Shopping Excursion - Adventures in a Wheelchair

This week was incredibly busy. First, as you know, it started with a severe achilles rupture, which led to surgery, followed by my birthday and an important track meet. Soon to follow were the preparations for my son and husband's birthdays which were yesterday and will be tomorrow respectively. In order to get it all done I had to rely on a friend to cart my rear-end to various stores while trying to make decisions while balancing on crutches and fighting discomfort and fatigue. I'm sure I was pure joy :)

We made a quick stop to the open air mall, guess what? No easily accessible wheelchairs! It's fine though, I have handicapped parking now! The first couple of stores were fine we got some good deals and checked of items from the wish lists. The next stop was a department store and I was excited because they usually have accommodations in the form of wheelchairs or electric carts...here's another guess what??? After navigating to the service desk it was discovered that THE wheelchair was broken...ugh, the pain medicine was wearing off, I was breaking out into sweats and I HAD TO GET THE SHOPPING DONE!!!

For the record I have borrowed a wheelchair from our community, but I was afraid I would not be able to get a certain birthday gift into the vehicle if I brought my own wheelchair.

I was most certainly frustrated and discouraged. Although we got some good things accomplished, my limitations are INFURIATING me! Vicky, who affectionately referred to me as Miss Daisy for the last few days, was a true friend and trooper. She expeditiously returned me home where I could prop the leg and rest the arms and slow down. She also offered to do it again the next day!!!

Friday's shopping was a dream compared to Thursday! I purposely plotted out adventures based on wheelchairs and in-store motorized vehicles!!! :) I was far more delightful.

Target was just plain fun! I must admit I get a lot of stares in my little motor cart. I also need some driving lessons! These babies are tricky and they do not move very fast! First, you need to be seated in order for them to move. Well, due to my diminutive stature I tend to scoot forward to the edge of the seat so I can firmly plant my one good leg on the floor board. Wouldn't you know, the cart will stop when one does not have their rear-end firmly planted in the seat!!! Next, I feel the need to shout to the world that the store may have these fabulous rides for those of us experiencing ambulatory technical difficulties, but the folks who plan out the floor display fail to take into consideration a certain turn radius ESPECIALLY when one is carrying one's crutches in the basket looking like a modern day special (oh so special) jouster!

This would be a good time to tell you that Vicky and I were quite entertained by our navigational predicament.

On to Kohl's! Kohl's by the way does not have the motor scooter, but does offer the wheelchair. You might think we would be able to get around corners a with more ease in this smaller, less cumbersome vehicle...BUT NOPE!!! The Men's Department at Kohl's is hideous!!! I mean HIDEOUS!!! It would be difficult getting through there as a normal sized person. I never notice before, because I am not a normal sized person,I am a mini little lady with the stealth and agility of a ninja...well I did have agility...stop laughing at a girl in a BOOT!!!

Vicky eventually had to take over completely. I had to keep my hands inside the vehicle at all times or I surely would have lost a finger or two. There were a lot of things falling as we ever-so-carefully rammed into display. There was the moving of displays, because most are on wheels, so that's good. There was the, "Oh $!@#, how do we get out of this one. And of course the "OUCH, that was my leg." Regardless of the "Ouch," it was very comical and if you ever get the chance to be wheelchair bound, make sure you go to Kohl's with a friend!!!

Dinner and Therapy with the Bailey Family

Last night we were visited by Kathy, Kevin and Jamie Bailey. Not only did they bring dinner, but Kevin brought his cast and we were able to have a little therapy session right there over the Jet's Pizza :)

Kevin has a similar injury to mine except instead of an Achilles rupture he tore his bicep off! He is casted all the way from fingers to armpit and strangely enough we had a lot in common. We both have issues getting our shoes on. He cannot tie, I cannot stand and slip shoes on. Showering is a challenge for both parties. I am afraid of jarring the joint, Kevin cannot wash the right upper portion of his body. Also he is still in a cast and must use the garbage bag method of coverage. Kathy did point out that He is wearing hats more frequently due to the difficulty of gel application and one handed hair drying...I think there is an infomercial product out there for that precise predicament! ;)

Kevin described the sound at the moment of the injury so perfectly. He said it sounded like pulling a large weed out of the ground. He could hear the ripping as the tendon pulled from the muscle like the roots pull away from the ground. Mine sounded the same.

Unlike Kevin I was pushy and demanding in the ER. I knew I wanted the surgery and I wanted it NOW!!! Kevin was patient and went home and was moving his arm around. He said his didn't hurt as much as it just wouldn't react in certain positions...you know, all the positions you use your biceps for??? (Just about everything)! It was very interesting!

I kept up with my pain meds very consistently until yesterday when I woke up with little hive-like bumps. I think it was due to heat and sun exposure mixed with the medication. When I talked to Kevin he was big britches and said he only took Tylenol like the first day or something...whatever. Anyway, that made me want to be tough too and not go back to my meds EVER...I cheated and took 3 ibuprofen last night! I'm not as tough as Kevin :(

All in all I really enjoyed my night with the Baileys and I am glad I got to talk to a friend and fellow gimpy! I'm not happy that Kevin has to be hurting, but I am happy to have a friend who will be traveling down a similar recovery road in a similar time frame. Hopefully we can keep tabs on each other and work towards the common goal of being normal again...I know normal, that's funny :P

Worries, Doubts and Showers

The little worries are beginning to sneak into my head.
Worries like,
What am I going to do for a job this summer?
How will this impact our family camping trip? Can we still go?
How depressed will I get?
Will I be able to run again?
Will I ever be able to do arials and back handsprings again?
How will this effect my kids?

Blah, blah, blah

Lucky for me I am easily distracted by Facebook and phone calls and all is well for a few hours.

The order of events for today included a phone call from Vicky, being picked up by Suzy for a lovely lunch and lounge by the lake, pain medicine and nap, track practice, a fabulous dinner compliments of Jeri, more meds and night night time.

As often as I wonder about the worries I do reflect on the blessings. What if I didn't have all these great friends, what if I was the sole breadwinner, what if I didn't have three great kids who will get me water and drive me around? I know they come in the form of "what-if's" but it really makes me grateful and hopeful for a full and positive recovery.

OHHHHH, the new shower set up. Well, let me tell you!!! Thanks to Angela Weaver I have a fancy chair (btw, she broke her leg a year and a half ago and had to get pins put in and get the pins out and this and that and it was a mess, she's good now, but just starting to run again - healing is a looooong process). Well, um, I was somewhat frustrated, incredibly nervous and completely vulnerable. It was the first time I had taken the boot off all by myself. Take that into consideration, add water and soap and perhaps you can feel my anxiety. I was so afraid of a slip and rip, I felt nauseous. On the one hand I was so excited to get the magic marker that said "CUT HERE" off, plus the yellow betadine (sp)that resembled wild animal urine on my leg, as well as the cotton under wrap that was applied with a spray adhesive and used right after surgery for the cast (that was removed Monday). The removal of gunk and cleansing of crust trumped the anxiety, but the awkwardness of sitting in a not-to-big stand up shower while maneuvering the fragile foot and the water ... an awkward sight indeed. There was the lean and twist maneuver for hair washing, the one foot scoot while holding on to the seat handles to get a better water angle. There was some (a lot of) cussing as I seemed to drop everything I tried to pick up, which slipped and ricocheted to the inevitable under-the-seat location. There was the shaving of the gimpy leg, no major trauma here just no comfortable way around it. The good news is - I SURVIVED!!! And there was no falling or ripping of body parts. I do expect to improve on this technique!

Tuesday's Adventures

Yesterday was a good day. I was looking forward to friends visiting, I anticipated their arrival all morning! I found myself pacing and watching the clock out of pure stir-craziness...It was just like Dr. Seuss's waiting game in the book "Oh, The Places You Will Go." Only instead of everyone waiting, it was just me...just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow. (Seuss)
JULIE is just waiting.


It's not that they were late, I was just so excited and so trapped that I could not talk myself out of this waiting place.

Then,(dramatic pause) Vicky and Heather appeared, like angels (twinkling music)with a Jimmy Johns Un-wich (have you had one of these? They are very tasty and a lot less bad for you. It is any one of their sandwiches only instead of their tasty-white-no-nutrition-what-so-ever-french-bread, they make it as a giant lettuce wrap! I honestly do not get where they find this gargantuan lettuce, but it makes me feel better about my food choices). The girls also brought me over a very thoughtful and funny birthday present.
AND THEN, do you know what? I was pooped out!!! I was useless!!! I felt like such a DOPE!!! Here, they were working all morning and then they came to rescue me from myself and my loneliness and hunger AND I NEEDED A NAP!!! What the??? I do not understand myself right now. One minute I feel fine the next minute I am falling over with exhaustion, only I haven't done anything exhausting! I ate and accepted gifts, two things I am very good at and thought I had all the stamina in the world for!!!
So, I took some medicine and I took a nap and when I awoke another angel was at my door with pulled pork and cole slaw and watermelon and potato chips...A vision I tell you! It was Jeri and even though her daughter was on her way to the league meet to run an AMAZING mile in 5:39 she made time for my family! I am humbled and grateful and just plain full :) Thank you friends.
So after a quick scarfing, Charlie the chauffeur hauled me off to the league meet so I could witness the AMAZING MILE as well as many other AMAZING events.

*I would like to take this opportunity to report that the Oakview Girls are
the League Champions and the Oakview Boys are the Runners-Up (did I
pluralize that correctly)? ANYWAY, I am a very proud assistant coach :)

*It should also be noted that for the most part I stayed in my wheelchair
and in the shade and I almost made it to the end of the meet...

Yesterday was a good day. I continued to learn about myself and what may happen during my recovery process. My runners ran like the wind and impressed me to pieces (literally my left muscle/tendon connection was blown to bits). I was reminded what beautiful friends I have and what a caring community I live in. Tomorrow I will learn how to take it to the shower...all by myself. Let life's challenges keep coming! They might knock you down, but half the fun is the bragging rights you get when you get back up :) (that was not eloquent at all, but those are tonight's words of wisdom :)

The Boot

I"M IN A BOOT...A $#@! $#@!ING BOOT!
That's right,Monday at noon I went to see Dr. Fugle and his guys and gals and they put me in a boot. I feel a little bit like the Terminator or the Bionic Woman except with no super strength. I feel like when I look down at my legs I can already see the atrophy of all of my muscles... I can actually see myself turning to mush...I am exaggerating and being purely ridiculous, but with time on my hands my imagination really runs wild!
I have been given permission to shower...that is very exciting and also a little scary! For the record, I have been cleaning myself in a very elaborate bath set up with step stools and towels and cushions, a set of p-bars, bungee cords, twisting belt with ball bearings, a disco ball and a dismount mat ;) well kinda. Next up, the shower chair...I need to mentally prepare for that.
Soooo, many peeps have been reminding me to take it easy and I swear I kind of am...Last night I went to track practice...OH LISTEN TO THIS (side note) My son Charlie is 15 and he has his permit and he is now my official chauffeur. Mostly he's happy to drive, but I can see he may be getting a little frustrated at having to go to all the places mom has to go to ;P It's O.K. right? O.K back to track practice, I may have over done it on this day (Monday), but I was feeling so good!!! However, it's possible with the pain meds, the sun and the being up my crutches instead of in the chair it was too much. After practice I felt very sick to my stomach and was having a considerable amount of pain in my leg, I had Charlie drive home where I promptly laid down on the couch and passed out!
I think I learned my lesson...we shall see :) By the way dinner was a fabulous chili provided by the Boker Family...yummm.
I am almost up-to-date with these blog posts. I still have to report on yesterdays adventures at the track meet and then we (I) will be in real time!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

That's right Sunday May 23 was my 36th birthday! It's a good thing I tore my achilles when I was a young and bouncy 35-year-old so I can't get any of those "aren't you a little old to be doing back flips jokes."
My Birthday went pretty well. My nine-year-old daughter had a piano recital, which I tolerated with much medication. She did great, it was the other 30 kids I had a hard time being positive for. I was able to find a pew and keep my foot up, but the pain was still pretty steep and being cheery was a challenge.
After the the recital I was graciously allowed to rest and recuperate in the hammock out in the backyard. It was fantastic and peaceful and mostly pain free :) For dinner the Bussell family made us a fabulous lasagna and the Moore family brought over an ice cream cake....mmmmmmm everything was so appreciated!!! (In case I forgot to mention it, Coach Z delivered our first meal on Saturday night, it was a wonderful homemade pasta dish and everyone LOVED it- and it's hard to please everyone at our house).
Sleep this evening would be mildly uncomfortable but I kept my eye on the clock and re-medicated as soon as "legally" possible. I think I have found a system for the medicine now and hopefully will keep a handle on my comfort!
Here's the next challenge, I have canceled (well, Joyce has canceled)all of my substitute jobs for the next few days. The Dr. says it would be reasonable to take the rest of the school year off. I have a job on Friday that I am considering following through on...I just wonder if I can truly make it through a full day without the option of a "timeout." I'm going to give it one more day before I decide!

Day two the process continues

So, bright and early Saturday morning Ed shuffled me in to the POH emergency room, just because that is considered the main entrance on a Saturday morning for a scheduled surgery... Dr. Fugle agreed the night before (while we were still at Crittenton to fix me up the very next day - he had an 8 am at POH or a 1pm at Crittenton - the sooner the better I say)!!!
WHAT A GREAT GROUP OF PEEPS!!!! I don't remember everyone's names, but they were genuine, considerate, informative, comforting and they even laughed at my jokes and considering the pain and the meds, I'm not sure the jokes were even funny! The Surgery was just shy of an hour and a half and I believe Ed was told they had to do a little extra pulling/stretching because my gastrocnemius was rolled up my leg like an old roller shade, not to mention there was quite a bit of fraying...kind of a mess!
When I woke my my wonderful nurse was also my wonderful neighbor Lucy and she took extra special care of me and made sure I had everything I needed :) If you're going to rip apart your achilles, I hope you have as much good luck as I did with doctors, nurses, and all of the other little "angles" along the way.
I was home in time for lunch although I don't remember much of anything so if there is anything to report on this day we will have to turn all questions to my hubby and my children!
I know I missed my sweet friend LaTonia's baby shower and I also know my other sweet friends had my back and even stopped in to visit me after the party. Plus, Auntie Leigh put the kids on immediate and rigorous laundry duty, it was so beautiful :)

Recap Friday May 21

I just want to stretch!!! You know the kind of morning stretch that goes all the way to your toes?!? I can with my right, but the left side is still fighting some pretty intense pain.
On Friday around 3:30 in the afternoon I was at track practice. Our kids had just won the Lake Orion Tri-Meet the day before and we were gearing up for a medium-ly challenging practice before the weekend and the Monday's League Meet. After a nice chat in the gym about League expectations and a lovely and normal warm up and stretch, I felt a prideful challenge when Mr. Z, the head coach, began to juggle. So, to try to best Coach Z, I did an ariel (no handed cartwheel) and that was great. And It was time to stop messing around and get the kids back on track (no pun intended, but it does work nicely here). OH BUT NOOOOO, who is in the mood to work on a sunny Friday afternoon, the day after a win, the day before the weekend...not my kids... not yet! "C'mon Coach Maurer, do a back flip." For the record, I said, "no" at first and "let's get to work!" But the egging on was persistent and I do enjoy my moments in the spotlight and not to mention Coach Z was also in on the encouraging...So I did what every self respecting almost 36 year-old, mother of three, middle school track coach would do... I did a round off back handspring back tuck! Only, for the first time in my many years of performing this very basic tumbling pass, I heard and felt a tear - rrrrriiiiiiiiiipppppp - between the back handspring and the back tuck and right then and there I knew exactly what had happened.
I was calm and I knew what was going on and Coach Z was focused and efficient and the kids seemed to be frozen in space. For me the pain grew in intensity very quickly. I started to sweat and the colors that I saw were getting pale and washed out. The sounds were echo-ey and tin-ey. And as strange luck would have it the team pictures were being delivered that day and Dear Denise Meadows said, "Is there anything I can do?" and she was immediately nominated driver. Although she had her own deliveries to make and work to accomplish she kindly drove me all the way to Rochester to the Crittenton Emergency Room per my request to go to a hospital and not just urgent care. She was most careful to hit as few bumps as possible and even shared with me a story of her own about she and her husband bouncing back from and deer/motorcycle accident!
The emergency room was uneventful, I mean REALLY uneventful in that there was no one available to do the surgery that evening. We did find someone who was willing to fix it in the morning so home we went with a half cast and a bottle of pain medicine.