Mrs. Fat Ankles

AS all of you probably know, the biggest complaint that I have with this pregnancy so far is having swollen ankles. The first swelling I noticed was after Andrew and I arrived in Sydney and were whisked away to go shopping. My feet were so swollen then that the back of my runners dug into my ankles and actually made a mark! My feet continued to be relatively swollen during the whole time that we were in Australia so I thought that it must have just been the weather there. This was at the end of September beginning of October when I was about 21 weeks or so.

Well, the swelling has continued to be a problem, but only in my feet. EVERYONE at work has noticed it and commented on it daily (i.e. "Elicia! Look at your feet!"......like I am not aware of the fact that my feet are blocks and look hideous). I've taken it in stride and been patient about the comments because they have genuinely been out of concern. I've explained that I don't have toxema and that yes my midwife is aware of it and I'm trying to do what I can to put my feet up and drink water etc. It really is just the way that my body is and all I can do is grin and bear with it and try to alleviate the swelling as best as possible. So yesterday - my last day of work and the last day of school - I walk into the staff room at "morning tea" (recess), wearing a skirt (because it is the last day and it is one of the only clean items of clothing that I have that fits me - despite the ugliness of my ankles) and a top and Sarah the secretary says this to me:

"Hello Mrs. Fat Ankles!" (in a beaming voice)


I was too stunned and surprised to say anything for the first few seconds. I don't even know Sarah that well and to be honest, she can be so cranky at times. She has been at the school for like 100 years and she is in her 60s and when she gets overwhelmed she can snap at staff and children. She's snapped at me many times and she is just one of those people that you just don't know how to take at times. So, to have her say that to me was quite a shock! It would be different it was a really good friend of mine that I joked around with a lot who said that to me, but Sarah? No one else at work would say something like that to me, especially knowing what a problem the swelling has been for me. Anyways, I saved myself by chuckling a bit and saying "SARAH!" as a reaction. She then came up and gave me a hug and said that she was just joking and I kind of laughed it off. There were a couple of other people in the room and one of them said "you don't say that to a pregnant woman". It's a good thing that I wasn't feeling teary at that moment in time otherwise I probably would have started to cry. Some people can be so rude.