2/3

On this Thankful Thursday,

I am thankful that I only have 2 weeks left in a cast. 

My convalescing is progressing well (I think).

I am 2/3 of the way through.

I will get my cast off on Election Day!

I am thankful that I am doing most of what I could do before the accident.

I am thankful for hubbys dishwashing help and for his occasionally help with other things just to speed up the process.

Normal activities take twice as long with one hand and by the time I finish, I am just worn out.

I am thankful for the fall season.

It seems as if fall may finally be here in KY.

We have enjoyed a few strolls through the changing leaves.

One was at a Scarecrow Walk at a local cave.

Local businesses put up scarecrows advertising their businesses along a walking path.

We also found a lovely greenway in northern TN and enjoyed strolling it one afternoon.

We have had beautiful leaves and everyone says it has been the best that they have seen in many years.

The temps have been bouncing around, but mostly staying in the fall range.

I am thankful for some natural "Icy Hot" that I had been given in Oregon.

I found that it helps to loosen my fingers when they want to tighten up and just be stiff.

I am thankful that I am back to playing some things on the piano,

I can't play octaves and crazy arpeggios, but I can give the general idea.

The Little Things

During one of my workouts, the trainer talks about our skewed view of self.

She mentions how we might be upset about our size or shape,

and yet, we can move about when others cannot.

Perspective is a beautiful thing.

 It is often when we lose something that we appreciate it more.

It is often when growth or learning is slow that we value it more.

I may appreciate a home more than some, not because I have ever been homeless, but because I have borrowed homes for years.

I appreciate my meals more after I have been to a place where there are fewer allergy-friendly options.

This week, I am enjoying each little activity that returns to my schedule.

I tied my sneakers again this week.

I pulled my hair back in a ponytail (albeit a loose one) all by myself.

I opened a can with the can opener.

I made a pumpkin pie while hubby was at work.

I ironed using my casted hand to hold the iron.

And ... I mowed the lawn today.

Though I was disappointed to be put in a cast instead of a splint,

I learned through the x-ray reports that I actually had broken both of my lower arm bones.

(I feel like a true overachiever)

While only one bone needed surgery, the other needs the help of the cast to set.

I also realize that the stability of the cast is making some activities possible again.

And the slow progress makes me appreciate each activity more.

"Slow and Steady,"' they say.

So this morning I had my 2-week follow-up.

They removed the splint,

they x-rayed again,

they removed the stitches,

and they cast my arm for the next four weeks.

All this while I proved why I could never be a nurse.

I saw the scar and stitches

and got very, very lightheaded.

The scar wasn't really red or particularly disgusting,

but it was long and I will definitely have a story to tell for the rest of my life.

I wish it could have been another splint,

but the doc said I had created too many pieces.

"Slow and Steady," he said.

I am glad that more of my fingers are free this time.

I am exercising them regularly and will try basic 5-finger piano very soon.

No octaves for a while.

I wasn't quite bold enough to go with the pink camo or the tie dye.

The blue is pleasant ... and there is really no disguising the cast anyway.

We do think it is a little less bulky than the splint, so I may be able to find a few more long-sleeve tops that accommodate it.

A Changing Rhythm

 Immediately upon my accident,

my rhythm changed.

My resting heart rate immediately jumped.

Upon surgery, it jumped some more.

Change, pain, and discomfort led my body to speed up its rhythm.

I need more blood to the wrist to heal it.

In fact, the research shows that I need more calories during this time, even though I am not as active.

Not only has the rhythm of my body changed,

but the rhythm in the home has changed.

There is a rhythm of an electric dishwasher after lunch to spare hubby a few dishes and drying out his hands even more.

The kitchen often has 2 cooks now.

The workouts are slower and more thought out.

I am glad that this rhythm does not have to be indefinite.

And I am trying to speed things along.

The 6 week timetable may not change, but I want my wrist to heal strong.

So, I am thinking of nutrients:

protein, calcium, healthy fats, vitamin D, Potassium, Magnesium, and Vitamin C.

All are working together to heal my body.

So some of my meals have become more like medicine than enjoyable meals.

Daily I drink a green smoothie.

Almond milk - protein and calcium

Spinach - calcium, potassium, Vitamin K

Banana - potassium

Flax Seed - Iron, protein, healthy fats

Peanut Butter - Protein

Matcha Powder - antioxidants, anti-inflammatory

Maple Syrup - just to make it drinkable

It is actually a good smoothie anyway, but I have upped the flax seed which makes the texture a bit thick!

It is also great because I can actually make it myself.

Take Nothing for Granted

 I can procrastinate with the best of them.

My life is fairly simple (isn't that my goal) which makes tasks fairly easy to juggle.

Last week, I mentioned that I was glad that I had finished painting a dresser.

It would have been terrible to see it staring at me for 6 weeks  ....

and hubby would have definitely wanted the space back in his garage.

So often, we think of not procrastinating in the realm of fixing relationships.

You never know what the next day will bring ...

death, illness, mental troubles.

But there is also the simple matter of just being deligent.

Get todays work done.

You never know what tomorrow holds.

I am "flying solo" again this week.

Hubby took his work back to the office.

I never would have imagined that I would be doing my everyday work with primarily one hand.

I am glad for the work that I stayed up on,

and sorry for the projects that I pushed to "tomorrow"

which may now be 5 more weeks.

Update:

I am one week into my healing.

I am primarily without pain except when I make a few odd movements without thinking.

I am actually using both hands to type this blog.

I have my first follow-up next Tuesday.

The surgeon said that he will remove the splint and cast the arm then.

I assume that there will be another xray - and I hope to hear that we are running ahead of schedule.

The 4-Year Old in Me

 Being restricted is a challenge.

My independent self does not like to rely on others.

I am often found making life "easier" for hubby in the kitchen.

This usually involves me trying to be independent, but instead making more work for him because of the mess I leave behind.

It involves me struggling for 15 minutes with tongue out and brow furrowed trying to button a shirt with one hand.

It involves strange scrawling on a grocery list or menu plan.

I am having to slow down, to think about the simplest tasks, to make extra trips.

One such activity is card writing.

It is one of the activities that I value as a special ministry.

While I might have to stop playing the piano for 6 weeks,

surely I can write a letter :)

You may receive one.

Please give grace.

The 4-year-old is trying.

This one is headed to Oregon.

The day after surgery, I filled the whole morning with a card and balancing checkbook because it took so long to write anything legibly.

My Right Hand Man

 My dear one has always been a hard worker,

but even more so this week.

While working from home, 

he has taken on ...

lawn care,

cooking,

dishwashing,

shopping,

and general help when I get "stuck."

Just hours before the event which we would like to forget,

I bought two bags of Macintosh Apples.

They are my favorite and are quite difficult to find in the PNW.

I told hubby that I had planned to make him a pie and some apple sauce

(as well as just enjoying them as snacks).

I should have bought them the week before to "keep the doctors away."

Yesterday, hubby decided to tackle some mini pies.

He did just great!

Here they are ... ready for the oven.

I may be out of a job when this is all over.