25 May 2014

Still busy...

It's raining again this morning, but there was a pretty sunrise at about 6 a.m. when I first got up. Here's the view out of a loft window that greeted my sleepy eyes.


One of the things that happened over the past 48 hours is that my mother tripped and fell on the sidewalk outside her apartment Friday afternoon. She broke her wrist and banged her head on the concrete. Luckily, she only broke her wrist and not a leg or hip. There also was no evidence of a concussion. I talked to her yesterday afternoon my time — the time difference is really a pain in these situations — and her voice was clear and strong. Her attitude was upbeat. We joked and laughed on the phone.


Above is a close-up of this morning's sunrise. I was hoping for some sunshine today but now it's gray and drippy out there. It's time for me to go for a walk with the dog.

21 comments:

  1. Oh dear, a broken wrist is no joke but you're right, it would have been so much worse if it had been a hip.
    I hope she manages ok and soon recovers.

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  2. Our thoughts are with your Mum and you...
    T&P

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  3. Good Morning Ken,

    Hope your mum is OK , a broken wrist is still an annoyance, not to say bad but good thing there are no other medical issues.
    Our best wishes to her and take care on your side

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  4. Hi Ken,
    Sorry to hear about the fall. Broken bones are always a concern, but as you say the fall could have been worse.
    Wishing your mother a speedy and full recovery.
    Gaynor and Tim

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  5. With that sunrise comes the promise of a new day, I hope it turns out well for you and yours.

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  6. so sorry to hear about your Mom's fall....glad she is doing ok......so hard from afar!

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  7. Glad to read it isn't any worse. But I do understand your concern. Elderly people are fragile and even a small fracture can have serious consequences. Take good care of your mum. Even from a distance. Martine

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    1. Thanks Martine. I think I'm old enough to be considered elderly now (over 60, and now 65), so I know what you are talking about. I try to be very careful on stairs and out walking in the vineyard. I've sprained my ankle badly twice since Walt and I moved to Saint-Aignan in 2003.

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  8. Oh, gracious! It was just this time last year when my mom fell inside her home (I think that her blood pressure dropped suddenly, and he legs just gave out under her), and she broke her wrist. It has healed well, as I'm sure your mom's will. Thank heavens for the good news parts :)

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  9. I am so sorry to hear about your mother and hope she will be all better fairly soon. Her good attitude should help with that.
    And isn't a glorious red morning supposed to be a sign of bad weather?

    " Red sky at morning, sailors take warning;
    Red sky at night, sailors' delight."

    That's what we said in Ohio in the late 40s and early 50s, but I see Shakespeare had something to say about it too:

    "

    “Like a red morn that ever yet betokened,
    Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field,
    Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds,
    Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”

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    1. The old saying is valid, Kristi. We had several hard rain showers yesterday. Luckily, neither of us or the dog got very wet on our walks in the vineyard though.

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  10. My broken wrist is mending (4 weeks as of yesterday (5-24)) well. Surgeon is pleased with my recovery. I try to keep my wrist elevated as much of the day as possible (above my shoulder so it is definitely above my heart). I think that has helped for a speedier result. I can commiserate with your Mom as life has really slowed down for me. Everything I do takes twice as long with only my left arm. Brushing teeth and even opening a milk jug had me figuring out different ways to solve the problems (I live alone). I have gone through 4 casts and I now have just been given a removable arm brace but I have been told I cannot drive yet (manual transmission). I'm guessing your Mom has a strong, dedicated attitude about life like it appears you have! She will make it through this... My 1st cast did not allow my fingers very much movement which was incorrect. It is important to keep moving fingers right away so they don't stay stiff. My cast was corrected after 4 days and each successive cast gave my fingers/thumb more freedom (thank goodness). I read that a wrist break is the most common of all arm breaks as we typically put our arms out to break our fall and the wrist takes the brunt of our weight.

    Mary in OR

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    1. Thanks for recounting your experience, Mary in Oregon. My mother's name is Mary, by the way. She'll get the plaster cast put on the wrist this week, and yes it is her right hand too.

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    2. I hope some of my words gave you and your Mom some extra help. I typed into my URL line my type of fracture: Radius Shaft Fracture Distal Right and opened up the medical/orthopedic websites so I was reading medical sites (professional ones) that would give me real info. My surgeon discussed 3 options with me: leave the compression of my radius bone to heal without surgery, exterior support with pins and brace or surgery with a stainless steel plate and screws. My reading let me know that in my case (I use my right arm for a lot of very physical work - climbing a ladder to clean my roof/gutters, wash my car, string-trim an 8,000 ft lot, home renovation/repair including replacing decks and inside/home repairs/carpentry)
      I really didn't want to not have full use of my right hand/arm when this is over!

      My words were meant to assist in understanding. Hope your Mother Mary has as great an experience as I have had - so far!

      Mary in Oregon (blukazam@yahoo.com)

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  11. Being so far away from aged parents is the biggest worry and guilt of expats. Thankfully it was 'just' a wrist and thankfully, like me, you have your sister who is nearer and can react in an emergency.

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  12. Or dear, that's worrying news. Here's hoping your mom mends quickly.

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  13. oh no! glad to hear she is in good spirits. always a worry i know.

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  14. It's great that your mum is a positive person and her attitude is to accident is so calm. It"s unusual.

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  15. I hope your mom has a speedy recovery!

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  16. Again, thanks to everyone for the good wishes. MA reads the blog so she will see your comments.

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  17. The photos look amazing, Ken! That sunrise is breathtaking. I wish I could've witnessed it myself. I guess the rain couldn't drown out the sunrise's beauty, huh? Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about your mother's accident. I hope her wrist has finally healed up. Keep us updated! All the best!:)

    Madalyn Oconnell @ Steadman Hawkins Clinic

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