October 17th 2005We have finally arrived in Paradise (and it’s raining) I am so glad to be here for more than 2 weeks! This is what we have been dreaming about for the past 9 years since we bought this lot. We are so excited to be here. After that first day of rain, the sun came out for the entire winter. On November 17th while out on a bike ride, I fell off my bike (what a klutz!) dislocated my ankle and broke my tibia and fibula. My first ambulance ride took me to JFK hospital where the emergency room doc put me out, re-located my ankle and sent me home in a soft cast with crutches. Two days later, after seeing an orthopedic surgeon, surgery was scheduled. Two more days later, I had 8 pins and a plate holding my leg together, a cast and crutches. My broken leg was the talk of ORI and so many people came with well wishes and food too! Mike became the homemaker and quickly took over cleaning, cooking, doing the laundry etc. What would I have ever done without him? Thanksgiving arrived and Chuck and Ruby came to Indio to spend the holiday with us. Ken and Darlene came over too. Ruby’s osteoporosis is really giving her a terrible time and she is having trouble getting around. Ruby is a real trooper and she doesn’t complain much but I can tell she ‘s in a lot of pain. Chuck ate something that didn’t agree with him and he got sick. Mike is the nursemaid J He plunks me in a wheelchair and pushes me all over the Coachella Valley- it really helps my frame of mind to get out. We went to the Indio Tamale festival with Steve and Linda Pedersen – YUM! Neighbors came to our rescue with food (so Mike didn’t have to cook) slowly I became more mobile and was able to start doing some things for myself. Christmas was really hard – Dr. Roger said I couldn’t travel home, either by car or plane. I missed Ben’s birthday and Christmas both. I was really bummed and just wanted the holidays to get over! Time marches on and January arrived before we knew it. By February, I was ready to travel and so we flew home to Portland for Camryn and Colby’s birthdays. Great to see the kids and they all got a kick out of Grandma with a cast and using crutches to get around. I started physical therapy when we returned and I seemed to begin recovery quickly. By mid-March, I am limping but no cast and no crutches!
