MaeLyn's Musings

Breakfast at Denny's With the entire family: Fueling up for fun! Playing the tourist: Exploring in the home of Denver's heroine . The streets of Denver: Full of mysterious things and stranger people. Big breakfast, no lunch, But Italian gelato Really hit the spot.  Then came the climax: Joseph and his amazing technicolor coat! After the long day We came home with weary feet and songs in our hearts.

I recognized the tall red office building the first time I saw it. It looked the same as it had when I'd looked it up on Google maps, street view. In fact, I'd already pulled into the parking lot, and was hurrying through the snowy drizzle to the front door before I saw the number on the building. This was it, though. I pulled open the front door with my left hand and walked in. On the wall to the right, next to the elevator was a directory. The office I was looking for listed, #227, just like it said on the paper in the folder clutched under my left arm. To the left was a staircase. I made my way up the stairs carefully, and soon found myself in a maze of offices. Should I take the hall to the left or the hall to the right? I wondered. I assumed that the hall went around in a circle, and that I'd get there one way or another, so I chose the hall on the left. I passed several doors, some with labels, others without, until I came to #227, and opened the door. I had no soon...

The freedom to move, To simply straighten my arm - Magnificent bliss! I went to the doctor this morning. I have permission to take my arm out of the sling! - when I'm at home anyway. He still wants me to wear it when I'm out and about to protect it for the next four weeks.  Range of motion in my right arm right now: I can't lift my elbow above about halfway to shoulder level. I can't reach behind myself at all - I'm not supposed to even try for fear of popping it back out. Physical therapy starts tomorrow. Hopefully I'll learn what I need to do to regain my flexibility.

My dear visiting teachers came over this morning. We visited, and they shared a message, and then they asked - very sincerely- what they could do to help. I looked at the floor that I hadn't felt up to vacuuming one handed and thought of the dishwasher that was still full of heavy plates that I can only put away two at a time, and asked, a bit hesitantly, if they would be willing to help with some of the chores. Half an hour later, the floor was vacuumed, the dishwasher emptied - and loaded again with the dirty dishes. Hand-washable things were clean and put away. The sink was sparkling, the counters and stove top - with two week's worth of baked on grime - were clean, and the kitchen floor was swept. It is so wonderful to have a clean kitchen again! I don't think I've ever cried over a clean kitchen before, but I did today. I am so grateful for visiting teachers who are not just willing, but anxious to help in my time of need.

Tuesday evening was our pack's Pinewood Derby. Peter designed and painted his car. Steven helped with the cutting and attached the wheels. The racing was a lot of fun. Steven was awarded the responsibility for determining the racing schedule, making sure all eight cars got a chance to race against each of the other cars, and on each of the four tracks. Peter mostly came in 2nd or 3rd, but he did get 1st place in one race.  After the racing, each of the boys received a small award (a gold car on a block of wood, it actually looked kind of cool.) The line of boys during the awards. Peter was at the end of the line, in front of the boy in red.

A couple days ago, I read How to Be a Pirate , which is the sequel to How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. In this book, the hero, who is a young viking by the name of Hiccup, dislocates his arm as he is escaping from a perilous situation. The book actually says: "And his right arm was dislocated from the strain of hanging from the talons of Newtsbreath. Gobber put it back in its socket (a very painful process, as Gobber was not the most tender of nurses) and tore a strip off his shirt to make Hiccup a sling for it." (p 126)  So on the one hand he was spared a long wait in a hospital emergency room, but on the other hand, he didn't have any kind of anesthetic. Ouch. He goes on to have more adventures and get himself into more perilous situations, and it is easy to forget that his arm is an a sling, until the author mentions it again: "Hiccup caught the sword in his LEFT hand, because, if you remember, his right arm was dislocated and in a sling."...

I went to the doctor this morning for a follow-up to my visit to the ER Monday. They examined my shoulder and took a couple more x-rays. I was told that I'll need to continue to wear the sling day and night for the next two weeks so the ligaments in my shoulder can heal and strengthen and hopefully reduce the likelihood of my shoulder getting pulled from the socket again. After that I'm supposed to go somewhere for physical therapy for another 6-8 weeks. I never dreamed that one little tumble could do so much damage! What's the good news? Let me count my blessings: I'm not in a lot of pain any more. Once the bone was put back in place 95% of the pain went away. Now it's just a dull ache when my shoulder moves, like having a bruise. Surprisingly, when I fell I really didn't hurt anything besides my shoulder - no scrapes, no blood, not even a grass stain or tear in my jeans.  We have health insurance. I have no idea what the bill for all this will be, but i...