On returning to North Hatley

I better start writing quickly as after a long spell of nothingness, suddenly things seem to be coming in a rush.

On Saturday, Mummy picked me up at the Lindsay. She then drove me to North Hatley. Our first stop in town was at the Store where the owner held the door open for me. I congratulated Elliott on the birth of his third son, and generally stood at the front greeting various customers. 

Pappy wasn’t at home when we arrived. I was sitting in my wheelchair when he came in. We hugged and cried on each other’s shoulder.

There was a certain amount of adjusting furniture and carpet removal in the Guestroom and the downstairs toilet. I left the wheelchair in the guestroom and got around the house on crutches. This was a good thing as it stimulated me to use the crutches.

A little before supper, Dominique came by with Maki the dachshund. He wasn’t too sure about me, which was a bit disappointing but vaguely expected.

The next day, we were invited to lunch at Jean-Philippe F.’s house. I was expecting his immediate family and Jean-Paul his father. Instead, there were two of his brothers and their significant others and his sister, her husband and kids. Along with Jean-Philippe’s wife and kids it was a full house and somewhat of a surprise. Christian, the oldest brother is about my age and we go back to primary school. We used to be best friends but about twenty years ago we drifted apart. We chatted a lot, particularly after one point, I found the noise too much and went outside for some quiet where he joined me. I neglected to mention to him that the Lindsay is within sight of the apartment building where he lived while he was studying at La Polytechnique.

Back in North Hatley, I prepped my spinach dish before taking a doze. Philip and company came down for Easter supper of lamb and maple mousse.

On Monday, Mummy drove me back to the Lindsay. A little past Mount Orford, I spotted a wild turkey flying over the autoroute. I don’t think I had seen a wild turkey in flight before. 

It was very good to see the village again is unfortunately the best way I can put it. My words fail me.

On the date being set

 I finally got the Phone Call. The operation will be on Thursday!!!!!

On progress and perspective

On Monday, I had the occupational therapist flip down the footrest of my wheelchair to see if my left knee might bend enough to use it. Sure enough it could, so I am now using the footrest rather than the leg rest. Progress.

On Thursday, during the doctors’ rounds, I asked if I might see X-rays of my fractures. They said yes, after we finish the rounds. About an hour later, I was asked to go to the nurses station where they had brought up on a computer screen some of the X-rays they had taken when I first arrived here at the end of November. I found them interesting as well as a bit relieving as the tibia wasn’t quite as badly damaged as I had imagined at certain times. I was a bit shocked when the images made realize that five of the six long bones in my left limbs had been broken. Perspective.

Also progress, as it has taken me this long to ask to see my X-rays. When they were taken, I didn’t want to see them.

Today, I went downtown where I went to my usual barber for a bread trim and hair cut. He was temporarily located a few doors up the street in a tattoo parlour. I have been frequenting his business for over twenty years in which time it has had at least four addresses. I also did some shopping in light of leaving the hospital for at least a few days. North Hatley for Easter and then the home experiment.

On an act of love

Last Friday, I had left a message on the Mole’s answering machine asking him if he would kindly stay with me on my first night at home. Saturday night, he phoned back. I was a bit surprised by what he had to say. He did not think that me staying in my condo was a good idea. When he had seen me at the top of the stairs, he felt very worried for me. He was quite clear and insistent on this, even after I had said that I understood his concerns and would weigh them very carefully. As I was already tired from the day’s exertions, I didn’t want to discuss the matter further, let alone decide one way or the other. So I said that I understood him and that I took his firmness and determination to get his point across for the act of love that it was.

Since then, I have realized that I had been viewing next week’s trial homecoming as something of a rubber stamp formality. After much thought and discussion with the occupational therapist, I am thinking of it as an experiment and one which I will weigh the results of with lots of care.

Oh, yes. Just for the record the Mole was and is willing to spend the first night with me.

On a stationary bike and getting closer to home

Where to start? *Sigh* This is not going to be easy.

Towards the end of today’s physio session, the Physio asked if I wanted to try using the stationary bicycle. I said yes with all but tears of joy. It took a bit of adjusting and fiddling, but I managed to get astride the Cateye Ergocycle 3200. I have no words to describe the feeling of being on something resembling a bicycle again, even it was just a step-through stationary one. Unfortunately, my left knee and ankle aren’t flexible enough for me to fully rotate the pedals, so I just rocked the pedals back and forth in something close to a 270 degree arc, possibly less. I got the Physio to take some pictures.

After lunch, I had a session with the Occupational Therapist to discuss returning home. I am afraid I was remiss in not having thought hard enough about it and not having discussed the timing of it with those who might help. I think I was too fearful of disappointment to hope. The OT said it really could be any time now, at least the trial “weekend” which, it turns out, doesn’t have to be a weekend.

This proved a bit weird as aside from this weekend, the two next weekend have their own peculiar challenges, viz. Easter and the Eclipse. I had been strongly thinking of making my first overnight trip to be going to North Hatley for Easter for a couple of nights and then going out the following Sunday to be in place for the Eclipse on April 8. This makes the weekends too busy to try settling in at home in the condo. The OT suggested that maybe I could do it on the 2nd and 3rd of April, or so. I will have to discuss this with interested parties, but who knows?

While I really want to go home, I am anxious and nervous about it.

On some follow-up

A few posts ago, I mentioned at meeting with some of my fellow condo members. The meeting was held and the other members were quite supportive of my return. They were all willing to help according to their means, e.g. some of them have jobs and the like. It was gratifying.

While my team and I were in the condo on Tuesday, Alexandre, who lives just below me and has keeping an eye on my mail, happened to come by his condo even though it was a work day. We said “Hi” and “Long time no see”. I was mildly disappointed that Jacques wasn’t around.

This afternoon, I was told that after weeks of trying, my doctor here finally made contact with the doctors at the General. The good news is essentially that they haven’t forgotten about me and that I am still on the list of “urgent” surgeries to do. (At least that is what I was told.) The bad news is that they don’t have anything like an actual date or even vague idea of a date.

On visiting home

I am struggling emotionally these days. My leg feels shackled to a ball. Everything seems extra complicated. Even the weather seems perverse. After a warm spell last week, today has alternated between relatively heavy snow showers and sunshine.

I think I had been keeping my expectations low about the home visit to avoid disappointment. Of course this may have explained why I didn’t feel great joy once I made it up the two long flights of stairs into my hallway. At best, I think I felt a sense of relief. I sat down at my computer desk while the Mole the Holy was shown by the Occupational Therapist and her intern, the best way to manhandle my wheelchair up the stairs and into my condo. 

The OT then put me through my paces, sitting down and getting up from various articles of furniture, including the commode, most from my crutches. She also had me do various tasks in the kitchen and the dining area. There a couple of minor hiccups. First one was getting up from the living room sofa with its new slip cover. It was rather low, so I moved my rump so that I was sitting on the arm of the sofa and therefore high enough to easily use the crutches. There was moment on my was up when one of my crutches slipped a bit, but I managed to keep upright. The second one was the fact that the futon in the media room was too low for me to get out of using crutches. Luckily, the wheelchair fit in, somewhat to my surprise.

On the whole, the OT was satisfied with the condo and me. I was less so.

To be frank, the place was a slovenly mess when I left. James put a heroic effort into tidying the place so the cleaners organized by Alice might be let in by Mummy. I am not happy that it was such a set of Herculean deeds to get it tidy. I also dread having to sort through the boxes that James put the random clutter into, mostly because of the character flaws they demonstrate, but also because of my current physical condition.