A ‘tail’ of a trip to the hospital

I am almost ashamed to admit that I’ve had another “incident.” On Sunday, December 9, I fell on the ice left by that terrific ice storm, which most people had enough sense not to go out in. But not yours truly. I went out to walk Kaja, my dog, and was okay as long as I walked on the snow-covered grass, but eventually I had to go across the street. I was almost to the other side when down I went – first the tailbone- then the back and shoulders – and last my head, which felt like it bounced off the asphalt like a basketball. I don’t think I blacked out, but I stayed down a few minutes and Kaja continued to run around trying to ferret out a squirrel or rabbit. I eventually staggered home holding on to tombstones. Thank Goodness for those dead people who provided me with places to hold on to.I finally got home and called my son, Jason who went to the hospital emergency room with me. I hurt so badly that I was sure I had broken something. But after x-rays of my back and shoulders and a cat scan, I learned that I had a concussion but no broken bones. I had a headache for over a week, and my tailbone still hurts like the devil every time I take a step. I received instructions as I left the hospital instructing me to rest a lot and take it easy because the healing would last at least a week – longer if I was older. Guess what – I’m older, and it’s taking a long time to heal. My son has been very helpful and concerned, and called me one day just this week and asked how I felt, and I told him I felt like I had been dragged through a knothole. He laughed and laughed and said he’d never heard that expression but thought it very descriptive.

If and when I write my autobiography, I certainly have lots of medical incidents to include. Actually I feel very lucky because it turned out that I had no serious injury, and in thinking about it, I realize how truly lucky I was. I had a warm home to go home to, insurance so that I could afford to go to the hospital and a loving son who was there and was most helpful. As I mention many times I am lucky to be here in this country with the freedoms I have, and if I’m dumb enough to go out on ice, I can still ask for help.

Christmas is fast approaching and although it is not one of my favorite holidays because of the people missing in my life, I have learned to treat it in such a way that it doesn’t get me down. I dwell much more on the good memories from my sons, grandson and husband. I shop on an ongoing basis, so I don’t have last minute shopping. I set limits on money, time and stress, so that I can usually handle things pretty well. I like to bake, and I do some of that. I like to buy gifts, and I do some of that. I like to be with family and I do some of that. ‘The some of that’ is what keeps me sane. I try to not go overboard and get crazy with spending, baking or shopping. I think I finally have it down to a manageable level, but it has not been easy to set those limits, and I do think that age has much to do with it. Many things that used to seem vital just lessen in importance as we grow older. I like to think I’ve reached the wise woman stage of life.

Although I am fairly busy with water exercise classes and a part-time job with Home Instead Senior Care, I try to pace myself and enjoy the exercise and the opportunity to spend time with wonderful, older people. I spent some hours this afternoon with a senior at a Nursing Home, and she really helps me appreciate life and our past individual experiences. She is not able to read or get around very well anymore, but is so positive and gracious. I come home from her room feeling so good, because she is happy where she is, likes doing the things she can do, loves watching the birds outside her window, and enjoys my reading to her. She truly makes me feel guilty if I complain about anything. I love being with her and she makes my holiday season even brighter.

I did get to spend a block of time reading this month while I was in bed the first couple days after my fall. I finally got the last Harry Potter book read. It was titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I had pretty well kept up with my grandson, Kaid, in reading Rowling’s series, but somehow got behind on the last one. It was a monster – over 700 pages- and it took me those two days to read it. I have enjoyed all of these books, because as I said I truly think it is some of the best fantasy written for kids since Chronicles of Narnia. And for those who think there’s something sinister or evil in her books. I would say. “Lighten Up and don’t take yourself so seriously.”

I read a couple light novels to pass the time, but I don’t remember as much about them as a really in-depth look at something, someone or a relationship .The first one was Temperature Rising about a exotic, Pacific Island romance by Sandra Brown. The other was a book by the author who wrote Traveling Pants, Terry Brasheare, and was called The Last Summer of You and Me. actually was a well written story about growing up, and moving in to adult life. A good read. I’ve just gotten started on a book by Colleen McCullough who wrote The Thorn Birds. Titled Morgan’s Run it is a little slower reading because it’s a historical novel of English life around the time of The Revolution.

HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

BE KIND TO YOURSELF!!