First Regular Week and Misc Stuff

We survived our first regular week with me back at work. I was able to ease into it (in between doctor appointments and Physical Therapy) which was nice since I definitely do have Baby Brain again - meaning the lack of sleep makes it hard to concentrate and remember what in the world I started doing one second before. I have more stories about my hubby but he can share them if he wants. I won't embarrass him.

Friends brought us dinners this week which was so helpful! We truly appreciate their time, money and the yummy food we got to eat! We know everyone is very busy and it is so generous of them to make time for us.

Mary had uncomfortable itchiness on her ankle in the middle of the night on Wednesday. I just massaged it and eventually she was able to go back to sleep.

She woke up Thursday morning with her knee bent all the way to the top thigh ring and it took awhile to loosen it up. Her Daddy thought to use the bean bag thing I have to warm in the microwave for my shoulders for her knee and it helped. They used it throughout the day.

Mary had her first official fall yesterday while using the walker. She had lost her balance once before and caught herself on her fixator leg but this time she fell to the ground. There was the same reaction as when she lost her balance previously- blood from the top two pin sites we like the least but she recovered quickly.

The new hourly Physical Therapy takes time and wiped Mary out on Thursday. She told me last night she had never felt physically tired before but now she knows what it feels like. She also said because of the fixator she is feeling things she wouldn't normally feel at age 9 like soar hip flexors.

The ADA awareness continues. As my hubby said yesterday, all of those charming streets with uneven curbs he liked before are now a huge challenge when trying to get Mary in and out of the car. Yesterday they ventured to the grocery store for some items. They put some bags on Mary's wheelchair and she helped carry some items as well.

Lots of positives things happened yesterday.

• The High School Senior that had a fixator on last year for a horrible football injury came to visit Mary. He is a very nice guy with a bright future and we peppered him with questions. He was very patient with us.
• A letter arrived from the girl in Canada that proactively offered to write to Mary. Mary was thrilled and she felt good knowing how similar their situations were. Mary started writing back to her last night.
• Mary is getting stronger and more used to moving the fixator on her own so she can now go to the bathroom all by herself! (Assuming it's a short visit- otherwise we still have to help prop her leg on a stool.)

I thought Mary actually slept from 11:00pm to 7:00am last night but apparently I was so tired I just didn't hear her get up. Oops! At least her Daddy heard her.

On Friday, Mary learned to sit down in the recliner all by herself. I checked tonight to see if she could go up the stairs by herself yet and she is close but not quite yet. Everyday she gets stronger and stronger though.


On Friday she went to her school a second time to pick up her sister and had a very nice welcome from her classmates. They all cheered when the teacher announced she would be meeting them at the field trip next week. So sweet!!!


We have a mellow weekend ahead. Next week Mary will do one activity a day including meeting her class for their field trip for lunch and attending the last day of school.