Read All The Way Down To The Picture Of Me

relaxing on the dock! Then I won't confuse you again. I have done all my updating today from here to that picture.

Hollis and Jim Kennedy came by bring camellias cut from their yard that are absolutely beautiful, still today. They also brought chicken strogenoff we're also still enjoying. The best was the wonderful visit. Sunday it was one year after Hollis's heart attack. She is recovering so beautifully with faith and determination. Jim has been wonderful like John. We enjoyed how well Jim and Casey got along. He's a natural with dogs and Casey knew it.
Keep scrolling and reading. Thanks.

Friends Who Brought Food

Yesterday Bill Adair came and we had a grat visit. He brought some bean soup he made. It's the recipe he had at the Senate Dining Room in Washington. He worked hard over the years to get the recipe right., I don't think it would be possible for it to be better! Wow!
Later ysterday Jo Dobson brought another Wow! It was a roast beef meal of the most tender meat with perfectly roasted carrots, potatos and onions. I enjoyed visiting with Jo on the phone today as she couldn't come in last night. Such a treat.

Good Outing Good Report and Disappointing Report

Hello from Linda,
We did get to go to the Little Red River board retreat Sat. and Sun., as you can see by the picture posted. I was watching the beautiful clouds, praying sometimes and day dreaming sometimes. I saw so many birds. a lone heron honked a couple of times and flew up river right in front of me. I've only seen them standing with their great dignity and patience on one leg before. Flocks of ducks and geese came and went. Several other large birds came by. I enjoyed watching many circling and floating on the wind currents. My time out there was the last hour up to and including dusk, so I felt privileged to see the birds' bedtime activities.
And I did have fun and surprised myself how I kept up with the work (going over mailing list, etc.) and not having to take naps. Just rested on sofa now and then. I rested all day Monday!
All the board members were so sweet to look after me, serve my plates, etc.

Tuesday, March 10 was a great visit with Dr. Yuen. He said since the graft wound is closed so well, I can get it wet in the shower now! Not only that, but when I asked how long before I can try water aerobics, he said "Now!." I can hardly believe this since we were using totally sterile techniques changing the dressings just last week. I love the water and hope it will help me with overcoming stiffness. His next big surprise was he said instead of waiting two months for the orthopaedic surgery, now I can have it as soon as in one month. I don't return to him now for one month.

The appointment today with orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Gruenwald was informative and helpful in that way, but disappointing due to how limited the outcome can be.
First, he wants to wait a couple of months before surgery to see how much additional use I can
gain from the scrambled bones, nerves, veins, ligaments and tendons, etc. Much of what he'll have to cut through will be the skin grafts, which cover over half of my forearm. That's a tender or numb area that is just starting to rejuvenate all the tissue I mentioned above. He described the surgery he'd need to do like filleting the whole arm to do the repairs. He said he can place everything where it will look great in an x-ray, but that's a long way from making it work right.

I'm faced with how badly injured this arm really is. I will have a cat-scan in 3 weeks and return to Dr. Gruenwald in 4 weeks. Then he will present me with his plan. He encouraged me to get a 2nd opinion. Well, right now I want someone to say there's no problem fixing it up like new. Dr. Gruenwald doesn't want to promise it will be much better than it is now, but he's being conservative because we can't know how much it can improve now that I'm allowed to move it freely, in the limited way I can. It was immobilized for weeks. Now I can only reach a foot from my head. The splintered bones at both ends of the radius bone prevent me from bending my wrist inward and from bending my arm in at the elbow. He described them as floating around in there. I just feel sure removing them in surgery will help, surly! Please pray for me to trust God for the right decisions and the right help. Dr. Gruenwald has a very good reputation.
More to come as I can make sense out of it.
Love, Linda

Relaxing on the Little Red River

A Post From Diane

I would like to again thank all of the wonderful friends who continue to come by and give my healing Mother company and visit her while dropping off the many greatly appreciated food items you continue to provide. You're spoiling them, you know, but they are so very appreciative and blessed to have so much love and fellowship during this recovery time. There are, no doubt, many less fortunate folks out there who recover in a lonely state but, in this case we have a true testament to the love that Mom and John have so often given to see so much coming back. Thank you all and God bless you.

My Mom keeps telling me that she enjoyed reading the blog more when I was writing it and, even though she is keeping up fairly well, she says she thinks it is not as interesting. I would like to note, at this time, that if I were still writing this blog it would be about me and my family and the goings on in and around our house in Eureka Springs. I'm not there with her and John and it is very difficult to tell accurately about what is happening there from here. I would do it for her if I could just so she doesn't have to pick it out with two or three fingers but I think she is doing well and the exercise is good for her hand too. I hope.

Since I first began the blog, back in October, I thought it was going to be a wonderful tool for our mother to keep everyone informed of her daily doings.. She always shares her thoughts and ideas. There is so much she likes to share with us and her friends. She is exactly the kind of person who can put a blog to good use. It's her perspective, told her way and by her. It's delightful and, thankfully, evolving with her and her healing progress. Eventually it will be filled with nothing more than how many places she has been and the things she and John have been doing. What a terrific place to share all the blessings they have received and enjoy daily.

Mindy and I will remain contributors but we, like everyone else, enjoy reading "Linda's blog" every day too. Thanks for keeping up with it Mom. I would gladly be the typist if you really don't want to do the typing for a while. Just call me and tell me what to type. I just hope you will enjoy blogging for quite a while so we can all continue to hear about your world.