[Eleventh installment – If you are new to this journey, start at the 1st chapter in my 8 months pregnant with 2 broken legs journey as chronicled in my book Say Bump and Take a Left, How I Birthed a Baby and a Business after a Huge Bump in the Road.]
One free leg also brought a slight relief while sleeping. I now had to prop only one leg up on a pillow. Try to sleep every night for almost three months with both feet higher than your heart, I dare you! I was now a little more comfortable with one leg positioned anywhere I wanted. Thankfully, this gave me one third fewer obstacles to a good night sleep – I still had to find a comfortable position twice a night for a nursing newborn and a cast clad left leg.
Now that I no longer had a baby tap dancing on my bladder, I no longer needed my potty chair. Once my first cast was removed, I said good bye to this wonderful device.
I feel sure, however that I will see it again, someday. I’m sure Duane hopes that the LVN at the home will have taken over his job by then.
Four weeks after the removal of the first cast, the second came off. It was a little anti-climactic in that no balloons or confetti dropped from the ceiling of the hospital room, no trumpet call sounded from somewhere off camera and no middle-aged man came out of a door holding a microphone and a large cardboard check with lots of zeros, but I couldn’t have felt more excited if that particular dream had come true. I can honestly say that day was one of the happiest of my life, and I still tearfully remember this as the first time I walked on my own, with the help of my left walking boot, while cuddling my little Riley in my arms. My independent streak was finally able to resurface, and it has been safely ensconced in my life ever since – albeit with a few more healthy modifications. I continue to forcefully subdue the impatience character trait, however, which has been extremely helpful in raising my boys to the age where they are trying to break down the door to puberty. We’ll see how my resolve holds as we rocket our way to manhood. Learning when to subdue my impatience, and when to let it fly has actually helped the most in smoothing my successful entrepreneurial path.
I think that during this time in our marriage I was quite overdrawn in my spousal bank account. Luckily, I had deposited quite a bit in between my incidents so he knew I was a good risk. Duane is a Tax Accountant by the way, so I know of what I speak. Combine that with his artistic abilities, and I have a one-of-a-kind to be sure. Our landscaping and our finances are truly unique.
Once my self-pity depression cyclone started to abate, I opened my eyes to three more life altering, earth shattering realizations:
I ceased to view my husband as simply the man with whom I share parenting duties, meals and incredible night time activities when non cast-laden (again, you have no idea how much functioning legs are required for a functioning libido). I know now that my husband is truly my partner in life, and there is no one better suited to that task and title. As Brandi Carlile puts it “All of these lines across my face, tell you the story of who I am.” I have been unbelievably fortunate to have my man present at the creation of each and every line and gray hair, and this experience created quite a few. I just hope I live up to his expectations half as well . . . and that my curvy figure stays at least in the same neighborhood.
Remember that “Walk ‘till you know where you’re going” quote from earlier? Well, now I know where I’m going. That “Road less traveled” is getting lots of wear, because I have now made some definite choices about my life and the lessons I want my sons to learn.
I will also never again say that I can’t do something. I won’t even think it! I’m not talking about just a “glass half full” kind of attitude, because I have pretty much been that way all my life – to my husband’s occasional irritation. (I think twice now before making instinctual pollyanna comments, however.) No, I have actually learned that if I can go through labor and delivery, care for a three year old, a newborn, a home and a husband with the limitations imposed by the fact that I’m hopping through life as a pink and blue flamingo, I CAN DO ANYTHING! I have since proven this to be true through my business and this book you are reading, because ~
Wonder Woman has nothin’ on me!
I have an hourglass figure too!
Okay, my figure is less hourglass and more sandbags.
I have cool transportation too!
Okay, my walker isn’t invisible, and moves a little slower than a plane.
I have a Super Hero husband who cleans toilets!
HA!
~Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
