Monday, April 15, 2013

M ~ Many Adjustments


These are the continuing adventures of a Swedish immigrant during her first year as an American. She boldly went where she'd never gone before...please come along on Adventures in America.

Tired of hip stories yet? If you're just arriving, maybe reading H~Hit by a Car and I ~ I Can't BELIEVE I Broke My Hip might help. I left you with me about to leave the hospital.

Accommodating someone who can't bend takes some ingenuity. If I was going to be a part of family meals, a bed needed to be placed in the dining room.



It's hard to eat lying down, but I could only “stand-up” for a little while because it hurt SO much, made me dizzy, and also a bit scared, but I was required a minute or two of vertical time each day. Yes, it reminds me of modern mommying and “tummy time”.

(left to right: Farmor holding Databoy, Farfar, Grandma Vivian, me, that would the body-cast clad girl, Aunt Risky, Swissie, The Swede)

Eating lying down was no fun, but there are some fun things you can do lying down:

doing puzzles with Farfar, using my usual mode of transport, a mechanics creeper, to hold the puzzle not me

goofing around with your sister 

continuing your musical education, though blowing enough air without sitting up is not as easy as you'd think (says the now asthma girl...) 


but sometimes, it was just plain homework...


One of the best was experiences of my four months of cast living was getting to go to The Ice Capades! I was in the handicap section, but they let one parent (taking turns) sit with me, and I could see everything. We were treated like royalty at the event.

I grew up skating on ponds all over our neighborhood, and watching The Swede play hockey at his best friend's house where they'd actually made a make-shift arena and had goals and went hard-core. I was glued. (This is foreshadowing – don't want you to miss it).  Watching the skaters awoke a lot of "I guess I can't do that anymore" in me.

Another favorite memory of cast confinement was taking Farmor and Farfar to the airport after their long visit. Of course this was a sad time, and I couldn't stop crying, but my Dad invented this really distracting game where I held on to the curved end of an umbrella and he RAN down the (mostly deserted international concourse) and would fish-tail me. So I'm lying on that creeper thing I told you about, and moving at light speed all over this stone-covered-in-veneer floor. It was like flying!  Apparently tiring for the puller, all the adults (except Farmor, who couldn't stop crying) took turns pulling me.

I counted the days in my cast. I lived one day at a time. My favorite part of each day was when my big, strong Daddy would pick me up and carry me to my bed, whispering love in my ear, and hugging me tight.

20 comments:

Sally said...

Such a long and frustrating time to be immobilised but you had a great family around you.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Glad you had all that support with such a tough injury. Reading is a fun thing to do while lying down.

A Daft Scots Lass said...

Great memories.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The Ice Capades made it bearable, but still not something you would've chosen!

Sue McPeak said...

Confined with a 'Creeper'...still a good read. The photos are great, and I agree with Sally...you had a wonderful family.

Lucky you...front row at the Ice Capades. Gives creedance to "Something good always comes from something bad." My seat was in the 'Nose Bleed' section. The skaters looked like tiny figures in a music box.

My Letter 'M'...Modern Marvels
Sue CollectInTexasGal
AtoZ LoneStar Quilting Bee

Lucy said...

It sounds like your family did all they could to help you through those 4 months but wow it still had to be a long 4 months. Lucy from Lucy's Reality

Andrea said...

Awww, so sweet that you got to feel so much love, even if it was a cruddy time.I wonder what the current recovery is for the same injury, and if there is more vertical time. It seems like everyone is up so fast these days.

Ida Thought said...

Wow what a long time, but your daddy cuddles seem to make it all worth it.

Andrew Leon said...

My brother spent time in a body cast, too. He was only three. There was bar between his legs that we could use to pick him up.

Melissa Sugar said...

I cannot imagine how difficult it would be, for a child, to be immobile, for so many months. It sounds like you made the very best of a bad situation and that speaks of your wonderful character. It is the rare, true, good spirited person who can turn a tragedy into something worthwhile. I bet it was fun being treated like royalty at the ice show.

orneryswife said...

I have never broken a bone, but I have heard the hip is the most painful. What a challenge for you, but at least you had the creeper and had a bit of fun with it! :)

tm

LD Masterson said...

I very hard thing for a kid. I glad you're able to find good memories of that time.

Robin said...

What a terrible time for anyone, especially a kid. You were blessed to have such a loving family to help you through such a difficult experience.

Laeli said...

I;m surprised and happy for you, that you have good memories from this time! You sure had a lot of lovely people helping you out and trying to make things bearable for. So awesome!

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Lucky you to have such a wonderful, supportive family.

Thanks for helping make A to Z possible!

Mary Montague Sikes

Jo said...

Great having so many loving family members round you. Sorry two of them had to leave though however I am sure the rest made up for it.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

JoJo said...

Kids are so much more resilient than adults, although it must've been so hard at the time to be confined in a body cast. How long were you in it?

Rowena said...

It sounds like a tough time....the old photos are great and really tell a story. :)

M said...

How sad...but how strong you became! My daughter had cancer at 15...she had 2.5 years of daily chemo...there were times we both just had to try to make it through the next hour let alone the day...it is just a memory now but we are both stronger for it.
Happy Half Way A-Z!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tina .. the thought of 4 months constrained is no fun .. but glad the caste survived the flying around the airport ... I bet the adults were tired!

You kept going, they kept you going and you were able to do quite a few things .. the family were so supportive. The flute and the now-asthma girl ... seems a long time ago ..

On the other hand I read M's comment and realise how lucky we are ... and me especially, having suffered neither of these challenges ..

Cheers and I'm loving these .. Hilary