Don't forget the house!

Sheesh! With all of the other things in our lives...I forget about the new home we are buying! It should be finished the end of February, we close March 14th and we plan to move early April. So here is a basic preview.

It is a 3BR, 2 BA, split floorplan, 2-car garage, 1-story home on a .4 acre exterior lot. Here are a few photos...

Front entrance (the garage is at my left)

(I can already see/smell the Tea Olive plants at the entrance)

Kitchen/Dining

Just in the front door (kitchen ahead, 2 BRs & 1 BA to the right)

From the back of our property (at the edge of the woods)...

And...juts for Dad. Here is my concern with the master bath vanity. There WAS the same gap in the other bathrroom, now there is a TON of calk there.

9 words women use

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2)Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3)Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4)Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5)Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement  often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6)That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7)Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says "Thanks a lot" - that is PURE sarcasm and she is notthanking you at all. DO NOT say "you're welcome" ... that will bring on a "whatever").

(8)Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F**** YOU!

(9)Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Pain management failure!

So today started with a VERY positive trip to the DMV to get handicap parking tags.No...you did not read that incorrectly. I got my number and as it is being handed to me, my number is called! (I have not even filled out the form yet from the Doctor) I go straight to the counter and realize that my not filling out the form is a problem! I can not sign for the patient. So, I lose my very available space in line, to get Rob's signature. Up to the Hospital...get signature...back to DMV. Again, no waiting. (I am not joking here) I walk away with 2 handicap parking hang tags, good for 6 months. Success!

- back to the hospital -

I got about 5 more lines crocheted in a blanket while Rob took a nap. Then lunch arrived...Mmmmmm! :(

The doctor arrived around noon to change his dressing and discuss the "what next". So first, the site looks good....for a LARGE cut over a knee. Nicholas counted 21 staples!

"wrong leg" ....hmmmm...if the doctor needs to write himself a note, I wonder if I should be nervous. No, really Dr. McGeorge has been outstanding!!!

The plan for the day was to take Rob off of the epidural drip and begin oral pain meds. If this proved to control the pain in a bearable way, they would unconnected all the tubes and send him home. So, off we go. No pain drip into the spine. In go the meds and 1 hour later he was at 6/10 in assessing his pain. We hold off a little longer, hoping the meds will kick in a little more. With 1 hour and 45 min before his next dose he was at 9/10 and NOT interested in pursuing this experiment any longer! It can NOT get any better!

In the meantime, I am driving ALL OVER Seneca trying to find a pharmacy who sells crutches. By the way, insurance will not cover any product that you can also get over the counter...even if you have it written on a doctor's prescription! So, FYI...crutches are $45!

So, in goes the drip! In addition to the constant flow, he watched the clock and hit the "self-serve" button every 10 minutes for about an hour. He was feeling better within 45 minutes.

Now I was off to Burgher King getting comfort food for the reluctant patient. He was ready to come home...but will stay another night.

The Physical Therapist came in to walk with him twice today. He did very well. The second walk followed his recent reconnection with the epi drip....so there was still some pain lingering.

Late afternoon the children visited daddy. Nicholas did homework and Robin played....


Tomorrow...we try pain management again.

Success

Because I am tired and have told this story time and again this evening...this will be as brief as possible.

We arrived at 11:30 for prep and the nurses were ready and waiting for us. They got him all "dalled-up" for a date with Dr McGeorge at 1. At 12 sharp they wheeled him out toward the OR.

I was in the waiting room when I saw Dr., McGeorge walk by at 12:50 (right on time for his 1pm surgery on Rob).

The proposed 1 hour surgery lasted...ONE HOUR! I was paged at 2:05 to the special room where the family meets with the physician. Dr McGeorge walks in with this... "I put Humpty Dumpty back together again". The report was "all is just as expected". He pulled the tendon up to the kneecap through 3 holes and crazy durable sutures ("parachute thread"...). He also added a second suture around his patella down to his tibia and through a hole he drilled there. OUCH!

Mom had the children and they joined me at the hospital around 7pm. (aren't purple glove balloons GREAT!)

Rob was wearing out around 7:15 pm so I took the children home at 7:30 so everyone can get rest (except me because I am writing this...plus I rearranged the living room a bit!)

I will return tomorrow to meet with the doctor again and review the physical therapy plan. The will bring him home around lunch time.

In other news.
The bid we made on a house was accepted, so we will be closing on our new home on March 15!!! I hope to get better photos soon, in the meantime, this was on the MLS report.

And Nicholas has his Cub Scouts' Pine wood derby car race Friday and Saturday! He's making a skateboard. I'll have to get some pictures of it!


Slow down life...I can not keep up!
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Going under the knife

Today's knee, bruised, swollen, and warm to the touch. Slight pain to the left side, but none other.

Rob has "officially" torn his patella tendon. The tendon has detached from the knee cap. There are no bone fragments (good news). Because of this injury, he has no control of his leg from knee to ankle.

He is scheduled for surgery at 1 pm tomorrow (Thursday, Feb 6) and has to be there by 11am. The surgery should take about an hour. Dr. McGeorge is going to drill 3 holes in his knee cap and thread fibers (some kind of durable stitches) through his tendon and into the holds, pulling the tendon up against the knee cap. This will hold the tendon in place while the knee heals. he will stay in the hospital over night and will come home some time Thursday.

He is to be 100% non-weight-bearing for 6 weeks. And the doctor estimates moderate recovery in 3-6 months. At least one year for the tendons to heal and begin functioning properly The tendon fibers will grow back in a random arrangement, it will take a bout a year to "train" them to reorganize so that they are all in the same direction - parallel with his leg.

He is selling all of his bats, his bat bag, and any addition softball related extras that he has. While it will be nice to have the extra money toward a house down payment, it is sad to see him go through this. I guess it is better to not even have the "paraphernalia" around if you can not use it. :(

Dr McGeorge explained that this type of surgery (and most) leads to depression for the patient and family. His lack of mobility for such a long period of time will be difficult on the whole family. Please be in prayer for Rob as he misses out on some things he loves - tournament softball team continues without him, church league begins (to which he was to coach & play), golf with the guys and as he has to step down from singing on the church praise team. Also, we will lean more heavily on friends and family to help us move into our new home in April.

Which leads to good news! We are going to close on a house March 15! A new home (not even finished yet). It is 3 BR, 2 BA (split floor plan). Lots of goodies, not to mention EVERYTHING is under warranty! Will post images when I can. FOr now...I am off to see to my patient!

Shades of purple now appear

Rob' s knee is starting to bruise on each side of the knee cap. As of 5 pm there were quarter-sized splotches. He has an appointment for 10:30 tomorrow. So, we hope to know MUCH more by then!

In the meantime I have successfully broken the new knee immobilizer trying to pull it tight. And if we want a replacement we have to send away to the company for a request. Sheesh! The plan now is to wait until the appointment tomorrow. Maybe this doctor will advise ups differently...or prescribe a more complex/durable product...?

Maybe I'll have good ' yuky pictures later!

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a toxic waiting room!

Today' s knee...still very swollen, warm to the touch

We ventured off to the Urgent Care Center this afternoon. It opened at 1pm and we got there at 1:20...hoping to beat the rush. Only to find a check in line to the door.

When I got the counter to check Rob in, I was told there is now a 2-2.5 hour wait. When I finished the paperwork and returned it, they were announcing a 3 hour wait for incoming patients!

I took off right then for the Dollar General and Starbucks. I returned with some a word find, Sudoku, a Snickers bar, M & Ms, puzzle books, pencils and a mocha frappuccino! (The children were with some WONDERFUL friends who graciously took them home).

After a 1.5 hour wait - I found out that there had been 6 confirmed cases of the Flu and looking at the waiting room victims....I was 100% sure that more of the same diagnosis was awaiting. The nurse informed me that there was a couple of chairs by the clock-in machine and we are welcome to wait there. We hurried off!

About 45 minutes later I hear the receptionist say to someone on the phone. "We are closing early today. We have a full waiting room and are at a 3 hour wait. ALL patients today have tested positive for the Flu."

At about 4:15 we were called in to the exam room. The nurse chatted a bit, took vitals and left. We asked her for the Flu vaccine and she said "Unfortunately it will do you no good. This is a different strand." THAT was comforting.

About 15 minutes later the doctor came in. He jiggled Rob's leg a bit and asked a couple of questions. Diagnosis: 1. Knee sprain/strain, 2. see orthopedist in the morning 3. wear a knee immobilizer.

So, we are home. We will see what tomorrow holds!

Softball knee

I have heard of tennis elbow...well today I learned about "Softball Knee". Rob was playing in a softball game this afternoon (game 2 of a day-long tournament). He came home after game one and took Nicholas back with him for game 2 at 3pm. So when Robin woke up from her nap, we went to the ball field. We decided to stay a while and watch. However, nature calls for Robin so we step away for a while.

When we returned, I saw a couple of guys helping someone off the field. And I thought, "aww.... poor guy". Then..."hm...he has the same color shirt as Rob". As I watched him look around into the crowd I realized it was Rob. I casually walk over thinking it is not THAT bad. Then I hear my husband say "Guys, I am out for the game for sure...probably the season"...and I KNOW he is pretty hurt.

We drove in 2 cars so we thought that he could drive one (his left leg was hurt) and I could drive the other. But when he could not bend his leg, plans changed. Luckily, 2 of his friends helped out, and when we got to the house, they helped him into the house and in a chair (in which he stayed from 5:30pm-11 pm).

How is it you say...well, he reports no pain as long as it remains straight. He can put a little pressure on it but needs to hold the wall or a person to walk. He can not move it at all (from the knee down). Robin reports that his knee "looks like there is a ball in there". This is not too good for comparison, but you can kinda see how swollen it is. If you look you can see an egg-shaped circle where his knee cap is...hopefully IS, not was.

We are guessing it is a torn patella tendon. He is taking Ibuprofen every 4 hours and it was iced from 5-11 (when he finally laid in bed). If the swelling does not go down by tomorrow at lunch, we will be looking for an urgent care center. We'd like to avoid another ER visit after his $900 puncture-to-the-hand on Christmas day (that was $300 for each stitch!).

Nicholas is struggling with seeing daddy what appears to be completely helpless. He is proud to offer a shoulder when Rob needs to get to the bathroom. He eagerly brings Rob drinks and puts movies in the DVD player. He is a FABULOUS nurse! He got a folding chair to sit RIGHT BESIDE daddy "in case daddy needs me".


If I think about it...I will post a follow up or two!

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