Gloomy Day

What a gloomy day today has been -- rain and cold. I had my first PT appointment since the surgery and left feeling rather depressed.

I'm just tired of feeling limited and so darned tired. Then having them tell me I'm doing too much. Only lift a pound or two (I didn't tell them I'd been doing more than that for more than a few days -- not lifting, really, balancing things.) Not being able to drive and having to rely on others... it just makes me feel bad. Not sorry for myself. Just bad.

So I cry. It seems like I cry all the time -- it takes absolutely zero to set me off.

The thing is, I'm uncomfortable, I'm limited. I'm not in pain. I have so very much for which to be grateful. Go figure.

Meanwhile, I do have that purr therapy I speak of so often!

So, tomorrow is supposed to be nicer, and maybe I'll be nicer, too!

I do have a "list."

Call gutter cleaner. (Check.)
Give Rick car that's leaking oil to take in for service. (Check.)
Pick up passport renewal paperwork. (Check.)
Do taxes. (Not yet.)
Sew button on felted bag. (Check)
Finish knitting matching handwarmers and scarf. (Check.)
Finish other pair of handwarmers. (Check.)
Take winter clothes downstairs. (Not yet; postponed)
Make chocolate chip cookies for friends who help me out (this weekend)

My boss gave me several assignments to add to the work-at-home list, and that's good, so I can work off the sick hours and not have to go into vacation time.

Thanks for bearing with my moaning. Cheery Jeanie will be back soon!

Ouch!

As many of you know, I'm having shoulder surgery -- in fact, today as you read this, I'm either in process or in a sling!

Thanks to the best friends anyone could ever have, I was surprised at what was supposed to be tea with Judy with a lovely gathering of dear friends at dinner. You got me, Judy! And it was lovely! That happened Monday and tonight I'm wrapping things up!

First, I do want to remind you that I am continuing to post while I'm out, thanks to that lovely pre-posting blogger feature! So check back. As I'm able to type a bit, I'll update! But there are a couple of fun things scheduled!

And, I want to make extra big thanks to many of my blogger buddies who have been so very kind and supportive in many ways. You guys are all great!

Now, about that rotator cuff...

Some of you have said, "I'm having shoulder issues, too!" So, I thought I'd post a couple of images from the poster at the PT unit with some shoulder info.

This is what it looks like... weird, huh. Those brown things are the tendons and the white things are the bones.

My issue is a tear.

But there are other things, too -- and most of the other things don't require surgery. Maybe physical therapy, though.

If your shoulder issues aren't shaping up on their own, I'd recommend checking it out. PT may help, and MRI can tell your problem in more detail. I can't say I like this or am looking forward to it, but more than one doc and the physical therapists have assured me that if left untreated it could be quite serious in the future. That sort of scared me into submission.

So, I will be keyboard-challenged for a few weeks. Not that that'll stop me. I might be slower and you may enjoy mercifully shorter posts!But I'll try to post once I can.

Check back and visit -- as I said, as I'm better able to type, I want to post and of course visit your blogs. I may have trouble commenting, but I'll do my best!

Home at Last!

We're getting back into our groove as we enjoy a major meltdown snow-wise here. Rick is on his bike, and happy as a clam. And after I finish this post, I will do some art. My kind of Sunday (though when you see this, it'll be Monday!)

First, thanks to so many of you for kind words of support. Greg is home and doing fine -- he's determined to go to class on Monday and use the photos of his surgery for his assignment to draw something of the body that isn't generally seen.

To Judy and Dick for taking care of us before the surgery and for Tam for taking care of us that evening, offering a most comfy bed and kind hospitality, we say extra thanks.

You are our angels, and we love you all.

The hospital was as welcoming as any can be, with good computers and fabulous art. The illustrations in this post are all from the hospital.

We found the wifi wonderful -- Rick, especially, could work while we waited.

The big lobby was lovely for waiting when you didn't need to be in the surgical lounge.

Rick made good use of his time...

I'm not sure who did the ceiling sculpture, but I found it fascinating, particularly in the morning light.

An artist named Marcia Selley was featured. These are some of her canvases (or details from her canvases), all very large.

There was also a dollmaker's work on display -- Rosie M. Chapman. Since it is Black History Month, her dolls reflected women such as Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks as well as everyday Western and Tribal women.

I especially loved her chairs, made from paper clay, paper, wire and paint.

There was also a glassed in room set up as a doc's office might be decades ago.

Even the tiles near the elevators were similar to Pewabic pottery tiles -- if they weren't the real thing.

And I liked these, also, but don't know the artist. Betty Youngquist, maybe?

Even the Einstein's Bagels sign was artistic!

Hospitals -- there is little peace, with beeping, carts rolling by, people rushing, and those speaking in hushed tones. Kind staff. Bad food. (Except the sushi -- that was very good.) They seem like a maze when you first enter; then after a day know the best ways to get to the cafeteria and which artwork marks your path to the observation unit.

But I did find this spot, with the warm sun, overlooking a courtyard -- a lovely place to knit (like about three-quarters of a soon-to-be-felted purse!)

After Greg left (his mom and stepdad took him home), Rick and I went for lunch, and since it was such a lovely day, walked around Ann Arbor. While he tried out classical guitars in the music store, I went to Borders and found the new "Where Women Create." Can't beat that! Perhaps later today, I'll be able to curl up and enjoy!

Many cheers! And many thanks, too.

Greg Surgery Update

For those of you who have been so kind to ask, I thank you for your support. Here's an update on Greg.

His surgery was scheduled to begin at 11:30 -- He FINALLY got into surgery, at a bit after two. The Gov's kid was there for surgery, too, and that seemed to be one of the things holding stuff up. Probably not the only thing.

It took about three hours and he's in recovery. They managed this surgery without paralyzing the other vocal chord, for which we are most grateful, and the scar/incision was only about 5" instead of the 14 or so inches of the other. So, that's good.

Greg desperately wanted them to take pix with his camera and they obliged. They're pretty cool, really, although Rick didn't want to look at them. Robin (Greg's mom) and I were sort of fascinated.

He'll be in recovery a couple of hours, then in a room or area. They expect he will be released tomorrow morning, although with the surgery delay, maybe the afternoon (since they told us that before they did anything.)

While the wait seemed long, I had plenty of yarn and got about two-thirds through a purse! Not bad! Didn't even get to my book yet; that's next!

And for those who are wondering, I won't be posting his surgery pix on the blog. Probably not even if he asks!

That's the news here. Thank you all for your thoughts, good wishes, prayers, and support. It means so very, very much.

Cutting -- Not the Crafty Kind

I don’t much like the idea of surgery.

On Friday (today) we’ll be waiting, as our 22-year-old resident artist and ace-kid has his second cancer surgery in seven months (if you don’t count the surgical biopsy -- that would make it three).

I don't get angry about a lot of things -- even things I probably should. There's no percentage in it. But how they botched his first surgery just breaks my heart and yes, angers me.

I am deeply distressed anyone has to go through this, much less a kid. And a good kid, at that. And while I'll periodically ask, "Why?" the fact is, we never know why; we just have to have faith that in some way this is helping us be better, stronger people; helping us learn to ask the right questions the first time and remind us of how very valuable and fragile life can be.

Please keep us in your thoughts (along with the ideas of “no complications,” “got it all” and “excellent prognosis.”)

In another month, we get to do it again – this time with me, as they’ll fix a torn rotator cuff.

And bone spurs at the shoulder. Bye bye, Artiscape. I’m glad it’s an annual event.

Yes, it's the hand I write with. Do art with. My lovely left. I won't be able to do what the fellow above is for awhile.

I was odd sitting in the surgeon’s waiting room today. He’s part of the sports medicine unit, and if you didn’t know that before, you’d get the idea in the waiting room. The first clue was enormous, wall-mounted HD-TV with the Big Ten channel playing sporting events – far too large and lifelike. I saw chunks of wrestling, basketball and part of a documentary about a coach I didn’t know. (It was a long wait.) All these warriors and all I want to do is knit and cut things out and glue them back together in different ways!

The enormous photos of sports activities were another clue. As were the string of younger-mostly-men patients waiting – some limping, some in slings, some with crutches.

No images of pan flute players. Or actors. Or artists. Or book-readers.

Only the lovely fountain seemed un-sporty, and the only sign of “relaxation" in the room.

I felt “I don’t belong here.”

I was relieved that the doc had at least a little gray in his hair, given that he looked pretty young. He was kind, smart, answered everything, didn’t rush me. Kind of cute in an "ER" or "Gray's Anatomy" sort of way. I hope he knows how to do surgery.

I’ve known this was likely to be coming for a few weeks. I’d even started practicing writing with my right hand and driving with my arm stuck to my side, as though it was in a sling. I had trouble cleaning the litter box one-handed, folding laundry was a joke and opening things is still hard. At least I have a few weeks to practice.

I'll be off a day or so while we're in Ann Arbor with Greg, but thanking you in advance for all the good vibes and wishes.