What Was 2012 All About?
Moving one household to a smaller house was the major challenge for 2012;
and I do mean major. Just before the mid-May move I had a bad case of inflamed
bursitis in the left hip. Just after the
move I broke a metatarsal bone and during it all Ed was limping about on a bad
knee.
We thought a couple of months getting reorganized would do it; ha! We did
not even have closets until nearly the end of June and were still hiring a
helper (Scott by name) in August as Ed could not lift and I was still wearing a
‘boot;’ we were a pitiful pair. Once the podiatrist said the boot could come
off my foot & ankle were still weak and aching weeks later.
October meant another birthday arrived; the calendar said number 7-0 but
I felt much older after a season of chaos and upheaval. Ed insisted we take
advantage of the Center’s dining room and host a catered event. ALL 40 new
neighbors on Hawthorne Drive (all with new villas just like ours) were invited
for champagne and hors d’ oeuvres on Sunday afternoon.
After my grand 70th birthday we made plans for a quiet
Thanksgiving going to the posh Le Sienna Hotel for a champagne buffet as our ‘Last
Supper.’ Knowing that our holiday would be very lo-key this year we prepped the
house for Ed’s confinement.
December 10th Ed had full knee-replacement surgery at UNC
Hospital. That means the bone-to-bone contact was re-sculpted, a metal &
plastic fitting was inserted and fit between the leg and thigh. He stayed in
the hospital for five days, with physical therapy beginning the day he came
home. Within days he was standing with the aid of a walker and walking slowly
but only to the bathroom and back to bed.
The therapist, Laura, comes three times a week for at least an hour to
see that his knee-bend [aka range-of-motion], increases. At this point his
favorite challenge to me did a turn about: “No pain, No gain.” He’s not really happy about the pain. I’m not
really happy about being exhausted; doing all the housework, the shopping &;
cooking AND caring for an invalid full time. We both look forward to better
days when our lives get back to normal.
By December 21st we returned to UNC hospital for his first
post-op review with the doctor. In the waiting room we found our dance teacher,
Bruce Gillooly who was there for his two-year check-up after the same
operation. The two commiserated on the pain and therapy.
Meanwhile I found time to make ‘Mug Rugs’ for the neighbors who brought
food and good cheer over the month. The colorful thank-you gifts were met with
much delight: also got me focused on sewing again and thinking about what to
make when I do have more time to myself.
What did we do December 24-25? Very quiet Christmas. A pre-ordered
take-out Christmas Dinner was delivered on Monday and we made dinner our whole holiday;
at least Ed could walk to the table. And he was getting in and out of the
shower by himself. The day after
Christmas the therapist switched him from walker to a cane and he has been picking
up speed (poking into everything). He’s been so bored for so long he cannot
wait to get out of bed but he still can not go far without giving the leg a
rest.
The biggest advance at this date is that Sunday, 12/30 he made it into my
car (carefully as he must bend the knee to get into the car), and we headed out
to our favorite Asian restaurant for dinner and two days of take-out. Once home
again he was exhausted. Of great help to me is the handicap hangar for the car
so I do not have to walk as far. Standing on my feet most of the month my
recently broken left-foot has been aching more and needing some special
attention.
Now we wait to see what will happen to our taxes and the inevitable
inflation, watching Congress bicker to the very end. After the election there
was some hope of improvement but the GOP seems determined to prevent that. What’s
sad is watching the list of celebrities who have died this past year: Dick
Clark, Andy Griffiths and Helen Gurley Brown: can they really be gone? But I’m still here.
We spent the first six months of the year working to sell the house, then
packing and moving. The last six months have dealt almost entirely with health
issues; feet, hips and knees – we took turns. Need I say how much we are
looking forward to 2013?
Happy New Year.
M
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