Dot`sThoughts

my elbow, above it is where the larger bruise slightly shows- just above the elbow.
more elbow
on back of arm
side of arm just above the elbow, looks like top of arm, but it`s much lower. This is where the arm fell down to- about 5 inches below the shoulder and about 3 inches above the elbow..

The arm is still fighting me, but Iintend to win with the help of theraphy.

Here it is, another day and here I sit wasting the days away. When you get to be my age, you hate wasting time accomplishing nothing. Well, not quite nothing as I am able to keep running the washer and dryer to keep clean clothes to wear. Not doing anything to get them dirty though. Just the old saying that parents raise us with-- always wearing clean clothes. I can`t wash my dishes, so have started using the dish washer. When it gets full enough, I have my daughter come over to push it near the sink. It is one that has to be hooked up to the kitchen faucet. Can`t complain since it was given to me by my youngest daughter.

When my daughter next door came over to bring Sassy in to feed her this morning , Sassy was gone. Seems she broke her heavy hook on her heavy chain sometime during the night. If you could see how large and strongly made that heavy hook was, you would surely wonder how any dog could be that strong. My Dad and younger bro used to tow cars with the same heavy chain and hook size that I now have. I often wondered how she could run that fast and not end up breaking her neck with the heavy chain, but it doesn`t slow her down any. She is one mighty strong dog. She is about 10 1/2 yrs old now. Her face hair it getting grayish looking, but she still takes off fast when chasing a squirrel or cat that tries to cross my property. In case you don`t know, she is a beautiful black and white Border Collie.

My daughter kept calling her, but she didn`t show up. So I went outside and started whistling for her and she came running up the road. Of course she wanted to play, so she kept teasing us-- she would run almost to one of us, then take off running fast right past us. She did this for at least 15 minutes before I just went and sat on the porch steps. When she started around the daughters house next door, saw me and stopped to see if I would go after her, my daughter had time to grab her collar. She came inside to lay down and rest for about an hour before wanting to go back outside. Now I am holding my breath as the only hook I had to use isn`t as heavy or strong as the old one was. I hope she doesn`t break it before someone can get a new hook for me. With my right arm still tied up in a sling, I can`t just hop in my car and go after one. Thats one of the few problems of having a standard instead of an automatic shift operated car. Maybe one of these days I will give in and buy myself a new automatic, but those older cars were made with heavier metal. I always felt safer in case of an accident, as the older cars don`t crumple up in a crash like most of the newer ones seem to do. Something to think about though.

Guess I`ll stop now as my left hand is starting to complain from all the typing using it. I sure will be happy when I can get back using my right hand and arm again. So much easier and faster using two hands for typing. This one finger left hand typing takes much longer, plus it causes it to swell up at the top base between the thumb and wrist area whenever I use my left hand. From an old injury years back. Have had both hands operated on over the years from ruptured tendons in the palms, plus small finger on left hand is frozen at little over a 45 degree right angle from another injury. My advice to everyone is never use a steak knife to separate two frozen pieces of meat, as thats how I damaged the finger. As for the tendons, my surgeon once told me to go back home, work with some more tools and come back and see him in another year. He said he only does that kind of op on mechanics and carpenters. Well, that Dr died before the other hand needed tendons repaired and the next Dr wasn`t half as good a surgeon. My dad also had the same op, but his Dr wasn`t so good as it left him with one finger that never moved again . They didn`t have theraphy in my Fathers day like they do today. So we are a little better off.

Hi everyone. Just getting you up to date why I might not be posting as often. I`m not to good or fast using one finger and my left hand., as I am right handed. Here is a letter I wrote to a cousin to save me trying to print it out again.

Hi Bess,
In the morning we went to the cementary for a graveside service for oldest sisters husband.
She wanted him burried here with the rest of our family. Then we all met at oldest bro`s house.
Then I had a baby shower to attend at 1pm for a neighbors daughter.
It was held in a church basement. no railings on last couple steps that went the other way. When I looked down i only saw 1 step, but there was 2 steps. Prisms in glasses didn`t pick up the images right when looking downward instead of looking thru them straight ahead.
my foot caught the front edge of the 2nd step and as hard as
I tried, I couldn`t catch my ballance and I was thrown sliding a few feet from the steps by the time I stopped sliding on that shiny cement floor.

I had knocked the arm out from the badly torn rotor cuff
and the top of the arm was left just above my elbow and felt like a huge hard swollen lump pushing against my side. I wasn`t even able to get up. Girls lifted me up and into a chair. Then I had no strength to hold the arm to stand, so they had to call the ambulance to take me to the Hosp. Oldest daughter Linda rode with me.So she also missed the shower.
Dr was eventually able to snap it back in place. He told me they aren`t supposed to keep you overnight in the Hosp for a shoulder dislocation, but the way mine was damaged he felt
he needed to keep me overnight. Went in around 1pm Sat and came home around 3pm Sun.

I am only allowed to spread my fingers and bend my wrist a little.
Twice a day I am allowed to bend my elbow, but no more movement till I see him in a week. Have to keep my arm tight against my side till I see him so it won`t slip back down.
He told me it would need possibly months of theraphy, but needed about 6 weeks for the torn cuff to heal enough to start the theraphy.
So here I sit typing with my left hand, one finger at a time.
And yes, he did give me pain pills- Hydroco/apap 5-500 M-can take
2 tab every 4 hrs as needed, hopefully not for too long. I`m not a pill taker. Hoping in a few days to cut it to 1 every 6 hours, and then to none. That is my hopes.

I should make out ok as I once had that hand operated on, another time when kitchen stove blew up- right hand was badly burned. So had to learn to do everything left handed both times. May be older now, but I will make out ok.
Just hope I can still use the electric drill with that arm and hand once it heals. Dr said I should be expecting some movement losses from the damage. Hoping to be able to prove him wrong.
Love,
Dot

So if I read your blog without commenting, just know I will still be reading. I do enjoy reading all your blogs. I couldn`t forget all my wonderful blog friends. You are all special friends.

More great grandchildren on Halloween.

On left is another grandson with his little 4 month old daughter dressed in a rabbit outfit.

On the right is another granddaughter with her 6 month old son dressed in a frog costume that she made for him. He is holding a lollypop. His mommy told me that was his first lollypop and he sure was trying to eat it with the paper still on it. I did tell my granddaughter that he probably shouldn`t put the paper in his mouth as you never know about the colors on the paper , plus the paper might start falling apart in his mouth from getting so wet and he could choke on it. So, mommy took the pop out of his mouth and we played with him so he wouldn`t miss it. His mommy will give it back to him after they get home and get him out of the outfit. His very first lollypop and from his great grandmother. pretty good, right?

I have lots of other great grandchildren who are also very precious to me, I just didn`t see them on Halloween to get their pictures in costumes.

This is one of my grandsons with his two sons.



This is my granddaughter- the little lion. I should have taken a picture of the back of the head with all the fake fur on it. It has the little white paw effects for hands and feet on the costume, plus a tail. She was trying to look alittle scarry and roaring while I took the picture.

Four of my grandchildren showed up with their little ones and I found enough time to take pictures of five great grandchildren before the evening was over. I tried over and over to add the pictures in my blog-- but it wouldn`t add even one of them. It used to be so easy to take lots of pictures when Walt was here to pass out the candy leaving me free to play with the camera. Walt so loved seeing the kids faces light up when he dropped candy into their open bags. But, with them arriving so fast, one after the other , I wasn`t able to take very many pictures this year.

So many cute little ones came to my home for Halloween candy, about 60 this year. I love seeing them all. Many of the younger teenagers still come . Many adults get irritated having some older kids knocking on their door for trick or treating. I feel they could be out getting into trouble, so coming to my door for candy is a much better thing for them to do. Also, I feel much safer living here alone knowing that I have the respect of the little kids who have grown up and are now either teenagers or parents bringing their own little kids to my home.

We moved to this neighborhood in 1955, so many of the kids I have seen since birth. Their parents brought them to our Bicycle Shop for many years, then there was over 10 more years running a grocery store. So, our yard was always filled with teenagers and parents with their little ones. While most of them know my last name, I must admit that while I recognize many of them, I have forgotten many of their names. Was so much easier when my kids were younger and I would see many of them often. But, today my kids are now parents and most of them are also grandparents. So, it has been many years since they were kids living at home. But, I can count on most of the kids showing up again for Halloween next year.