Patience, Becca, Patience.

I'm so close to being done, I can taste it. I'm walking without crutches in the house, but still need them to go out. I was relatively painless today, and thought, WOW! I'm really almost there. And then, I go to physical therapy, and Sue doubles my requirements on nearly every exercise. For those of you who know me, I am NOT the exercising type. Anything that can be implemented into my day (walking, biking, etc.) is all good. However. Crunches? Squats? Weights? Treadmill? Bad news for Becca. Anyway, I was in pain. Not so much anymore (it's been RICE'd (rested, iced, compressed, and elevated) all afternoon) but I guess I'm not as close to being perfectly healed as I thought. Grrr.

This quote, graciously shared by Jason, seems very appropriate for today.

"Patience is a hard discipline.  It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control:  The arrival of a bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict.  Patience is not waiting passively until someone else does something.  Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are.  When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are.  We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else.  Be patient and trust that the treasure you are looking for is hidden in the ground on which you stand." --Henri Nouwen

Patience is one thing I've gained during these past two months...however, I guess there is no limit to the amount of patience a person needs. I'm proof of that, I guess.

Busy Weekend

Definitely the highlight of the weekend was Easter Sunday...we shared huevos rancheros with Richard, then went to church at Grace Van Vorst. Janet's sermon was challenging and Gospel-proclaiming throughout. After fellowship in the Parish Hall, which involved yummy banana cake, egg salad, and many more treats made by the grandmas of the church, we went home. We read and relaxed for a couple hours...and in the evening, went to see the final performance of Godspell. Afterwards was the cast party at Janet's house.

Of course, one more wonderful thing about Easter (besides, of course, the resurrection of our Lord! Hallelujah!) is that my Lenten chocolate fast is over. Yay! However, I'm planning to reinstate it soon anyway--probably after my small supply of gifted chocolate is exhausted.

One-Crutch Woman

Sue, my PT, made me begin to walk with just one crutch today...but I've been practicing a bit with no crutches on the sly. Also she increased my leg-lift weight to five pounds, added resistance on my weight machine, and added three minutes to my recumbent bike requirement. Still pretty muscle-less..but getting better. So exciting!

And now, since I'm only on one crutch, I can actually carry things in my right hand while walking. Goodbye, backpack! Goodbye, meals-in-tupperware!

Weight-Bearing!!!

I went to see Dr. Augustin today, and after a brief stint with my favorite hugely-muscled-X-ray-man, Tom, Dr. A told me that I could start learning how to walk without crutches during my next few physical therapy sessions! I could not stop grinning at that man. And of course, he was happy too (One more (nearly) fixed leg. Check!) I was glad to see him smile... it didn't even matter that he was laughing at me and my excitement.... the word in the waiting room was that he had had a really hard and long day... and it was only noon!

Sue, my physical therapist, will help me strengthen this right leg, which has zero muscle from the knee to the ankle but lots of flab from the knee upwards. Hopefully that will get toned a little bit once I start walking on it. I've been on the bike and weight machine at physical therapy lately...and got up to four notches on the bike. As far as I can tell, that's the level of resistance that I'm pedaling against...I started at two. Sue also straps a four-pound weight just above my knee, and I do 3 sets of 30 leg raises (on back, on side, on stomach) to help strengthen this right thigh.

I think that it'll be a long time before I can bike up Mountain Road (the zig-zaggy street going from Hoboken to the Heights) again, though...it's all I can do to ride five minutes on the recumbent bike in the gym. My right leg is shaking at the end of that.

In other happy news: Sunday is Easter! Jeff's coming this weekend! Various members of my family are coming the next weekend! And have I mentioned that I'm going to learn how to walk again???

The Past Week

Well.

Lots of things have happened over the past week...here's some highlights.

*Jeff came to visit this weekend! He could only stay for Sunday and Monday, but the short time was well spent.

*I've started weight-bearing physical therapy. Yesterday Sue put me on the bike and a weight machine. Dominic also helped me work with a Theraband...I was supposed to do 30 reps of each exercise, but he kept on making jokes and forgetting the count...then I would make a joke in return, and we'd lose count again. I guess you could say that humor is good for the muscles. By the way, my poor legs look so disproportionate. My right leg has Zero Muscle...and my left leg is the very epitome of a Well Defined Muscle. Last, 15 minutes in the GameReady...which provides cold compression and a long-lasting tingly feeling.

*I'm walking on crutches. It's very slow...but strengthening my leg bit by bit.

*Last night was the Parent/Student evening at Mustard Seed--I sat in state in the classroom, and greeted parents and students before they began their projects and activities. It was great to see everyone!

*Godspell dress rehearsals at church are this week--I'm singing backup on a couple of songs...unfortunately because of my broken leg I had to bow out of the actual cast. Come and bring your friends! It's free!

P.S. If you are reading this, post a comment, just to assure me that my readership is not in fact declining. You can even post anonymously! No pressure!

Nap

Well, after that very strenuous afternoon of cleaning...my body decided that it was so tired, it needed to sleep for nearly 3 hours! I had no idea that cleaning my room would tire me out so much. It was nice to sleep in a clean room, though.

Making Progress

So, I can now stand (albiet on one foot, with crutches) for long enough to wash a sinkful of dishes! Well, half a sinkful at a time (in between I have to sit down and rest...) Vickie and Gayle should be happy about that!

I also spent a couple hours today cleaning my room and filling a Goodwill bag. My room is clean now (except I can't sweep the floor...). However, it is definitely better than it was. It was becoming an obstacle course for me on my crutches, and now at least the way is clear. Cleaning is exhausting, though! I had to sit down or lay down and rest every ten minutes or so...I guess my cleaning muscles need some work.

So, I don't have the "I can't clean because I broke my leg" excuse anymore. The floors are still out of my league though...it's too hard to handle a dustpan, broom, and crutches.

My life is so interesting, isn't it? An entire blog entry about me being able to do simple chores around the house. I'm excited though; it's another step on the road to recovery.

I did get to go to Hoboken for my Bible Study last night. Jason picked up Cuban food (beans and rice and cassava for me) and then picked me up...it was my friend Rick's last night (he's in the Army and was called up recently) so I didn't want to miss it!

Modpodging Like a Maniac

So, I've been getting in touch with my crafty side, modpodging everything in sight. If you don't know what Modpodge is, you MUST find out.

Other significant events this week, appropriate to write about in a weblog:

1. I've watched several great movies: Shakespeare in Love, Emma, Strictly Ballroom, and more...

2. The Chester family and the Cocoves family both visited this week, bearing (in all) several pounds of chocolate, mixed nuts, and cookies. Come share them with me!

3. On Friday afternoon, I visited Mustard Seed School for the first time since my accident. I visited the lower school classrooms, showing off my X-ray and answering questions.

4. I played UNO with Nathan Eaton, then discussed the ins and outs of Ancient Egypt. Nathan is 7, but boy, can he have a good discussion about Egypt. I also spent some time cuddling on a couch with Nathan's little sister, my dear friend Emma (age 4). Jonas (age 3) would have none of that.

5. Last night's Godspell Cast dinner at Mike and Wendy's was phenomenal! Wendy and Mike thoughtfully provided vegetarian lasagne...YUM!...along with bread, salad, and assorted yummy beverages. Even with said beverages, there was very little singing of Godspell tunes...but there WERE some great games--Two Lies and a Truth, and the Question Game, to be exact.

Stevie and Hannah Come to Dinner

stevie and hannah
Originally uploaded by grbecca.

Stevie and Hannah, friends from church, came over with lentil stew made with swiss chard, which, Stevie informed me, is the valedictorian in the high school of vegetables. It provides "like, 400% of your daily vitamin K" says Stevie. "Ah, an overachiever!" I say.