The Party's Over

It's time.  I am becoming so independent that I need to release my fine Nurse Glenn from his caretaking duties.  The sure sign was when I looked at the bathroom today and said "I need to clean this"  instead of "I wonder when Glenn's going to clean this?"  And then I did it!  I'm not saying this is the first household chore I've handled...I can get to the basement and I did all of the ironing this weekend.  But I did it with my knee on a chair and the feeling in my heart that I was doing a great favor for Glenn.  While I ironed, I dreamed about what my martyr crown would look like.  (I envisioned a look similiar to the Burger King crown, with large rubies and emeralds and some silvery sparklers.  however, I would settle for this. )  Somehow, when I showed Glenn everything that I ironed, I didn't get the feeling that he thought I deserved a crown...I think I heard something under his breath like "about time!" 

I do feel like a queen today however.  I'm very busy, but not doing anything productive, because I'm totally  engrossed in my iTouch...my birthday present from my wonderful daughters and Glenn.  It's amazing that they got me this--and this little thing is amazing too.  It may be the greatest time waster ever (not counting Facebook!)  I've spent hours trying to figure out what it does, and I haven't yet played ONE song!  If I weren't already, I'd have to retire to have time to devote to this! 

Up, Up and Away...

Up...that's where I'm spending my nights.  I've moved upstairs.  I haven't moved to the master bedroom yet...I'm using the guest room.  My use of  language here is interesting.  Notice how I didn't call it MY bedroom?  I'm referring to it as the MASTER.  Glenn has been working subtly, and apparently effectively, to get his own room for the duration.  I'm a guest in my own upstairs!  I'll will eventually sneak into the MASTER and reclaim it as "my bedroom", but for now it's best for both of us if I have my own bed.  I was thrilled to find out at my doctor's appointment that I could sleep without the walking boot.  However, what I didn't realize was the challenge I would have finding a way to keep my sensitive foot from being abused by blankets and sheets.  It's toughening up, so look out Nurse Glenn, I'll be back!

Believe it or not, there are things that I miss about sleeping on the hide-a-bed. 

• I don't have to make the bed in the morning...I get up and Nurse Glenn folds up the evidence (thus the name).
• I have a TV in my bedroom.  Never thought I'd want one, but it is kind of nice to  keep up with the entertainment industry via late night TV.
• The hide-a-bed's low enough that Farley can easily get up on it and spend the night with me.  The guest bed is so high that the aging tubby (or do I mean tabby?) can't jump up on it.  He enters the room, puts his paws up on the side of the bed and stares at it, like he can make it lower down to a Farley level.  The first night he fussed, then walked around and found a chair close enough that he could get on the chair and then leap (really too athletic a word, but I can't think of a word that describes his slo-mo lumbering) to the bed.
• And the thing I miss most about sleeping in the family room?   Just hanging out in bed, waiting for Nurse Glenn to fix coffee and deliver it to me IN BED. 

Coffee in bed is probably a fair trade for a little mobility!

Went to the Doctor and the Doctor Said...

Today was another doctor's appointment.  I had a follow-up with the butcher (I mean surgeon) today.  Doctor's appointments are big outings for Nurse Glenn and me.  Everybody up and dressed to leave the house on someone else's schedule.  Normally we putt around and get ready whenever the spirit moves us. 

I used the walker to get into the office waiting room, but being a show-off, I walked (and I use the term loosely) to the examining room.  When I got up on the table, the nurse starts her questioning.  "How are you?"  OK, I guess.   "Does the foot look good?"  (You haven't seen it, but it looks like it's fell into a meat grinder...after 4 weeks, it's still a lovely mauve color....which she could see, so why did she ask?)  "Is the pain less than before the surgery?"  At that question, I knew I was dealing with a fool!  Four weeks ago, I was meeting friends to walk for an hour; I did lunges in a strength training class and walked to church.  Now, I use a walker if going for more than 10 feet.  So I tell her no, it hurts now and didn't hurt much before.  "But doesn't it feel better?"  A fool, but a persistent fool!  No, I say.  It hurts, especially at night.  I think I actually heard her huff, like the stupid patient doesn't know what the polite answer is!   BTW, this is the same nurse who took out my stitiches--see previous blog.

Dr. K comes in and removes all of the protective foot covering and has me stand in my bare feet.  I haven't put weight on my foot without the walking boot so I was worried; not too  painful.   Dr. K said, "well nothing broke!"  He must be related to the nurse.  End results:  everything is healing according to schedule.  Wear the boot for 4 more weeks, but no need to wear it at night.  And the pain is normal (which is dr. talk for ignore the goofy nurse!)

On the way to the doctor, Glenn was saying how this 6 weeks has not been hard at all for him.  "Well, Glenn it's only been four weeks since my surgery."  Oh no, that's not right he says, it's beeen 6 weeks.  All I can say is he may not think it's hard, but time passes at 1 1/2 times it normal measure.  Poor Glenn.

Prison Break!

The prison walls had a chink in them today and the prisoner sneaked through. This morning I got in the car -- in the driver's seat of my little Cube --and left the house by myself.  Waved goodbye to Glenn and zipped out of the driveway.  I was only going two blocks to church, but it was like a great road trip to me.  I was wearing my Frankenstein walking boot and had my walker in the back seat, but in my mind I was in Easy Rider headed to New Orleans on a motorcycle with Peter Fonda.  

When I got to the church parking lot, I thought about breezing right on by and going someplace REALLY exciting.  If not New Orleans, maybe at least to Target or even Trader Joe's. Unfortunately, I was scheduled to man the welcome desk, so I went to church.  I used my walker to get to the last pew where I plopped down and stubbornly refused to stand for anything.   Somehow, my reputation as a rebel was sullied by the fact I was had my foot propped up on the walker most of the time.  Gives you a waiver on normal church behavior. 

When I got back, Glenn was gone.  He used the break from taking care of me to go to the hardware store.  Another Easy Rider with a lack of imagination! 

The Burriers brought dinner tonight so we had food AND entertainment (and I got good advice).  Nurse Glenn was making aside comments on how he has to do everything for me.  Even though it is true, I felt insulted, so I snippily reminded him that I had made dinner twice this week.  Thank goodnes, Katy stopped me before I got too far down that path....don't mess with the caregiver while you still need him.  Great advice.  I need him to unfold my bed, fill my electric ice bucket, haul me to the doctor tomorrow and do a hundred little things everyday. 

Until I'm able to jail break for real and make it across country, I'd better continue to appreciate Nurse Glenn, loudly and often.

Thursday - A Day to be THANKFUL

Driving around the neighborhood today (THANKFUL to Katy for giving me a lunchtime outing) and sitting in the family room makes me THANKFUL that our trees are still standing.  I was amazed at how may limbs and large trees were taken down in yesterday's 1/2 hour wind and rain storm.  I can hear the wood chipper running at the house 2 doors away eliminating the remnants of one of their big trees.  We saw several trees completely wiped out--luckily only one appeared to have created a roof skylight the hard way.  But at least one yard in every block had branches down.  Glenn spent all morning sawing and cleaning up our yard.  I'm THANKFUL that I'm unable to haul out trash tonight, since in addition to recycle and garbage cans, there are 6 bags of storm debris.  Nurse Glenn did ask me if he took my wheelie out did I think I'd be able to manage taking the garbage to the street . 

Also, I'm THANKFUL for those of you who took time to fill me in on the Kardashian story.  So now I understand--no one in my circle really understands how they became famous or why they're famous..it's a mystery! 

I'm THANKFUL that I tried one more time on extending my wheelie rental.  I just got the OK to keep it until October 1.  I've been walking more but realized that it doesn't hurt when I walk, but too many steps and I pay for it at night. 

And most of all, I'm THANKFUL that I've had the ukulele to entertain me.    And I'm THANKFUL I have a camera with video because I spent two hours trying to make my Logitech camera work to take a video that I could post!  Glenn said today was his first "semi-normal" day.  What do you mean? I say.  Well. I worked outside on the yard, did my own thing and didn't spend all of my time taking care of you.  Think he's ready for me to be independent?

What Am I Missing?

NOSEY QUESTION #3:  Are you sad that you're missing the Country Living Fair this weekend?  Sharon and I went to that last year.  It's sponsored by Country Living magazine and Ohio Village (at the Ohio Historical Museum) is covered with antiques, crafts, artwork and food. Very interesting and quite fun. That event is not the only thing I'm regretting missing:

• Farmer's Market.  This is probably the last weekend for really good tomatoes
• Worthington Market Day is Saturday
• Columbus Jazz Orchestra's first event of the season this weekend
• Wine Tasting at House Wine

Of course I shouldn't complain.  Tonight I'm going to my second book club of the week.  Sunday night was my first.  I've become very picky about whose house I will agree to go visit--they have to be virtually handicap accessible.  (If I didn't live here, I'd never consider dropping in!)

I've found that since I don't go out very often, I've become more easily amused.  Rather than flipping the pages of Time magazine and stopping to read just a few choice articles, I'm fascinated by everything--even the full page interview with Ben Affleck (did you know he directed "Town" and is married to Jennifer Garner?)  I now read more carefully and listen more closely.  I even pay attention to TV. And because of paying attention, I now need to know:  WHO ARE THE KARDASHIANS?  I watched Jay Leno when they were on and never could figure out what qualifed them to be on his show.  All I could tell was that they were famous for something, one of them is related to Bruce Jenner somehow, and they're started a QVC show.  Can someone fill me in on this?

My attention to detail may soon start to flag.  I am now able to get down the outside steps standing up (holding onto the railing).  I walked up a few steps last night, but mainly to show off.  This is good timing... My knee walker goes back on Thursday and I can't extend my rental!  Nurse Glenn will have to stay by my side to fill in on "knee walker" duties. 

Info Please

Have you noticed that the blog entries are slowing down?  HEL-L-L--O--O.  Is anyone out there?  I still have one faithful household which sent me a list of big (and small) nosey questions that they would like to see answered. 

  First let me address the reduced blogging.  I have a full list of excuses:  #1.  I remain a very boring topic.  #2.  My Nurse is training me to be self-reliant and thus, he's become a smaller target for my humor!  #3.  I'm up and around much more now that I have the walking boot on.  Less time on the sofa means less time to blog. 

And #4.  Next to me, the most interesting item has been the endless hole in the yard, which is now filled in and wraps the story.  It took a front digger and hand digging to bring this to closure.  Note the top of the guy's head who is standing  in the hole.  It about 5 feet deep at this point.  Once uncovered, we was that the broken "pipe" was two feet in diameter.  A visit from the city engineer (again), gravel, bags of cement (unmixed, remaining in the bag), dirt, grass seed and lots of water may keep us from falling into middle earth.  (Oh yes, and a bagful of money.) 

NOSEY QUESTION #1:  Are you still sleeping on the couch? 

Yes, every night between 10:30 and 11,  Nurse Glenn says "Ready for me to make up your bed?"  then he unfolds the hide-a-bed, gets the pillows and the extra blankets, and sets me up with all of the things I need to get through the night like reading material, itty bitty book light, TV remotes, phone, water and walker.  Why am I not sleeping in the bedroom?  I have to wear the walking boot to bed and I find that I wake up and fuss with it multiple times each night.  It's held together with industrial strength Velcro.  Imagine being sound asleep and then hearing that giant Velcro being ripped apart. It even wakes up Farley--I want my nurse to be well-rested and in a good mood when he has to face fixing my breakfast and bringing me the paper!

NOSEY Q #2:  Find anything good in the couch cushions?  Nope, just some pennies. 

Feel free to submit your own nosey questions if you want to extend the blog or improve the content!