So many changes

Life brings many changes. As you get older, those changes become more pronounced. It takes more time to accomplish anything. You are forced to lower your standards because not everything can be accomplished. You don't fully recover from what you do do and some things just plain don't happen at all.

It has been quite apparent for anyone paying any attention at all, that as I need to take over more and more of the routine chores at home, I am less and less capable of doing so. Richard is now using a power wheelchair because he has very poor balance and his left arm no longer functions well (deteriorating bone, nerves and connective tissue). This makes it hard for him to manipulate a manual wheelchair. At the same time, my arthritis makes it difficult, if not impossible to do such simple chores as opening a jar, and I have trouble holding onto small items like a needle and even mildly heavy objects. The condition of my left foot makes walking painful. The longest bone in the inside of my left foot (between my big toe and ankle) is sitting cockeyed. Only a small portion of the bone is actually articulating with the bones on either end. In addition, the 2nd toe is what is called a "hammer toe". One of the joints in the toe is rigid and locked at an angle. The 2nd toe on my right foot is this way too.

My podiatrist has scheduled me for surgery on December 19 to correct at least part of the situation on the left foot. So I will be laid up for several weeks of recovery. They will cut out the joint at the base of the left big toe, insert a pin to hold the long foot bone closer to a normal position and pin the 2nd left toe at the same time. The hope is that this will prevent additional tork to the foot bone and reduce the pain of walking. Oh, I should be better able to wear something other than Berk's again. Of course my feet will still need heavy duty arch supports because I have developed flat feet.

Our grandson Chris has agreed to stay with us and perform vital chores such as laundry and fetching the mail during my recovery. I will be in a wheelchair and/or on crutches again. But I learned how to manage a surprising number tasks when I broke my leg and later had a total knee replacement. So we will manage.

Richard and I have decided to spend the holidays at home this year. Just too many crowds, too much activity, and too many barriers to our abilities. Not a problem. We can still have a nice dinner, watch the TV specials and will still expect friends and family to drop by.

Changes in ability, activity, and in all other aspects of living. We are really feeling our age this year. I've heard that getting old is not for sissies. I can now vouch for that statement from personal experience. The alternative is not acceptable. So I will get up every day, do what I can, and the rest will just have to go wanting. No sense worrying about those thing you have no control over anyway.