A Very Long Rest

So.  At the end of July I broke my ankle.  I was indoor rock climbing, working on finishing a ceiling route 9 feet up.  Obviously I fell and missed the crash pad.  I was surrounded by friends who stood silent for only a few stunned seconds before taking action and helping me to the car, where my husband took me to the emergency room.

Apparently your ankle is one of the worst things to break.  3 metal plates and 12 screws later, I'm told I'll be able to start learning to walk again at the end of October. Three months after the accident I will be allowed to start physical therapy.  Nobody has told me how long physical therapy will last.  I'm afraid to ask.

It's been a crazy road of surgeries, medicines, splints, and going nowhere.  A lot of going nowhere and doing nothing.  Which can really wear on a Type A personality like mine.  I'm the planner!  I plan the events, I invite the people, I get us out and going and having fun!  I'm the Monica Geller!

There are a few things that I've learned in this amount of time:

1. The people at my job are awesome. There are horror stories of people losing their jobs over this same injury.  Because it takes FOREVER to heal.  I have had the immense fortune to be able to work from home, this entire time.  I get emails, visits, treats, cards, presents, and meals from the people at my work.  This is a group of people who loves me and it's pretty awesome to feel that way about your job after 10 years.

2. I have amazing friends and family.  The level of care that I'm getting from these people is off the charts. The kind of people who will come over on your worst day, ignore the smell radiating off you since you haven't been able to shower in over a week, fix you meals, and bring you cold drinks, and read to you when listening is the only activity you can participate in.  The kind of people who will color in coloring books, watch Golden Girls, and do your laundry all the while assuring you they are having the time of their lives.  These are the people I think my lucky stars for every day.  These people are my family, related or not.

3. There is no husband better than my husband.  There is no friend better than my best friend, Nick.  There are no words special enough or meaningful enough for me to express how grateful I am to him.  I'm sure there are worse things to deal with than a broken ankle.  But, in our lives, at this time, this is the worst.  It is absolutely the worst thing we've had to deal with.  I cannot walk. There were weeks of intense, intense pain.  I couldn't get up out of bed, I couldn't eat, it was all I could do just to keep from screaming.  Nick just took care of everything.  We were in the middle of a bathroom remodel when the accident happened.  He made sure it was finished by the time I got out of the hospital, so that I would have a place to shower.  He rearranged our living room with a bed from upstairs in place of our couch, which went onto the porch.  He scratched the floor moving all this furniture around for me and sanded and varnished the scratch so I would't worry about it.  He also takes care of our dog, does the laundry, the vacuuming, the dishes, all of the cleaning, the meals, the grocery shopping, the bills, not to mention helping me shower, get dressed, and get to weekly doctors appointments.  When I needed daily injections, he gave them to me.  When I can't change the dressing on my wounds because it's too gross, he does it. He has never complained.  Not once.  He tells me "I would do so much more for you, I love you so much. Your comfort is my priority."  I guess when we made those vows to each other 12 years ago, this was the "worse" that we mentioned.  I'm sorry to have to put him through it, but holy cow am I grateful he's here with me.  Love is not strong enough a word.

But, this is not supposed to be a post about my horrible leg business.  This is a post about a sale I went to.  A sale that I go to every year.  The Advent House Sale.  Remember those friend/family members I talked about?  Well, my friend Heather is one of those.  She didn't want me to miss the sale so she hunted down a wheelchair to borrow and wheeled my ass all around that sale.  It was cramped this year because it was in a church as opposed to being out in an open yard.  The small space seemed to be cramping the amount of things for sale because it seemed like they had a lot less than previous years.  We are hoping they rethink the format.  Other such events have really got their act together. (I'm looking at you Ronald McDonald House sale!)

Even with the leg, and the wheelchair, and the cramped space, and the less stuff, I found some things!  Some of my favorite things to find, too!  Vintage Hallmark and jewelry!

Wooden bangles in three colors ($7), metal and resin bracelets ($4) and pink 80s earrings ($2 each)!

Tropical scene on velvet?  You bet!  $2!

Awesome vintage pipe cleaners. White with red flecks, perfect for Christmas crafting (50 cents) !

Ridiculously cute son and daughter vintage Hallmark mice sleeping in slippers ornaments!  50 cents each with the original boxes!  It's just so cheap!  Even at the Ronald McDonald sale I pay up to $8 each!  The slippers are fuzzy, even!

More vintage Hallmark.  The crocodile has a piece on his tail that moves and when you twist it his mouth opens.  No teeth!  Again, 50 cents each with the original boxes!

I can't do any estate sales because I can't really do stairs very well.  Not in a crowded house with breakables around, that's for sure!  So none of that for me until I can walk on my own.

I do plan to attend the RMD sale next month.  Of course my body guard, champion and all around helper, Nick, will be there to see that I am safe, have someone to help carry things, and have a ride home the minute I need one.  He has never, ever gone to this sale before.  It's not his thing.  But, he really wants me to be able to participate, and volunteered on his own.  I told you he was the best.  <3

So, In Summary:

#blessed