OUT OF APRIL INTO MAY 2022

Spring is slow to come to us this year. The reports say this is the 3rd coldest April in 45 years, and the 13th coldest ever. Average temp for April was 46; usual is 51. And of course we have had a lot of rain and some winds on many days as well.

That’s the weather report for the month. Now, let’s get the broken bones out of the way. I have blogged about Susan’s broken ankle, and our shared cat, Kathmandu, has helped with his healing paws.

Just a few weeks after Susan broke a bone (3 actually), Jeremy took a tumble while playing outdoors with the kids and broke his little finger.

That was not enough for this family as not long after her dad’s mishap, Lucy collided with a classmate while playing kickball and …. broke HER little finger…

Everybody is on the mend, but Susan tried to do too much too soon and has had a bit of a setback. Enough so that we had to cancel our trip to California for time with the Grands and family. Very disappointing indeed, and we learn that the healing process for a broken ankle takes a long time!! Gradual weight bearing is exactly that — gradual, and not so quickly as we may have hoped. Having curtailed our travel adventures, this post will be mainly a ‘photo essay’.

Over this period of time, Susan has gained some of her independence at least, and can do more for herself which allows me to be out longer for some refreshing bike rides. The bike rides have not been only for me — but for Susan as well. ;’-). I think you know what I mean.

I completed the 30 Days of Biking in April this year. I have participated in this challenge for about 7-8 years I think, and have actually completed it more than half the times I tried ;’-). The majority of my rides were solo and close to home and I include a few photos for those.

I really appreciate when I get to ride with others, some individual rides with friends and a few slower paced group rides that take me a bit farther from home and into some different territory.

KIRKLAND LAKE FRONT…

MARTHA LAKE…

SNOHOMISH AND LAKE STEVENS…

A DIFFERENT PART OF KIRKLAND TO DISCOVER EASTRAIL…

This brings us now into May and we will see what that will bring ;’-).

SUSAN GETS THE BOOT

As we come to the close of March and see signs of spring, Susan gets through her first 2 of 6 weeks of non-weight bearing, and gets a change. Today, Monday 3/28, she got her splint (that I had initially thought was a cast) removed and is now in a Boot. 

Splint comes off and we get to view her ankle. I am not including the more graphic side with stitches and more dried blood from sutures as that gives me the willies!

New Xray shows the plate on the one side and the screw on the other.

And she gets the boot.

The report is that she is healing well, will now be able to use that knee scooter (becoming more independent in some things) and will do movement exercises for the ankle. Three times a day she will remove the boot and do the air alphabet with her foot. In addition, a Physical Therapist will come here twice a week for the next four weeks. The plan will then be Physical Therepy at the facility once a week for four more weeks as she gradually can add more weight bearing to that leg.

 Not much else happening for us these days, but we have enjoyed visits from a few friends who stopped by, and with lots of encouragement from Susan, I have gotten in some bike riding. My riding has been very near home, and rather short miles but I have enjoyed each one. One of my challenges for the second half of the month has been finding “fences and gates”. I will not include many here, but will show just a few of the ones I found while out pedaling.

One decorated with graffiti…

One decorated with butterflies and colorful ornaments…

A fence in the woods…

A somewhat neglected fence at a yard…

And here is the sure sign of spring — our cherry trees are all blooming 😊.

Thus ends March with sunnier days ahead ;’-);

HAPPY ST. PAT’S DAY

I know I am a day late with the wishes, but I hope everyone enjoyed St. Pat’s Day. I got to go on a bike ride on the day and found some Shamrocks. 

I like this one painted on this rock best.

The High School displayed their artistic version of shamrocks webbed into the fence.

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I got a couple of other rides in earlier this month, but not many. one of my ‘challenge’ sites had us looking for outbuildings of all kinds and one of mine was this ultra play structure.

The only other one I will post here is the tumble down tree house.

At the end of this day (Actual St. Pat’s Day) we got a text from Wendy and Steve (Kat’s parents) asking if they could bring us an Irish dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage. Would we turn that down? Not on your life.

We feel fortunate to have such great neighbors. Dinner was divine and delicious ;’-). They brought hats and napkins to go with the meal ;’-).

This mid morning I will be taking Susan for her first check back with Kaiser and afterward I just might get in an afternoon bike ride around the neighborhood. Will be on the lookout for the challenge of ‘fences and gates’ for the second part of the month.

ANKLE UPDATE

Got home late Saturday afternoon for recuperation and healing.

The living room is her ‘bedroom’ for several weeks.

She got quite comfy and we fixed everything to be within her reach. Kat(mandu) comes for his everyday visit which cheers Susan quite a bit.

Kat gives Susan lots of his love to get her better. Kat belongs to our neighbors, Wendy and Steve across the street,  and has adopted us as his second home. He comes every day and spends hours here — some play time, sometimes a brushing (which he loves), looking out the window at the birds on our lawn, and of course endless napping. We send him home at dinner time to have his meal and night time with his brother Cato. Cato has no interest in us at all.

Susan’s activities include many phone calls from the medical places (Kaiser, Providence, Alpha Home Care, to name a few); the puzzle she has been working on since October…

…and the walker shuffle to and from the bath room (I remember that shuffle well)

Oh, and checking the Free Stuff in Mukilteo site of course. You will recall that on the drive to the hospital Susan found the knee scooter. Well now she has found a recumbent bike to use for cardio exercise.

The Physical Therapist (Paul) made a first visit: checked out Susan’s maneuverability with the walker; taught her safety with crutches (that she will not use for a while yet); checked on the safety of the knee scooter (also to be used later); gave tips for the recumbent bike.

After writing his report, more PT will be ok’d, and Paul will come back for up to twice a week for 8 weeks!! Wow, that surprised us. He was extremely helpful to both of us.

After experiencing all that, Kat came to offer yet more comfort at the puzzle board.

Now Susan will have the March Madness Basketball tournament as her past colleague has invited her to join the pool ;’-). That will keep her “entertained”.

We go for her first check in at Kaiser on Friday this week and continue on with what we are doing. Will update agin IF there is something to tell or something different happens.

THE ANKLE ADVENTURE: A BIT OF A CATASTROPHE

If it is not the pandemic, it’s the weather; if it’s not the weather something else will surely happen to hamper my cycling the early part of this year!

We were to meet these friends for a bike ride in the sun. Instead they are cheering and sending us love, care and positive thoughts as we endure the Ankle Adventure.

At 4:30 Thursday morning (I am an early riser), the day we were to meet these friends for the ride, I came out of the bathroom to find Susan kneeling next to the bed and moaning. Being who she is, she was gathering all needed things (while moaning) she could reach to bring with her to the hospital. This was before I even knew we would be going to the hospital. In between some moans she said she had broken her ankle!!!!!!! HUH??? Did you fall out of bed?

Had not fallen out of bed. She had gone downstairs to do something and after finishing the task, did a basket ball shot (she played and coached BB for decades) of her Kleenex into the waste bin in the garage. She missed the shot, which does not usually happen, but being the coach she was, followed the shot for the ‘rebound’ to put it into the bin. She came down on the step and fell onto the floor hearing the crunching of her ankle bones. She CRAWLED up the stairs to the bedroom as I did not hear her calling to me (in bathroom, door closed, water running, no hearing aids in!!). We immediately drove to the emergency room in Everett.

At the hospital.

Doc showed X-rays and explained that she had ‘jack hammered” her ankle breaking several bones which were now splayed out at their ends. YIKES! I knew it was bad because with her high pain tolerance, and being staunch about injuries, her moans frightened me.

We were in the hospital ALL DAY, and most of the time was spent in the ER. We had gotten there around 5:30, they did a ‘repositioning’ of her ankle fairly early on — couple hours maybe. Then the wait.

Repositioned and wrapped tight.

Also, Susan being who she is, she was searching around on the internet on her phone. We have a ‘buy nothing’ group in our community and have given and gotten things from that group — all free. How fortuitous that Susan should find this item that had just popped up…

She contacted the guy, was in time to get it before anyone else had asked, he said he would set it up for the injured leg (the right), and would deliver it to the house!! And he did!

Back to the ER where we spent what seemed to be endless hours. I was able to leave and get some breakfast, go home for a few items Susan wanted/needed, and return to see she was still in ER.

Finally they took both of us to Pre-op, got her all prepped and at 4:10 they took her into surgery. About two hours later the doc called to tell me all went fine and she was on her way to recovery room. Of course I was not allowed in there, and since it was now evening, they were waiting for a room for her which could take quite a while, and I knew Susan was ok, I finally went home for a restless sleep.

Her cast looks similar to the repositioning one from earlier but is much thicker.

She may come home today (Saturday) or maybe not until tomorrow, but is enjoying the good food they have been feeding her, and she has a room with a view — of Everett’s Portage Bay, and the Olympics.

Heavy duty pain meds have kept her comfortable and able to sleep. The hard part coming is — SIX weeks of absolutely NO weight bearing, then probably well enough for LIGHT weight bearing. OT was there during my visit yesterday and she was rather good with hopping around using the walker. She thinks PT will be there today and go over the knee scooter with her.

SIGH…