I just got back from my podiatrist's office. Looks like I do not need $300.00 orthotics. Yee haw. He told me to go out and buy some inserts for $25.00. I am to go back to him next week and he will manipulate them to the shape of my foot. I hope I bought the right size of insert. It's sometimes difficult for me to buy shoes and the like. I learned today that all of my shoes...except my hiking shoes...are either too big....too small....or have worn too much. I bought my hiking shoes at a store my friend Carlos was working at a few years ago. So.......thanks to Carlos.....even though I have no idea what he is doing with his life right now. Last I heard he had moved back to Puerto Rico. Ok so back to my feet. In addition to buying inserts and new shoes....I will also be seeing my trusty physical therapist Jen a couple of times to work on a stretching program at home. And she thought she was rid of me..............

The tape on my foot didn't seem to make much of a difference. I was happy to take it off on Saturday morning. I'm off to see the Podiatrist again tomorrow. My Christmas was nice. I found out that Mom's last chemo appointment will take place on Friday, February 6, 2003. Finally...the end is near. Mom will finally get to ring the chemo bell. Mom is seeing her surgeon soon. He will determine when she will be put back together.

I went to the podiatrist this morning. I do not have toenail fungus. Yee Haw! The doctor said baby toenails just grow that way. What he did say is that I have inflamed ligaments in my ankle and that I need some more support. The doctor made a splint and I am to wear it for five days. No getting it wet....swimming or walking without shoes and socks. This rules out the trip I was going to take to the steam room this evening. The doctor agreed that wearing the brace for my broken tibial plateau has caused some problems.....and now I'm not getting better as quickly as I could because of my ankle issues. I'm sort of sad about the whole thing. I feel like I am never going to be back to normal.

Saw Degrassi last night. Yup...Joey and Caitlyn finally got back together. It has been almost a decade for those two. Ashley found out that Craig found out that was cheating.

I just found out that Margaret Cho has a blog...........this is definately worth a glance....she is WAY funny. "it's so cold".....ha, ha, ha....she kills me.

We are having our holiday party at work tonight. We are having it at Vinny T's...formerly know as Vinny Testa's. Vinny T's is know for their large portion sizes...........affordable prices and possibility of winning your meal for free. I am looking forward to it....I think it will be yummy.

I was thinking about last years holiday party at work. It was there that I tasted caviar for the first time. I don't remember loving it. I also do not think they will be serving that tonight.

Another first......
Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful flight of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on this day in 1903.

I finally talked to someone at the Ride today. I was calling to complain that I had been late for work twice last week because of the Ride. Twice last week they had either picked me up at least 20 minutes late......or had scheduled some crazy drop off/pick up....from Somerville to Cambridge.....to Allston....to Waltham. I spoke with someone today....but I have no faith that anything is gong to be done about any of this. He was pretty much like..."yup...yup...wasn't that the day there were crazy road conditions?" I pointed out that that was not the case. Tonight.....they were supposed to pick me up 4:50 p.m. At 5:15 p.m. they still hadn't come. I called and they said it would be another 20 minutes before they could get to pick me up. Let me do the math for you......thats 40 minutes late! They did eventually show up...and yes........it was 40 minutes after the time they were supposed to pick me up. I'm really pissed off....but I'm feeling like there is nothing I can do. I hate not having control.

Partners in Health was featured on Chronicle last night. Did anyone see it? The story focused on the history of the organization, the people who founded it, and the work of Paul Farmer, MD. I mentioned a few months back that Tracy Kidder had written his most recent book (Mountains Beyond Mountains) about the work of Paul Farmer. If you have not read this book....I would suggest taking a look at it. Paul Farmer was my Resident when I was in the Hospital 10 years ago.

I went to my last physical therapy appointment for my broken tibial plateau this morning. My physical therapist and I realized that there wasn't much point to my coming in any longer. Most of the exercises I can do at home. So....I've graduated. Of course I am still very nervous about walking in the snow and ice.....and I do have pain every once in a while...but aside from that.....I'm ok.

I am going to see the podiatrist on Monday. I think I have toenail fungus.......yuk...gross. I am hoping he will look at my ankle and the rest of my foot as well. I have had some stiffness and pain in my foot and ankle since I broke my leg.

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on this day in 1770.

The Boston Tea Party took place on this day in 1773

Alot has been going on. I have been a busy woman. Went to see Love Actually with Julie and Nicole on Friday night. I really liked the movie. I laughed...I cried. Saturday I went to a class at Simmons. That night we bought our Christmas tree. Yesterday I went to The Paulist Center. John Ardis, CSP read a letter from the Director of the Paulist Fathers about a priest living in residence at 5 Park Street who has admitted to having sexual relations with a minor. I should point out that this priest has never had charges filed against him.....and has been relieved of his ministerial duties for quite some time. Yesterday afternoon I was supposed to go to a Christmas Open House....but I was tired...and afraid of going out into the snow. So...I stayed in and wrote holiday cards. Last night we decorated our tree. I love Christmas. The lights........are so pretty...and the tree smells nice.....and I love listening to Christmas music...and being with friends.

So....I'm not working today. I am not working today...because I am working tomorrow. I'm attending a class at Simmons all day tomorrow. Today we went out for brunch....and did a plethera of laundry. We did a ton of it......but it always seems that there is more to do. We are currently reading...checking our email...and hanging out. I think we are going to go to Kenmore Square so we can get gifts for the respective young boys in our life. I think we are going to check out the souvenir store at Fenway park. We plan on eating a late lunch in the Fenway/Kenmore area.....then we are meeting up with Julie and Nicole to see Love Actually. I think it will be fun.

Mom had chemotherapy at 10:30 a.m. today. She had a chest scan yesterday. Mom said that it went well. She is waiting to get her results.

I left a voicemail for someone at the Ride to complain about my recent lateness due to the Ride. I hope they will call me back. I hear the gentleman I left a message for is out sick today. I wonder if he is out sick every time someone calls to complain. I feel better knowing that I did something.

I had a wonderful dinner at my old bosses house last night. She made tasty soup. It was nice to see her and catch up. She is an amazing medical librarian and she turned me onto the Warrior Librarian website. Check it out...its definately worth a read.

ARGH....I was 35 minutes late for work today...and it was all the Ride's fault. First they picked me up 25 minutes late. When I got on the van there were three people on it. A woman and her son...and another guy. First we dropped the son off at school in Cambridge. Then the driver tells me that we have to drop the other guy off in Allston. He then went on to explain that he wasn't sure why they scheduled it this way...because Allston is out of the way. Tell me about it. So I said...."ok so we are going to Allston first....I need to be at work at 8:00 a.m." At this point it was 7:40 a.m. So....somewhere along the way we ended up on Commonwealth Avenue....up by BU. We dropped the woman off at the T. This woman and her son seem very nice......but I don't really understand them. I have never seen them pay. AND....we always bring the boy to school..and she either jumps out at a red light...and runs to catch a bus....or we drop her off near the T. I literally have seen her run for the bus. I'm not sure which one of them is the eligible Ride passenger. Not to mention that I'm not positive what the destination of their Ride is supposed to be......the school where the boy attends...or a random stop near the T. ARGH. OK...so we dropped the woman off on Commonwealth Ave. Then we took the other guy to where he was was going in Allston. We couldn't find a good place to park....and then the driver had to escort the passenger into the building. This was a slow process. At this point it was clear that the driver was very annoyed...and it was already 8:05 a.m. Eventually he got back into the van...used a few choice words under his breath and we were finally off to Waltham. I got to work late again. This is the second time I have been late this week because of the ride. Needless to say......I'm very pissed off.

Mom has a colonoscopy today. Her last meal was at 2:30 p.m. yesterday. I hope the results will be good.

Mom is also having another chest scan done on Thursday. She is having this done to compare it to another film that was taken of her chest. They want to check on the growth. It as taken this long for them to take another chest scan because they were waiting for pictures that were taken at Mt. Auburn Hospital to cpmare. The hospital never sent the pictures...even with more then one call. ARGH! The medical community isn't as quick as they should be.

I am in the office today. Jut got out of a meeting with our record storage facility. The snow was pretty bad this morning...but I took the Ride and I even got to work early.

I took a shower this morning. I love feeling clean. I used my new burts bees peppermint soap and my teaberry shampoo. I was tingly all over.

We really got buried this weekend....in snow that is. It looks like we got two feet of snow in our neighborhood over the course of the past two days. I usually love snow. I love seeing it fall....I love being temporarily unable to go to work....and I love getting out there on my skis or snowshoes...I even like shoveling sometimes. However...with my recent broken leg.....my love of snow will probably be put away for the next few months. I am afraid of snow for the time being. I can't even help with the shoveling. I feel bad about this...I wish I could help. I have been in my apartment for 48 hours. I haven't taken a shower since Friday morning. I'm not sure what is going to happen tomorrow. I am supposed to take the Ride to work. At least they can get me there from door to door. My worst fear is of falling in the snow...and hurting myself again. The Ride was only transporting folks who needed dialysis today. I hope this won't be the case tomorrow. Maybe I will get lucky and they will cancel work tomorrow...then this won't be an issue.

This weekend I was supposed to go to the Souvenir Store at Fenway Park to get a gift for my young cousin....have breakfast with Meg.....meet up with Mary....stop off at my friend Maureen's for an Open House.....and the head over to Mike's for the MoveOn party. None of that happened. The weather was too messy to leave the apartment yesterday...Meg didn't make it to Boston....Maureen postponed her Open House....and I called Mike to say that I would not be there.

That being said.....I don't think that this weekend was a complete bust. Yesterday we had a nice time. We listened to the WERS Women in Music show........made yummy pancakes.......read our books......had a tasty dinner, and watched Christmas specials. Today I made a mold of my fist with a "Mold It" kit I got for Christmas last year. It doesn't look so good. It really looks like a blob of plaster. I also painted the creamer and sugar bowl Cyn and Stephanie got me for Christmas last year. They came out nice......I put people holding hands on the creamer, and different colored suns on the sugar bowl. I also finished reading some of the Sandman. I spent quite a bit of the weekend listening to the Nat King Cole Christmas album and consumed a lot of Burdick's hot chocolate....yum.

There is a new episode of Degrassi: Next Generation tonight at 8:00 p.m. For those who watched Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High in their younger years...this is a must see. Spike, Caitlyn, Snake, and Joey are all back as adults. The following is a description of tonights episode found on The N website.

Whisper to a Scream
Ellie's under a lot of pressure. With her dad fighting overseas, she's and taking care of her mom, and between school and this an incredible internship opportunity with Caitlyn Ryan, Ellie doesn't know if she can handle everything. But her way of dealing is NOT going to solve her problems.

Allison Bechdel, the creator of Dykes to Watch Out For will be at New Words in Cambridge this Sunday (December 7th) at 3:00 p.m. Check it out. I think its going to be good.

Ever wondered what Burt of Burt's Bees really looks like? Now you can find out...he will be at Whole Foods Market on River Street in Cambridge on Sunday (December 7th). I believe he will be there from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Stop in. I love Burt's Bees products...I'm all about it.

On Sunday evening I am planning on going to a MoveOn party at my friend Mike's. He will be showing the documentary Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War. I think it will be interesting. The following is a description of MoveOn from their website.

MoveOn is working to bring ordinary people back into politics. With a system that today revolves around big money and big media, most citizens are left out. When it becomes clear that our "representatives" don't represent the public, the foundations of democracy are in peril. MoveOn is a catalyst for a new kind of grassroots involvement, supporting busy but concerned citizens in finding their political voice. Our international network of more than 2,000,000 online activists is one of the most effective and responsive outlets for democratic participation available today.

I took the Ride to work this morning. Of course they were a half hour late. Fortunately I still got to work on time. One of the Ride drivers told me about a rider who lost his job because the Ride always got him to work late.

I got an email from someone at the liver foundation yesterday. They are trying to assemble this years Walk for Research committee...and they asked if I wanted to help. I said yes. I have been healthy for so long...sometimes I feel disconnected from the liver disease community. This will enable me to stay connected and give back....which are both good things.

It's so cold in my office today...I feel like Bob Cratchit. Maybe this is my employer's attempt at getting us into the Christmas season. Mr. Scrooge would probably say it was warm in here. The problem...this isn't 19th century England...it's 21st century Waltham. The cold is good for the archival records...not their recordkeepers.

I went to my Mom's to hang out with her yesterday after work. It was nice to see her.

Mom was making yummy beef stew. At some point I noticed she was staring into the pot. I asked what was wrong. She seemed concerned that there was a hair in the stew. After some inspection we realized that it was in fact not hair, but rather...a piece of celery string. I don't know what the official name of this is...but you know what I mean. Mom told me that she is losing some hair. She won't be bald...God knows we have thick hair...but her hair is a bit thinner these days.

Mom is having a colonoscopy on Monday. Interestingly enough they do it through the stoma...cool huh?

She also informed me that she only have six treatments of chemotherapy left. She has already had 18 treatments...I guess. Mom is expected to be done with her chemo in early February. I cannot believe the treatment end is near.

My leg.....hmmm....I went to see the physical therapist yesterday. I should probably speak with her baout when my last day will be. I am thinking about seeing the doctor about my other knee...the good knee....the one that makes popping and krinkle noises...and sometimes produces a sharp pain. I am also thinking about seeing a doctor about the foot on the leg I broke. I have wicked pain in my ankle...and arch in the morning. It's probably just plantar fasciitis, but still...it hurts.

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have posted. I have been busy with holiday planning...work...physical therapy...and getting re-connected with my friends. I was always connected to them...I just haven't been as accessible...with the leg and all. I have been trying to get back to the life I led before I broke my leg.

We had our first snow of the year today. I was very nervous about walking in it. The ride t physical therapy and then to my office was bad too. It took me one hour and 15 minutes to get from Somerville to Cambridge. My physical therapist was late....I was late. After speaking with my colleagues it is clear that my hour and 15 minutes was nothing. I had a co-worker who spent four hours trying to get into the office before she decided to turn around and go home. It was very slippery out there. I'm just glad I made it without an accident. There were a bunch of spin outs and then like this morning.

I'm a little worried about the ride home tonight. I hear it is supposed to get down into the 20's. I was in a car accident a couple of years ago...and since then I have been a slightly anxious dirver. I will just take it slow.

I went to see the orthopedic surgeon today. This is my last visit to him. he told me that I did not need my brace anymore...or my cane. However...I cannot run...kick.....or jump for the next two months. I cannot ski.....rollerblade...or ice skate for the next two months. I cannot walk on the sand for two months. I can ride my bike on flat surfaces and go on long walks. I need to be super careful with snow and ice. I learned today what would have happened if I had needed the surgery. It would have been surgery........then six to nine months of recovery. Then....I would have to have the hardware removed...which would mean more months of recovery. Here I was complaining about four months. I am off to physical therapy this afternoon to work on my limp.

I am going to see Dr. Chaglassian a week from today. I am hoping that he will allow me to lose the brace and the cane. I just want to move on with my life. I have been feelibg better these days. I have been getting out.....seeing people...and trying to get back into my normal routine. I am so looking forward to being brace and cane free. So far I have ruined three pairs of pants and a jacket from this. I don't have the money to buy new clothes.....the holidays are coming. Hmm...yes I am eager to be rid of the brace.....but I am also a little scared. The brace is a bit of a security for me. I remember feeling this way ten years ago when I was without an iv for the first time in over a month. It's scary.......and exciting all at the same time.

My mom recently had a ct scan on her lung. They noticed a growth or..abnormality in her lower lobe on her left lung during a routine chest x-ray. They decided to do a ct scan just to make sure it was nothing. The scan revealed that something was there....it could be that she had been exposed to something in the past and this is a scar....it could be cancer.........it could be nothing. We are waiting to get some films back from Mt. Auburn Hospital to compare. We are hoping for the best.