I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Second Winter
Almost all our snow had melted away during days of temperatures reaching into the high 30s and 40s. It was really beginning to feel like Spring, even though I know that Winter likes to toy with us in March, dangling Spring-like days in front of us and snatching them away when we dare to hope that Spring is here to stay. I try to remind myself that Winter is still lurking about and not to get my hopes up in March or April–I’ve even seen snow in May–but I always fall for Winter’s cruel tricks.
It’s been snowing quite steadily since Tuesday. Our ground is again covered in several inches of snow. Second Winter is here. Ugh. The snow isn’t all that bad, but I don’t look forward to another round of treacherous ice when it melts and refreezes.
My days are spent doing my chores, watching Amazon Prime or Netflix videos, napping, (I don’t sleep particularly well at night), and doing the exercises that the occupational therapist gave me to stretch tendons and regain movement in my hand. Four times each day I have to do the exercises, repeating each exercise 10 times. It takes me at least an hour to complete each session so I am spending at least 4 hours each day doing the exercises. At my first visit with the OT on Monday, I could barely straighten or bend my fingers. After a couple of days of the exercises, I am doing better, although I’m struggling with the last of the exercises in which I have to bend my wrist forward and back. I think it’s because my wrist is still quite swollen, as are the large knuckles at the base of my fingers. My arm feels lumpy where it’s swollen. I’m kind of started skimping on the last exercise (bending my wrist forward and back) because it’s too sore and I can’t make my wrist bend. Yesterday I tried to video the exercises I have to do:
I always assumed when people broke a bone that after the cast came off, they were pretty much as good as new. I never realized how much they were affected by the break, how little movement they had, how much work it is to regain mobility, or that they don’t regain full mobility. I will never again look at a person with a broken bone with ignorance. I will empathize deeply with them.
This afternoon I have my second session with the OT. (I’m hoping JJ remembers to take me. I have sent him a reminder or two.) JJ’s schedule is more flexible than his Dad’s which is why he takes me, but we still have to work around his college classes, work, and his personal life. I don’t want to impose on JJ so I told him that maybe we can schedule future appointments for later in the day so that he can take me to his apartment afterwards rather than drive me all the way home, and his Dad can pick me up from there when he gets out of work. The doctor/OT, JJ’s apartment, and EJ’s company are all about 10 miles from each other so it would save time if EJ could pick me up.
I Love To Go A Gardening 
I’m like you TJ – I assumed the cast came off and good as new again. I do know that when you get the cast off you feel funny, as you’re used to the weight and the protection, kind of like years ago when people got those metal braces off their teeth … your teeth feel like they will wobble and fall out. These days, the braces are a piece of cake … back then not so much. Your hand looks so swollen – it amazes me. Keep up the exercises and I sympathize re: the snow. We were supposed to get snow three days in a row – tonight overnight again, but we only got a dusting of frozen precip on Tuesday and Wednesday – we’ll see tomorrow morning what is there. Winter has overstayed its welcome – bigtime!
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The cast didn’t feel very heavy to me–I think that casts aren’t as heavy as they used to be years ago. The major difference I noticed between a cast and a splint is that the cast gave more protection/support but a splint feels less restrictive. I think my arm looked misshapen because it’s still swollen in places–it hasn’t completely healed yet.
I’m so, so, so ready for Spring.
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That’s amazing – I had no idea they weren’t that heavy plaster that you could almost bang down and not damage anything … except perhaps your table and put a dent in it. It’s also amazing that the swelling hasn’t gone down … you took an awful tumble and I am mindful of your tumble every time I go outside the house in less-than-perfect conditions. We had glare ice in front of the house after freezing rain about a month ago. I try to run my car every day since I don’t drive it enough and I was scared to walk on it. I have to walk from the side door to the garage – took baby steps as I didn’t want to fall.
I’m ready for Spring too – walked today … today was warmer than Thursday by three degrees. It was 28 with a wind chill in the teens. Cold all weekend, but sunny at least.
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Linda, the cast is quite amazing. They put a sock-thing on my hand and then wrapped what looked like a bandage around my hand and within about 10 minutes it gets very hard, but it’s not very heavy. Here’s a You Tube video of a girl getting a cast:
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That’s amazing TJ … I am obviously living in the past as I remember the big and clunky casts that had to be sawed off when you x-rays were taken and you were deemed “healed” … my mom had the hip replacement in 1981 and again in 1990 and we had to go to the orthopedic doctor once a year on the anniversary of her surgery the rest of her life, to have complete x-rays taken to ensure everything was okay. Many times people would be there with heavy casts and they’d go into the “cast room” and you’d here the saw whirring and cast dropping to the floor. And I can remember people who had the clunky arm or wrist casts on … this was amazing. I could see the doctor pressing his fingers right into the material just before he wrapped the dark green covering on it.
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They still had to saw off my cast, even though it was not big and clunky like in years past. It seems as if every time any of us have to go to the hospital/doctor for something, there are new medical gizmos. It really is amazing.
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It is just amazing – I have a high school classmate who had multiple myeloma and had a kidney transplant on Friday, March 2nd. This is a clinical trial and his younger sister donated her kidney and some bone marrow to Ray. The procedure was in a teaching hospital in Boston, and the two of them had to go to Boston a week before the procedure. He was given massive doses of chemo for five days before the surgery and then they stopped March 2nd and a few days after, but it has resumed. Penny (sister) was discharged and has to stay in an apartment that is associated with the hospital while they still check on her. Ray has to stay in the hospital a few more weeks, and when released, must stay in a hospital apartment for 3-4 months with a full-time caretaker. He took his first steps yesterday by walking down the hall. They had not given him much hope, until they were approved for this clinical trial. I have another high school friend who had a knee replacement … went in mid-day, home the next day – unbelievable! They have a physical therapist come to the house – they don’t like to tie up hospital rooms too long I guess. I was amazed getting sent home so quickly!
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And you thought you had problems – I was glad to see Kim was talking about her rooster in the present tense … I thought he was a goner! A little chuckle for you TJ:
https://reddirtcottage.com/2018/03/10/chicken-yoga/
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