Mama

Mama fell on Tuesday (her birthday) while shoe shopping and had surgery on Wednesday in Lakeland Hospital to put a steel rod down her shin bone. She has only the two holes under her knee where they inserted it, along with the cut above her ankle that happened when she fell. Both bones were snapped, but they said once the back one was repositioned it will heal itself. She goes back to the surgeon on Thursday to have the splint replaced with a cast.

She has done so very well and was out of the bed sitting in a chair less than 24 hours after her surgery. Her strength seems to increase each day. On Saturday, we moved her to a rehab center of my brother and sister's choice in Winter Haven, which puts her only 11 miles from home. We were thankful to have them do  all the leg-work to find it. It is a very nice place and she has begun intensive therapy. I was thrilled that she was able to get in a wheelchair for the first time on Sunday. That is a key to getting out of your room and out where activities are on-going. She will be their dream patient as she is so easy and pleasant.

This is the first time Mama has had to go to a place of this kind, and it took a little work to wrap our heads around it. Since she has her faculties---she's sharp as a tack!---and can follow the directions of the therapists and is totally motivated, we expect a full recovery in record time. After all, she was still cooking and cleaning at her house before this happened.

People are learning not to look at the fact that she is 93, and just look at HER.  She can tell you most anything. She recently tutored a young woman who is working on her GED. It was Algebra and Geometry. Mama said, "You know I probably haven't done that in 70 years." She will quote some of her more than 300 poems that she has written. She will tell you that she will pray for you and ask for the same. And she is the #1 fan for the Tampa Bay Rays, and never misses a game on TV if she can help it, even when they play on the west coast and the game goes into the wee hours. Her macular degeneration that has limited her eyesight does not keep her from keeping up with each play. They would do well to listen to her advice on when to replace their pitcher!

 

So if there are gaps in the blog, you will know I’ve gone south again to help out where I can.