CMT and Pain

There are many different symptoms that identify CMT. Not only is our condition the most commonly inherited neuropathy, but it also manifests itself differently from patient to patient. One of these symptoms that I would like to discuss, which is not exactly accepted by all doctors, is pain.

According to Wikipedia, pain is an unpleasant feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli, such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, or putting alcohol on a cut. The International Association for the Study of Pain's widely used definition states: "Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage."

Pain is what led me to my Charcot-Marie-Tooth diagnosis and my pain has evolved over the years. Back then, I had pain on the balls of my feet because of my calluses and felt pain with each step. Then I began having a lot of "charley horses," pain in my calves, which I still have to this day. My most challenging form of pain wouldn't make its appearance until years later - my thighs. It's a strange form of pain, hard to describe. It feels like pressure, as if there is something permanently suffocating my thighs. This last type has become my biggest concern as it just refuses to go away, ever! It's my companion 24 hours a day...always present in my life. As I have described in earlier posts, I have started to take medication and do therapy that help give me some relief. However, many doctors still do not accept the idea that CMT causes pain. They try to tell you that you must have another unknown condition. As if one invisible disease wasn't enough! 

It can be extremely frustrating to try to persuade a medical professional of a symptom you have that is being caused by an actual diagnosis you have. The more and more I speak to different CMT'ers throughtout the world, I am convinced that pain indeed is a symptom of CMT. It would be great if we and the professionals who can help us were on the same page.

I wanted to write this post because I recently found out about an organization that very much cares about pain and is doing everything it can to help me and people like me. One of my dearest friends from church and I have always had a very special bond. She has a neurological condition and also has feet and pain problems. I always say that she's my body double! She recently attended a conference organized by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), mentioned in Wikipedia quote above. She returned from this event extremely excited because this is a very serious organization, highly respected in the science world that focuses on research about pain. She told me that there were over 7,700 individuals from all over the world at this conference; discussing updates, presenting new ideas, and exchanging information. All of these professionals had one goal in mind: helping to alleviate pain, physical or emotional.

Over 1,000 professionals during one of the sessions.

I just wanted to share this information because it gave me a lot of hope and maybe it can do the same for you. It's great to know that there are thousands of people out there looking for a way to help ease our pain and suffering, and not only professionals in the CMT field. I am not holding my breath that there will be a cure in my lifetime, but I am very hopeful that I will be able to live happier, less pain-filled days sometime in my future.

GRRRRRR Insurance and YAYYYY Sisters

Last night I got the letter I have been expecting...not surprisingly, my health insurance DENIED my request for more physical therapy. Beyond frustrating! They refuse to listen to the fact that we are trying to treat CMT and keep it at bay for as long as possible. They are stuck on my feet and keep saying that my feet are not showing improvement. No kidding, Sherlock! I have been treating MY LEGS, for their pain and weakness...my feet are what they are and are actually not giving me too many problems. Is that so difficult to comprehend? Now I have to deal with the whole appeal process when I get back home?

Get back home? Where in the world is Michele, you might ask? I am in Brazil, hanging out with my favorite peepz in this whole wide world, my thunder buddies, my two sisters...Kalila and Milena. So I will try to forget this annoyance and enjoy my time with them while it lasts and re-charge my batteries so I can kick some insurance butt when I get home!!

Dusting Off Blog in Time for CMT Awareness Month

Hello there! So I am finally dusting off my blog and cleaning the spiderwebs after a 3-month summer hiatus. It's not that I completely forgot about the blog, in fact, I had tons of ideas, but summertime got the best of me and I just never seemed to find the time to put them down on paper, I mean, web.

I am so thrilled that we are celebrating another CMT Awareness Month and I am hoping to do a bit more than I did last year, when I was at my all-time worst. I plan to dedicate another entry to awareness month and do more of an update on this one.

It's been a summer of ups, downs, discovering what works for me and what doesn't. The medication really did help me quite a bit but I finally realized the importance of another piece of my puzzle. The medication alone cannot do it, I need to take the right meds alongside consistent physical therapy. I have never felt more energized or stronger, like I was finally taking charge of my health and not allowing CMT to put me down as it wished. With the help of physical therapy and pool therapy, I finally felt like I had some control over my body.

I started everything slowly and built up my exercises on a weekly basis. Some weeks we didn't get it right and overdid them unintentionally, which would set me back a few days. I started working out my arms too, in hopes that I could make them stronger and get there before CMT got to them. It was empowering for me, as I watched muscles develop in areas of my body where there was only flab before. At the peak of feeling well, we had our wedding reception and I was able to dance the night away, a feat I hadn't been able to do in years. In the midst of feeling so well, I started to sell items on eBay in the hopes of making some extra cash easily from my home. It's been fun and exciting to sell items online and feel like I could contribute financially, however small the help was.

Physical therapy can be a bit annoying to do, almost feels like homework that you wanna skip, and I have gotten to the point that I was honestly looking forward to my appointments. Then, my insurance company butted in and tried making things difficult for me. Since I was feeling so good and my pain level had decreased, they no longer felt it was necessary for me to continue. I had no words !!! I just couldn't believe what I was reading. Didn't they understand I only felt so good because of all the work I was putting in and that soon, I'd go back to normal? I tried getting a new prescription, had several discussions with the insurance company and therapy place and only got an additional 4 visits. In the meantime, my pain escalated again to much higher numbers than in the past few months, I lost the muscle mass I'd built and my energy level dropped. Not to mention that when I went back for those 4 appointments, I was no longer able to do as much or as many repetitions. CMT seems to play a funny trick on your body - it takes you so long to build up and yet, it takes no time at all to lose the time and work you put it.

My therapist has submitted a new request for approval and included a letter from my neurologist. Now I am just anxiously waiting for the results. I know I can do some of the exercises from home, but it's hard to get motivated and stay disciplined during that entire hour, while trying to ignore my cell, the TV, Facebook, eBay....etc. If they do not approve my next request, I am going to look into an out-of-pocket maintenance program because I have finally realized that I MUST keep up my workouts, however light and simple, for my own well-being and to keep the CMT-bugs away.

I have heard from others that this is not so uncommon. The insurance companies will pay to help you get better but not pay to keep you better. Maintenance is not something they want to be responsible for, which can be infuriating for a CMT patient. Since our dear condition does not have a cure or treatment, therapy seems to be the best way to slow the progression. Thankfully, I am fortunate enough that I can afford to do a maintenance program, but what about those who cannot?

Happy 2nd Anniversary!!!!

Time flies...I can't believe it's been 2 years since my first reconstructive surgery (and my first surgery EVER!)...So much has happened since. I actually got a little emotional re-reading this entry: http://myjourneywithcmt.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-did-it-i-really-really-did-it.html

It was almost like I was reading someone else's story...I am really grateful for that first surgery. It turns out it was the best of the three I had. My left foot really is the best compared to my right foot, which I still struggle with a pesky callus that refuses to completely go away.

Since then, I've worked and stopped working, got a house, got married, had 2 more surgeries, got braces, got to meet lots of new CMT friends, returned to physical therapy full-time, started pool therapy...and the list goes on and on. I am happy to celebrate this date and how far I've come since that time. Maybe I should treat myself to a celebratory cupcake today :)

End of a Chapter

This was a very bittersweet week for me. After months of trying to delay the inevitable and struggling to maintain work/life balance (and by that I mean going to work and getting through the day and coming home to veg out in bed and do absolutely nothing because of exhaustion and pain) I finally gave my resignation notice at work 3 weeks ago. It was certainly not an easy decision to make and I really struggled with letting that part of my life go. As much as we dread going to work sometimes, it keeps us active, in contact with other people, not to mention the financial benefits to be able to live more freely and do things you enjoy like going out to eat and traveling. 

John and I just came to the conclusion that it is just not worth it for me to struggle so much to work, when I have just been so miserable at home and unable to do anything else (i.e. take care of the home, cook, go to church, on and on and on). Thankfully, as if the angels from above knew that this would be my last week, they promptly managed to get me tickets to a live taping of the OPRAH SHOW IN NYC!!!!!! My mom and I attended Oprah's LifeClass at the Radio City Music Hall on Monday and it was a dream come true! Not only did we get to enjoy Oprah, but her main guest was Deepak Chopra and the discussion was about spirituality (cue the angels singing!!!). It was just unbelievable!!! Beyond words..I have been a die-hard fan for years and always dreamed of going to a show. The energy in the auditorium of 5,000+ people was out of this world. So you can say Monday was not a day I gave much thought about my impending major life change.

Tuesday was another extremely exciting day. I've been going back and forth with a friend, who became a professional wedding photographer a couple years ago. Since we got married on New Year's Eve and it was freezing out, we made plans to have a photoshoot in our wedding day outfits when the weather got nicer. Then again, out of nowhere, my friend contacts me that she has heard about this amazing daffodil field nearby that she was just dying to go see and that she'd shoot John and I as a FREEBIE! Say no more...you had me at daffodil field!!!! The only catch is that I had to leave work early so I could get my hair/nails/makeup done...I wasn't going to even attempt to do any of those myself. We went to one of the most glorious places I've seen!!! Out of a storybook...daffodils everywhere, lake, windmill, beautiful fields, barn, well...I mean, a photoholic's DREAM! Here's just a quick preview that she sent me that night that has me DYING to see the rest...needless to say, Tuesday breezed by and I gave no though to last day of work being Thursday.

On Wednesday, it started to hit me a bit, but it really hit me like a wall at night when I decided to write some Thank You cards to some people who have been very kind to me...(cue the waterworks). Poor John came home from doing a double at work to find me sobbing, the reality of it all really hit me...I couldn't even speak. So Thursday at work, I pretty much cried all day. I asked them to do away with the usual goodbyes from the firm - no breakfast needed - or my guests would end up consoling me. I needed to take a few breaks and go hide out in the bathroom but I survived. I received a really nice outpouring of support from people I would have never expected and felt truly appreciated by those I worked with. There's a possibility I may be able to work with them from home in the future, but for now I'm just going to focus on trying to feel better and going back to doing some activities I love.

I certainly don't want people to feel pity for me or "jealous" of the fact I get to stay home. It almost feels like if I had a baby with me, this would have been a much more acceptable decision to make. Since there is no baby yet, I just want to focus on getting stronger...I will be going to physical therapy and pool therapy twice a week, going to look into going back to the nursing home to visit my peeps (I feel more at home there among the canes and wheelchairs), taking dad to see a live taping of America's Got Talent this week, going to the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden next week...sure, I'll be doing some of these things from my wheelchair, but it'll be nice to change the pace of life.

As sad as it is to dwell on the reality of why I needed to stop working, I think I've cried that all out now. I just need to focus on the future and on the reason why I did this to begin with: to have a better quality of life. I'm looking forward to enjoying this time off and hopefully also starting to feel much better physically and emotionally. The end of a chapter, but the beginning of another :)

Yay and Nay!

Today is a happy and sad day for me....After MUCH deliberation and soul searching, I quit my job. Yup! I've been putting this off for months now hoping that I'd start to feel better, bounce back and continue with my regular routine. Working and doing physical therapy has taken a huge toll on my body and I've been exhausted and in a lot of pain! My bosses were super nice and supportive...one of them even volunteered to have a dress down day at work to raise awareness and money for research...

As scary as it was to talk to my bosses, I have to say I'm pretty relieved it's all out in the open and that the decision has been made. I always struggle with making the decision but once that's done, I'm glad to follow through. It's sad to leave a job I really like at a great company. It's sad to think I'm only 31 and these are the cards I'm being dealt at the moment but I'm also very happy to know I won't have to deal with obligations, that I won't have to make myself get up in the mornings when the pain is too strong or call out sick. I'm happy that I'll be more rested and I'll get to do my physical therapy and pool therapy each week. I'm looking forward to being able to enjoy life a little more and not throw myself in bed to rest every day after coming home.

I'm praying that God will lead the way and that things will be ok. At least it's spring and the weather is starting to cheer up. Really hope that CMT will take a back seat in my life now that I'm accommodating it.

Howdy!

Hi Friends!!!

I feel like a HUGE slacker since I haven't been writing often, or at all. I was looking at how many entries I wrote when I first started my blog compared to now and the numbers are a little embarrassing. There has been a lot going on, lots on my mind, but just haven't had the motivation to write much. I've been struggling a lot with what decisions to make about life...some of them very permanent choices.

On a happy note, since I last wrote, I am now a happily married Mrs...our wedding was very private and special...I had the wonderful pleasure of having one of my sisters here from Brazil for my birthday...I just got tickets to go to an Oprah show early next month...I had two great conversations with two CMT buddies that I have "known" in the online world for a while...I looked into possibly starting a support group only to find out there's one already underway nearby...

On a CMT note, I have been soooo drained of energy, so constantly exhausted. I have been trying to manage going to physical therapy and hydrotherapy once a week each and finally last night I came to the realization that I just can't manage that while I'm still working. For about 5-6 weeks, I'd go to work feeling great and not be able to get out of bed on the weekends from pain and exhaustion. I'm wondering if work is really what I should be doing right now, instead of working on my health. There is no easy answer. I think I know what I should be doing...but I'm only 31...and my life now is vastly different from what I thought it would be when I was in college.

To say that I had a few difficult months physically and emotionally is an understatement but I really feel like I have bounced back. I still have my days like today...when the pain is worse and it drives me to tears because there's nothing else to do. But at the same time, the weather is changing, the sun is out, the coats can stay home and soon spring will be here. Like anything else, little by little we move away from the winter doldrums into a happy blossoming spring...just like in life. I'm really excited for what this year can possibly bring and having some major positive changes in my life. And I hope to write my thoughts a bit more again...I always enjoyed this process and the feedback...

The CMT Rollercoaster

I have continued to be M.I.A. from my blog because the last couple of months have been a struggle: physically and emotionally. I didn't really want to write a sob story or just complain so I thought it was best to stay away for a while.

Since I really crashed at the end of September, I have actually been struggling to get back to normal and can't seem to get there. I have been on this new work schedule for 2 months and I can't seem to feel less exhausted. We paused a lot of the home renovation projects so we could get some rest. I can't remember the last time I cooked a meal...unfortunately none of these things have helped much. It has been a slow recovery process and I've actually started to use my wheelchair on a regular basis when we go to any big stores like Home Depot or Bed Bath & Beyond. The pain reached an all-time high, which led to many crying/sobbing sessions, much time spent thinking about life and pondering "What is my future going to be like?" And as a person with a progressive degenerative neuropathy, it's NEVER good to go down that path.

We actually took a 2 week vacation in Brazil where my entire family was reunited for the first time in over 15 years. John and I were very excited to get away and get some much needed rest. The trip, like CMT, had many ups and downs. The absolute BEST thing about our vacation was that John proposed to me in front of my entire family. It was such an exciting moment and so special that we got to share it with my sisters and all the relatives there. I have been blessed with a wonderful family and a very supportive and loving man who will soon be my husband!!!!

The downside was that even though my CMT decided to take a break, I had a couple of different ailments that kept me in bed for most of the trip, sleeping all day and awake all night, and unable to spend quality time with family and siblings I hadn't seen in over 2 years!!!

I am so thankful for having a religion, for having faith, for believing in a higher power, but I definitely reached a point where I was just exhausted emotionally. Tired of bearing the brunt of the pain, wanting just a little break, desperate for some normalcy...and for the first time in my life I became depressed. I know many CMT patients struggle with depression because it's not easy dealing with non-stop chronic pain, but I had never experienced this myself. While I recognized what was going on with me, I couldn't get myself out of this "funk."

I think one of the main reasons I've been down is that now that we're getting married, we own our home, the next logical step is to have babies. I am so lost. I don't know what to do. I know that I want a family but I am scared. I'm scared about who's going to care for the baby when I am at my worst, I am scared about pregnancy, what if my symptoms get worse? And what if I pass on CMT to our baby? I know life will work itself out eventually but not knowing which way to go has been a bit upsetting for me. John is okay with whatever decision I make, he's happy as a two-some but he's so great with children that I want our child, I want to have a family, I want the child laughter in our home...but I watch all my "healthy" friends struggling with the craziness of being a parent, I wonder how I'll be able to do it with this tired body of mine... I know many of my CMT buddies have managed it and that's always positive reinforcement, but I still wonder...

To make a long story short, I think I'm slowly getting better but I am seeking help. John and I talked about many possible treatments and we decided that it would be best for me to go back to physical therapy, which will be starting tomorrow. I have also been stretching at home every night and I feel like it has made a difference for the better. I have NEVER been able to touch my toes and look at me now!!!!

 

I will also be starting yoga this weekend...a great friend from church has volunteered to come to my house and help design a program that will be helpful for me that won't be too tiring. She's going to teach me breathing techniques and exercises we can do sitting or laying down. I'm also in search of a new primary care physician so I can have a physical done and a new neurologist at the Yale Medical Center. Wish me luck!!!

Even though I have CMT to deal with, it seems that God sent a bunch of angels to watch over me...from friends who volunteer to help here and there, to a wonderful mom who comes over and fills our freezer with yummy food, to a wonderful fiance who knows what to say at the right time and helps me so much around the house, to fantastic dad who is there for us to help with whatever we need, to amazing sisters who are there to hear me out, to dish out advice and sometimes just be a shoulder to cry on (even if long distance).

I know I will find the strength to get back to normal...to be my happy self again with hopefully a little less pain. Life is full of happy moments and sad moments, to those with a medical condition or not. I am tired of being sad and of thinking too much. 

2011 has been an amazing year for us, but also a very difficult one for many reasons. I am really hoping that 2012 has a lot of exciting things in store for us.

Weeks 6 and 7: Time to see my foot again...

Before things got better, they got a little worse. After my last entry, I spent another week not being able to sleep well. One night I went to bed at 7am (after being up all night) and the next day at 8am. The day after that, I slept from 2am-6am. Needless to say, I was starting to get a little desperate and considered taking sleeping pills. But I held off, because I knew I was going home to CT to spend Memorial Day weekend with John. Thankfully, that's all the medicine I needed. I've been sleeping great ever since and I am definitely caught up on my rest.

I went to see my surgeon yesterday for my 6-week follow up and to take the cast off. First, I was really grateful to have lived such a healthy life up til this point and to not really have had many medical problems as a child and teenager. My doctor is actually a pediatric surgeon and he was having a very busy day so the waiting room was full and my heart went out to those families. Little children and young teens in casts, a young boy with so much metal sticking out of his body from hip surgery, and a boy with such a serious condition I never even knew existed. It just made me sad because they should be outside running and enjoying this nice weather. But the upside is that hopefully they'll have a pain-free and easier adult life than I've had.

So it's finally my turn and what a relief it was to finally have my foot free and get a little more comfortable. But to be honest, I thought it looked worse than it did 4 weeks ago. My skin is soooo dry and my foot actually looked really dark, it's like one foot tanned and the other didn't (see pics below). Since I've never had surgery before this, I was a little worried but Dr. Feldman reassured me that it's healing just fine. The scariest thing is that he wants me to start walking on it NOW...and not little by little, to start immediately with the boot. And I'll have to wait on physical therapy. He wants me to see him again in 3 weeks and he'll recommend it then when I'm more used to walking. He also said to bring sneakers for my next appointment...oh boy!!!!

When we got home, I have to admit, I was soooo sooo scared to put my foot down. I had no idea what to expect; well actually, I expected to feel a lot of pain. You spend 6 weeks protecting your foot from harm and from touching anything that it's kind of scary when you're given the green light. Thankfully John and my mom were here for moral support. After the first few steps, it wasn't too bad at all, until John noticed I was cheating and putting most of my weight on my arms! LOL. Well, after I got caught, it still wasn't too bad. It felt good to finally walk again with two feet.

Here are a couple of pictures of my "fraternal" twins...it doesn't look great, but I'll post better pictures once the scabs go away:

Not Quite a Walk in the Park

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day...sunny and in the 80's. I spent some of my day in bed looking out the window at the beautiful day wishing I could go out and enjoy it as if there was nothing keeping me from doing that.

Thankfully, my dad was thinking the same thing. He was so adorable and got out of work early to come home to take me to the park. I was really excited to be able to enjoy the sun a little. However, I didn't realize what a mission it would be to go out. As my mom put it, it felt like they were going out with a baby (aka ME) with all the preparation and stuff needed just for us to go out. My dad went and packed the wheelchair in the trunk, then all my essentials went in my mom's purse (chapstick, phone, camera, wallet and meds), we needed my comfy pillow to support my foot during the car ride, water so I could take my pain meds and the walker so I could get to the stairs.

I am really phobic of stairs so I would never even attempt to go down on crutches. I got myself to the top of the stairs on my walker and then dropped down to go on my butt. Going down wasn't so bad....coming up was another story.

It was really nice going to the park though. I love this time of year when everyone comes out of hiding. It was great to be out and get some fresh air. As my dad pushed me around, it was a little weird to get so many stares. People, have you never seen anybody in a cast before? Geez Louise!!! Even though it was nice to be out, the body tires easily so at the end of the first lap I was ready to come home.

Arriving at home, I brought myself up the stairs by sitting on them again and that's when the exhaustion really hit me. I had to go up slower and take a couple breaks here and there. I felt triumphant when I got to the top of stairs and rewarded myself by throwing my body onto the bed and relaxing for a while.

And today...hello sore muscles!!! It seriously feels like I went to the gym and lifted weights (come to think of it, I did lift my 120 lb. body up the stairs). Everything is sore! Owwww. Even though it hurts I'm proud of myself for being able to do it and I definitely need to keep up my physical therapy and even use the stairs more to build up some strength.

Obviously it was so hard because this was the first time. I'm wondering if I will actually for once in my life have some nice muscles in my arms at the end of this. I know it's too early to tell but one can dream....

Week 2: So far so good!

Time flies...I can't believe it has already been 2 weeks since my surgery. Since I've been home, I've only been outside once, last Saturday when it was nice and sunny out. But it was such a hassle to get me and the wheelchair outside that I haven't really bothered to go back. I guess the fact that I am a homebody comes in really handy right now...I definitely don't have cabin fever yet, I'm actually still enjoying myself (knock on wood this lasts). I'm staying in my parents' room where I get to see the backyard, an apple tree (and the blue bird that visits it everyday), and most importantly, sunlight. This may be a huge reason as to why I don't feel so caged in.

It's also been pretty busy for me that I haven't really looked at the pile of gossip magazines in the corner, or read my books, or watched the DVD's I made sure to have, or listen to the CD's many friends have given me. Most of my time consists of emailing or talking on the phone with my sisters in Brazil (which happens to be very entertaining) or hanging out, emailing and talking to friends and family who come to visit me. The house is constantly decorated with beautiful flowers I've received, which I am so grateful for.

There are definitely a few things that I have had to get used to, like sleeping on my back, which I have never been able to do until now, or what a process showering has become (I can't just walk in and do it on my own). I also need to get used to keeping my foot up at all times...before the surgery, I would never do that because I would always feel numbness on my left foot and that is something that is still bothering me a lot now. At least before I could try stretching my foot or my toes, now I can only adjust the pillows I rest my foot on or let my foot drop for a couple of minutes.

The itching all over my body that I started to feel in the hospital is still bothering me. So much so that my mom started to give me water with vinegar and sugar (an old recipe from when she was a kid) to help and I've started to feel better. Right now, the thing that is definitely the most uncomfortable (TMI ALERT) is just how hard it is to regulate my stomach. The medication I am on is so strong that it "blocks" me so I have to take Milk of Magnesia and eat lots of fiber to "release" me...anyway, making a long story short, it's just hard to find a balance.

The nurse and physical therapist were back this week and I was assigned my first set of homework that I need to do twice a day. While the therapy seems pretty simple, it's crazy how tired I can get from so little exercise.Thankfully, the pain is still under control with taking the meds every 6 hours. I have felt some annoying tingling sensation on the back of my foot, the part that rests on the pillow.

I am truly fortunate to have my parents who help me so much and are doing everything for me. I don't even know how I would be able to go through with this process without their help. As thankful as I am, I also miss my home and most importantly, I miss being with John. We dated long distance for 4 years before we moved in and now we're kind of back to that again. I know it's only temporary but I just wish CT and NJ were closer.

Week 1: Fan-Freaken-Tastic

WOW time flies...I can't believe it's already been a week since I had surgery. I really prepared myself for the worst and I am so happy that this experience has been much better than my expectations.

Thankfully, only the first day was a nightmare. I haven't had the same awful pain since that first day in recovery. I'm taking the pain meds every 6 hours at home and it's working just fine. The pain never really goes away but it's definitely manageable.

The nurse came over yesterday and all my vitals are back to normal. The physical therapist was also here and I passed with flying colors. She's really impressed with my progress and may not have to come back as many times as she expected. She adjusted the settings on all my equipment, including my wheelchair, which I love. I am able to walk around with the walker, but I'm really looking forward to going out for a spin in my wheelchair to feel some sun on my skin this weekend.

I'm really really happy my mom arrived from Brazil yesterday. I am so grateful that my parents are so loving and caring with my sisters and I. It definitely makes this process so much easier. Now I just have to wait for my follow up appointment - I am really hoping to get to see my foot that day!