There are times when my husband needs a little assistance while walking. Yesterday, we were driving to an appointment 3 hours from our home. On the way, we made a stop at a gas station to buy a drink and use the restroom. (We must make a purchase if we stop and use the restroom at a gas station or it just feels weird.)
Upon arriving in the parking lot, I pulled slowly into the handicap ♿️ parking space, turned the engine off, got out of the driver’s side of the pickup, and walked around to where my husband was already walking toward the entrance into the mini market of the gas station. I slipped my right arm into his left arm to walk with him and give him support as he walked, since he decided not to use his walker for assistance.
My husband used to stand two inches taller than my six-foot height. He now walks with his back bent over and his knees bent, so he appears much shorter than I. It is with some difficulty that I hold his arm in mine while we walk together due to that awkward height difference.
A kind, thoughtful person opened the glass door for my husband and me to easily enter the gas station “snack box” as we refer to it. We smiled gratefully and thanked them for their kindness. Moving past the check-out counter with my husband, I noticed there were fountain drinks in the back corner and thought my husband would like one of those on our way back to the pickup.
As we reached the long wide hallway leading to the bathrooms, I noted the women’s restroom on the right and saw that the men’s restroom was at the end of the hallway on the left. As we passed the women’s restroom, I could feel my husband start to pick up speed. Then I realized he was leaning forward as he picked up speed. My grip on his arm tightened as I leaned farther forward. Suddenly, I left my body. (OK, not really, but I had a moment where I lost control of my body and it felt like it was moving without me controlling the movements.) The next thing I knew I was racing forward and becoming more bent over myself. Then SPLAT! Our phones and glasses went sliding way out in front of us. I could not believe HOW HARD the landing was! I just lay there for what seemed like a quarter of a second, then turned to see if my husband was ok.
Now, keep in mind that he is turning 65 next month, and I am in my late 50’s. And, here we are, sprawled out on the ground like a couple of kids who were running too fast and fell down on purpose. Only, we had further to fall, and it was definitely not part of our plan!
Did I mention I am tall? And overweight? My husband is a “C” shape when he walks. On the floor, though, he and I were both more of an “S” or a “Z” shape scrambling to get up as fast as our newly bruised and pained bodies would get up. Luckily (?) no one was there to see us. Or help us. Or cry out in sympathy for the two old people who had just fallen HARD to the ground on their already painfully aging knees. I got up fairly quickly and walked over to pick up the phones and glasses. Then I helped my husband stand up and limp to the restroom holding the wall as he walked.
As I turned back and headed to the women’s restroom, the thought kept coming to my mind, “It’s true, you know. The taller they are, the harder they fall!” It seemed that every muscle in my body was quivering from tensing up during the fall. The bruises were already showing up on my left knee. I decided then and there that I would not be able to be my husband’s walking assistant. He would need to rely on his walker or his wheelchair.
His response was, “Well, if you are ever helping me again, and I start to fall, just let me fall. I am used to it, and I’m getting really good at it.”
Excuse me while I go get the ice pack for my left knee….
Triggered
My husband and I took a three and a half hour drive to a University Orthopedic Specialist about some issues he is having with his knees. It was a beautiful day for a drive to hear not such great news about my husband’s already revised knee replacements.
He “gets” to have another surgery in the next week or two to have the scattered pieces of the patella removed from his right knee and possibly, not so long after that surgery, have the patella in his left knee removed, as it appears to also have the same avascular necrosis that caused the right patella to disintegrate into pieces. Sigh…
Anyway, the drive gave us an opportunity to listen to some of the talk on the radio about President Biden and the alleged proof that he lied when it was discovered that he, through his son’s bank account, received a large sum of money from China. They questioned if this was bribe money.
They talked about our current president having alzheimer’s, concerns about tripping/falling, open borders with train loads of people illegally crossing, accepting bribe money from China, reducing our country’s military strength, etc.
I listened to them say President Trump went to a gun shop and looked around at the guns and chatted with the people. He probably even said he wanted a gun. Apparently, he did not buy one. Some seem to respect him for that decision.
Today, I paid $4.33/gallon of gas. When Trump was in office, I remember paying around $2/gallon of gas. It is an opinion that if the media and the corrupt people in every part of government had left him alone and let him do his job while he was in office, he could have done more good for our country.
The question could be asked if you feel better off today than you did four years ago? Does this president put OUR country and OUR people first? Is our country weaker because of our current administration? Why would they want to weaken our country? Are we safer as a country? China and Russia come to mind.
It triggers me when I hear about how open the border is… simply for political reasons. What other reason could there be?
Trump is sounding better and better every day as the best option for president. Most seem to feel that way. After all, why is he so far ahead in the polls?
Blogging… Seriously!
What could you do more of?
I could do more blogging! If only I did not work full-time!
My job satisfies my need to work. I like my job and my coworkers, which has not always been the case with other jobs I have had. Currently, I work in an environment that encourages cooperation, respect, and fun. It is a good balance. It is easy to go to work when you like it. BUT…
Working full-time cuts into my available time to blog! If I could, I would get up early, go for a walk, listen to or read the news, or listen to a podcast, and read a few of my favorite blogs. Then I would write all morning.
Fascinating Blogger
Someone once asked me if I read blogs. At the time, I hadn’t really spent time reading many personal blogs. There are a few personal blogs I enjoy now. Particularly, there is a 21-year-old college student I follow. Her name is Makenna. Her blog is called Spinning Visions and can be found at spinningvisions.com. Makenna is wise beyond her years and an amazing writer! Her writing style really speaks to me. The way she strings her words together to spin a vision in my mind is beautiful. My hope is to write like her “when I grow up.” There are times I feel old. I suppose I am. (My oldest granddaughter is the same age as Makenna and is in college. With her whole life ahead of her.) Anyway, when I read Makenna’s words, I feel like I am right there next to her, seeing and feeling the same things she is describing. She increases my longing for that college experience, for the people I could have seen when walking on campus, had a I gone, or simply sitting and watching other campus walkers pass by, watching me and assessing my situation at the same time I could have watched and assessed theirs. I did not go to college. I gained knowledge and wisdom in other ways. It’s ok.
One time, while walking on campus, Makenna passed someone she referred to as a ghost, someone she knew in high school. Time stopped for a second…. He did not see her. She let that memory pass by without saying a word to him. She was taken back in her memories to the time they shared a class together and even some of the same friends. He never knew she had been within a few feet of him. It made me wonder how many times someone from our past – from high school, a coworker from a previous place of employment, a childhood friend, etc. pass by, and we never know. They know. But, we are oblivious to the moment of reminiscing in their mind, as time stands still briefly for them. Has that ever happened to you?
Makenna talks about being a senior in college and that her college years are quickly approaching the end. She is looking forward to moving to a big city and being a writer there, yet trying to breathe in the present moments that will soon become memories. She writes in her journal and writes in her blog because, well, she loves to journal and write. She always has. I enjoy her blog and hope she continues to share her life with us even after she moves to the big city.
There are several middle-aged or older bloggers that I follow as well. It is interesting to read the wisdom from their life’s experiences. I can relate to much of what they share – aches and pains, empty nesting, finding and enjoying hobbies, traveling, and, of course, writing.
One blogger I follow likes to share pictures of doors. Incredible doorways! Colorful. Ornate. Huge. Old- country type of doorways. I would have never thought to blog about doors. It truly is fascinating.
People are fascinating. Blogs emphasize this point.
Football Season
Football season is a wonderful time of year. Today, the air is crisp and cool. The sun is lighting up the blue sky and brightening the wispy high clouds, a beautiful background to the fading green leaves. All of the windows are open, letting the cool air and aroma of freshly cut grass waft in through the screens and permeate our home, the feel of winter pushing not far behind. Sweatshirts and blankets are the new relaxed look of the day.
My players are set in two leagues for Fantasy Football. It used to be that my husband watched football every chance he got and I would busy myself with other things. Now, I can’t wait to watch football to cheer on my fantasy football players and excitedly watch as my numbers go up and up on my matchup, while my husband enjoys one of the last nice days outside soaking in the few rays of sunshine.
This week, I am matched up against a coworker with a pretty good team. His quarterback is T. Tagovailoa, who scored 55.5 points! But, that was no match for my quarterback, K. Cousins, who scored 56.0 points! It was a virtual tie. However, I am now a total of 24 points ahead of my opponent, and he has only one player to play Monday night. I am hopeful my 24-point lead will be enough to win. He is a smack-talker, so it would be nice to shut him down. 😉
What Is It About Birthdays?
September 5th. A special day to celebrate. Our family has had three birthdays already this month and one early celebration today. My mom’s youngest sister of six siblings turns 60 next month. She and another sister are here for a visit from Alaska.
My aunt does not look 60-years-old. Nor does she act sixty. She is as bubbly and full of life today as she was cheering for the high school sports team back in the day. Never able to have a child of her own, her spunk and easy infectious laughter will not be passed down through the generations. However, everyone who comes in contact with her, leaves feeling better for having known her. Her friendly, life-of-the-party type of personality draws people to her happiness. They find themselves relaxing and laughing right along with her funny antics or comebacks to friendly jabs thrown her way. In that way, her goodness is passed along to others. Most are not even aware they need the laughter permeating the room like a photographer is not aware of the need for mist over a scenic lake early in the morning as the sunrises, to increase the beauty and emotional connection captured in that moment.
Celebration with loved ones. Reminiscing about old times. Enjoying specially prepared foods and lovingly made cake for such an occasion and this. Being together, increasing bonds of love and friendship with family. And, spending time with others with the same or similar traits as yourself. It is a wonderful feeling to be accepted and loved for who you are. Birthdays are a fantastic opportunity to let others know you are thinking of and taking time to connect with them.
Happy birthday, everyone! May you all feel and/or spread love and happiness on your special day… whenever it is!
Sky action!
Clouds are intriguing. The form, shapes, color, size, speed of movement. The lightening, dancing through the sky from one cloud to another. Ahhh! I love it all!
The setting sun behind a growing thunderhead passing over us, tonight, lit up the clouds like an explosion in the sky!
The feeling was incredible, standing under an amazing, ominous, burning group of clouds exploding in the sky, as if marching on to victory.
Not a single drop of rain fell to ground in our neighborhood. The lightening danced. The thunder roared. Somewhere, it rained. But here? The umbrellas stayed dry.
Grandpa was only TWO YEARS OLD!
Grandpa Francis
I have been working on family history. My favorite place to research is in old newspapers at Newspapers.com. I discovered that my grandpa had amazing parents and that he, himself, was an amazing human being. He had experienced a lot of loss at a young age, yet he did not grow up to be bitter or angry. He was authentic, sincere, and unpretentious. My mom said she never heard my grandpa and grandma argue. The were kind and patient people.
My grandpa, Francis, was two years old when his mom died at age 31, while giving birth to her third son, my grandpa’s baby brother. Francis’s older brother was about 7 years old when their mother and baby brother passed away.
Grandpa Francis’s dad had gone blind and could not raise his two boys after his dear wife passed away. My grandpa and great uncle were sent to live with my great-grandmother’s parents. Grandpa’s dad (C. M.) went to a school for the blind after his wife passed away, where he learned how to live with his blindness. He learned how to tune pianos and was able to get by okay.
My grandpa was nine years old when his maternal grandfather died. He lived with his grandma until her passing when he was 25. He moved from Kansas to Idaho where he met and married my grandma a year later. She was 17 and he was 26. They raised 7 children together, worked hard, grew a garden each year, canned their own fruits and vegetables, loved their family, and each of them lived to be 90 years old. Neither of them drank alcohol. Grandpa was well-liked in the community, running the downtown “show-house” early on in their marriage and working for the City on the canals later in their marriage.
Grandma was quiet and busy with, cooking, canning and raising their children. She loved spending time with Grandpa, however, on coin-hunts, camping, and traveling back to Kansas so he could spend time with his brother and other family members from time to time.
My grandparents have both passed away. My mom (turning 81 in 9 days) and her six younger siblings (the youngest turns 60 in October) are all still alive.
Rainy Days and Mondays
If you are retired, you might need to remember back to when you had to work on a Monday and just what that felt like. Until 3 years ago, all of my jobs for the past 17 years included having Mondays off. I loved it! It’s been three years and I still have not adjusted fully to working on Mondays. I like to have the weekend to play and then have Monday to sleep in a little, then clean the house. Now, I cram everything into two days. It’s exhausting! 😊
Dad Jokes
Today, at work, the young men who work as aides at our PT clinic were on a roll with their “dad jokes,” which is funny because none of them are dads, yet. All of them are newly married (married about two years or less).
- Do you know what a dancing bird is called?
A twerky.
- Do you know what is odd?
Every other number.
See! Dad jokes!
They tell the jokes so seriously that I can’t help but laugh out loud, then they start laughing, which makes me laugh harder. I enjoy where I work, who I work with, and the fact that age does not matter. We are like a big family.
I guess working on Monday is not so bad after all, even though it was raining outside. 😊
So Many Thoughts
I enjoy stringing my thoughts together in words on a blank screen. A lot of times, I sit down and don’t know what to say, so I read what others write. The times when I sit down and start writing because the thoughts come easily, are my favorite times! Stream of consciousness writing can be enjoyable and healthy too. Have you ever tried that?
What is That Sound?
It is the
Sound of Freedom!
“God’s children are not for sale!” -Caviezel
“It would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 8:16
Walking past the popcorn and drinks and into the theater tonight, there was different feeling than when we we exited the theater after the movie was over. My husband and I were with two of our friends. There was a somewhat subdued happy feeling, as well as a feeling of anticipation, since all of us knew what the movie was about. Our arrival meant there were six people in the theater at that point. By the time the movie started, almost every chair was filled. It was interesting to note that there was not much joking or laughter from the audience prior to the beginning of the movie.
Two and a half hours passed in no time. I was absolutely riveted to the screen the entire two and a half hours. I found myself wanting to jump through the screen at one point and high-five the actor that played Tim, hug the little boy, and whisper to the girl that everything will be ok. Yet, deep down, I was filled with the sad realization that their lives will never be the same. Tears welled up in my eyes and my emotions spilled over. Not wanting to ruin the movie for anyone, I will just leave it at that.
Evil has a name. It is called child trafficking. It has got to stop! There is more illegal slavery in our world today than there was when slavery was legal. And, today, most of the slaves are children.
When the movie was over. The credits rolled and the music played. No one stood up to leave. Not. One. Person. It takes time to process the feelings this movie leaves you with…. Then…. HOPE.
GO. SEE. THIS. MOVIE! Take another adult with you: your mom, friend, sister, brother, son, daughter, spouse, dad, in-laws, or go alone, but just go!!
A Thorny Fall
A couple of weeks ago, my husband was doing some yardwork outside. He was working on pulling out some dead stems from one of the rose bushes in the front yard when he lost his balance and fell into the rose bush. His left arm caught the brunt of the fall. After picking himself up out of the rose bush (and, of course, doing a quick look around to make sure no one saw him), he began the tedious task of removing many thorns from his scratched up forearm. The next day, as he continued what he started in the rose bush, he fell again! Same process followed. Then, a few hours later he fell against the door frame of our door leading from the garage out to the back yard, scraping his arm in the same location where the thorns were removed earlier in the day, as well as the day prior.
A couple of days later, his arm began to swell. It became red and hot to the touch. It became obvious the next day, a Friday, that ignoring it probably was not a good idea. He went to our family doctor, received a shot of a strong antibiotic and an oral one to start taking that same afternoon. He was told if it worsened, to go to the ER over the weekend.
Good thing he had a shot. After all, Friday night is card night with my parents, my sister and her husband. We don’t miss card night unless we are sick with Covid or something equally as serious. Apparently, my husband did not put a swollen, infected arm in that category. 😉 It was a great game, though. The women won! (There is a story there…for another day.)
Saturday morning, I drove my husband to the ER, where an abscess was lanced, that formed overnight in his forearm. He was admitted to the hospital so they could watch how he responded to the antibiotics already given, as well as administer additional I.V. antibiotics. Long story, short. I brought him home from the hospital this afternoon, a Tuesday.
Before leaving the hospital, wound care met with him to clean and re-dress the wound in his arm. The nurse who worked on him explained how important it is for him to eat more protein during this healing process. He requested steak for dinner tonight. I obliged and added salad and hash browns to his request.
Below is very interesting information from a pamphlet he was given by his wound care nurse about WHY eating more protein and a few other nutrients is so important for wound healing.
How Do Good Nutrients Help To Heal Wounds?
Eating well during wound healing helps you heal faster and fight infection. During healing, your body needs more Protein, Fluids, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Zinc and L -Arginine to name a few.
The best source of these nutrients is food and water, but if you are not able to eat a good balanced diet you will need to add a supplement. Ask your healthcare provider about taking supplements or multivitamins.
PROTEIN
Protein is used to build, maintain, and repair body tissues, as well as help to maintain a healthy immune system. You should eat protein-rich foods with each meal and snack. Eat the protein portion of your meal first in case you become too full.
Extra protein is needed for wound healing. Wounds can cause a loss of up to 50 grams of protein per day. If extra protein is not taken in from an outside source, the body will break down existing proteins stored in your muscles, making them weaker.
Protein requirements almost DOUBLE while there is an actively healing wound.
- A 100-pound person requires 36 grams of protein per day.
- A 100-pound person with a wound requires at least 68 grams of protein per day.
Protein can be found in: meats, milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, poultry, fish, beans, peas, tofu, and powder.
FLUIDS
Fluids are needed for oxygen profusion, hydration to the wound bed, as the transport medium for nutrients, as a solvent for vitamins, minerals, glucose, amino acids, and to transport waste away from the cells. In addition to providing calories and protein to promote wound healing, fluid intake is equally important. Achieving hydration needs and preventing dehydration is vital.
It is important to drink at least 8 cups of water or non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages every day.
VITAMIN A
Vitamin A stimulates collagen and increases your defense against infection.
Vitamin A can be found in: milk, cheese, eggs, fish, liver, dark green veggies, oranges, and red fruits.
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen synthesis and formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), as well as strengthening tissue in the skin and muscles.
Vitamin C can be found in: oranges, grapefruit, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, leafy veggies, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower.
ZINC
Zinc increases skin cell production and wound strength, it increases tissue growth & healing, and helps the immune system.
Zinc can be found in: red meat, fish, shellfish, milk products, poultry, and eggs, as well as fortified cereals.
L-ARGININE
L-Arginine is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein throughout the body. They enhance protein metabolism, helping to reduce muscle loss and help to strengthen the wound.
L-Arginine can be found in: nuts, seeds, dairy products, turkey, chicken, beef, oats, corn, and brown rice.
Adequate nutrients will help achieve optimal wound healing rates, so by eating well it gives your wounds the best chance to heal.
REMEMBER:
Eat a wide variety of foods every day to get the protein, vitamins, and minerals you need to heal your wound and stay and keep it healthy or add supplements.
*If you have diabetes, kidney disease, blood thinners, or need to limit your fluid intake, talk to your healthcare provider before follow these tips.
ChatterLei 