This week’s word is: Senator

Today I had my first PT appointment since being able to put weight on my foot. Six weeks and three days after breaking my ankle, I’m cleared to walk without crutches.

Things aren’t perfect–I’m still rolling a bit to the outside of my foot when I’m tired, and I have a lot of strength to regain, but I am doing really well–in fact, Corrie (the PT) was shocked at how well I was doing.

So yeah, I still have swelling, and yeah I still have aching, but those can be easily treated and getting back to normal is probably the best way to put that behind me.

So, yay me!

Here it is, the first flower pr0n since I broke my ankle!

I missed a lot of flowers: peonies, bearded irises, dutch irises, and a lot of my day lilies, though most of them still seem to have buds.

(as always, click through to see the expanded set on Flickr)

(more…)

…and that’s just what I’m doing.

Friday I was allowed for the first time since my accident to put weight on my foot–I’d come prepared to the doctor’s appointment and actually had a shoe with me, so I walked out of the office–albeit with two crutches.

Once back at the house, I quickly abandoned both crutches, determining I didn’t need them in the house, however, when we’ve gone out, I’ve taken one crutch, just to be safe. After all, this is Morgantown, and we are not known for flat, even ground.

I’m still taking pain-killers. My ankle is still swollen, and and it’s still a little achey, as are the muscles I haven’t used in a month and a half. Not only does the tylenol allow me to remain comfortable, but when the aches recede into the background it is easier for me to make sure I am walking correctly–not limping or using a strange gait that would place strain upon my knees or hips.

I have to admit I’m a bit worried about how long I’ve been taking the pain-killers, but being able to walk normally without picking up an bad habits is important.

If you haven’t already seen it, go read today’s Non Sequitur comic.

Got it?

Now read this news article I came across this morning.

No, I didn’t watch the video. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I broke my ankle.

Today, I’m back on two feet and walking!

HUZZAH!

Today’s word is: multifaceted

For those who don’t follow me on Twitter, Grandmom had her surgery yesterday afternoon, and came through fine.

She’d broken her femur near the hip, but did not break her hip. They put a rod through the hip and into the femur, and apparently she is supposed to be up and walking today. There was a great deal of discussion prior to the surgery with the anesthesiologist: the surgery had to be delayed because she is on coumidin and they had to thicken her blood, and they got her OK for the surgery, however, it was too thin for them to use spinal anesthesia, which meant they needed to intubate her, except that because of her goiter, her trachea is deformed.

I do not envy the anesthesiologist the job he had yesterday.

Michael & I went down Friday night and got to see her Saturday morning. She of course lectured me for coming down, but I didn’t care.

She’ll be in VA for rehab and then we’ll see what happens from there.

It’s World Sauntering Day!

Someone needs to go saunter for me, since I’m incapable of it yet.

OK. Enough of this depressing bullshit. Bad jokes. Tell ‘em. As many as you want.

I’ll start with my favorite.

One atom second to a second atom, “I think I’ve lost an electron.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”

Next!

Grandmom (who is still in Virginia because of my broken ankle) broke her leg last night.

She broke her femur, and was admitted to the hospital. They’re waiting on blood tests to determine about surgery.

I am really really really tired of this year.

This weeks version of word association is in memory of Michael’s grandmother. Today’s word(s): apple pie

Even ice hasn’t brought the swelling down very much.

I see the last percoset in my future tonight.

Cora Schenz

24 April 1919 – 10 June 2010

It’s word association time! I still feel like my life is on hold due to the ankle, so today’s word is: hold

You may remember this post from last week regarding Kit and the UPS man.

Then earlier today I posted the following on Twitter:
“Interesting. Kit will run to the door when the UPS man parks at the bottom of our driveway, but not when the postman does.”

Because I watched the postman pull up precisely where the UPS truck parked, and she watched the postman, but never got down from her perch in the window.

The, a little later, there was a knock on the door.

The UPS man had a package addressed to Kit. (?!)

Yup. Treats for Kit.

Gift from Eric. Gift message: Miao.

So did she like them?

Yes. Yes she did like them. In fact, she already knocked the container on the floor in hopes of getting more.

The only unfortunate thing is it was the late afternoon UPS guy who does not park in front of our house, so Kit was caught all unawares at his arrival.

Today I am thankful for:
Michael
Hot tea
My wonderful and generous friends

Please keep Michael’s family in your thoughts. His grandmother is fast approaching the end of her life.

Spent Saturday with my niece (OK, and her parents too) and Sunday trying to keep my foot elevated. For obvious reasons, there won’t be any flower pr0n any time soon (I missed the peonies completely, my roses are blooming like mad as is my lavender, and I can’t smell either!) so here are some pictures of Aunt Michelle & Julliene.

OK. Plus a picture of my brother being a geek.

I am thankful for:
modern medicine
hot showers
my baby brother

For those who asked to see a picture of me wearing the silk skirt I ordered:

I ordered it from Amazon (This skirt is a reversible patchwork silk panel skirt. It is approximately 48 inches wide, one size fits most. It is approximately 36 inches to 38 inches long. Made from vintage silk sari fabric, every piece is one of a kind.)

It’s been a very strange three weeks.

I suppose that is unsurprising all things considered, but what did surprise me is how it’s been strange.

First, I’ve had minimal pain from what you’d expect from “broken ankle” “broke both tibia & fibula” and “requires surgery.” This actually scared me for quite awhile, as I kept waiting for the “real” pain to kick in (something along the lines of what I felt during the X-Rays) but it never has. It was like waiting for the other shoe to drop–hard to relax because I kept waiting for the bad.

But what’s really strange is how it feels as is my life is on hold. I recognize that time is passing, as some major events have occurred in the past week, but as I go from work to home and few other places, the days run into one another and in my mind it’s still cool and comfortable at night as befits early May.

Instead, when I move from the house to the car or the car to work, I keep thinking, “good grief it’s hot,” as if it were not common for temperatures to be in the upper 80s at this time of year.

I suppose working half days contributes to it as well, as do the naps I tend to take when I come home from work–time passes, but I feel unaware of it’s passing, as if life is on hold till I can resume my normal schedule and activities.

I suppose in a way though my life is on hold. I am an active person–it’s not an unusual occurrence for me to walk 10k steps before leaving work (doesn’t happen on a daily basis, but it happens regularly enough) and right now I cannot walk anywhere. I am not exercising at all, and the trip from the car to my office is exhausting.

I plan to remedy the lack of exercise issue by learning exercises that do not use my leg, but those aren’t going to be aerobic exercises, and that just plain sucks.

I realize this injury is in no way the end of the world, that it’s simply a minor inconvenience compared to what many people live with on a day-to-day basis, but it’s frustrating because if this were a permanent injury (thankfully it isn’t but let me continue) I would be learning how to move on. I would be training myself to do tasks in a new way. As it is right now I’m just biding my time until I can put weight on my foot again, and doing my best not to re-injure myself.

I know I am lucky, and I truly appreciate that. But it doesn’t change my sense of disconnect from the world.

I’m sitting in the recliner and the cats are sitting in the window behind me. A UPS truck stops in the road outside the window. I turn to look, but he’s taking some time moving things and organizing. Minutes pass. Suddenly, Kit jumps out of the window and goes to stare at the front door expectantly. Moments later, here’s the UPS man at the front door.

Maybe we do get a lot of packages delivered.

Yes, it’s Wednesday and it’s time for word association!

For all the babies that have been born in the past week, today’s word is: adorable