Push Through the Pain

That was our big takeaway from today's visit to the doctor.  In fact, he repeated it several times, insisting that I move my fingers in spite of the pain and swelling. Ugh! Let's see him do it!

First thing after we went into the examining room, the LPN removed the splint for an x-ray. Whew, fresh air on my arm!

That dent in the middle is from the splint which I'd been feeling kind of digging into my arm in the last few days. Because I cannot seem to turn my hand over, Bruce took a side view of my fat hand.

Although I had tried to wiggle my fingers some, doing so is not so easy when they are fat. Dr. Nguyen insisted that I force them down in order for there to be no ligaments damage. Sounds like fun, right? He also insisted this swelling, after a month, is normal for some patients.

Our last visit he seemed pleasant enough, but today he just seemed arrogant. I will say that this is my first time ever seeing a doctor wearing a top knot. Or, is it still called a man bun? Either way, it just felt strange. Not to mention wearing black. That really gets on my nerves which should surprise no one as I come from an era when health care workers wore neither black, nor tennis shoes. What can I say? I am a grouch? Maybe....

Danny, on the other hand, was kind and gentle while putting on my new cast, even offering to take our photo when he saw my camera.

Seeing my tied up hair in this photograph reminds me to mention that Bruce is getting pretty good at that! He is doing the lion's share of the work around here although, little by little, I am able to accomplish some small tasks. Two weeks from now we return to see if the healing continues. One reason I have not pushed through the pain is because I could not be sure that I would not do more damage by forcing my arm over no matter how much it hurts. Now I know. Mostly I am not having pain all of the time which is a vast improvement over a week ago. 

In other news, one afternoon, we worked together to make a pot of chili that could last for a few days. Because he has not needed to learn cooking skills in the past, having spent the better part of his life with someone who loves cooking in the house, here he is learning to use the garlic press.

After listening to an explanation on how best to chop the onion and peppers, he took right to it, doing an excellent job of getting the pieces just the right size. Meanwhile, I'd put the ground beef in the pain and began dumping in the spices using my left elbow to steady the jars while opening with my right. Well I got a wee bit heavy-handed and while it was edible, it was so hot that even Bruce said so, which is very telling as he never thinks anything is too spicy! In the end, even after  putting it on some rice to tone it down, it went down the drain. 

Bill came over the other evening to practice with Bruce. I walked to the court with my camera to watch the action and of course take some photos.

Now that is some serious concentration! Bruce was on the other side hitting him hard balls.

It is hard to pinpoint why, but the game of pickleball is not only great fun but most folks who try it say they become addicted. We know the feeling!

Before I had my accident, Swallow Tail Kites were beginning to appear high in the sky but I was not prepared. This time I was. 

One of these days they will come within my camera's range.

As it turns out the paddle we gave Bill for Christmas already needed some repair work so we had a FIELD trip to the factory in Oxford, FL! The drive took about an hour which is less time than it took to get home from the doctor yesterday using surface streets! Did it ever feel great being on the road again! After explaining that we were from Orlando they got right to it rather than the two day timeframe she originally quoted. After a nice chat with our helper we took the long way home stopping at a few parks along the way. Always lakes are involved which to me means birds. One of my favorites, a Limpkin obliged.

A little later we stopped at Trimble Park on 441 for Bruce to take a little nap in the fine weather. As is my custom, I took a walk wearing the new sling, generously bought for me by our friend Mary. As I was walking along the water's edge I looked up and for the first time in ages, I saw an eagle on an open branch in front of mr.

Creeping forward I could tell it was eating.

If not for some pesky crows who began harassing the eagle I might have gotten better shots. As it was, before long it took off for a more peaceful perch.

Speaking of shots, who else is tired of the countless photos of people receiving their vaccine? I certainly am one of those folks, however, this photo appeared in our newspaper and it had so many great elements to it, I kept going back to look at it.

The colors, his face, her weird wig, his gigantic arm....well what can I say except that I may look at photographs differently?

Speaking of the pandemic, I saw this sign in the bathroom there and it must be from the beginning when we were told masks weren't effective for the general public! 

One morning we went downtown to renew Bruce's drivers license. That's a bit of a story that I won't go into but what I will put down is that there are new sculptures in the park across the street that I visited while he was inside.

Here's an overview with one of my favorites in the foreground.

Saturday afternoon, with continued excellent weather, David grilled steaks at the pool for us, followed by another pontoon boat ride.

So, as you can see, I am getting out more and doing more with each passing day. Just this morning I vacuumed the house while Bruce changed the sheets and did laundry. We are adjusting with help from our generous friends and family. 

With any luck, the bones will continue their miraculous mending ways. If I weren't weary from my one finger typing I might expand on that idea but I am so make of it what you will! 😊

your friend,

Gail

It Could Always Be Worse

I have listened to that phrase a bunch in the last three weeks. No doubt I've said it to others in the midst of some sort of downturn and now I wish that I had been more sensitive.  Even the doctor said it. Not helpful at all. Going forward, I hope that I will squash my natural tendencies and just say that I am sorry, adding is there anything I can do to help?

Of course it could be worse! This is but a temporary setback, yet when a person is in the midst of things, it can be hard to remember that. In my case, just when I thought that I was on the upswing, what with having the cast removed, along came swelling in my hand and arm. It began swelling and kept at it. I've been told that it is normal, but it feels anything but. It was only when I sat down to write and upload photos from my little camera for this post that I discovered I'd taken a photo on the day it began swelling.

Ha ha, little did I know that it would get much worse in spite of icing and elevation. The good news is that this morning I am cautiously optimistic that it is receding a tiny bit. Bruce has been so worried, especially when I move my arm while sleeping, waking him with my moaning.  Who knew how difficult this would be?? 

Enough of my whining...

Friends continue to amaze me with their thoughtfulness. One day last week a deliveryman from In Bloom came knocking with a gorgeous floral arrangement from Barb and Steve. He was kind enough to bring it inside.

In the first week, Matt and Tom had an Apple TV box delivered, providing me with more entertainment options. Mary visited Sunday afternoon, returning within the hour with a sack full of books, all of which look very promising. I'd mentioned that Bruce drove me to the library last week.

It has been well over a year since last I visited the downtown library and it was a real treat, made even more so when I saw a friend's oil painting on display.

He also took me to Lake Davis in order for me to use my camera, photographing the rite of Spring, new birth. Apparently the neighbors have taken this oddly placed nest under their wings. Pun intended! Make of it what you will.

Wow! Seven cygnets!

It made me so happy to run into fellow photographer and birder, Candy, who oftentimes keeps me abreast of our local birds. I am so blessed to have a handle on my Olympus camera making it much easier to use with one hand 

Another delicious surprise from Dave and Sandy. Whoa, was this cake yummy, and just the right size for sharing.

It is Magnolia season again. One sits at the end of our walkway and truth be told, it is not the best specimen except for when the fragrant blooms open for business. And what business is that you ask?  Bee food for now, and later on the squirrels will eat the giant seed pods.

About once a week I see a new batch of Wood Ducks,

oftentimes up to ten, however, after another week passes, there is but one remaining. There are an abundance of hungry hawks around here, and more recently, roaming cats who sit and wait for them to come too close to shore.

Saturday afternoon Dave called insisting we come down to the pool for a cookout. 

Perhaps while reading this post you are thinking, how uncomfortable could a swollen hand and arm be? I get that, for sure. All I can say is that it has made this old lady not her usual upbeat self. Thus I am not the best company, however David would not take no for an answer. It did me good to get out. The food was great, followed by a ride in the pontoon boat. That is David driving along with friends Eddie and Garrett enjoying the perfect weather.

A few weeks ago the big lake was treated for algae, or so we think. In any case the lake looks more like the Caribbean than a spring-fed freshwater lake. Stopping the boat, they jumped in.

Seriously, it is really remarkable, both in clarity and color. 

Once back ashore, Mrs. Camera Crazy went home, finding this beside the front door.  

An anonymous donor! Turns out, after some sleuthing, that Sherry K. had come knocking, leaving bread and soup. As if that wasn't enough, Sunday evening, Carolyn and Patty arrived at the same time bearing dinner. My goodness, I am being spoiled left and right!

Off topic, before I forget, a few weeks ago, Bruce helped Bill to turn his old kitchen cabinets into an inviting garage storage space. Those would be guitar cases on the upper shelves.

We introduced Bill to pickleball and he too, is now hooked. A group of men play Monday and Wednesday nights and those times are becoming one of the highlights of his week. It definitely helps that he is getting good very quickly. Not to mention that he is young, strong and quick. 😀

Yesterday morning I called the doctor's office the minute they opened. Actually I called twice, once leaving a message on a machine, and one time I actually talked with someone. The machine assured me that messages left before three would be answered that day. So much for that. This morning a receptionist called to say that the PA said that my balloon hand was normal and to ice and elevate. A fat lot of good that has done me. 

And so I will continue following directions. In the meantime, I am drinking chocolate milk, hoping to add a wee bit to my body's natural ability to mend the fracture.

As well, I am keeping in mind that "it could always be worse." A silver lining is that my hunt and peck typing is improving as are other small tasks. It could have been my right hand after all! 

your friend,

Gail

It Has Been Quite a Week

 When last we gathered I was proclaiming that I was getting better every day.

If only that were true.

Last Tuesday we went to the doctor for the consultation. Everything about that visit was wrong, beginning with the parking garage being full which seems like a small thing but when you are already anxious, it just added more stress. Bruce dropped me off in front of the five story building and I went to the fifth floor solo. At first the young woman didn't seem to be able to find my name, however once she did, she handed me a clip board with about eight pages of documents, six of which were in fine print, mostly saying that if we were to sue, we wouldn't get much. Then there were the usual documents asking irrelevant health information. Try getting pages off a clipboard with one hand! So, we were not off to the best start.

Eventually I was called for an x-ray, something I was dreading like mad. It was as bad as I expected, in part because they had to manipulate my arm. The other part was how little compassion they showed. Little did I know that it was about to get worse.

Back in the gigantic waiting room, we did just that. Once again, eventually I was called back to see the doctor. We waited for a while (again!) with my arm resting on a bedside table looking like this. 

 

The splint removal was what gave me so much pain as I feared it would. As well, my arm was irritated from the bandaging. Okay. the door opens and a young woman came in identifying herself as a PA. In my mind there is a place for a PA and this was not it. Anyway, I won't bore you with the rest of that miserable visit because it is just too much to relive. Suffice it to say that I left with a black cast which I will show shortly. 

From the minute the cast went on it did not feel right and for the next five days I was miserable. Most of those day were spent on the perch below.

I watched television like it was going out of style. For most people that is nothing newsworthy, but for me it is, as I ordinarily watch so little. Turns out that there is a whole lot of good stuff on the little screen!

My arm was killing me more as each day passed. What made it tolerable was more kindness than I could imagine from our friend.Patti brought Four Rivers barbecue which we ate for two days, loving every bite.Connie brought over her famous lentil soup. On Sunday, Susan walked over in her raincoat with homemade beef stew. Who doesn't love comfort food that is both warm and delicious? Yesterday Rhonda brought this picture worthy chicken pot pie that tasted as good as it looks. Absolutely amazing, right?

I was able to enjoy dinner last night because, although I was meant to wait two weeks before I went back for a check up, I just could not stand the pain and swelling any longer. As you can imagine, Bruce was lying awake at night with worry. It took 30 minutes of being on hold before he talked with someone but when he did, he arranged a visit for 10:40 at the Lake Mary office which is about twenty or so miles away.

As it turns out, it was a good move in spite of the drive. For reference the downtown office is about two miles from here. Am I the only one who hates the phoniness of hospital advertising? Seriously, if you need a hospital, why would you be smiling? 

This waiting room was about a tenth of the size of the other one and easy to get to with ample outdoor parking.

Being called back in short order was the first good sign, followed soon thereafter when the doctor walked in. So here he is explaining why he is encouraging us to let it heal naturally. Both of us found him pleasant enough and he did not rush us either. Very young, right?

For this visit I took a pain pill prior to arriving, anticipating how much it was going to hurt. I also remembered my small camera and am so glad that I did. After he talked with us he had Danny take off the cast. 

Perhaps you will note my purple swollen fingers? 

Unlike when the cast went on, Danny was so very gentle explaining as things progressed. He used the saw on one side,

and then the other. Even his grip was so gentle and caring.

Then he slowly pulled it apart. I must have been nervous, well of course I was, when he pulled it apart as the picture is blurry.

It does, however give you a notion of how it is done. From there I had more x-rays, done with exceeding care and then we went to wait for the next step. I had Bruce take this to show the swelling.

There is a little dent on the inside middle of my forearm where the cast was. The doctor returned, reporting that the bones end are still mostly aligned. Bruce was worried that the fellow who put the cast on had moved something, mainly because prior to getting it, my pain level had decreased. 

For the next two weeks I will have a splint which Danny applied with great care.

Needless to say we made our follow-up visit at this office. 

What we learned is:

• It is a bad break that will probably take up to a year to fully heal. That said, more immediately, after eight weeks I should be able to use it with care.
• A splint works as well as a cast but people seemingly tend to remove them, something I do not plan on doing.
• I need to get ahead of the pain and use a combination of Ibuprofen for the swelling and Tylenol for the pain. Taking it on a schedule should help as well.
• Having people working on me who are kind goes a very long way.

For now, my arm is still swollen but there is great comfort in learning that it is normal.

It still hurts, however, not nearly as much as it did with the cast. Now that I have more useful information,  what I will have to work on is patience. 

In other good news, we had our house professionally cleaned and it is sparkling. Bruce has been doing an admirable job, but he is no match to the amazing team here today. Oh my, what a treat. 

Always a silver lining my friends.

your friend,

Gail

A New Type of Quarantine

Honestly, having the use of two hands was a gift that I took for granted. And while this is but a temporary set back, I most definitely have a new appreciation o how perfectly balanced God made us. In my case it has been a week now that I have only had the use of my right hand and arm and I am not finding it pleasant. 

For the first couple of days I took the prescribed Oxycodone for the pain which was far more intense than I imagined. Not that I thought about it recently, but it must be remembered that I took x-rays for a living for a long, long time. As I recall, a wrist x-ray was one of our first proficiencies. While having a very long, not to mention excellent Facetime visit with Matt and Tom this morning, I told them that I hope that I was gentle with my patients. 

During my new quarantine, I have watched an inordinate amount of television, sitting on our couch. 

Outside our doors a lot was going on. 

 For starters, Matt and Tom had their seventh wedding anniversary on the day of my accident. Cris, Bruce's brother celebrated his 70th birthday, a milestone we were fearful he would not reach after his battle with Covid 19. Actually we went to DeBary for his party on Sunday. Michele came down from Minnesota for the party too! It was a taco party, thus Cris's sombrero.

Their home is on the St. John's River with abundant wildlife, including wild turkeys.

While we were there, I took this photo as well, not knowing at the time that I would soon be experiencing this for myself.

In our case, it has been the outpouring of generosity from friends and family. Even though it was David and Bill's 42nd birthday, Michelle sent flowers.

Meanwhile, I was still in bed for a day or so. Bruce took this of me and while it is wildly unflattering, this blog is meant for documenting our life for me to remember so, in that horribly trite phrase, it is what it is.

Patty, of our new pickleball friends. Keith and Patty, made this sweet arrangement for me.

Sherri brought soup, Patti brought brownies, Kelly brought two huge pans of lasagne that fed us for days, Leslie brought shrimp scampi, and there were more goodies from Yvette, Carolyn and Rhonda. How amazing is what I have to say. Shoot I almost forgot Sandy and Dave who blessed us with Mexican food on Saturday night. This is the best village in town!

Should you be wondering, I am a two handed typist so pecking this out is wearing me out. Tomorrow I will learn my fate for the next six weeks. We are very much hoping that I can at least have a smaller cast. No surgery would be good too!

Before I go, yesterday morning I finally ventured out with my camera after having spent the week indoors, and was so excited to find some migrating Cedar Waxwing feasting on the loquats trees.

Here's a closer look.

While I would love to show more, another time will be best for me.

Before I go, my arm is feeling better every day. Not perfect of course.

Wish me luck!

your friend,

Gail

p.s. I did the best I could on this post!