RBNYC News - Democratic Underground

flama

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Mon Jul-28-03 08:46 PM
Original message

RBNYC News

Rene hinted that I should post two separate messages. Besides the fact that I'm operating on 16 hours of sleep in five days, I only hog my own message board. You're getting the combined version.

First, her state of being:

She walked two or three steps yesterday. They were more like half steps since her broken ankle is still just splinted and not in a cast. (Hopefully, her ankle gets plastered tomorrow.) Today she "walked" 30 entire feet! She's just waiting for her cast and an empty bed before she's moved to the rehab facility for her PT. (I won't mention to her that the other name for Physical Therapy is Pain & Torture.)

She is off the PCA and doesn't even miss the button. She used the button to "drink" to her toast at the wedding. She clinked her blue plastic button to the champagne glasses raised to her and Cliff. When everyone else sipped, she pushed the button. I laughed and cried at the same time.

Tough gal that she is, she declined her new pain medication this afternoon. She'll take some before bed, but would rather do without as many doses as possible. Pretty smart move for someone walking on a splinted broken ankle.

Her full-time employer cancelled her vacation and will be paying her emergency sick leave instead. That not only means she will get full pay as long as she is off work, but she still has vacation for her belated honeymoon.

The "Truth is Stranger Than Fiction" part:

The car she was in had belonged to a great-aunt of her husband. There was a St. Anthony's medal in the glove compartment. Though not a Sunday-go-to-church family, the medal was left there because Aunt Marie (or is it Mary?) had felt it important and willed it with the car to one of Cliff's brothers.

Now, even though I wasn't allowed to see the photos or look at the car (it was a miracle, I'm told, that she even survived the accident), I do know that the glove box exploded on the impact. I imagine that papers were flying all over the passenger compartment like giant white butterflies.

When the paramedics finally pulled Rene from the car, the St. Anthony's medal was resting on her lap. Everyone thought that a bit odd. Rene asked me to look up St. Anthony so I did this morning before work.

Besides being one of the Patron Saints of Travellers (St. Christopher must have needed some help), St. Anthony is Patron Saint of two or three dozen other things, among them expectant mothers and pregnant women. Travellers put Ol' Tony in the glove box and the rest landed him in Rene's lap.

I'm still not going to Our Lady of Lourdes on Sunday, but won't be a bit surprised, if the baby has the nerve to be a boy, to have a grandson named Anthony.

A Mom's thoughts:

Been trying to avoid much thinking lately. Thinking with little sleep can be bizarre.

There's knowing, though. I know that it is wonderful that my daughter has so many fabulous friends. The people she works with and (especially) her friends at DU have made this all much easier for her to handle.

I haven't lost a daughter. Thank all the powers for that. I have gained a family, a family of friends all over the country.

Thank you, all of you.

Ma

P.S. If you need a contact address, please send me a message.