Back, Back, Back to Work!!!

Whoopee!!! Starting Monday, I'm back to work F-U-L-L  T-I-M-E. The nice part is I get to work half and half for a month before working full-time in the workplace. That means that I'll be home in the afternoons over the holidays. Remember, I got no vacation left. It all went to short-term disability. Thankfully, the year is almost over, which means I'll have full vacation benefits in only a few weeks. Whew!

And...since it's nearing the end of the year, CT chest scan and leg MRI are on the schedule this month. Since my deductible is met, might as well take advantage of it. The drill is 3 month appts with leg MRI and  alternating chest xray/chest CT scan. If I'm clear after a year, the appt change to every 4 months. At 3 years, every 6 months. Then, if I'm still clear at 5 years, then annually. The doctor jokingly told me that after 5 years I'll be glowing - in the dark - from all the radiology. Fun! So, once December's CT scan and MRI's are done, January check-in. Then the next set in March. Oh, and they're all contrast. Ugh.

Dr. B was impressed with how the knee has healed. He was especially impressed with my range of motion. I told him that I follow directions. He said that I had to flex and bend even through the radiation and the recovery (which was VERY painful), and that's exactly what I did. Several times a day. It was incredibly painful when the burns on my leg were at their peak. But it paid off. I have some bursitis in the leg, but other than that, it's all good.

Another thing I'm thrilled about is that when the doctor wrote up my release, they put in a mention that I need to wear tennis shoes to work for a year. My employer is cracking down on the dress code as it is getting more and more loosely interpreted. Black trainers are trainers regardless of whether they're good for my feet and legs. So, now I can keep wearing them to work.

Heels? They're a thing of the past. I had a killer collection of wonderful heels. And I loved wearing them. But what with arthroscopic surgery a few years back and now this... And my goodness, don't I just LOVE the shoes that have been coming out lately. It is so depressing having to bypass the luscious heels and head toward the flats. I've got some nice pairs, but it's just not the same. It's sort of like going to Dillard's and heading to the Women's department instead of the Juniors. Juniors has all the yummy clothes. Women's has the staid, boring clothes. I want a little sexy in my clothes. And my shoes.

So, in a nutshell, I'm thrilled to head back to work. It's going to be rough at first, but at least I have a month to transition back. I'm going to need it!