Winter Snow Fun
Bev, Rick’s sister came to visit us a couple of weeks ago. It was very good to have her with us. Rick didn’t go to the center the whole week. She said right away that she felt it was more difficult to engage Rick in conversation or to get through to him. It is so hard for me to see these changes. So it is good when someone else comes who isn’t around him all the time. They have a better perspective on things.
While Bev was with us Vermont got 30 inches of snow. They hadn’t had much snow all winter long. So she mentioned that it would be nice to get Rick up to Vermont for winter fun one more time. We had tried to do it last year but when we finally worked out all the details, our trip ended up being in June, not February. So I went on line and found tickets for a good price, talked to my manager to see if I could get off work, and then purchased the tickets. Here we are in Vermont.
There is 18 inches of snow still on the ground with piles up to 3 feet and more. Bev has a snow mobile and she wanted me to take Rick out on it. She has been having bursitis in her shoulder and she was cautious about driving it.
So Tuesday, after we got here, I went out to practice driving the snowmobile around the house. I took 3 laps by myself and then took Rick around 3 times. That was enough for that day. It was already getting dark by that time.
Wednesday was going to be our snowmobiling day. But when Bev went out to start it, it wouldn’t start. So we walked over to the neighbor’s house to ask if he could come and look at the machine. He could come at 12:30.
It took just a minor adjustment and we were up and running. I looked at my watch and saw it was 1 pm as we took off down the drive to the neighbor’s field where they had made trails for us to use. I am a real armature on the snow mobile.
We had to make a sharp turn to the right to get onto the trail. I tried to make it and had to back up. The second time I though we probably could make it but we still went over the bank some. This caused the machine to tip to the right and I stuck out my leg to keep it from turning over. Well, my leg wasn’t strong enough and the snowmobile turned on its side causing my leg to bend awkwardly. I heard it snap. I was able to get it straightened out but I was sure I had broken it. I sent Rick to get help. I wasn’t sure if he would be able to, but in a few short minutes he brought back the neighbor, Richard, and a friend of his. Pretty soon, Sally, Richard’s wife, and Bev came also. They called 911 and the ambulance was on its way. The first responders were there in 5-10 minutes. They cut my brand new jeans to examine my leg. There was no open cut. They put a splint on it and then I was put on a stretcher and put into the ambulance. My first ambulance ride.
We spent the rest of the day in the emergency room. Because I wasn’t critical, I wasn’t the priority. They x-rayed my leg and found that it wasn’t broken. Praise the Lord! But I have a torn ligament or tendon, maybe the meniscus. But it isn’t completely torn through. Dr. Lynch told me that it should heal by itself. He put an ace wrap on my knee to bring down the swelling, and a knee immobilizer. He gave me crutches.
We left the Emergency Department about 5:30 pm. What a wasted day! And a wasted vacation. We were supposed to meet Rick’s cousin, Jackie and her husband, Jerry, for supper. I thought I was going to be able to go without any trouble. But by the time I got up the stairs to the living room, I was exhausted. I dropped down in the lounge chair and didn’t want to move. So we canceled our dinner out.
I felt very useless, having to let everyone wait on me. I’m usually out in the kitchen helping get supper and washing the dishes. I couldn’t do anything at all. I did get up to the table to eat. That took a lot of energy.
It was good to get into the bed. But difficult to move and change positions. So I woke up a lot during the night. I dreamed that I woke up the next morning not needing to use my crutches. Well, that didn’t happen, but I am able to only use one crutch. That is good.
It took me a long time to get dressed this morning. I move rather slowly. Trying to figure out how to do things with a bad leg is hard. But I was able to get Rick, and myself, washed and dressed this morning. He was able to help me with picking up things off the floor for me.
Hopefully I will have some pictures to post when we get home. We are supposed to be getting a snow storm tomorrow and Saturday. I am looking forward to that.
While Bev was with us Vermont got 30 inches of snow. They hadn’t had much snow all winter long. So she mentioned that it would be nice to get Rick up to Vermont for winter fun one more time. We had tried to do it last year but when we finally worked out all the details, our trip ended up being in June, not February. So I went on line and found tickets for a good price, talked to my manager to see if I could get off work, and then purchased the tickets. Here we are in Vermont.
There is 18 inches of snow still on the ground with piles up to 3 feet and more. Bev has a snow mobile and she wanted me to take Rick out on it. She has been having bursitis in her shoulder and she was cautious about driving it.
So Tuesday, after we got here, I went out to practice driving the snowmobile around the house. I took 3 laps by myself and then took Rick around 3 times. That was enough for that day. It was already getting dark by that time.
Wednesday was going to be our snowmobiling day. But when Bev went out to start it, it wouldn’t start. So we walked over to the neighbor’s house to ask if he could come and look at the machine. He could come at 12:30.
It took just a minor adjustment and we were up and running. I looked at my watch and saw it was 1 pm as we took off down the drive to the neighbor’s field where they had made trails for us to use. I am a real armature on the snow mobile.
We had to make a sharp turn to the right to get onto the trail. I tried to make it and had to back up. The second time I though we probably could make it but we still went over the bank some. This caused the machine to tip to the right and I stuck out my leg to keep it from turning over. Well, my leg wasn’t strong enough and the snowmobile turned on its side causing my leg to bend awkwardly. I heard it snap. I was able to get it straightened out but I was sure I had broken it. I sent Rick to get help. I wasn’t sure if he would be able to, but in a few short minutes he brought back the neighbor, Richard, and a friend of his. Pretty soon, Sally, Richard’s wife, and Bev came also. They called 911 and the ambulance was on its way. The first responders were there in 5-10 minutes. They cut my brand new jeans to examine my leg. There was no open cut. They put a splint on it and then I was put on a stretcher and put into the ambulance. My first ambulance ride.
We spent the rest of the day in the emergency room. Because I wasn’t critical, I wasn’t the priority. They x-rayed my leg and found that it wasn’t broken. Praise the Lord! But I have a torn ligament or tendon, maybe the meniscus. But it isn’t completely torn through. Dr. Lynch told me that it should heal by itself. He put an ace wrap on my knee to bring down the swelling, and a knee immobilizer. He gave me crutches.
We left the Emergency Department about 5:30 pm. What a wasted day! And a wasted vacation. We were supposed to meet Rick’s cousin, Jackie and her husband, Jerry, for supper. I thought I was going to be able to go without any trouble. But by the time I got up the stairs to the living room, I was exhausted. I dropped down in the lounge chair and didn’t want to move. So we canceled our dinner out.
I felt very useless, having to let everyone wait on me. I’m usually out in the kitchen helping get supper and washing the dishes. I couldn’t do anything at all. I did get up to the table to eat. That took a lot of energy.
It was good to get into the bed. But difficult to move and change positions. So I woke up a lot during the night. I dreamed that I woke up the next morning not needing to use my crutches. Well, that didn’t happen, but I am able to only use one crutch. That is good.
It took me a long time to get dressed this morning. I move rather slowly. Trying to figure out how to do things with a bad leg is hard. But I was able to get Rick, and myself, washed and dressed this morning. He was able to help me with picking up things off the floor for me.
Hopefully I will have some pictures to post when we get home. We are supposed to be getting a snow storm tomorrow and Saturday. I am looking forward to that.
posted by Unknown at 11:13:00 AM
2 Comments:
there is a definite reason God slows us down some, maybe to drink in Vermont with every sensibility for the last??time skessler
Sandy, I know that's something we've all considered. Dad always seems to do much better in VT, and I think there's something about being home that makes that much of a difference. Anything to get a few more moments of sensibility and a vision of peace in his eyes, you know?
Post a Comment
<< Home