On Sunday, we stayed at a hotel downtown for the annual Fort Worth Parade of Lights. We had reserved seating in front of the court house, the starting point for the parade and where the announcers were describing the floats. It was so much fun. The weather was cold but no wind until near the end of the parade and then it was just a slight wind. We were both dressed for the cold and had a throw to put over our legs.
I've been pretty limited for the past year due to the surgery on my left foot. The implant has caused stiffness and a lot of pain. I am both learning to deal with the pain and finding ways to function through it. It was about a half mile from the hotel to our seats. I managed to walk it both ways with very little trouble by wearing a compression sock and lace-up shoes. My foot hurt quite a lot during the night, but I was able to walk OK Monday morning.
I have pain meds, but don't take them. I have known too many people who got hooked on pain meds. The body will tell you that there is still pain in order to get the drugs you are hooked on. Most of the time it starts with a back problem and ends up an addiction. I tend to rely on aspirin.
I have severe rheumatoid arthritis. I continued working, much to my Rheumatologist's surprise. I even went back to school and got my Masters in Public Administration with a 4.0 GPA, working through the pain and many days the extreme difficulty even walking. I was diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2003 and given two years to live. I kept working and stayed in school. I am definitely not a quitter and very proud of it.
Living a good life and trying to do the best we can to be good people is what keeps Stan and I going. We have worked hard all our lives and are able to enjoy life now. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and being with family.
