbiotics are kicking in and I am on the mend here with some lovely side effects of course.....
Take Care!

BB said...

I hope you're feeling 100% soon. Love the news on Ron's leg. That will make him feel so much more 'whole'. Is he taking pain meds by chance? Or does he have or is he prone to urinary tract infections? Those wreak havoc on the memory. My dad was diagnosed with dementia when it was a UTI. Also some liver disease can play tricks on the memory.

Teresa said...

I should probably clarify... most of what I say has a twist of wry, dry, sarcastic humor - usually directed at myself. Sometimes, it's directed at others but if I'm pointing one finger their direction, I've got four more pointing right back at me.

I don't mind if you don't agree with what I have to say. What I don't say is "the rest of the story" and sometimes I probably should just so what I do say makes sense.

LOL - make sense?

joanne said...

Ron will love his new leg, it's the type I have and it's so comfortable and easy to adjust to. Besides it just can't come off on it's own and that is such a relief...having a shower foot will be a whole new life too! Hope you are feeling better soon..;j

colenic said...

Sorry that you were sick this week...there is some kind of crazy sickness going around my office...the smell of lysol and hand sanitizer is enough to make any one loopy in my office....and good news on Ron's leg...that will make things so much easier for you!!

Kathy's Klothesline said...

Glad you are on the mend and that really is good news about Ron's new leg!

labbie1 said...

Glad you are on the mend and GREAT news on your hubby's leg!!! Wonderful!!! Even though a took a fall to get the good news!

Jamie Marie said...

Awe Teresa im late catching up with your blog. I am so glad to know that you are finally feeling better and so glad to hear about Rons leg.


I don't mean to step on toes here but having worked for the same company as you do, I know that they are singling you out. When I got terribly sick and was gone for a week I was not expected to bring a doctors note because they trusted me. It sucks that they treat you differently then the rest/