Hours After

Jeff brought the kids in to see me right after my surgery, so they could see I was okay before they went home to bed. I would have that Sharpie message on my leg for weeks afterward. Who knew Sharpies were so...permanant?

At this point the foot they cut off was on its way to the mortuary, to be creamated. The whole story is in chapter 36.

The Next Day

My first full day as an amputee, surrounded by smiling kids. They were relieved to see that losing my foot didnt change who I was. I was still their mom, just a bit lighter. There was a bit of apprehension about what they might see 'under the cast'.

My Hero Doc

After years of searching for a doctor who believed in my vision of a better life as an amputee, I finally found Dr. Hess. He was the perfect piece to my puzzle. I still write him a thank you card every year, on the anniversary of my surgery.

You can see Meredith's cast, as we tried to get our two for one special at the orthopedic office.

Pudding Party

Toddler Sam loved that mom was so accessible all day long. We read lots of books together and had the occasional pudding party.

My favorite cast - bright green!

Snuggles

There was lots of time for just being with my kids - talking, sneaking hugs and working on their long overdue baby books.

Bored Board Games

Of course there were lots of board games set up on the bed next to me. Endless hands of Uno and lots of rounds of CandyLand made the days pass quickly.

It was the first time I had a cast with no toes sticking out the top. This picture explains the problems I share in the book, about trying to keep this cast from falling off.