So long, staples!

I planned to write a Thankful Thursday post yesterday, but I ended up going to bed at 7:30pm last night. So here's my weekly gratitude list one day later. 

1. I'm thankful for my blue reclining chair that I purchased in 1994 in Maryland. This chair has been in 5 homes over the past 28 years, and it's still in very good shape. I hope I never spend THIS much time in it again in one month, but it's come in very handy over the past 15 days. 

2. Nadia and Ian were able to participate in a Bob Ross painting night at church on Friday night. It turned out that 2 hours was not long enough to finish painting the canvas. Still considering they haven't been able to attend the painting class at co-op as planned, at least they got to paint once this fall.

Grand Teton (Wyoming)

3. Yesterday I finished reading Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes. I really enjoyed the book. One of the books the kids and I are currently listening to is The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish. We always love Vanderbeeker books! 

4. Our new roof installation was completed yesterday! It was very loud, which is why I'm glad it's done. Since I had a doctor appointment yesterday, I was outdoors for the first time in 2 weeks, and I think the color we chose looks fine (not that I have ever given thought in the past to the color of shingles). It didn't matter that the dumpster was blocking in my vehicle the last two days since I can't drive. Since replacing a roof isn't exactly cheap, here's to hoping that it was our first and last time in our lifetimes that we'll pay for that to be done. I learned yesterday that getting out of the house is definitely easier with the walker than it was with crutches. The same can't be said for coming back into the house, but with the use of two chairs, I was able to get back in the house without resorting to crawling. Getting to Paul's car was MUCH harder because of all the cords and trailers and such from the roofers, but thankfully I got there and back safely. 

5. Yesterday I had my first post-operative appointment. I had to do a LOT of hopping to get to the exam room. Thankfully, the nurse got me a wheelchair to use for the rest of the time I was there. She cut off the dressing and removed the splint. Then came the painful part - removing more than ten staples from the approximately 5 inch incision. The pain involved varied greatly. Some felt like a tiny pinch. Others hurt so much I thought I was going to throw up. The nurse couldn't get one staple out so she asked someone to help her. Due to some swelling, I was given a compression stocking to wear on my right leg, but I ditched it part way through the day yesterday because my toes were turning purple anytime my foot wasn't elevated. The nurse put steri-strips on the incision. I am not supposed to get my leg wet for 48 hours after the removal of the staples. Thanks to the leg bag that Margie got me, I don't have to wait that long. I planned to get a shower last night after she reminded me I could use that bag to keep my leg dry, but it  didn't happen since I went to bed so early due to pain and nausea. The good news is that the x-ray showed that all is well with my ankle that now has a plate and five screws. It is now easier to climb up the stairs at night, and it's easier for me to sleep! I am hoping that at some point over the next few weeks I will be able to tolerate having my foot hanging down instead of needing to have it elevated almost the entire day. I'm also praying that when I return to the doctor on November 19 he will give me permission to drive and also to bear weight on my right leg (walk instead of hop). 

6. I made my appointment for 8:20 yesterday thinking that would interfere with Paul's work schedule the least. By the time we left the doctor's office, Paul shopped at Walmart, and drove home, it was around 10:30. Paul has been leaving for work much later than usual the past two weeks, and he's also been far more prone to take a day off. He ended up staying home yesterday, which meant he was able to help me make the lasagna for dinner. I started making it, but it's hard to cook with one's right leg elevated. I think he's going in later for a variety of reasons - my lack of mobility, his love of reading, he was waiting to sign for a package one day, and things have slowed down (as they usually do at this time of year) at the plant, but it's been nice to eat breakfast with him as usually we only eat breakfast with him on Sundays. 

7. Four of the five of us have enjoyed lasagna for years. When Paul was grocery shopping on Saturday, I had him buy cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese for the lasagna. Ian liked the lasagna when it was made with cottage cheese! Woohoo! It always puts a smile on my face when I find a recipe for a main dish that all five of us enjoy. 

Grand Teton (Wyoming)

8. Oliver accidentally unplugged the chest freezer in the basement. Paul has a mess to clean up as some ice cream melted in the freezer. I don't know exactly how long it was turned off, but I'm thankful that Nadia discovered the problem and plugged it back in before the meat was ruined. 

Grand Teton (Wyoming)