Better Almost Every Day
I guess I’m on the mend. I know this because my love/life partner of almost fifty years tells me at least twelve times each day, “Well, look at you, you couldn’t do that last week.” Simple things like walking up the stairs carrying something in one hand. Vacuuming where I had spilled a bowl of cereal Strawberry/banana Cheerios).
I know Elaine is trying to keep me motivated in what is my extensive rehab, and I love her for it. She likes to keep me thinking of future vacations, house remodels, and points out how “well” I’m doing. To her credit, it does help. Elaine encourages me saying things like “It’s 55 degrees, why don’t you go for a walk?” And then she will say, “Don’t walk too far, you know your legs really hurt when you walk too far.”
Oh boy, I just reminded myself of a walking too far story. Be patient, I’ll get to it.
With Elaine reminding/insisting I’m getting better. I have come to realize she’s right. I am getting better. I know this because Elaine tells me I am AND I find things funny again, or at least things are amusing.
I had an appointment scheduled for a follow-up from the medical procedures I’ve had. For the second time in two weeks, the doctor’s office needed to postpone the appointment. The doctor’s office called and left a message on my voicemail that I needed to call back ASAP.
I’m not very good at listening to voicemail, so, it was a miracle that I found and returned the message. To return the message I needed to dial the main number. Press # 1 listen to beervirus information, press #6, and wait about ten minutes. Finally, someone answered the phone.
Nurse Receptionist: May I help you? Me: Yes, I am returning a call from your office. Nurse: May I have your name and birth date? Me: Of course, Monner and **/**/19** Nurse: How can I help you? Me: I mentioned I am returning a call? (Does it seem to any of you this nurse is not very good with phone stuff?) Nurse: Would you like me to transfer you? Me: Well, YEAH!
After a short wait, a male voice came on the line.
Male: This is Dr. _______ Me: Ah, ah, ah, Dr. ______, this is Monner, I expected to be speaking with someone in your office Dr: Well, somehow you made it right to the horse’s mouth. Monner, I have to do some emergency surgery this afternoon and I would really like to reschedule your appointment.
The doctor spent the next thirty minutes with me on the phone going over where I felt I was in my rehab. He insisted our impromptu appointment was not enough and he personally would reschedule a better time.
God forbid, someone should need to go through what I went through, but if you should, I hope you get this doctor or someone like him. This guy is the best.
It’s time to talk about walking too far. This past week I was getting dressed for a walk down the driveway and back. Elaine suggested,
Elaine: If you want to wait, I will finish this powerline drawing and then I will walk with you. Me: That would be great, but since I am dressed, I will wait for you outside.
That is where the BIG mistake begins. Waiting for Elaine I was walking around the yard. I came across our two Honda ATVs. (That’s no big deal, they have been there for more than a decade.) Looking at them, I wondered if I could take a short ride. That meant I would need to be able to lift my leg over the seat of an ATV. Well, what do you know, I could. I slid my leg over the seat of the smaller ATV with no problem. In no time, I was riding/driving an ATV down our driveway.
Wind blowing in my hair, me wishing I had a warmer coat, but I'm riding. At the end of the driveway, the ATV started to sputter. “Oh (construction language), I’m out of gasoline. (Not because someone closed the pipelines, but because we didn’t buy any ridiculous priced gasoline) (Oh, sorry)
I am now without gasoline and looking at a walk down the driveway. Walking down the driveway, I was wondering how I was going to get the ATV home. I was reasonably sure I would not find gasoline back at the house. After walking the driveway, I proved myself right. There was no gas at the house, why would there be? That would take planning.
I had several ideas for getting the ATV home. We could take a gas can to town and purchase enough gas to drive it. (that would take hours) I could tow it with the other ATV. (it didn't have gas either) I could tow it with Elaine's car. (that was/is a possibility).
By now Elaine has finished her drawing and started walking down the driveway looking for me. I don’t know which one of us came to the realization “THE SKIDSTEER!”. We both thought about pulling the ATV home with the skid-steer tractor. Well, I know I could never get my leg(s) high enough to get in the tractor. Elaine automatically became the tractor operator, which meant I was walking down the driveway, AGAIN.
The ATV is home, Elaine played tractor operator and I exhausted myself with another walk down the driveway. Not only is the driveway long, it is rough. Walking over and around rocks, boulders and ruts create its own set of challenges. But, I'm getting better. Motion is lotion.
Elaine is hanging in with me. She comments every time she notices that I am smiling. There hasn’t been much to smile about, but we’re moving forward. I see something beautiful every day.
God bless you guys. Thanks for reading (If you do) and staying with me. Think about Ukraine.
Our crazy lives!
Monner
