Five months. Enjoying my sister Leigh Ann Min’s visit to Australia, the five month date came and went without fanfare. Her short eight day visit began with tears at the airport. I guess, until I laid eyes on her, it hadn’t really hit me that there was a vacuum in the whole accident experience where family is concerned. It’s true that no one knows you like your siblings. When my tiny ‘big sister’ showed up, we both sprouted tears and I leaned on her like I didn’t know I’d yearned to. The moment surprised Halley and we three were a sobbing blob at International Terminal Arrivals B that day. But they were tears of joy. I am OK and she could see it with her own eyes. Truth be told, Leigh Ann is a big wuss. When we were kids, she never could stand it when I got hurt. I fell and cut my knee, she cried. I got a filling at the dentist, she cried. What on earth would we have done with her at St. George Hospital?! I’m kidding, LA. Thank you for your empathy and your support along the way in the form of phone calls, letters and emails. It set the tone for a really great visit. When we put her on the plane to the USA on the sixth of November, we had truly experienced it all and loved it. My life after the accident continues to return toward ‘normal’, gratefully. Specialist visits last month revealed some potentially bad news. My arm/shoulder was showing signs of frozen shoulder, which, as those who have had it, know lasts for about a year. Not a good diagnosis. Now, three weeks into more hands on physiotherapy, it’s been determined that I have severe stiffness/tightness in that region but NOT frozen shoulder. Week by week I am gaining around ten degrees more movement. I am grateful beyond words. Last month I became ‘stick free’ when my leg specialist decided I was OK to walk unaided. Hip Hip Hooray! There is still pain and it worsens as I fatigue, but I am oh so grateful to stop reaching after those crutches that invariably fall when I put them down. I hope to be limp-free by Christmas. In the new year, we will determine WHEN to take out the pins and plate from my leg. It’s causing consistent pain and trouble to the ITB. When the ‘hole’ in the femur is completely healed, it’s outta there! When my doctors originally said that my life ‘might’ appear normal by Christmas, I thought to myself, ‘they sure do underestimate me, grr, grr.’ Clearly, I was the one overestimating myself. It has been a very hard road. Last week I had a look back through some of the photos from the day of the accident and shortly afterwards. I have trouble connecting with that version of myself and remembering what I went through. I was simply surviving, I now know, and only doing so through the support and encouragement of so many people. I continue to experience my cup overflowing and am grateful for all you have done to keep me on track back to a fully mobile life. Thank you. Thank you. With love, Niña
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:42:38 +0000
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