HEART WARMING NEWS FROM MY MECHANIC

We are looking for a car with an automatic transmission for me to drive. Today, I called my mechanic with a couple of questions about possible choices and found out that 5 years ago he, too, had broken his ankle bones. He said he has recovered almost completely and recently went on a 50 mile hiking trip. I was overjoyed to hear this.

IS IT CONTAGIOUS ?

Throughout this whole thing, I have been surrounded by other broken ankle karma. First, of course, the crow omen. Then there were the two women on a day tour in Hawaii. I had taken my granddaughter there a few weeks before my accident. One woman was just starting to walk after her ankle break/surgery and the other one had done it about 15 years before and was full of doom and gloom, which I thought at the time was not good for the poor recent victim to hear. (and, as it turned out now, not good for me to have heard either) Then, the new supreme court justice who had to chit chat with the Senate on the very day she broke her's, I believe. Then friends of friends stories flooded in. I picked up a mystery novel I had bought at a thrift store earlier in the summer thinking it would make good, light summer reading. The day after surgery I picked it up and lo and behold, the main character suffered from an ankle break and was somewhat crippled for life. Of course, he was a 13th century Knights Templar and screws and plates and the skill of Drs were not so good then. Two weeks ago, a friend's son-in-law suffered almost the same injury as mine. On and On.

Is this some weird confluence of events or just coincidence. If I had broken my arm or nose would I be suddenly aware of those injuries around every corner?

I am happy to be on the crutches. I feel more free even though I don't have the use of my hands while traveling and my hip and neck seem to suffer more than before but it is a great sense of normalcy. Injured NBA basketball stars use crutches. Old ladies use walkers.

Still get around house in wheelchair some which is good for chores like cleaning and cooking. (not that I am doing a whole lot of this these days- oh my, how dirty my house is). It am wearing my hiking boot to try and match the height of the big black cast boot and trying to stand up straight, still I feel that my whole body is going to need some serious realignment when this is over, in spite of my stretching and such.

ADVANCED TO CRUTCHES

I went to see the Doctor again. New xrays show that outer bone is healed pretty much but not smaller inside bone. I can now put up to 1/2 my weight on my bad leg. This will be basically for the next month. It is a lot easier to balance and get around even just being able to do this.

I am now practicing with crutches. Just being able to put a little weight for balance prevents me from tipping over backwards.

I ran into Dr W in hall on way to xray and said if I couldn't put any weight on my leg I would have a nervous breakdown and so would my husband and the dog. He then sent his P A in to break the news to me so he wouldn't witness the nervous breakdown. Ha!Ha!. But actually, I wasn't expecting to completely walk on it yet. He did come in to talk to me later.

I am now much sorer from just that little bit of weight and although the pain is completely bearable, I worry about doing damage to the screw. The doctor said that if too much weight on leg the screws could come loose. I have enough of those already.

I will start physical therapy soon. One more place for husband to take me. If I had an automatic car I would probably be driving myself now. We are looking.

I am taking Spanish at the local community college and it is great getting out by myself to do something different on my own. (After Husband drops me off).

The crow is still hanging around. She is not obvious anymore. We can tell her if she is sitting on the wire as she is a little bit more on body than the other crows. She also limps just a little while walking along the deck railing but it is getting harder and harder to pick her out.

This morning she actually hopped over her fellow to get to another bit of food. I assume this is called leap crowing.

A LITTLE TRIP

We decide to get away and spend 2 nights at the beach. We chose

a resort that we used to frequent when we were young. It is a good choice for one who is confined as the waves crash on rocks in view of the window. Husband and dog enjoyed hiking and walking on beach. The weather is beautiful. I cannot decide if it is harder to be here and not be active or not be here at all. The smell of the air and the sounds are wonderful. Monday and Tuesday were beautiful sunny days.

On the way over we found a nice wheelable path along the Alsea river at Salmonberry campground.

We saw whales and bats. I wheeled around the old part of Newport and watched the noisy and lazy sea lions piled on each other, some napping, some belly aching. The can't walk at all so what am I complaining about.

I have some concern about my foot. Sometimes when I touch the ball of my foot, near my toes,

there is a weird pain that is sort of electric that runs around my foot and toes. I don't know what this is from or how it will be triggered when I actually put weight on my foot.

Add it to list of things to ask the doctor next Thursday.

Poor husband had to do all my fetching and carrying from car and all of the driving. I am appreciative.

If we thought we were getting away from our crow friends we were mistaken as they paced back and forth outside our room. These crows are smaller than the ones in my backyard. I think there was a mom and child as one crow kept going up to the other with its mouth open and then tried to take something out of the "presumed" parents mouth.

We also had a nest of swallows over our motel room door. These guys were big and there was no room for mom in that nest but she was dutifully bringing them food. It seemed late in the year for babies but they were staying at a pretty nice place.

MORE ENERGY

All of a sudden, I seem to not be getting as tired. Up until a few days ago I was exhausted in the evening even though I hadn't done much on any day. The last few days I have not had this feeling in the evening. Perhaps most of my internal healing has been done.

Anyway, I feel a little more normal.

I am icing and flexing my bad ankle and my foot is getting a little closer to the size of its mate. Still puffy and ankle looks like it is concealing a tennis ball.

Yesterday we took visiting relatives on a long sightseeing tour. My longest day out yet.

I was able to do most tourist things in a wheel chair but took a few wrong turns and ended up crawling up a staircase. Then the tire came off my wheelchair which left me balancing on one foot while Husband tried to repair. Not an easy task and eventually and old trucker friend managed it. I am now becoming much more aware of what I have heard for years. Places that claim to be "accessible" aren't really.

LABOR DAY

The crow is making progress and can walk on her leg now. We can still identify her.

I have been reading the book "Crow Planet" by Lyanda Lynn Haupt. The injured crow in her yard was accompanied by its parents who stayed with it long after its fledgling status, so perhaps that is who the other 2 crows are.

Maybe soon we won't be able to recognize her different gait and she will be lost in the crowd.

That is the crowd of crows that now hang on our wires and trees waiting for the suet and eggs.

My shoulder continues to be a problem and I am icing and trying not to use the walker quite as much. It actually is more painful now than my ankle. I continue my exercise routine.

My ankle freaks me out when I look at it but keep doing it anyway. A morbid fascination. 18 more days before I go back to the doctor for the verdict of putting weight on my leg.

I have gotten out with friends again and for a long ride to my daughter's house about one hour away. My mood goes up and down. Down when I think of what I would like to be doing this September and up when I do something, anything. I think that is the secret. Get up and do one task, useful or creative thing. Doing one thing usually leads to another. The secret is to just get going. Showering being one of those useful things which takes 10 times as long as before.

I am scanning old family photos for my family. This is a task I meant to do last winter but was busy doing something else (I'm not sure what) instead. I am busying myself with 19th century Iowa and Missouri farmers, My grandfather in the Spanish American war, a great uncle dressed in women's clothing, my aunt always looking sharp, like a movie star.