On the Mend

Good morning everyone. I wanted to write and give a few updates. First of all, (and very thankfully) I am back to being able to type some. It is slower going and I can’t type for as long as I’m used to, but the last two days I’ve been able to do enough to get started on the fourth necromancer book. No doubt it’s going to take much longer than I’d like, but I’m encouraged that I can at least get started.

Typing is still difficult and may get worse in the coming weeks as the physical therapist continues flexing my elbow in my splint. I’m currently at about a 45 degree angle which is somewhat conducive to typing. This Wednesday they plan to flex me more and into a 60 degree angle so we’ll have to see what that does and if I can continue getting my left arm into position to type.

From what I understand, if I’d just snapped off the olecranon, that wouldn’t have been so bad but I avulsed my triceps tendon and that is the bigger bug-a-boo. They surgically reattached it but that can take longer to heal and it’s slower going. Still, it is much better now than it was. I have more movement in my wrist and I can take off my splint to shower! Whoop! That was so exciting and felt sooooo good.

My elbow surgeon said things went well and my rechecks have been positive. Surgery was a little odd in that they didn’t put me completely under and I remember a lot of it, or at least what was said. I was awake, but didn’t really care what they were doing or saying. They used a nerve block so I couldn’t feel anything for about 20 hours and that was the most bizarre thing of all and not something I care to repeat anytime soon.

I took about a week off from work post surgery but have been going in since then. I can actually do a lot, but have to have others typically draw blood for me, do radiographs, and of course, I can’t do surgery. I think it’s going to be a while before I can do surgery again. Even when I get my splint off, my left arm is really weak and stiff. Insert sigh . . . I am very grateful that I don’t have wear a sling and am also very grateful it is my less dominant arm that was injured.

Honestly, the most frustrating thing so far is that I can’t put my hair up in a pony tail, especially with this heat. It will be several more weeks before I think I can do that. On the plus side, I’ve started exercising again. I have to modify my workouts, but overall I feel better that I’ve been able to do something.

Fen and Newton have been sort of helpful—Newton more so than Fen. Amazingly, I’ve been able to medicate Newton most nights by myself and I give him all the credit on that one. I’m not saying he likes it, but he could be a far bigger asshole about the whole thing and thankfully he’s not. Fen on the other hand . . . I wouldn’t say he’s being an ass, but he seems much needier than usual and is terribly unhelpful while I’m trying to keep up with my PT exercises at home.

Speaking of Fen . . . the poor dirty fellow. He gets groomed monthly but in the summer, I typically give him at least one or two baths in between. With my elbow broken, I haven’t been able to do that. When he finally went back to the groomers, they had to give him 2 baths to get him clean and had to shave off a lot of fur from his ears. He looks like he has a little bob hair do. I was so grateful to the groomers as Fen was horribly stinky.

On a different note, I hope to have the book of short stories out either by the end of July or the first of August. “Perfectly Perfect Shorts” is currently in proofreading and Cheriefox e-mailed me this weekend to let me know the book cover is coming along and should be done within a week or two. I really hope you like this compilation of short stories. I had more fun writing them than I anticipated. I’ll post again when the time is nearer.

Today’s photos revolve around my backyard garden. This is the time of year it looks the best. I love looking out my patio door. If you couldn’t tell, coneflowers are my favorite and I have a lot of them. I pretty much just let them run amok and do as they please.

That’s about all for now. My elbow is starting to let me know I’ve done enough typing for today. I’ll keep hacking away at things and as my elbow continues mending, I will hopefully get back to a better writing routine. At this time, given current circumstances, I would anticipate the fourth necromancer book coming out in late fall or more likely, early winter. So sorry about that, but as the saying goes, it is what it is.

Until next time, enjoy the summer and try and stay cool. I’ll leave you with more pictures of my garden. Fen’s in there somewhere as are two house sparrows who appear to be working on their third clutch of the season. They’ve already had two successful ones. No wonder house sparrows are everywhere. They are prolific little fellows.

MJ May