Our State Fair is a Great State Fair!

         "Our State Fair is a great state fair
           Don't miss it don't even be late
           (our state fair is great)
           It's dollars to doughnuts at our state fair
           It's the best state fair in the state."

Any of you Rodgers & Hammerstein fans are probably acquainted with the musical/movie State Fair.  How many of you knew that it was written about the Iowa State Fair??  Yup!  A fair is a fair, right?  Wrong!

The Iowa State Fair is the best state fair not only in the state, but in the land!  There is tons of entertainment, tons of great food, tons of culture.  And everything you ever wanted is available on a stick!  The Iowa Pork Producers are there with their fantabulous pork chops, there is the world's biggest bull, ginormous pumpkins, a cow chip throwing contest, and of course, the pièce de résistance, the butter cow!*

I have been to the State Fair probably 26 of the last 32 years.  I'm always a little sad if I miss it.  For me, it holds lots of memories of people and places, and bits of my childhood.  It's a part of me, and I think that a lot of Iowans might say the same.  It's something deeply ingrained in the heart, something that fills your heart with pride of being born and bred in the heartland--a place which is still a little bit in the past, when times were simpler, family was important, and kids were allowed to just be kids.  It's a place where people come together for sweet corn and fried catfish, or in times of disaster to help a neighbor in need, even if that neighbor is two towns over.

Yes, there is something about Iowa...I may not always live here, but it will always be my home, and to me, the State Fair is a culmination of all that is Iowa.  I can understand what brought people to the plains--what great beauty there must have been in the rolling, green hills, crisp streams, powerful rivers, and then the amber waves of grain.  What a sight!

Iowa, people may make fun of you, may think your offspring are dull, but you are my mother, my home, and my heart will always remain here, especially in August, during the time of the Fair.

Because I had only been off crutches for two days, I did the fair scooter style this year!

*Some really stupid animal rights people poured red paint on the butter cow this year--I don't think they gained any supporters.  And the Fair had the last word with Butter Cow Security T-Shirts!

Pork Chop on a Stick...'nuff said.

Post Surgemication: Two Weeks

Surgery was two weeks ago today.  Today I took all the tape and bandages off of my incision, and took my first good look at it.  It was bigger than I thought because of the way he stitched it together, it looks like three incisions.

Tonight, I also put on a shoe and walked around on it a little.  It felt very strange.  I can tell that things work very differently in my ankle now and that it is going to take some getting used to.  It also feels like there is empty space in my ankle.

To top off the evening, I drove my car to the drugstore!

Wow!  What a difference a week makes!

Post Surgemication: I can haz shower???

YAY!!!

Today I had my stitches out!  What a glorious day!!!


I didn't even feel the first two, the second two kinda hurt, but the last one wasn't bad.  The nice young man cleaned up the incision and put tape over it, just to reinforce it a little for a few days.  Then they took me down for a few x-rays.

Dr. Lee came in and looked at it, said get rid of the crutches, wear the boot for a few more days, and ease into wearing a shoe as I feel comfortable.  This is all very awesome, especially the part about no crutches, but the best part is that I can shower again!  No more needing help to wash my hair, no more not being to make my own food and carry it, no more not being able to open doors!!!  It's like a dream come true!









Here you can see that the incision is about the length of a finger.

You can see a slight bit of bruising on the opposite side of my heel.

Gonna have to slow it down a little though...this boot is a little challenging if you try to go very fast...

Post Surgemication: One Week

I was surgemicated on one week ago today!

Wow, seems like I've been through a lifetime since then!  The first three days were a piece of cake, but then I realized...not to be too gross, but I hadn't done a number 2 yet. Let me tell you, that night and the next day were painful! I thought I was going to die!  And when we finally got things loosened, they went too far the other way.  Let me just say that I will n.e.v.e.r. make fun of a Preparation H commercial again...as long as I live...ever.

I'm pretty well recovered now, thank god, but I am pretty tired. Yesterday was my first day back at work, and my first time out of the house for that matter.  I worked 12-4 and did pretty well, other than not being able to find a comfortable way to rest my foot, and I worked 10:00-4:30 today. Really, the most tiring part about work is getting ready to go to work (and it takes me forever to get to the bathrooms...).  I can't shower, so bathing is complicated, and I have to stand on one foot to do everything.

I go get my stitches out the day after tomorrow and, hopefully, I can at least get rid of the crutches. (I can't wait to shower!!!!)

So, let me leave you with one piece of advice: if you are on pain killers and they say they might cause constipation...there is no might about it!! Be proactive or you'll be sore-y! :)

Post Surgemication: Day Two

It's amazing what time and pain killers can do!

Here it is, the second full day after my surgery and I feel pretty darn good.  The first night I slept on the couch, which was fine, except my butt was really tired of being sat on and was pretty sore.  I pretty much laid here all day with my foot up, but I had to pee almost on the hour.  (Rehydrating is a pain!)  I was never really loopy, although I do fall asleep pretty quickly, and mom and I watched some streaming Netflix until time for bed.

Yesterday mom had to go back to work, but I was feeling pretty good and I was getting around pretty well on the crutches.  Also, Meghan stopped by and brought me flowers and a balloon and sat and talked for awhile.  She dropped the girls of at the water park and brought us back a Maid-Rite for lunch.  (She had never had one before! :-o)  I munched my Maid-Rite and slurped down my raspberry milkshake while we chatted and watched Frasier.  It was nice to have company.  Dad came up for a visit shortly afterwards.

Last night mom and I decided that I would be more comfortable sleeping in my bed, but I dreaded going up the stairs.  After a lot of effort, and some tears, I made it up stairs and to my bed.  It was nice to sleep in my bed!  I was able to turn onto my sides slightly and my behind was very pleased with that.  I had an alarm set to wake me when it was time for medicine, so at 2 a.m. I put peanut butter on a cracker, ate it and took my pill.  I just got laid back down when it felt like a pillow had slipped out from underneath of my leg so I opened my eyes to see mom hovering over me and scare the crap out of me.

Coming down stairs was much easier than going up, and I am getting around even better today.  I really am amazed at how little my ankle hurts.  (But it is really itchy!!!)  I'm happily situated on the couch and bless dad's heart, he is on an errand to get me more Bomb Pops and some watermelon.  He also put my new license plates on for me. :)  Meghan is going to bring me lunch and check on me today, and I am feeling totally relaxed and comfy!  (And I can wiggle my toes without pain today!)

Aaaah!  The life of an invalid! :)

Flowers and balloon from Meghan. :)

Os Tri-gone-um!

It's gone!  I've been surgemicated!!!

My day started at 3:00 a.m.  I got up, showered and prepared last minute items for the day and we were on the road by a little after four.  We arrived at the hospital in the dark of the night and had to wait about 15 minutes for the registration desk to open up.  I got registered and they took me back to pre-op. A nice nurse named Barb asked me a lot of questions, weighed me, gave me a cup to pee in, put in my IV and made me comfy.

I laid there waiting until nearly seven when the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me.  About fifteen minutes later Dr. Lee came in, marked my leg and explained what was going to happen.  At 7:30 they wheeled me a short ways down to the OR.  They had me scoot over onto the table with a bean bag on it, they were already slipping me a mickey through my IV, and I got situated, thought this is uncomfortable, they put a mask on me and I was out.

I started to wake up in post-op and it was hard to breathe, but there were nurses right there and they told me they were going to remove the tube, for me to cough a lot and take big breaths.  They sat me up which helped, but I couldn't swallow because I was so dehydrated, and it was hard to clear my throat.  I was there for what seemed like fifteen minutes while they unplugged me and woke me up, and then I was wheeled down to the recovery room.

They sat me in a chair with my legs up and called mom to come back in.  I had kind of a tough time waking up, and at one point I was overcome with emotion and started to cry (except that no tears came out because I was so damned dehydrated!!) but that didn't last long.  I sat there for maybe 45 minutes, drank apple juice and ate a piece of toast, after which I felt much better.  When I felt up to it I got dressed, which was a little tricky, and then they wheeled me out to the car.  I scooted into the back seat and we headed for home.

After a brief stop for a milkshake for me and chicken strips for mom, we drove home.  Well, she drove home and I slept in the back.  Since then I have been laying on the couch with my foot up.  I have finally gotten somewhat rehydrated, however that means that I have to pee every hour or so--that is no small feat.  (Getting off the couch, walking with crutches, trying to get my pants down and up again...you get the idea.)

All in all, I am very pleased with the way things have gone today, and I am thrilled to have the surgery over!!

No drugs yet...

Marked the correct foot...

You want me to pee in the Handy Tub????

Countdown to Surgemication: Ten Hours

Well, tomorrow is the day.  I had a little flutter of nerves earlier, but I'm doing ok so far.  I'm ready to get this over with, but we'll see how I feel in the morning.

I have to be to the hospital at 5:30, so we will have to leave home at like 4:00 a.m.  Eeesh!

Last pic before the knife...hope I can point my toes better afterwards.