Couchbound

yep, the rumors are true. My leg. Is broken. It is the Fibula of my right leg, which is the outer leg bone, and the ER doctor says that it's the very tip, the bottom of the bone in the ankle area, that is broken. Most of you who are Facebook friends know that Ardyn tripped me when I was going down the front steps, and I had walked on it for a week with the aircast on, pretty confident that it was another avulsion fracture of that ankle bone. Turns out that I feel again this Saturday, exactly one week (practically to the HOUR) from the fall on the steps. I was at mom's with the kids, after taking Ardyn to Eve's birthday party. Marek was asleep on the couch, and after I grabbed a bite to eat, I was going down the steps with Ardyn. I was holding her hand and turned sideways on the bottom step waiting for her to catch up in her "fancy dress gown" when my ankle completely gave out and I fell and took Ardyn with me. It hurt so bad, because I had re-injured what was already swollen and bruised. After that injury, it was painful to walk on again. It was my own fault because the aircast was really bothering my ankle, and it was rubbing and itching under there, and so I had taken it off for a bit and then of course my ankle gave out because um, hello, it was BROKEN. Well, my leg technically, but where all those bones meet to form your ankle. :)

So that night Evan had a gig, and I had both kids, and I was trying to figure out exactly how to get an Xray, because I didn't want to go through the ER thing, but you don't really have a choice after regular hours. Luckily my sweet friend Courtney put her kids to bed, and after mine were in bed she came over and slept on the couch so I could drive myself over and have it checked. When I walked in, they were all pretty confident, I believe, that it was not broken. Because people don't walk on broken bones. But.... people aren't me. :) She asked my pain level and I said 3 or 4 and she just looked at me like "Why are you even getting an xray?" So anyway. I figured they would do their regular "ice, elevate, etc" recommendation, which is why I did that for a week before going in.

I went to get my xray and after she was done, she said "well, you've got something going on, but I can't tell if it's an old or new injury (meaning the one from 2007 or a new one) and so the doctor came in and did some poking and prodding and I was a little "Ow" and he checked the Xray and came back in and said "It's broken" and within like 10 minutes I was in a soft cast from my thigh to my toes. Yeah. And they said "You can't drive, call for a ride home" except it was midnight, and Courtney was trapped at my house with my kids, and Evan in the middle of his gig, and parents all asleep... I called poor EK because I knew that if her kids were in bed and her husband was home, she would come get me, but I felt bad because hers wasn't home... lol. I ended up giving up, and a county deputy was going to drive me home. I had tried to call Evan but he doesn't get a message in the middle of a gig. I wanted about 40 minutes for a deputy and then he got another call and couldn't come. So I gave up and posted to facebook hoping that someone out there was awake and could just get me home! After I posted to facebook, I called my mom, and while I was trying to get her awake enough to understand what was happening, Kyle (BIL) Called and said he was awake and would come and get me. So he did, and I was SO grateful. And of course I hadn't thought about there being a real issue with my leg, so I didn't have crutches with me, and I was on E in the van so I needed gas. *sigh*

When I got home and woke up Courtney, and was sitting there in the chair with my cast on, it was comical because when I said it is broken, she just goes "Shut UP!?" and it still makes me laugh to remember that. She cracks me up.

So I had to send a text to Evan and let him know what was going on, and ask him to go to the basement to feed and water the chickens when he got home, and then I went to bed. It was so hard to sleep with this stupid thing on! I was to follow up with a orthopedic surgeon on Monday, and I had a heck of a time convincing them that I needed an appointment. I was able to get in this Wednesday, and I am just hoping that I don't take a hack saw to this stupid soft cast before then to make it below the knee. My leg isn't bent enough to easily walk on crutches, and I have to walk with my foot out in front of me instead of bent behind me. I already have bruises under my right arm from the crutches.

Yesterday Evan's parents kept the kids while he went to the Quad Cities, and he took me to mom's where Dad and I worked on the chicken coop. Dad more than me, but I was able to stand and help assemble the next box pieces that I had marked out and Josh had cut for me. I just stood on my good foot and propped my broken side up on the legs of the coop... it worked great. But eventually I got tired and hungry and cold, and mom made us grilled cheese and tomato soup which I wolfed down and then I fell sound asleep on the couch. When Evan came to get me they had to wake me up and I was totally tired. We went and got the kids and Evan had to carry everyone and everything into bed. I went down to the basement with my crutches and cleaned the chick brooder, which wasn't hard at all... and then Evan helped me fill their water and I put them back in their home. They are HUGE. No exaggerations. HUGE. I can't believe how much they grow in 24 hours. It's insane. They are eating a quart of food a day. They would eat more if I would let them!

I went to bed nice and early (before 11, I was in bed by 10:30 with two Tylenol PM) and I was so sore! My arms and shoulders and my good leg more than my broken one, just from hauling my ass around on crutches. Whew! It's too much work!

I had a heck of a time making lunch for the kids. I luckily had something leftover from the night before, so all I had to do was set the table and heat it in the microwave. Yeah. ALL I had to do. I couldn't carry anything with my crutches, and this is *supposed* to be a completely non-weight bearing injury. OY. I had the kids set the table, which they do on occasion, but this time I gave Ardyn 3 paper plates (all plain and identical white) and she came back like 3 minutes later saying that she gave Marek his, but couldn't tell the difference between hers and mine. Seriously. I had to laugh. I think I need a cart with wheels. I had the hardest time getting the leftovers from the fridge to the microwave. It was ridiculous. You just don't think of these things. You can't carry a glass casserole dish and walk on crutches at the same time. Seriously. I finally got it there and got it heated up, and had Ardyn push my chair from the dining room over to the front of the microwave so I could set the food on the chair and then she pushed it back to the table so I could lift it up to the table and serve it. Talk about crazy! And then, cleaning up wasn't exactly do-able. Marek and Ardyn had to do some teamwork to get the gallon of milk (even though it was half full) into the dining room and hoist it up on the table. Poor kids.

I gave them baths afterwards, but since I can't stand up on my own or kneel (cast is above knee) I had to sit on the potty lid with my leg up on their stepstool while they swam around and Ardyn helped Marek wash his face off from our spaghetti. They LOVE spaghetti. I didn't bother to wash their hair because I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Anyway. It's crazy. Luckily EK asked what we would like for meals, and started up a meal train for us, and I told her that I was not as concerned about supper as I was about lunch. Suppertime means daddy is here, but lunchtime means I am here alone with both kids, and don't know what the heck I am going to feed them. Today Grandma ended up picking up Ardyn from school and taking her to Subway for lunch. I wanted to beg her to bring some back for Marek and I but I didn't want to be a pain. She ended up keeping Ardyn for the afternoon and calling later to see if Ardyn could stay overnight. That was nice.

But Marek and I didn't eat lunch... until 2:30. Luckily the Perry Home Medical Delivery Guy came (and he was super nice and understanding, even when he had to walk over 5000 tractors and trains to get into the living room, and when I had on a pajama gown with no bra and had my hair sticking up) and he adjusted the shower chair in the bathtub for me, and adjusted the knee scooter to fit me. He was very polite and patient. I appreciated it so much. I can't drive, and can barely walk, AND I have Marek, so I had no idea how I was going to get this stupid gear home from Princeton. Thank GOD they delivered it. SO, after I got the knee scooter, Marek had a nutritious lunch of one hot dog and one piece of string cheese, and I had a piece of string cheese and a coke. Yum. Then I took a much appreciated shower. Wow. Love that chair. Just kept my entire leg out of the shower and covered it with a towel and then the shower curtain to keep everything dry. Will be SO MUCH EASIER if they cast me from the knee DOWN on Wednesday. Pray for that, okay? Otherwise I WILL be crazy!

I snoozed on the couch for a while as Marek played farm and watched PBS. Daddy is on his way home with a few supplies, and then I have a class Reunion Planning meeting to attend. Thankfully I have arranged for rides from friends to my activities this week, and Evan takes Ardyn to school and Grandma picks her up. Daddy will take her to dance on Thursday, and so this is all arranged. I just need to figure out what we will do on Wednesday, to get me to and from my appointment, and we also have haircuts that day. Grandma has offered to help, and Evan might end up taking me to the doctor... I am hoping someone out there wants to take Marek to playgroup on Wednesday while I am at the doctor.

So, just hoping at this point for a quick and efficient doctor visit this Wednesday, leading to a knee down cast and hopefully the news that I won't need any surgery.... !

If you want to participate in the meal train, the link is on facebook, and we are pretty flexible. My wishlist includes things that can go right to the microwave or right to the oven, and come right out and be served. I really want to be able to feed them lunch :( And the less I have to carry the better!

Thanks for all the phone calls and the offers for help. Right now I am most concerned about keeping toys picked up so I don't break my other leg, and also laundry (ack) I am trying to convince Evan to take me and the laundry to the laundromat so I can do all of it at once, and just sit there and fold it. That would be so awesome! :)

Okay, time to move around for a few minutes so I don't get bedsores.