It's Been a While...
Sorry about the lack of updates on my journal, but I sorta fell out of the routine of updating it and came back into contact with that old quandry about wether or not anyone really needs to know the ins-and-outs of my day-to-day life...but enough has happenned as of late to post so I figured what the hell.
Well, let's see. Where does the story begin. It starts with a visit from the parents the weekend of 1/23-1/25. Saturday morning, as my mother was preparing for the day, she slipped in the tub and banged up her ankle. It looked a little swollen and was black and blue but otherwise seemed ok. We hung out that day, walking all around Union Square and eventually ending up at Ruth's Chris Steak House for dinner.
The next day mom's foot was so swollen she could no longer put on a shoe. It was massive and obviously something more serious than we originally thought. My mom and dad opted to have a quick bit with Shannon and I for lunch, then head home to see a doc about her foot. Well, they x-rayed the thing and, sure enough, she had a full fracture of her ankle. They sent her home...yes...sent her home. They sent an extremely brittle diabetic home to await a surgery to mount pins in the ankle (which was completely fractured) and stabalize it.
Day after that my sister drops by my mom and dad's place to check on mom at about 3:30pm. No amount of rousting would wake my mom so my brother came over. He was also unable to wake her (finding her blood sugar to be elavated to over 500 - my mother is a diabetic). They took her to the hospital where she was admitted for observation. The doctors decided, at that time, since they could really see how her ankle would cause this much trouble, to take an x-ray of her head and neck (just to be sure, mind you). Well, it turns out my mother had not only fractured her ankle but also her spinal column, resulting in serious spinal damage (though they say that the damage was probably done over a longer period of time previous to that).
The next day my dad called me at work (7:15am) to tell me the news. Mom was bed-ridden, her spinal cord damaged to the point that she will likely be a quadrapalegic for the rest of her life, though the Neurosurgeon told my dad there was a possability that mom could regain some movement and function though his words were "a full recovery here would be nothing short of a miracle." I went home. I was in shock. Shannon called and asked if I wanted to go to Fresno to see her. I did. He came home and took me.
There was mom. She was a mess. She couldn't speak in a way that made any sense and she fell in and out of consciousness. I hugged her and told her how much I love her. I think she was aware enough to know it was me. My father, sister, brother, Shannon, and I all talked and decided the best thing for me would be to continue as planned with our trip to the River for my birthday. We came home that evening, me in tears most of the way home.
Now, the weekend was good...including my birthday. I have come to realize more than ever how lucky I am and how fantastic Shannon is. He was "nothing short of a miracle" and I have no idea how I would have managed thus far without him. We hung out, watched movies, played video games, and all-in-all vegged out, which was exactly what I needed.
Things have improved a bit with mom over the past few days. She now has some limited movement in her arms and can bend her wrists slightly. Her speech is still very slurred but at least she is making more sense now (it was basically word salad before that). She will be transferred to a long-term rehabilitation center as of this weekend where the work begins in earnest. My family and I have decided that, for now, I should remain at home and work, waiting to use any family leave until such time as they are ready to release her to home so that I can be there to help with that adjustment. *SIGH* It's all so much.
Thanks to my friends, coworkers, and loved ones who've been so awesome so far. I apologize in advance for the wierdness that is likely to be me for the next few months.
Today is pretty good day, though all days now seem to be laced with perspective. I went to the gym (30min of cardio) and I've been eating very healthy today (tunafish, nonfat milk, and nonfat yogurt) so I hope to shed the massive weight gain I underwent this past week. Ugh. Wish me luck everyone. I need it.
Well, let's see. Where does the story begin. It starts with a visit from the parents the weekend of 1/23-1/25. Saturday morning, as my mother was preparing for the day, she slipped in the tub and banged up her ankle. It looked a little swollen and was black and blue but otherwise seemed ok. We hung out that day, walking all around Union Square and eventually ending up at Ruth's Chris Steak House for dinner.
The next day mom's foot was so swollen she could no longer put on a shoe. It was massive and obviously something more serious than we originally thought. My mom and dad opted to have a quick bit with Shannon and I for lunch, then head home to see a doc about her foot. Well, they x-rayed the thing and, sure enough, she had a full fracture of her ankle. They sent her home...yes...sent her home. They sent an extremely brittle diabetic home to await a surgery to mount pins in the ankle (which was completely fractured) and stabalize it.
Day after that my sister drops by my mom and dad's place to check on mom at about 3:30pm. No amount of rousting would wake my mom so my brother came over. He was also unable to wake her (finding her blood sugar to be elavated to over 500 - my mother is a diabetic). They took her to the hospital where she was admitted for observation. The doctors decided, at that time, since they could really see how her ankle would cause this much trouble, to take an x-ray of her head and neck (just to be sure, mind you). Well, it turns out my mother had not only fractured her ankle but also her spinal column, resulting in serious spinal damage (though they say that the damage was probably done over a longer period of time previous to that).
The next day my dad called me at work (7:15am) to tell me the news. Mom was bed-ridden, her spinal cord damaged to the point that she will likely be a quadrapalegic for the rest of her life, though the Neurosurgeon told my dad there was a possability that mom could regain some movement and function though his words were "a full recovery here would be nothing short of a miracle." I went home. I was in shock. Shannon called and asked if I wanted to go to Fresno to see her. I did. He came home and took me.
There was mom. She was a mess. She couldn't speak in a way that made any sense and she fell in and out of consciousness. I hugged her and told her how much I love her. I think she was aware enough to know it was me. My father, sister, brother, Shannon, and I all talked and decided the best thing for me would be to continue as planned with our trip to the River for my birthday. We came home that evening, me in tears most of the way home.
Now, the weekend was good...including my birthday. I have come to realize more than ever how lucky I am and how fantastic Shannon is. He was "nothing short of a miracle" and I have no idea how I would have managed thus far without him. We hung out, watched movies, played video games, and all-in-all vegged out, which was exactly what I needed.
Things have improved a bit with mom over the past few days. She now has some limited movement in her arms and can bend her wrists slightly. Her speech is still very slurred but at least she is making more sense now (it was basically word salad before that). She will be transferred to a long-term rehabilitation center as of this weekend where the work begins in earnest. My family and I have decided that, for now, I should remain at home and work, waiting to use any family leave until such time as they are ready to release her to home so that I can be there to help with that adjustment. *SIGH* It's all so much.
Thanks to my friends, coworkers, and loved ones who've been so awesome so far. I apologize in advance for the wierdness that is likely to be me for the next few months.
Today is pretty good day, though all days now seem to be laced with perspective. I went to the gym (30min of cardio) and I've been eating very healthy today (tunafish, nonfat milk, and nonfat yogurt) so I hope to shed the massive weight gain I underwent this past week. Ugh. Wish me luck everyone. I need it.