A lot has happened since I stopped journaling in early 2006. I became a grandmother for the first time and that sweet baby girl brings me such joy. She is the primary focus of another place where I blog so I will limit my effusive Nana epistles to that location. For now this space is all about me - me - me.
For the last six months I have been recovering from a car accident. Not sure what the other driver was thinking but she turned left in front of me as I drove through an intersection with the green light. I t-boned her car, flipping it on its side and I believe both of us are lucky to be alive. She told the police officer she did not remember what happened but I suspect she thought she had enough time to beat me through the light and she was not likely to tell the officer that.
My car was a total loss and it breaks my heart since I only had two payments left. I had bought the car new with all the bells and whistles I had wanted and it was still in excellent condition. With the low mileage, I was looking forward to driving her a few more years. To add insult to injury, I had just filled the tank with gas moments before the accident so I was left with a heap of metal with two deployed airbags and a full tank sitting in the salvage lot. Wahhh!
As for me, I thank God I am not in worse condition. My most extensive injuries were a broken right ankle and a shattered kneecap. I think the goose egg on my forehead was from the gate remote on the visor and the airbag left me with two black eyes. It is scary when those things go off!! I saw the passenger one explode and the panel hit the front windshield, breaking it. No wonder they talk about not having children in the front seat. Beware! There are other assorted bumps, bruises and indignities but I'm still here to tell the story.
I had surgery on my knee last November and while the prognosis was less than encouraging, I am still hoping for a full recovery. My friends and family took great care of me and I was grateful they kept my spirits up.
I am so use to being on the go all the time, the sudden inactivity was tough. Thank heaven for internet, cell phones, and my dad's state-of-the-art recliner. I spent the first two months essentially living in that recliner. I was not allowed to put any weight on the right leg and it was braced to keep me from bending it. The hope was to give the bone graph every opportunity to take and for a little extra insurance it is all tied together with wire and screws.
During the first two months of recovery I was very limited in my ability to care for myself so I stayed with my parents. It was too much of an effort to get up and down so I was basically parked in the middle of their den with my pain pills in one hand and the remote in the other.
I learned to move from recliner to bathroom and back by hopping on my left foot and keeping my balance with the aid of a walker. For longer "trips" I used a wheelchair. There were 28 hops from recliner to throne. Unfortunately, much like Pavlov's dog, my bladder was soon conditioned to get excited as I round the last bend and headed down the home stretch. My mantra became "It's mind over matter ... it's mind over matter." Sometimes it actually worked.
My next entry "Depends Were My Friends."
