So what's been going on?

Well, to tell the truth, not much.

Things have not change much since my last post back in April. I'm doing the same level of caching, walking, and working.

Finding shoes is becoming far more difficult. I was doing fine with New Balance 1xxx shoes, but they started feeling less comfortable so I tried a pair of Brooks and they have not held up well. I now can't wear them more than a few days in a row before stuff starts hurtin'. So it's back to the drawing board.

My feet and ankles go through longer cycles of good/bad days now, too. For a week or two they will feel like hell, then all of a sudden they feel fine for a week or two. I'm trying to determine if I push them too hard while they feel good and resting them when they feel bad is what's making them then feel better. In other words, am I causing this lousy cycle?

But as each pain cycle comes around, I think harder and longer if it is nearing time to trade in one of these feet. If I do, I'll start with the right one. But that is one heckuva decision to make and NOT one that can be taken back! I've read a lot about living with BTK (Below The Knee) amputations and sometimes it sounds like it'd be a blessed relief. Then other stories make me terrified of what may come as a result. So I guess I just keep reading, thinking, and praying until I just can't take it any more or something happens to force the issue.

But all that being said, we are just going on with our lives. Some days I can get around better than others, but in any case, I just keep on with whatever we wanna do. I figure if it hurts, so what? We all have something we have to deal with, right?

I hope you are dealing well with your stuff!

God bless!

And so a few months have passed.....

...and not much has changed.

I still have good days and bad days. All in all I think I have pretty much stabilized.

I am doing up to some terrain level 2.5 caches and I've done some moderate bushwhacking for short distances. I've also done some hiking on unimproved trails that included some unexpectedly rough terrain. I took my time and I got through it. I've also done a little over 2 miles of walking at a time. And finally, I have started doing more house stuff including edging, trimming, and using the push mower on the front yard. I won't say there have been no consequences to stepping up the activity. After doing something that pushes my limits it takes my feet and ankles a day or three to recover from swelling, stiffness, and soreness; but that is also to be expected I suppose.

I've just gotten to the point that I know these things are going to, at best, feel weird. At worst, they are just gonna hurt. Usually, they will be somewhere in between. In any case, I just gotta live with it until I just can't any more, then we'll talk about if it's time to trade either or both of them in for new models.

In the meantime, I'll keep pushing the limits and living the way I want and as much as I can tolerate while I can. I'll keep geocaching, waymarking, and doing whatever else I feel like trying. I'm even thinking of entering as a walker in a 5k or two just to do it. I have not been in a 5 or 10k since I ran some in the Corps.

So, off we go. Let's see what happens.

God bless.

So what's goin on?

Yeah, it's been a while since my last post and I kinda left things hangin' Sorry 'bout that.

The infection is still gone and everything is pretty much back to the way it was before the last surgery.

There is still a good bit of swelling in both feet by the end of the day, but that's going to take years to go away and it will probably never go away entirely. I still have weird semi-numb tingling in my toes and I can't really use them when walking or anything unless I really think about it.

I still have a good bit of constant discomfort and sometimes some mild to significant pain hits in my soles and heals, but I'm adapting. What choice do I have, after all?

So I'm back to walking a caching a good bit. In fact I've even done some moderate bushwhacking and caching just a bit off-trail. It is really great to do that again. Hopefully by summer I'll be back up to terrain 3's and can get out among the cedars, ticks, and chiggers!

I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do some trail walking a good bit beyond the boring old paved or improved hike and bike trails. I just have to watch the elevations. Going downhill is not much of a problem because I can flex my knees to help compensate for my loss of range of motion. Going uphill, however, is a completely different story. That takes a good bit of effort, coordination, and thought.

So that's about it for now!