MAFO

Carl got his Molded Ankle Foot Orthosis (MAFO) today. This customized "spring-loaded"plastic brace fits inside a shoe and it makes Carl's foot lift upward when he walks. His limp is definitely less pronounced when he wears the brace. It will take a few days to adjust and to learn how to walk without pulling up at the hip as he has had to do in the past weeks.It is amazing what the medical world can do to help!

As I mentioned, the brace only works in tandem with a shoe. Unfortunately, because of the swelling and the nerve pain in Carl's right foot, he can not tolerate wearing a shoe for very long periods of time. So it's a bit of a catch-22 for the time being.

Tomorrow we will start the switch-over to a new medication which might help with the nerve pain. Our prayer is that we can get that under control so Carl can enjoy the benefits of the MAFO. In the meantime, he will wear the brace as much as he can.

He looks great walking, by the way!

Merry Christmas!

Our kids have traditionally opened their Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve morning and then we open our other gifts after church, late on Christmas Eve.

Since Mandi and Doug now go to market on that day, we have improvised the past two years and I think we started a (goofy but fun) tradition! At 5:30 am, Doug and Mandi join us for a quick dip in our hot tub on the patio: crazy-cold but so invigorating! Then we run back inside the house and as soon as the kids have opened their stocking gifts, it's off to market for the Stoltzfus's and back to bed for the rest of the Smuckers.

Thanks to Doug and Mandi for being such good sports. It was also great to have Carl be able to join the rest of us out in the cold yesterday--even just a few weeks ago, it would have been impossible.

Our Christmas Day has been quiet, we all slept in till late and relaxed the hours away. Being together is our best gift.

In the midst of many uncertainties, may you feel the Spirit of Peace this Christmas in a very personal way. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2008

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart...filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.--Bess Streeter Aldrich (Song of Years)

thoughts on a Monday

One of the challenges I have found in the past months is discovering that delicate balance between gratefulness for what we still have and dealing with the reality that it can never be the same. I determined in the beginning that I will look for the good in our situation--and there IS so much good. My husband can walk! For now it is slow, painful, limping--but it is walking.

And I am thankful.

But I miss his heavy, purposeful footsteps, always on his way to somewhere and always with a plan. I miss the spontanaity that was coming with this season in our lives, the ability to just get-up-and-go. We talked about things we want to do in the future, like traveling and taking up new hobbies.

And we may still be able to do some of those things in the future. We have no plans to give up! It's just that so much remains unknown. For the present, Carl will no longer be going to physical therapy. The doctor says walking will be his therapy throughout the next 6 weeks. After that, they will check to see if there is any potential for further bending in his right leg. (He has about 30 degrees of bend, which is enough to allow him to walk, but not enough to do stairs easily or sit comfortably in many of the normal places we go: church, a movie theatre, the bleachers at our kid's basketball games, an average vehicle.)

Sometimes I just want to go back to living the illusion that we have some control over our future and make plans accordingly. I want to know that we can return to Africa on a missions trip in June, I want to assume that we will be able to bike around the neighborhood again and work together in my flower gardens and have my husband take out the trash and fix things around the house.

And then I have to pull back again and remind myself to live TODAY--because that is all any of us have. There is strength for today, grace for today, mercies new each morning. Ps. 33:20 says "We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone."

He walks!!

progress

Carl drove himself to work today! His Dodge Durango is set up surprisingly well; you sit rather low in it and he can push the seat back to accommodate his right leg.What a huge step toward independence and "normalcy" for both of us! I have jokingly told people that for the last 4 months, we have literally done what the the verse from the Bible says, "Whither thou goest, I will go...." Carl and I have traveled everywhere together, with me in the driver's seat. To his credit, he hasn't been too bad at back-seat driving even though I have a very different style of driving than he does. He is a patient man.

50th Birthday!

December 5 is Carl's 50th birthday! That's half a century!

We celebrated today by going out to eat with the kids. We also went to Frysville Farms to pick out our Christmas Tree, a favorite tradition around here. Thank you, Vince and Caroline for your generosity, the tree is beautiful!

12/3 doctor visit

Since Carl's orthopedic surgeon was out of the office today, another doctor from his group evaluated Carl. Although we much prefer working with Dr. Essis, it was interesting to get a new perspective regarding Carl's injuries.This doctor looked at the x-rays and confirmed what we have already been told--that most people with this severe injuries lose their leg. A good reminder again of how much we have to be thankful for!

The bones in Carls' right leg are healing slowly, but surely. He was given the go-ahead today to bear weight on that leg as much as can be tolerated, but must still use crutches. He also continues to wear a bone stimulator for 8 hours each night.

Now Carl will concentrate on teaching himself to walk as normally as possible, given his circumstances. His foot drop makes it necessary to lift upward at the hip each time he moves his right leg forward and that causes a limp. But it's walking and that looks pretty good to me!! (Later on, the shoe insert will help with the limp.)

Another doctor visit is scheduled for next week, maybe we will find out at that point about the upcoming surgery to make his knee bend.