Well I’m not doing much these days. Not much physical, anyway. Since I work from home most of the time, I’ve been able to resume those activities with reasonable success. My manager understands that my capacity is diminished a little – mostly I don’t have the stamina for back-to-back meetings, so I’m scheduling around naps and painkiller doses.
Mom has been living with us for the past 2 weeks, providing much needed help and support for Nicole in dealing with her two toddlers and two babies – one a new born, and one a 30 year old. We’re very grateful as well for nearly a dozen meals brought to us by gals from the church.
I had a visit with my surgeon on Thursday, who says the leg is healing well, but continued pain is to be expected. They put me in a more permanent cast than the half-cast I’d been wearing and replacing weekly. It is less forgiving on the swelling and muscle inflammation I’ve been dealing with, but it does feel like my leg is safer and gives me more confidence to try things. Still, my leg needs to be elevated most of the day or the pain gets too intense to bare. I’ll be like this for another 4 weeks, minimum. Assuming all goes well during that time, I’ll look forward to an air-cast after that, which will give me additional freedom.
Without much delay I’ll be seeing my amazing physiotherapist who has done such miraculous work on my back. My upper leg, while not damaged, is thin and weak, and I intend to at least get that part of my leg working as soon as I can manage it. I have a trip to L.A. in mid-July, and I plan to go on it.
Mom needs her life back, and will be moving out on Monday, visiting Wednesdays or as-needed to help with appointments. We’ve hired a young lady to come on Mondays and Friday to provide Nicole with some extra help. Her strapping young fiancé may find himself doing some yard work as well. Ideally the insurance company would pay for this, but insurance companies are less-than-ideal. We have connected with a Christian lawyer about civil pursuits that can provide some additional relief. I don’t particularly like that route, but I guess that’s why we have insurance companies and lawyers to help us deal with them.
Agnes, the old gal who shouldn’t drive without her glasses (or maybe at all) will have some challenges on her end too. We are making every effort to protect her and be gracious with her, but as the fault and the responsibility lie with her, she will have a part in this.
Meanwhile, we enjoyed nice weather as a family and with friends this weekend. I spent much of today on a recliner on the deck watching my children laugh and play in the sprinkler and the slip-n-slide. There are better ways to start a summer than 6 weeks in a cast, but it could be a heck of a lot worse than cute kids that smell like sunshine, and a fresh newborn baby rocking by my side while I sip a cold drink, catch up on my reading, and feel the warm breeze…
Maybe (hopefully) Agnes has insurance. Perhaps you (and your lawyers) can go after her INSURANCE company for liability, as they were the ones who insured her in the first place! Her rates may go up, but perhaps that will keep her off the road. Many times insurance companies just take the money and try to avoid any assessment of the actual risks/liabilities they are incurring, when perhaps they should have not insured her in the first place.
Be well Jon and best to the whole Wise family!