The Middle of July

Should anyone have told me, in the middle of March, that I would break my wrist two times I would have thought they were crazy. Then again, if we could predict the future we would most likely take steps to thwart any disasters, right? When you think about it, that is precisely what is happening all around us now. Far too many people have not taken advantage of the vaccine and more and more people are coming down with Covid. I learned of four new people just yesterday. And while most people do have a mild case, why take the chance? Lisa was telling me about one of her patients who still has a tracheostomy following his bout with Covid months ago.  All he wants to do is go back to his job being a meat cutter at Publix.

Most people go through wrist surgery without complications which is what I was hoping for, but hasn't exactly panned out.  That said, I am further along this time than last. I am super glad that I have a comparison found in this blog post so I don't have to rely on my faulty memory. It was at this appointment that Darlene said that I was on the verge of shoulder problems and boy was she right. I have been going to the pool most days to exercise which is helping a lot.  Because the front pool gets more sun in the early morning I went there, having the place to myself.

My red noodle is visible on the right side of the picture which is what I am mainly using. Basically, anything I can do to keep it moving is good for me.

If you read my last post,  you may recall that Lisa was going to text my doctor about me having a cortisone shot for my shoulder and that it appeared I had an abscess in my incision.  Wednesday afternoon the phone rang and it was Dr. Patel who pretty much flipped out claiming she should not be diagnosing. Mind you, she is who has been watching this happen, but he was undaunted. It's a long story, but the gist is that he ending up prescribing an antibiotic which I've now been taking. Does it look much better? Some. The downside is that this particular pill is making me feel a little crummy. Two more days though, so that is good. In general, I've heard people complain about reacting to antibiotics, but this is the first time I've experienced any difficulty. Anyway, the upshot of this is that we did not go to the office and I did not get a shot. What I couldn't seem to make him understand is that it was really, really sore, seven weeks after surgery, so how could that be normal?  I heard that same line during my first break when I kept hearing that my fat hand was normal. He also told us that he had to re-break my arm to pin it back together properly. No wonder I was hurting! 

So, it is one thing to do exercises, but what I really want is to get back to normal activity incorporating wrist movement. I decided to make some peanut butter cookies which would involve a rolling motion with dough rather than the ball she gives me. 

The sprinkles are kosher salt making the cookies both sweet and salty. It is really nice to have a full cookie jar again. Almost full anyway because I put a few dozen in the freezer for another time. 

I used the hand mixer and a plastic bowl because, for now, the stand mixer is too heavy for me to move. Baby steps my friends!

Bruce took me to the library on Friday where I found all kinds of books that I think I will like. Right now I am reading one called, Sorrow and Bliss from an English author. From this review I see that it has an entirely different cover than the US version.  Interesting because I mainly chose it for the pink and orange cover and that Ann Patchett had a blurb on the back. I am a big proponent of picking a book from the cover. I pretty much know that if the cover font is gigantic, it is not for me. The subject matter is mental illness, so not everyone's cup of tea, but I am enjoying it in spite of the sad story.

Near the library on Rosalind, there is a fairly new French bakery/restaurant that we popped our head into.  What a cute spot! We were asking all kinds of questions about when it opened, (around the time of the shut down) and how they were managing.

Turns out, pretty well. What was a large menu board when we arrived, became this after he slid the doors open tp show it off! It was so pretty it begged to be photographed.

We visited after breakfast and before lunch, so we didn't sit down to eat, instead taking home some goodies for later.

Bruce wanted some more familiar baked goods to take to Denny when he visited him in the hospital later in the day, thus we drove towards Charlies and, of course, did some sightseeing along the way. By that I mean looking for new stuff that had been happening during my "confinement." Well we found it off Washington Street. On the side of Burtons, Andrew Spear and Shepard Fairey painted these murals.

I don't imagine that you recall that Andrew Spear was the artist who painted the giant mural in Earls at Millenia for the restaurant. Bruce was so lucky as he got to see his work come to life. In my opinion, we don't have nearly enough street art in town, so seeing these made me happy.

We did make it to Charlie''s which is always a treat, even though they have been around since we graduated high school. Wow, just typing that seems incredible. Not too much has changed in there over the years, proving that if you have a great product, people will come. 

Speaking of Rosalind we used it while driving to church yesterday, and it is quite the contrast from a weekday. There is definitely more traffic during the week but not nearly up to pre-pandemic levels.

I hate to even mention it, but probably this is something I will want to remember for the future, and that is that the medication is making me nauseous, thus no going out to lunch for us yesterday. Bactrim is the culprit, my first time taking it. Poor Bruce! He hates seeing me struggle. I am still not driving, although I think I could, but we are continuing to be cautious. Perhaps when the incision is completely healed?

I could not wait to talk to Lisa this morning because I wanted to hear her reaction to the freak-out by my doctor. Calling her first, he made a fuss,  which when she was younger might have put her into a funk, but she mostly shook it off. After 30 years in the business, she's pretty much seen it all. She says I'm doing good, measuring my ability to perform different tasks. I did get to use the pegs again today, beginning with having a bunch in my hand and putting them in one by one which was far more difficult than picking them up one by one. While I thought that was an accomplishment, she added in something else. Yup, I had to take them out using this clip.

My goodness that was tricky! 

For some reason I've kept this photo of the first go-round on my desktop.  I can't explain why I have not moved it to the trash.

Maybe I will move the photo to trash when this is all behind me. After all, I have a long standing blog that reminds me I have been through some challenges over the years that as time passes fade from memory. Most especially if you have a memory like mine!

Looks like I won't have any pool time today because it is already raining. Then again, after the workout she gave me, that might not be such a bad thing.

your friend,

Gail

Seemingly, It is Always Something

 I tied my own shoes today and while that sounds like a ridiculous declaration coming from an adult, around this household, it is a very big deal. Now, if only I could properly wash my hair! Not that it needs it all that often, even less so as I age, however it would be nice to get a good lather every now and again. Because I cannot raise my arm very high, and certainly not for more than a few seconds, it is a real chore. During my therapy appointment today Lisa decided that I need a cortisone shot in my shoulder to jump start the healing process and while that sounds pretty terrible to me, if it will help, I am all for it. 

As is always the case with me, nothing goes as we hope it will. Another thing she has been watching is some red areas that are hard to describe but apparently are  infected dissolvable stitches, making it very sore, thus I am visiting the doctor tomorrow to get it looked at. Today also marks seven weeks since my surgery and it would have been expected that the site would be all healed by now. Not so for this gal.

What I have found great comfort in is going to the pool when it is not raining. Apparently without the pull of gravity, exercising in the pool is far easier. While everyone else was playing Saturday morning pickleball, I went to the pool when only two other folks were there. One other swimmer was Mason, a six year old who I have watched, over the last two summers, learn to swim. He's also a very bright and inquisitive little one who invited me to come look at the swimming fish in the lake. Whether it is the county or the city, I am not sure which, but one of them has been treating the lake resulting in very clear water. It's fun to watch them dart around and even more so when you crush up a goldfish cracker and watch them pop up for a snack which is what I did with Mason.

My world is small these days. Therapy, pool, church and that's about it. I did have a nice walk with Patti the other morning, calling her my chaperone. Bruce is not the only one who is fearful I will take another tumble, Bill is crazy worried about me which, while sweet, is unnecessary to my mind. That is also why I am still not driving because they fear that with my wrist and shoulder still not working normally, I might not be able to react quickly enough should something out of the ordinary occur. In other words, they are only thinking of me. While we were walking, we came across this very cool mushroom.

Birding is helpful when I am feeling down. I can report the the Night Heron finally took off after three days in mostly one place. Calling Orange County Animal Rescue, I explained the situation only to learn that unless it showed real signs of distress, they were not able to come out. Because it was only exhibiting unusual behavior it did not meet the criteria, and as it turns out, they were right.  Along the shores of Lake Pineloch there have been other pretty birds that only show up every so often, including the pretty Snowy Egret sporting bright yellow feet and legs.

A Green Heron made a surprise appearance. Great Blue Herons are frequent visitors, in fact one was just outside my window when I began typing, but this pretty heron is pretty uncommon.

And yet another type, a Tricolored Heron.  I'm not great at identification, but if I had to gues,s I would say it was a juvenile.

Bruce took me shopping at Marshalls and was that ever fun, especially when you go in there with nothing in mind and find all kinds of goodies. In our case, it was a cleaning tool and while we all know how much I don't like cleaning, anything to make it easier has to be good, right? This Bona floor cleaner is working beautifully, especially for a one-handed person. Ha ha! Actually my fingers are quite mobile and my stumpy thumb is being somewhat cooperative. 

The lever on the handle, after given a light squeeze, sprays out a fine mist of cleaning solution that you then push around with that pad. If you can imagine, I've already used it twice. Let's see how I do when the novelty wears off. 😁

Happily I am back to doing some cooking, although I surely am out of practice. That said, I've made some dinners and a batch of blueberry muffins that turned out pretty well. Speaking of food, we went to lunch after church to a new place for us. If you've lived in our part of town for long you might have eaten at Dexter's on Washington Street, or the one most recently in Hannibel Square. Bruce and I spent many a fun evening at Dexter's, often dining at a sidewalk table for hours, watching the pretty people walk by. Sadly the two of them closed, but the owner did open a new spot at the corner of Orlando and Lee Road called New Standard.

It is quite attractive inside, far different decor than the other locations. On this day, there was live music on a really nice stage.

The only problem was they took forever for their sound check. One reason we ordered two boards, meat and cheese,

and bread,

was so that it would take longer to eat and we could listen to live music. Turns out, once they began, it could have been better is one way of putting it. 

Instead of holding my arm up by hymnals, this week I brought along my exercise sponges that I squeeze to build strength.

"Motion is lotion" as Lisa keeps reminding me. I am taking it to heart, constantly moving all the parts that hurt which is about as much fun as it sounds! 

When we saw the rug below on sale at Target, many months ago, we purchased it knowing what a short life rugs seem to have on our front porch. Far less colorful than the last rug, Bruce got it out of storage and we are hoping this one will not show dirt quite as easily.

Mr. Peck did a marvelous job cleaning everything, including the kitchen window which is so clean, well, it sparkles. Because of all the rain, which btw, is coming down now, the flowers are looking good. Of note is the bird feeder which is seeing more action recently,  I am happy to report. 

Pleased as well by a new development which is that the birds are now using the fastest growing tree on the planet! Seriously two years after planting the Japanese Fern Tree, he had to trim the top and sides so our upstairs neighbors could use the steps. 

Unrelated to anything else, for posterity I should note that Covid cases are once again on the rise, something that does not surprise me as not enough people are getting the vaccine. At least that is my way of thinking. Today's front page story in the newspaper was about 22 people in the 911 offices testing positive. Although we have gone back to mostly the way we used to be, time will tell if we need, speaking of our family, to make any adjustments. During therapy I have to wear a mask as does Lisa in spite of both of us having our vaccines. 

Well, let us hope they can help me with this problem tomorrow, as well as my shoulder.

I really, really want to put all of this behind me, sooner rather than later!

your friend,

Gail

Wrinkles Welcome!

Let's begin with some exciting news today. For the first time since the pandemic began, I HAD A PEDICURE! Check this out.

Bruce took me to Nail Spaz yesterday morning and it was fantastic. Although the place name is suspect, the chairs are comfy and the workers nice. Yesterday I had Nancy who has recently moved here from Chicago. And how do I know this you ask? So I was feeling a wee bit sketchy about going because in the novel I am reading, On Earth We are Briefly Gorgeous, the narrator's Mother does nails and the depiction of how hard it is, year after year, made me cringe. A note of caution, the novel is not for everyone as there is violence in many forms depicted. 

I asked her about her job and she claimed the hardest part is the customers. It is good to be reminded that every job is difficult in its own way and deserves our respect.

As this post is meant to be upbeat, here is another good thing that has happened. We took one of Bruce's dress socks and he made me a comfortable cover for my arm that stays in place.

The fabric is very soft and there is a bonus, it is clean, A cup of tea spilled on the one I was given and it did not come out. I take both this and the splint off to do the exercises and they continue to be difficult, fortunately done without tears now. One way to think about them is if you went to the gym for the first time in ages and got very sore. But then you went back four hours later and did it again, and again in another four hours. Because it has been 85 days without the use of my hand it is stiff and sore. The pain, you will be happy to learn is minimal until I push myself to do the exercises, over and over. One thing that is helping is I am using an old friend, the heating pad.

I wrap my hand for about ten minutes and it helps to loosen my joints.  Every little thing I can find to make it easier is a blessing.

On Saturday afternoon I accompanied Bruce to Bill and Fallon's house where I sat on the couch while others were busy. Giuliana, Fallon's best friend, came over to decorate for the party to be held that evening. In exceptional news, she is getting closer to graduating from er corse work to be a Nurse Practitioner! 

Bruce and Bill had a deadline to finish the closet by her birthday and they made it just in time. Woo hoo!

For the longest time I've had a magnet on our refrigerator, a quote from Mark Twain that reads, "wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been". I seriously have no recollection buying it, in part because I generally don't go in for, shall we say, inspirational quotes. Plus magnets are what I buy while traveling. Inexpensive and reminders of special times.  So where am I going with this? Beats me!

Seriously, no one really likes wrinkles that is unless you had some and they have gone AWOL. As such, when I got up this morning I was encouraged to see a tiny bit of wrinkling on my thumb. Hold your hand out and look at your thumb? See all the lines around your joint? For 85 days now, I've had a thumb devoid of those lines. A stump, if you will.  Is there light at the end of the tunnel? By golly, I think there is!

Kelly was my therapist today while Lisa is in New Jersey. She was super good, massaging my thumb and never admonishing me for putting my elbows on the table. Plus I played with toys! Check out this progress!

When I told her that I had done the foam blocks with relative ease at my last session, she had me graduate to three blocks.

Damn exciting stuff. Am I on my way yet? It seems like it.  

There are more ducklings! Peek-a-boo!

This week the mail brought something amazing, a quilted card that is a beautiful piece of art.

Made by the talented Sharleen, the founder of our local chapter of Days For Girls, it is exquisitely done and the generosity of this gift overwhelmed me with gratitude. I can't wait to show it to Ann, a fellow quilter and artist, when she and Liz pick me up tomorrow for lunch. Oops, Liz will appreciate it as well because she, too, is an artist.

Can you believe it? I am going places again.  In another few months, I may just be a new woman.😀

We watched an excellent, albeit sad, documentary the other day, that you might enjoy.

Finally my darling Bruce enjoyed a fine Father's Day, going out to lunch with Bill and David and having a lengthy chat with Jonathan. Matt called from London but his dad was doing one of his favorite activities, playing pickleball, when the call came in. 

Keeping the positivity going, I remain, your friend,

Gail

And the Beat Goes On

It has been a very long time since last I shed tears while reading a novel. Today was the day the streak came to an end. The title, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, is well, brilliant. A charming story of an 85 year old woman who thinks she has nothing to live for, discovers by story's end, that just the opposite is true. A wonderful novel from beginning to end!

Perhaps tears flowed easily because, well, tears have been flowing easily of late. In fact. I've been reduced to tears the last three mornings and that does not count the ones from reading. It is a combination of things; between the misery of therapy and feeling sorry for myself, I am a bit overwhelmed. The actual everyday pain is very manageable when I'm not doing the prescribed exercises, so I can't blame it on that. And while everyone tells me to be patient, it is not in my nature and that's all there is to it! 

With that in mind, let's take a look at the physical reality, shall we?

But of course.

During Monday's session, my new therapist Lisa, said if the steri-strips don't come off in the shower I will take them off on Wednesday and so she did.

Let me tell you, it hurt like the dickens because of two factors. One, my arms are super hairy, and two, my skin is ridiculously sensitive at the moment. She removed the splint on Monday and was making yet another one, this time temporary,

when I asked if I could use my own instead? Absolutely was her reply, and after a quick call to my beloved, I was all set, or so I thought. Wearing it to bed it cut into the sorest spot of all and even the pleasure of a hot shower did not relieve the discomfort. It was then that I called upon our friend, Gayle, one of the three amigos with a broken wrist in our village. Remember how she mostly sailed through it? She has been wise enough not to repeat the experience, whereas I seem to be a glutton for punishment! At any rate, Bruce was dispatched returning with two choices along with a surprise Reese's Peanut Butter cup in the bag. My neighbors!! They have been unreal to say the least. Yesterday afternoon, out of the clear blue, Heidi sent a text saying she was arriving with dinner shortly. Oh my goodness, could this basket of goodies/cheer be any cuter?

Seriously. The chili was fantastic and me and Premium saltines go way back!

Going back to the splint, this one is a God-send because of the open area below my thumb joint that is still crazy stiff and sore.

Not to mention swollen and sporting a thinner layer of skin than is normal. Yup--peeled off again. At any rate, I had a decent sleep last night which goes a long way for mental and physical health.

Lisa is different than Darlene pushing me harder and faster. I left Monday's session with homework in the form of 10 exercises, most of which are meant to be done four times a day. They are ridiculously easy to do without an injury and tear-inducing with one. Let's face it. my arm has been useless now for nearly 80 days. 

Yesterday I managed three sessions, only one of which made me nauseous and tearful. 

This morning I was back in the chair across from Lisa doing all manner of things including picking up each foam piece and putting into the bowl. This, I performed with flying colors.

I am on my own now until my next session on Tuesday. It is hard to make myself do the homework, but I must if I want to regain use of my hand!

Remember I said we would revisit the scene of the crime? We did and while I cannot be sure of it, this uneven pavement might have been the culprit.

Of note is the low water level in Lake Davis due to our very long dry spell which might have finally come to an end this week. After threatening for days, we finally got rain. In fact it raining now.

Here's hoping it dries out in the next few hours as I know some male pickleball players who will be very disappointed if it does not.

With my wound nearly healed, I should be able to get out more which is welcome news. I did manage a short walk along our lake.

Pretty, isn't it?  Much to my surprise there are still some ducklings, although since I took this, two have succumbed to predators.

And just when I think that nothing new will appear in this space, I am wrong. Two weeks ago, guys came to spray the invasive shore weeds and don'y they look interesting?

I'm remembering an early conversation with Tom at the beginning of this saga about preparing food with one hand. Well, I am getting better at it by the day, using new tricks like this one.

Using a small rubber spatula I remove a glob and put it on the opened lid, using a knife to spread it. And no, I don't have to do it as Bruce stands ready, but I WANT to feel a tiny bit capable.

During her assessment Lisa asked me what I like to do gauging how active I was prior to my mishaps. The list was long. Today she admonished me to be patient and not minimize the severity of things. Apparently she has already got me pegged as a go-getter who, sadly has had to put the brakes on. Before this, I'm not sure I knew how.

Before I close, to each and every one of you who have sent cards, candy, flowers, a pillowcase, food and words of encouragement, please accept my sincerest thanks. Bruce seconds that thought!

your friend,

Gail

Long Haul

 To be clear, I am well aware that there are far worse maladies than a broken wrist. Even two broken wrists, which if it weren't happening to me, I might find somewhat comical. Maybe comical is not the right word--make it incredulous.  That said, on one of my few times walking, probably to the mailbox while wearing my sling, a neighbor walking his dog asked, "shouldn't it be about time for you to be out of that?" When I explained that I would like nothing more, he told me that the same happened to his uncle and if I remember correctly, he said that it happened three times! "So, I am not the only one", was my reply. 

Perhaps it was that same morning that I ran into another neighbor wearing a splint and sling who also broke her wrist and was awaiting surgery. We compared notes on pain. Andrea told me that she tripped on a rug in her home and that the pain was the worst of her life, including a knee replacement. Although I would not wish the pain I've experienced over the last two and a half months on anyone, at times it has felt that maybe my reaction has been too strong and I am not the tough woman I thought I was. In a weird way, she helped me, knowing that others have felt the same. 

It's an epidemic in our village! I think that we've had as many broken wrists in the last year as we've had Covid 19 cases which is downright crazy to consider.

Around the complex there are dozens and dozens of Crepe Myrtle trees that each year are cut back almost to the trunk. Never mind that the practice is outdated because if they are not trimmed those who know the old ways protest vehemently. I am no expert on the matter, just someone who appreciates it when they bloom again each summer. I noticed out our garden gate that the time is now and boy howdy are those within my sightline looking gorgeous.

There are purple ones, hot pink. light pink, raspberry colored and white blooms. A thing of beauty is what they are. When I saw that they were, once again, showing their true colors I thought of myself. A clumsy metaphor maybe, but hopefully in the not too distant future, I will be showing mine as well. 

To get us through the early days Bruce made a meds chart, keeping close track on what to take and when.

It brings me joy to tell you that after the initial days of horrible pain, it has, over the last couple of days, turned into a dull pain, kind of like a headache that hurts but a person can still function. Not that I am doing much, mostly sitting if you want to know the truth, but I am also happy to report that over the course of the last 73 days, I've gotten far better at doing some things with one hand. Or maybe it's that I've learned to improvise? For example, when opening the peanut butter jar, I place it under my left elbow and open it with my right. This morning I asked Bruce to open the cellophane wrapper on the new loaf of bread because he is off with his friend Keith for much of the day. I tried hard to put the plastic tab for closing back on with no success. I think for the first time, Bruce tried doing so with one hand with the same result. Although his sympathy has been extraordinary throughout this ordeal, he discovered firsthand how hard it is doing the simplest of things with one hand. 

To cheer myself up, I looked on Amazon for a super simple puzzle to occupy the long days indoors.

Haha, you probably guessed birds were involved! It is slow going, and is so often the case, I'm struggling with the border pieces, but it is super cute, don't you think?

We are still waiting for the summer rains to begin in earnest. I'd not been out back for some time and seeing the water level so low surprised me. 

Loads of snails revealed, here's hoping that  the Limpkins took advantage of them when they were submerged. A silver lining might be that some of the invasive water hyacinth die off without water. That's nature for you, a balance of give and take. 

Memorial Day came and went. 

In a stroke of luck, the National Memorial Day concert on PBS came on after an episode of Grantchester concluded. Tears of both sorrow and gratitude were shed during the moving performances. Should you be interested, here is the info.  

These days my biggest challenge is finding a comfortable way to sleep. During the day I am careful not to move my arm in ways that will cause pain, however, at night that is a hard position to maintain. Pardon the pun! I've tried multiple strategies, a few more successful than others. What I am counting on is having good news on Thursday morning and perhaps a more comfortable cast. The appointment is set for 11:45 during which time the stitches will be removed and new x-rays taken to confirm the integrity of the plate and screws. I seriously don't know how I would react if anything were to go wrong. While I have not cried much, any bad news would surely bring tears. I must admit that Sunday I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, in part because I have curtailed outdoor activities, including walking until I receive the all clear on Thursday. Some might find that extreme, taking the directions so seriously, however,  I am not taking any chances having witnessed our sister Maureen go through two infections when she had a hip replacement. As you may recall, she has never walked since.

After my pity-party on Sunday, I revived on Monday, spending the whole day reading a novel on my computer that our son-in-law Tom has written during the lockdown which in London has lasted much longer than here in Florida. My book report is thus: a compelling, contemporary story, tackling the issues of our day without a bit of brow beating to be found. In other words, I liked it very much and feel honored to be included in the "first reader" group. He now can add the term novelist to his ever growing list of talents. 

This is probably the longest time in 10+ years that I've gone without using my camera. Speaking of which, it works just fine despite the sidewalk crash. I've tried to figure out how I broke my wrist again...did it hit the pavement? After all, my scapes were all on my right side. They are all healing, by the way. I suppose I will never know for sure but I do intend for Bruce to take me to the scene of the crime on Thursday when we go to the doctor. I need to look at that darn sidewalk!

If only I could have used my left hand to wipe the lens of humidity when this guy popped up out of the water.

Until we meet again...

your friend,

Gail