I've had to give up the crutches except when I'm not in the big boot which is usually early morning and evening. The nerve on my side is killing me. And yes I'm using the crutches correctly. They just don't like me. Walking with all my weight on the foot makes it hurt more. Hopefully those bone chips aren't moving. It's kind of hard to walk in the boot. It makes that leg longer which makes my other hip hurt. I also think I'm getting a blister on the good foot so I'm trying thicker socks. I think the cure is going to kill me.
Mayhem #1 got her rollerblading class dropped on the last day that drops were allowed. She also made it to class yesterday, but not work. She said she wasn't hurting quite as bad. I asked about the boyfriend and she said he might move to New Mexico. Her response to him was, "That's not any closer." Of course I'll believe the move when I see it.
No one gave me any ideas for my mom's birthday gift. Help me out. Otherwise I'll just buy her some skinny romance books. (The big books hurt her hands and wrists.) She did go to the rheumatologist last week all by herself. He told her she had no tolerance for pain because all the stuff he was doing to her shouldn't hurt. I don't think I agree with that statement. If it is all in her head she does it very well.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
Looks like we made it....
Thought I'd let you know that we survived the weekend. Mr. Mayhem made it back from Denver with keychains in tow for Mayhem #1. The dance class didn't happen though because of a family emergency for the instructor. After I called Mayhem #1 about asking for help, she did nothing. She ate alot of instant oatmeal because that's what she had in the room. It hurt my feelings that she didn't try to get help, but she's an adult and even adults do stupid things. I just hope she doesn't mess up her whole semester because she won't do anything.
I made it to bell choir, Sunday School, and church yesterday. Mr. Mayhem wouldn't let me stand on one leg and play so I sat in a chair and pretended to play my bells. Not one wrong note! Maybe next week I'll try actually playing while I sit in the chair. One of the ladies in the bell choir asked if I needed any help, and my response was, "Not now." Do you think anyone will get it?
Mayhem #2 has a paper to write for English and a project for her speech class. I'm proud of her for working on them before they are due. She was not happy with the grade she got on the last paper, but the teacher admitted he hadn't read them just looked to see if the pages were full. Her pages weren't completely full last time because of the nature of the book she had read. And she had finished the paper a week early and had planned on talking to the teacher about it, but was sick for the rest of the week. She turned in what she had done, and got a lower grade than some of the kids who had just copied stuff straight out of the spark notes. Mayhem #2 isn't going to put up with a low grade this time.
My mom turns 71 this Saturday so we'll probably take her out to lunch. What do you get for someone who doesn't really participate in life?
I made it to bell choir, Sunday School, and church yesterday. Mr. Mayhem wouldn't let me stand on one leg and play so I sat in a chair and pretended to play my bells. Not one wrong note! Maybe next week I'll try actually playing while I sit in the chair. One of the ladies in the bell choir asked if I needed any help, and my response was, "Not now." Do you think anyone will get it?
Mayhem #2 has a paper to write for English and a project for her speech class. I'm proud of her for working on them before they are due. She was not happy with the grade she got on the last paper, but the teacher admitted he hadn't read them just looked to see if the pages were full. Her pages weren't completely full last time because of the nature of the book she had read. And she had finished the paper a week early and had planned on talking to the teacher about it, but was sick for the rest of the week. She turned in what she had done, and got a lower grade than some of the kids who had just copied stuff straight out of the spark notes. Mayhem #2 isn't going to put up with a low grade this time.
My mom turns 71 this Saturday so we'll probably take her out to lunch. What do you get for someone who doesn't really participate in life?
Friday, March 24, 2006
I'm whining
I called Mayhem #1 this morning mostly because I feel guilty because I’m not there to help her. I’m not sure I would be much help if I was there, but that’s beside the point. I told her she needed to ask for help with getting the rollerblading class dropped, and making sure the school knows why she hasn’t been to chapel this week. She can only miss chapel so many times a semester and she missed several weeks the last time she was sick. I also suggested she ask someone to go to the grocery store for her and get soup and other stuff she can fix in her room so she didn’t have to try to hobble to get something to eat.
I discovered with my fall that people don’t think to offer help. I had two ladies from church bring me lunch a few of times those first couple of weeks when I couldn’t hardly get off the couch. I had to call and ask them to help me. A friend from school helped some if I asked. Some days I’d find some Goldfish I could carry with my crutches and have that for lunch. I had to have something to take my medicine with. Mr. Mayhem had to come home every day and make dinner, do dishes, do laundry, grocery shop, bathe me… No one even offered to help. I had to call and ask people to bring Mayhem #2 home from school. I have to admit that my feelings are kind of hurt. I know it’s not all about me, but I can’t count the number of meals I’ve made for people having babies and surgery. I’ve been helping a friend in SS get to chemo every week and other doctor’s appointments for two years. Not to mention other errands for her. Finally in the last few months a few other people have started helping her too.
I guess I should quit whining. Actually, I’m praying about my attitude. I know it’s wrong, but it hurts when "friends", who know your predicament, don’t share the burden.
I discovered with my fall that people don’t think to offer help. I had two ladies from church bring me lunch a few of times those first couple of weeks when I couldn’t hardly get off the couch. I had to call and ask them to help me. A friend from school helped some if I asked. Some days I’d find some Goldfish I could carry with my crutches and have that for lunch. I had to have something to take my medicine with. Mr. Mayhem had to come home every day and make dinner, do dishes, do laundry, grocery shop, bathe me… No one even offered to help. I had to call and ask people to bring Mayhem #2 home from school. I have to admit that my feelings are kind of hurt. I know it’s not all about me, but I can’t count the number of meals I’ve made for people having babies and surgery. I’ve been helping a friend in SS get to chemo every week and other doctor’s appointments for two years. Not to mention other errands for her. Finally in the last few months a few other people have started helping her too.
I guess I should quit whining. Actually, I’m praying about my attitude. I know it’s wrong, but it hurts when "friends", who know your predicament, don’t share the burden.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Departed and arrived
Mr. Mayhem called me this morning at about 8:00 to let me know he had gotten to Denver. Actually, he woke me up. Since I got up with him at 4:00am so I could get a shower, I took a nap after taking Mayhem #2 to school. I later went to the fish store and bought my fish some bubbles. I really bought air stones, but they make bubbles. Maybe Mayhem #2 will help me clean my tank a little this evening. I also looked through several tanks of angel fish for a "Phantom." We had one before that's face was half white and half black. Since he died, Mayhem #2 told me I have to find another Phantom. After standing and looking for a while, I decided I was tired of standing and left with just the bubbles. After eating lunch, I managed to get the dishes done, so now I'm sitting down again. I do that alot.
There really isn't much on daytime tv. While I was stuck to the couch, I finished my seasons of Magnum, P.I., McGyver, and Quantum Leap. Mr. Mayhem went out to Sam's Club one night and came back with the first season of Doogie Howser, M.D. What amazed me was how much Mayhem #2 likes it. She commented that all of the teen shows that she has seen is about the girls. She thought it was cool to see things from a boy's perspective. She still thinks boys are gross though.
Please continue to pray for Mayhem #1. She is in alot of pain. I mailed her a donut to sit on yesterday and a big get well card from the youth group today.
I have to remember..."Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...."
There really isn't much on daytime tv. While I was stuck to the couch, I finished my seasons of Magnum, P.I., McGyver, and Quantum Leap. Mr. Mayhem went out to Sam's Club one night and came back with the first season of Doogie Howser, M.D. What amazed me was how much Mayhem #2 likes it. She commented that all of the teen shows that she has seen is about the girls. She thought it was cool to see things from a boy's perspective. She still thinks boys are gross though.
Please continue to pray for Mayhem #1. She is in alot of pain. I mailed her a donut to sit on yesterday and a big get well card from the youth group today.
I have to remember..."Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...."
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Ok...so far
Nothing catastrophic has happened....yet. I'm puttering at a load of laundry so Mr. Mayhem will have a good choice of clothes for his trip to Denver tomorrow. His flight leaves at 6:30 am. He will be back for dance class on Friday night. Not that that involves me. I'm really bummed about it. I was looking forward to maybe getting our foxtrot right and learning the tango. I'll let Mr. Mayhem teach me the new moves.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
If it weren't for bad luck...
Got a call from Mayhem #1 about 9:00 this morning. She should have been in her rollerblading class. She was, but she fell. Backwards. All that safety equipment we bought did her no good. After the trip to the clinic, she called me and said we could now address her as "Madam Broken Butt." The doctor said the x-ray didn't show a break, but for it to hurt that much it had to be. He gave her pain medication and sent her home. He also told her to sit on something hard. I would've thought they would've given her the donut to sit on. No physical activity for four weeks so I guess she'll have to drop her class. Poor kid has had a pretty rotten semester between this and her other illness.
Somebody stop this ride. I want to get off.
Somebody stop this ride. I want to get off.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Foot Update
Apparently, the CT scan was conclusive. The foot is broken in two places. There are two displaced chip fractures. The doctor decided to keep the foot in the big boot cast so that I could at least take it off and shower. He said we wouldn’t rush into surgery unless the chips moved into the spaces between the bones. He also said I could walk on it. Now let me get this straight…We don’t want the bone chips to move so we’re going to exert pressure on them? Not to mention that it hurts to walk on it. I walk with the crutches. I don’t put a lot of weight on the foot, but hopefully this will stop the hernia that I’m afraid the use of the crutches started. I can’t win.
My goals for today are to pick up Mayhem #2 from school and take her to piano lessons and fix dinner. It’s not much, but it’s something. Most things I try to do I have to have help with. Like, someone else will have to bring the dirty clothes to the washing machine for me. Mayhem #2 and I loaded the dishwasher together last night. I can only stand on the good leg for so long. A chair is required for fixing my hair. I’m being forced to limit what I do. IT’S KILLING ME!!!
My goals for today are to pick up Mayhem #2 from school and take her to piano lessons and fix dinner. It’s not much, but it’s something. Most things I try to do I have to have help with. Like, someone else will have to bring the dirty clothes to the washing machine for me. Mayhem #2 and I loaded the dishwasher together last night. I can only stand on the good leg for so long. A chair is required for fixing my hair. I’m being forced to limit what I do. IT’S KILLING ME!!!
Spring Break
We made it through spring break with the boyfriend. He is a very nice young man. A little on the crazy side, but that just made him fit in. We went to the mall one day. I got a wheelchair everywhere we went. I told the girls it was pay back for all those years I strolled them around. Mayhem #1 made some comment about the weight difference. I told her to watch it! I let Mayhem #1 and the boyfriend wander around together while Mayhem #2 and I looked around for shiny things and comfortable flip flops. Not for me, mind you.
Tuesday we went to the zoo. I decided not to wait until Wednesday which is half-price day because I was afraid that everyone and their brother would be there that day. Boy was I right. Over 16,000 people went to the zoo on Wednesday. It even shut down one of the freeways. The zoo was still busy on Tuesday, but it was bearable. Between the crowd and me in the wheelchair, it took us all day. Normally it takes about three hours. I spent a lot of time waiting outside exhibits while the kids went in. I’d find a bench and wheel up very close and prop my foot up. It was a beautiful day and warm enough if I parked myself in the sun.
Wednesday, after a quick trip to the church to borrow a wheel chair, we went to the Stockyards. We got there just in time for the longhorn herd to mosey down the street. We checked out the museum and the shops in the train station. We had lunch at Riscky’s BBQ. (Sorry Terry. No pictures.) After lunch we went downtown. Mayhem #2 and I headed to the library while Mayhem #1 and the boyfriend strolled down to Barnes & Nobles.
Thursday was the love birds day. The boyfriend had made dinner reservations at a 5 star French restaurant for that evening. Mayhem #1 wanted to show him the botanic gardens, so Mayhem #2 and I stayed home and rested. She may not have been tired, but I was exhausted and hurting. There wasn’t a lot blooming in the gardens but they went to the Japanese Gardens and said it was beautiful. That afternoon they went to Half-Priced Books. I rode with them over to the restaurant on a practice run so Mayhem #1 would feel comfortable driving over there. (She was my cab driver all week.) They got all spiffed up. The boyfriend had forgotten black socks so I loaned him a pair of Mr. Mayhem’s. They looked very nice and had a great evening.
Friday, they had to take me to the podiatrist’s office bright and early. After that, all three of the kids had breakfast at McDonalds and then took my mom grocery shopping. They picked me up from the doctor’s office and we returned the wheelchair to the church. Mayhem #2 and I sat in the car while Mayhem #1 practiced her rollerblading in the church parking lot. She had started her class last week and needed a little extra time. It’s been close to 10 years since she had rollerbladed last. The boyfriend walked around with her while she practiced. That evening Mayhem #2 went to a youth event at church and the rest of us, Mr. Mayhem included, went to Chili’s for dinner. We talked about going home and watching some movies, but instead Mayhem #1 sat with the boyfriend’s arm around her while she cried. I checked with her later. It was early separation anxiety.
Saturday it rained all day. Mayhem #1 and the boyfriend ran a few errands, and then late that afternoon all three of the kids met some friends for laser tag and dinner. We had a crazy sing along that night. Mayhem #2 loves for Mayhem #1 to play piano so she can sing along. This caused a little stress earlier in the week because Mayhem #1 didn’t do this according to Mayhem #2’s schedule. It boiled down to Mayhem #2 not liking sharing her sister. Anyway, the sing along was funny. Mr. Mayhem was a great Kermit the Frog in The Rainbow Connection. The boyfriend’s comment to Mayhem #1 later that night was, “Your dad’s crazy!”
Sunday saw Mr. Mayhem and Mayhem #2 headed off to church. The handbells were playing so they had to be there. I headed to the bus station with Mayhem #1 and the boyfriend. It was rainy. She was crying. He got put on an earlier bus so we didn’t have to sit around for an hour. We only sat for about 10 minutes, and I honestly think that worked out for the best. We talked a little on the way home and I tried to be silly for her. She went home a packed so dad could take her back to school. The drive back took extra long because of the weather and all the other crazy college kids headed back to school on the same road.
I think it was a good week. We all had to make adjustments and learn new things. Mayhem #1 is pretty miserable right now, but I hope she’ll get back in the swing of things pretty quickly. Long distance relationships are hard. Growing up is hard. It happens whether we like it or not.
Tuesday we went to the zoo. I decided not to wait until Wednesday which is half-price day because I was afraid that everyone and their brother would be there that day. Boy was I right. Over 16,000 people went to the zoo on Wednesday. It even shut down one of the freeways. The zoo was still busy on Tuesday, but it was bearable. Between the crowd and me in the wheelchair, it took us all day. Normally it takes about three hours. I spent a lot of time waiting outside exhibits while the kids went in. I’d find a bench and wheel up very close and prop my foot up. It was a beautiful day and warm enough if I parked myself in the sun.
Wednesday, after a quick trip to the church to borrow a wheel chair, we went to the Stockyards. We got there just in time for the longhorn herd to mosey down the street. We checked out the museum and the shops in the train station. We had lunch at Riscky’s BBQ. (Sorry Terry. No pictures.) After lunch we went downtown. Mayhem #2 and I headed to the library while Mayhem #1 and the boyfriend strolled down to Barnes & Nobles.
Thursday was the love birds day. The boyfriend had made dinner reservations at a 5 star French restaurant for that evening. Mayhem #1 wanted to show him the botanic gardens, so Mayhem #2 and I stayed home and rested. She may not have been tired, but I was exhausted and hurting. There wasn’t a lot blooming in the gardens but they went to the Japanese Gardens and said it was beautiful. That afternoon they went to Half-Priced Books. I rode with them over to the restaurant on a practice run so Mayhem #1 would feel comfortable driving over there. (She was my cab driver all week.) They got all spiffed up. The boyfriend had forgotten black socks so I loaned him a pair of Mr. Mayhem’s. They looked very nice and had a great evening.
Friday, they had to take me to the podiatrist’s office bright and early. After that, all three of the kids had breakfast at McDonalds and then took my mom grocery shopping. They picked me up from the doctor’s office and we returned the wheelchair to the church. Mayhem #2 and I sat in the car while Mayhem #1 practiced her rollerblading in the church parking lot. She had started her class last week and needed a little extra time. It’s been close to 10 years since she had rollerbladed last. The boyfriend walked around with her while she practiced. That evening Mayhem #2 went to a youth event at church and the rest of us, Mr. Mayhem included, went to Chili’s for dinner. We talked about going home and watching some movies, but instead Mayhem #1 sat with the boyfriend’s arm around her while she cried. I checked with her later. It was early separation anxiety.
Saturday it rained all day. Mayhem #1 and the boyfriend ran a few errands, and then late that afternoon all three of the kids met some friends for laser tag and dinner. We had a crazy sing along that night. Mayhem #2 loves for Mayhem #1 to play piano so she can sing along. This caused a little stress earlier in the week because Mayhem #1 didn’t do this according to Mayhem #2’s schedule. It boiled down to Mayhem #2 not liking sharing her sister. Anyway, the sing along was funny. Mr. Mayhem was a great Kermit the Frog in The Rainbow Connection. The boyfriend’s comment to Mayhem #1 later that night was, “Your dad’s crazy!”
Sunday saw Mr. Mayhem and Mayhem #2 headed off to church. The handbells were playing so they had to be there. I headed to the bus station with Mayhem #1 and the boyfriend. It was rainy. She was crying. He got put on an earlier bus so we didn’t have to sit around for an hour. We only sat for about 10 minutes, and I honestly think that worked out for the best. We talked a little on the way home and I tried to be silly for her. She went home a packed so dad could take her back to school. The drive back took extra long because of the weather and all the other crazy college kids headed back to school on the same road.
I think it was a good week. We all had to make adjustments and learn new things. Mayhem #1 is pretty miserable right now, but I hope she’ll get back in the swing of things pretty quickly. Long distance relationships are hard. Growing up is hard. It happens whether we like it or not.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Oh Well
The MRI was inconclusive, so I have a CT scan this morning. The foot hurts alot since the doc put the soft cast and air cast on. Extra pain meds. The house is still a mess and the boyfriend comes Sunday. Oh well. We had to ask someone from church to go pick up Mayhem #1 and bring her home for spring break. I am going crazy. Can't sleep very well between the streroids and waiting on the next stabbing pain. Gotta run....Not literally.
Monday, March 06, 2006
MRI
Quick, before the computer locks up...The podiatrist I saw Friday is sending me to get a MRI today. He also referred me to another podiatrist because he thinks the bone chip might need to come out and he doesn't do that type of surgery. The appointment with the new doctor is Wednesday. Funny, but when I called this doctor to get an appointment, he couldn't see me until Mar. 29. Go figure.
The swelling has gone down some and the splint kind of rattles around on my foot and leg. I'm afraid to put the ace bandage on too tight because my toes turned black the other day.
I better go and get this posted. Don't want to push my luck. I'll let you know what we find out. Six days till the boyfriend arrives.
The swelling has gone down some and the splint kind of rattles around on my foot and leg. I'm afraid to put the ace bandage on too tight because my toes turned black the other day.
I better go and get this posted. Don't want to push my luck. I'll let you know what we find out. Six days till the boyfriend arrives.
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