Poor Mother ...

My poor mother broke her heel May 31st when the grandchildren were visiting her at the lake. In the midst of all the excitement, she slipped off her sea-do, fell into the water, and came down on a rock with her heel. It broke in half and the tension of her Achilles tendon pulled the pieces apart. Obviously we whisked her away to the emergency room and she had surgery to repair the damage. This brought our holiday fun to an abrupt halt but we were all so very relieved that she came through the surgery just fine.

Although she won't admit it, my mother is a type-A person. She always has to be doing SOMETHING. She is also a career Realtor. She is, in no way, used to sitting around and doing nothing. Recuperating made her crazy. She was stuck at home, with the foot propped up and encased with ice, bored out of her mind. But she had a goal. Within 9 weeks of the accident she was booked on a trip to Alaska with friends. She was determined she would go.

By her departure date, my mother did, indeed, go on the trip to Alaska. She wore a Darth Vader boot, took her crutches and wheel chair, and dragged herself all over America's last frontier. She had a ball. But she was so worn out when she got home she needed more time to recover.

A few weeks later she came to visit me. I was shocked to see her walking WITHOUT a crutch or cane. She was slow and limping, but she was moving on her own two feet. I was so pleased for her. But within a week of this optimistic improvement, she had a set back. Somehow the heel bone splintered and the tension of her Achilles tendon pulled the broken piece of bone away AGAIN. Although her original break had healed, this was a new break that had been created by too much stress on the heel.

We don't know how it happened. She did not hit, bump, or slam her foot around. It could be a weakening of her bone density. We just don't know what caused this. But it has required that she have surgery AGAIN to repair the break and re-attach the tendon. She had surgery this past Monday (yesterday). The DR is optimistic. But she is in so much pain and I hate to see her like that.

I visited with her this past weekend and helped her prepare to be an invalid (again). I also cooked some meals and left them in the fridge for my father who is in charge of taking care of her (bless his heart). She is so mad and frustrated and really disappointed. But most of all she feels so guilty at being the cause of so much trouble and work. I wish she would just concentrate on helping herself heal. I saw her yesterday, after the surgery, and she was loopy and drunk from the pain medication. Her only concern at the moment is to keep from drooling since she dozes off to sleep and then wakes up to find her mouth wide open. Thank goodness for pain medication because I know she's in for a world of hurt before this is over.

Tonight I saw her again. She was in and out due to the pain medication. My father was sitting with her and planned to be there through the night. The bags under his eyes were so big they looked like he was packed for a week's journey. Bless his heart.

It is hard to concentrate during the day when I am worried about how she is doing and if she is ok. I keep thinking about her. To take my mind in a more positive direction, I decided to start writing some stories about her. At least I can help her (and Daddy) laugh a little. So the next few posts are going to be about her. I hope you find them entertaining and warmly loving. She is my best friend in the world and I love her with all my heart and having to watch her go through this is difficult for us all.

I love you M-Bird.

:)