Hip-Aversary 2016

One month ago I had the mammoo out in the yard pulling weeds. Risky, because of her balance, but awesomely fun for both of us. She's been doing so well at physical therapy that her therapist keeps sending me messages via our caregivers that I should come check her out. I hoped that pt would help keep her safe.

 Uh oh.

 
I got the call Monday morning. She was on the floor of her apartment, broken, with the ambulance on the way. Poor Mama!! Several thoughts went through my head: a) I know what to do here, b) this is all happening close to my home, c) we already have a caregiver.

By the end of the day on Monday the mammoo had had her operation and was on the mend. The break is far less severe than last time, and she's already at 50% weight-bearing on that leg. Go mama go!!

Five days later we have three new caregivers, have reunited with a favorite caregiver who had gone on maternity leave in December (she'd just started to look for work the day before), and the mammoo is in rehab at the place where she rehabbed before. Many of her friends (nurses, aides, therapists) are still here and were happy to see her. She walked over 30 feet today using her walker.

All in all, this time around is better. I'm handling everything myself, and my siblings are letting me. We have come a long way, all of us.

Why Hip-Aversary? Because she broke her right hip 4 days shy of a year from breaking her left hip. During that solar orbit she rehabbed completely from one hip break. I organized her downsizing and move. Hired and fired caregivers. We emptied the house she'd lived in since 1960. Divvied up her belongings. Worked with an auction house to sell some of the antiques (ongoing). Celebrated our first family Christmas in the big brown box. And now we're doing this crazy hip thing again.

Today I took a break from the chaos and worked on her taxes instead. And sent emails to the coordinator at her community. And organized my sisters to call her at different times in the next hour because there is an hour off between the two caregivers today and if she decides to get out of bed in that hour and she falls I don't know what I'd do with myself.

I also took a moment to bid on a painting because sometimes when you've worked about as hard as a person can and are done for the day you juuuust want a motherfucking $100 birdie painting to make yourself feel better.

 
It's going to look great next to the shipwreck painting.