Patience people

We are now into our third week of our new standard operating procedure at Casa Cardos. I have gone from stunned, numb hour by hour operation to a relatively smooth system. The patient has been patient, it is not a natural act on his part, but he is trying. (No Mom that is not a pun.) We have wheel chairs and walkers on both floors for the commuter, he can now lah de dah down the stairs to breakfast and then saunter back up to the office at will. Major victories included getting in and out of bed and in and out of a chair by himself.

Now he is bored (or rather more bored) and sure that he can spur this healing process along by pushing himself. I am having a hard time helping him understand that tendon's heal at their own rate and it is too early for physical therapy or testing his limits. This is not like getting his should back into functioning order by keeping up with his exercises.

Last night was our first big outing - he put on his big boy pants and shoes, we loaded him into the backseat of the car along with walker and wheel chair and met our friends for dinner. Riding sideways in the car is uncomfortable so we will have to find an alternate solution for longer drives, but Mike and I were able to manhandle the equipment and he was willing to follow the rules. Our next big adventure is a trip into the office on Friday.

This has been a lesson in patience. I know that I am a creature of habit, but didn't realize how changes to my routines can really throw me for a loop. I always prided myself in being flexible. Or as my children would say scatter brained. But I guess I am much less flexible than I thought. Mess drives me crazy, I can put up with it for a while and then -- well and then I try to bring some order and develop a tolerance for what I can't change. It is silly things like my bed looking unmade because he can't tolerate the weight of a comforter or heavy cover on his feet and he has to throw it off both feet before he can start to get out of bed. This results in the sheets being untucked and a lightweight down comforter replacing the much heavier one. So now I am trying out new ideas like a top sheet to keep the down comforter clean, it is still a work in progress. Silly things in the big picture but the harmony in my visible world is very important to the harmony in my little brain. I'll keep you posted on my sanity! and the patient's progress.