Yeah. I think that would have been nice to know.
Then she said, "Sometimes people don't recognize their foot when they see it for the first time. One woman last week cried. Just so you know."
When she took off the cast I wanted to cry, too. My foot...well...it didn't look like my foot. It was just like she had explained. And it was weird. It was like I was looking at someone else's foot. Creepy is probably the best way to describe it. Kind of emotional, too. Sounds silly. I was relieved when the nurse left. I didn't want her to see me so disappointed and in shock. I almost took a picture with my phone....but then thought better of it. I just wanted the doctor to hurry up and cover my foot up with another cast. I didn't like looking at it. Immediately I began questioning if I should get the other foot done. I don't know what I expected, but not this. I can only imagine what it's like for people who get plastic surgery done to look in the mirror and see them, but a very different version of them. Clearly I am aware that my feet do not define me. And if I really don't like the results, they are probably the easiest body part to cover up for the rest of my life. After thinking upon it for a while, I think I realized what I didn't like about my foot.
It's all the other toes. My toes are all curled up and scrunched together-- as a result of living with a bunion for most of my life. So, while my big toe stands tall and straight without the bunion sticking out of the side, the rest of my toes are still deformed and...well, not pretty.
So now I think, why didn't I have the doctor fix all those other toes? We talked about it, but the doctor didn't recommend it. The more invasive you get, the more chance of problems, etc. etc..... so I just said, fix the problem and I'll shove my vanity aside.
And now I am kind of regretting it.
Anyway. The doctor came in and oohed and ahhed over the foot and how "beautifully straight" it was. I just wanted him to hurry and cast it back up already. I picked blue this time for the cast--- to show my BYU school spirit and all. Not that it helped. We listened to the game on our way home from Boise. After the Boise State Game, the BYU game really put Kyle into a depression. Is it just me or do televised sporting events often times determine the happiness of your spouse? :)
So....3 more weeks ish of not being able to walk on my foot. I am living in sweats still. Still thinking about not doing the other one. I don't know if I could live with two alien feet, you know? Kyle thinks I'm silly for thinking that way. "What do you mean? You're sad your foot no longer looks like a triangle?"
Well....when you put it that way, I guess I am happy to not have a triangle for a foot anymore.... but it still doesn't look like "mine."
In other more important news, {did I really just write like 12 paragraphs about my foot?!} we had a lovely Thanksgiving vacation in Boise. Mary looked and felt better than she did during our visit last month and had fun telling Cade some good stories from Kyle's childhood. She spoiled Cade and Savvy with a Lego set and little pink laptop when they all ran errands together at Wal-Mart. {Cade just flat out said, "Grandma, will you buy me a Lego set?" We're going to have to work on those manners....}
Kyle's family put on a 5K Turkey Trot in their neighborhood Thanksgiving morning and BOY WAS IT COLD! 12 degrees. Ruby and I stayed in the truck and watched from afar. I did hobble out to watch the kids' race. We were shocked people came to run the full 5K in the crazy cold weather. I like to think I would have run it if I wasn't out of commission, but I don't know..... !! There was a great deal of support from their ward and family. I think Mary felt especially loved that morning. The hope is to continue the Turkey Trot and do one each year in memory of Mary and donate any proceeds to breast cancer research.
If you know the Woodbury's you know that they are avid Pinochle players. I have yet to really catch on to the game. I was pleasantly surprised since we last visited that they'd adopted another card game-- Wizard! It's a Pinochle-in-training sort of game. At least that's my take on it. I was just thrilled to be able to actually participate in a card game with the family. (I'm not much fun explaining card games to. Back when Kyle and I were dating they attempted to explain Pinochle to me, but I was lost when they told me which card was "trump." Trump? Trump? What does trump mean?) I was a lost cause from the beginning. In any case, I was thrilled to have been able to participate in the card playing this time around.
Savannah and Cade enjoyed jumping on the trampoline (still! Even in the frigid weather!), playing in the snow, and Cade rebuilt "Kitty City" -- something that has become a tradition now whenever he goes to visit. I'll have to show pictures of his last Kitty City he put together. Cade, much like his Grandpa, is a cat person. And Savvy is a dog person. So fortunately at Gramma Berry's there are both! And at my home there are neither. It's the perfect set up.
We were sad to leave, and so grateful we got to visit when Mary was feeling good. It was hard to hear her say, "I don't know if I'll be around for Christmas. And if I am, I'll probably be feeling a lot worse." We hope and pray that's not the case, but the doctors haven't lengthened her prognosis since August and we know her time on this earth is limited as the cancer continues to grow. We had much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. It was wonderful for all the siblings to be together. Life and health is something none of us ever want to take for granted ever again....
We love you, Mary!
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