Bare naked lady
Having just returned with Mom from her first attendance at a rehearsal since the accident, it seems timely to provide another update.
The weekend was somewhat lazy. Mom and Roland enjoyed puttering around while I got out for an evening to see local bands. We rounded up together for a viewing of Ice Age, luxuriating in the beautiful imagery, the poignant expressions on the animals' faces, and the sweetness of the storyline.
Monday morning we started late, an eleven o'clock appointment with the orthopedist. We arrived on time in the new location in spite of several misadventures in navigation! Jeanene met us for the appointment, brave trooper that she is. The first hour and a half of waiting weren't bad. It was the transition into the second hour that was the killer. Happily, it was about this time that I discovered that we had access to WIFI in the lobby and sent off an email to Kel with an update on the situation. Zip zap, Kelly responded with her usual pluck and good humor and next thing you know we were enjoying a picnic in the lobby.
[Which brings up a number of relevant points about why we love Kelly so and why I depend on her the way I do. First off, I have never seen someone with so much on her plate who always manages to make it seem like she has all the time in the world for anyone who needs it. Secondly, nothing is ever a problem from Kelly's vantage point. In fact, one of the most common things I hear her say is 'Not a problem!' with a sing song emphasis on prob. She never burdens me with the logistics on her end or distracts me from the problem at hand. Oftentimes, keeping my focus on the ball is the only thing that keeps our tiny world spinning on its axis, something she knows like no one else. Third, Kelly has an unique ability to be cavalier to my Mom about their visits. This makes it easy and disinterested and 'not that big a deal' for Mom that Kelly stopped by at just the right moment to distract us from the waiting and the fear and the pain and the bureaucracy. Even though I know it is, even though Mom knows it is. And so, for those of you wondering why we always call Kelly, burden Kelly and don't utilize the love of the rest of you enough, these are a few of the reasons! Thanks to all of you and thanks for Kelly!!]
Babble aside, shortly after Kelly arrived, we were called back and Mom was whisked off to get her newest radiographs...
Of her pelvis?!?
A few tense moments were faced by Mom as she was told she had to have films of her broken pelvis, stopped to wonder if perhaps she had missed something and it was actually broken and then sent for me. Everything got sorted out but it was a suboptimal experience on top of a long wait. Props to Jeanene, by the way, who took matters into her own hands at this point in order to get Mom seen sooner and her wait shortened. Props also to Dr. Kregor for responding to Jeanene's prompting in the face of his own stress and backlog and making things happen.
Pleas- a delight as always- cut off Mom's cast before she enjoyed a lightning round of 'I promise to be good' with Dr. Kregor. Mom received a promotion! Instead of replacing her cast, he transitioned her to a walking cast that can be removed for physical therapy. After extensive wheedling and promises to thwack Mom on the head with a scrub brush should she break the rules, I convinced Dr. Kregor to allow removal of the cast for bathing. This of course makes for the first time since the accident that Mom can enter the shower truly naked and submerge all of her in the water. A big step forward although a hard sell currently as the new gear means more discomfort and more work.
Today Mom went to Stallworth, almost a rest for her these days, and I spent the morning working on my research presentations. We met up at Stallworth, caught lunch, ran some errands and went home to rest awhile. Tonight we headed in for a delightful rehearsal with the VCC. It was exciting for Mom to be there, for me to see her scribbling notes and itching to take back the reins. Mom getting back into her element, her life. Reminded me of the scene in The Replacements when Gene Hackman says to Keanu Reeves, 'Winners always want the ball.' Or the stick in this case.
Tonight I rest uneasy in my skin, unready for tomorrow. Tomorrow we start the shots. Granted, Mom is a great patient with never a complaint, and it is the best right course for her. That doesn't, however, mean that I can find a way to look forward to sticking her twice a day every day for at least two weeks. This isn't like insulin, it is a reasonably large volume of fluid. Ugh. But we are both putting on our game faces and hanging tough.
Monday Mom is slated to get her IVC filter out by the interventional radiologists. Then Wednesday next (the 4th), Mom has the surgery to correct the disarticulation of her hearing bones (incus and malleus). Hopefully, God willing, that will be the end of the doing of things... We'll see.
With regard to the shots, I will let you know how it works out.
With love from our humdrum frontlines,
jax
The weekend was somewhat lazy. Mom and Roland enjoyed puttering around while I got out for an evening to see local bands. We rounded up together for a viewing of Ice Age, luxuriating in the beautiful imagery, the poignant expressions on the animals' faces, and the sweetness of the storyline.
Monday morning we started late, an eleven o'clock appointment with the orthopedist. We arrived on time in the new location in spite of several misadventures in navigation! Jeanene met us for the appointment, brave trooper that she is. The first hour and a half of waiting weren't bad. It was the transition into the second hour that was the killer. Happily, it was about this time that I discovered that we had access to WIFI in the lobby and sent off an email to Kel with an update on the situation. Zip zap, Kelly responded with her usual pluck and good humor and next thing you know we were enjoying a picnic in the lobby.
[Which brings up a number of relevant points about why we love Kelly so and why I depend on her the way I do. First off, I have never seen someone with so much on her plate who always manages to make it seem like she has all the time in the world for anyone who needs it. Secondly, nothing is ever a problem from Kelly's vantage point. In fact, one of the most common things I hear her say is 'Not a problem!' with a sing song emphasis on prob. She never burdens me with the logistics on her end or distracts me from the problem at hand. Oftentimes, keeping my focus on the ball is the only thing that keeps our tiny world spinning on its axis, something she knows like no one else. Third, Kelly has an unique ability to be cavalier to my Mom about their visits. This makes it easy and disinterested and 'not that big a deal' for Mom that Kelly stopped by at just the right moment to distract us from the waiting and the fear and the pain and the bureaucracy. Even though I know it is, even though Mom knows it is. And so, for those of you wondering why we always call Kelly, burden Kelly and don't utilize the love of the rest of you enough, these are a few of the reasons! Thanks to all of you and thanks for Kelly!!]
Babble aside, shortly after Kelly arrived, we were called back and Mom was whisked off to get her newest radiographs...
Of her pelvis?!?
A few tense moments were faced by Mom as she was told she had to have films of her broken pelvis, stopped to wonder if perhaps she had missed something and it was actually broken and then sent for me. Everything got sorted out but it was a suboptimal experience on top of a long wait. Props to Jeanene, by the way, who took matters into her own hands at this point in order to get Mom seen sooner and her wait shortened. Props also to Dr. Kregor for responding to Jeanene's prompting in the face of his own stress and backlog and making things happen.
Pleas- a delight as always- cut off Mom's cast before she enjoyed a lightning round of 'I promise to be good' with Dr. Kregor. Mom received a promotion! Instead of replacing her cast, he transitioned her to a walking cast that can be removed for physical therapy. After extensive wheedling and promises to thwack Mom on the head with a scrub brush should she break the rules, I convinced Dr. Kregor to allow removal of the cast for bathing. This of course makes for the first time since the accident that Mom can enter the shower truly naked and submerge all of her in the water. A big step forward although a hard sell currently as the new gear means more discomfort and more work.
Today Mom went to Stallworth, almost a rest for her these days, and I spent the morning working on my research presentations. We met up at Stallworth, caught lunch, ran some errands and went home to rest awhile. Tonight we headed in for a delightful rehearsal with the VCC. It was exciting for Mom to be there, for me to see her scribbling notes and itching to take back the reins. Mom getting back into her element, her life. Reminded me of the scene in The Replacements when Gene Hackman says to Keanu Reeves, 'Winners always want the ball.' Or the stick in this case.
Tonight I rest uneasy in my skin, unready for tomorrow. Tomorrow we start the shots. Granted, Mom is a great patient with never a complaint, and it is the best right course for her. That doesn't, however, mean that I can find a way to look forward to sticking her twice a day every day for at least two weeks. This isn't like insulin, it is a reasonably large volume of fluid. Ugh. But we are both putting on our game faces and hanging tough.
Monday Mom is slated to get her IVC filter out by the interventional radiologists. Then Wednesday next (the 4th), Mom has the surgery to correct the disarticulation of her hearing bones (incus and malleus). Hopefully, God willing, that will be the end of the doing of things... We'll see.
With regard to the shots, I will let you know how it works out.
With love from our humdrum frontlines,
jax
posted by Jacqui at 8:17 PM
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