Yes... I Am Still Alive

I have been getting e-mails and phone calls lately from people wondering if I am still alive. I have been neglecting the blog the past few weeks for obvious reasons... I can only type with one hand (which takes forever!) and I have been feeling really sore and tired. I am tired because I am not sleeping well because my hand is still quite tender and sore.

I had an appointment at the hospital yesterday morning to have my cast removed and all the stitches taken out. I was looking forward to having the cast removed because it was getting really itchy and smelly. Apparently I did not realize that I would soon miss the support and protection the cast had provided me for the past 2 weeks. I was under the wrongful assumption that the cast would come off and I would be all better which is not the case. I am now wearing a splint / brace which gives my hand and wrist some support but not as much as the cast did. I am still very limited to what I can do with my right hand and the surgeon has put the fear of God in me that if I over do it that I will most likely need to have the surgery repeated. Now I am not interested in that so I am trying to rest my hand as much as possible so it heals well!

I have my first physio therapy appointment on Tuesday to start to learn how to use and strengthen my hand again. I don't know how often I will have to go for physio until after I meet with the therapist but the specialist wants to re-assess me in 6 weeks so I am guessing that he is thinking it will take at least that long for me to have most of the mobility back. I have to admit that I was a bit discouraged by that. But I did drive today for the first time since my surgery! I still can't buckle the kid's car seats without help but I can drive again for short trips :) Yay!

My arm is SO skinny! I was really shocked to see how much my arm had shrunk while the cast was on. My arm looks anorexic! I need to put my stomach in a cast if I could get these kind of results ;)

I also want to take a minute to say a big THANK YOU to all my friends and family who have been so incredibly helpful to me since me surgery. Thank you for all your phone calls, e-mails and encouragement!

My Mom and Dad have been awesome at helping Dave and I out with the girls... my Dad has been over almost everyday to help me out while Dave was working! My Mom took Hannah, Victoria and I to the park to visit with Christy while she was in town and then kept Hannah overnight for a sleepover and took her to the Charlotte Diamond concert the next day. Hannah loved it :)

My Dad has survived trips with me and the girls to Tot Gym, the park and Go Bananas to help cure our cabin fever from being stuck inside the house! He is also now a professional diaper changer... he can change Victoria's diaper in record time even while she is wiggling around!

Thanks to Mandy for picking me and the girls up, driving us and helping me with the kids so that we could attend the year end brunch at our church's MOMS group :)

Thanks to Tanya for coming by and making us lunch and putting the kids down for their naps so that my Dad could have a day off :) It is amazing how the little things like making a PB & J sandwich for Hannah are next to impossible for me to do... Thanks for being such a great friend! And thanks for making fun of me trying to play the Wii left handed too ;)

Thanks to Christy who took some great pictures of the girls at the park... I wish that I was up to visiting with you more while you were here! I hope you enjoyed your girls night / good bye party :) Thanks to Rhonda for helping me plan the party (and driving me to it!) and Thanks to Elena for spoiling the surprise ;)

So I guess what I am trying to say is just THANKS to everyone who has helped out so far... it has been a LONG 2 weeks! I hope the next 6 weeks go by quickly and smoothly....