The Best Part of My Day

My weekdays are very segmented.  The 1/2 when the boys are at school where I generally try to fit in all the things that I need to do without two little helpers, and a lot of things fall into this category; dr apts, personal things like pedicure, shopping, volunteering...then there is the 1/2 of the day spent with the boys and that entails a lot too.  Homework, dinner, snacks, activities, car time, bath...and of course there are the little windows of transition time - getting up and out the door in the morning which we can accomplish in about 30 minutes (YEAH!) thanks to some night time prep.  And the time in the evening (that is NEVER enough) after the boys are in bed but before I go to bed myself.  I normally would love this time, but I try to fit too much in that window and then feel bad (mentally and physically) when I don't go to bed on time and don't get enough sleep! 

So, where is all this going?  Well, today, I realized that one of if not THE best part of my day is the moment that the boys step off their school bus.  We are all excited to see each other and are among the crazy, happy, hectic greetings of all the kids getting off the bus at our stop (there are 11 total including the boys and 5 families so lots of siblings and lots of happy greetings of the parents...it's really nice)....just that moment of reuniting and all that means - knowing that you were missed and loved and back where you feel safe and warm and protected...and they are just so darn cute (esp Ryan) climbing off the big bus steps with their big backpacks so full with the news of the day.  Often, they are both talking over each other to tell me everything they want to say.  And then we have to walk 2 houses down to our house, and they sometimes (esp Ryan) run ahead on the neighbors lawns and they did that today.  They both ran ahead and were laughing and playing and it is just such a gorgeous, Fall day with the warm sun, the green grass with a few colorful leaves on the ground...and from my point of view, I just took a moment to soak it in, to bask in the scene of my baby boys running and happy and laughter and I filled to breaking with the joy of it all in that moment and I knew the meaning of living in the moment...and I stored that mental snapshot away in my internal scrap book along with the handful of others that live there.

So, on to the next topic - my arm.  I had my 6 week ortho follow-up yesterday.  It was a really bad experience.  To remind you, this was my 3rd visit - the first was the day after it happened on 9/2, and then the 2nd was at 2 weeks, so I haven't been in a month.  I have been waiting to find out if I had damaged my rotator cuff and would possibly need surgery.  I also wanted to know if I could take off the sling and/or resume some of my normal activities (running, spin, etc.).  I go for my 9:30am apt, get taken back pretty quickly which isn't so normal based on my previous 2 experiences.  I have been seeing the PA (Physician Assistant) which I am very happy with and have never seen the actual doctor though I know he is consulting on my x-rays, etc.  So, she comes in and says that we will get some x-rays and then discuss progress and rotator cuff.  They come get me for x-rays...3 more (that makes a total of 9 so far 3 each visit).  Then I wait forever...up to this point, I have been there maybe 45 minutes.  Finally, the dr comes in (not the PA).  He shows me a copy of my x-ray and where the new bone is growing and explains that it is just 6 weeks and that I am not healed completely (but never says is that is good, bad, normal, etc.) and that the new bone is 'spongy' and can still be re-broken fairly easily but that he feels I am ready to start physical therapy.  Then he abruptly opens the door and steps out - and my natural assumption was that he was grabbing something or checking on something.  He had left me sitting on the exam table and left the door open - well, 20 minutes later, a lady comes in and hands me my therapy orders and says to come back in 3-4 weeks.  I looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language.  I had questions...and told her.  I asked her my questions about therapy (how long, etc.) and then told her I needed the dr or PA to come back for the rest.  So, about 15 minutes later, the dr opens the door and stands in the door way and says, I understand you have questions for me...well, duh yeah! 

So, I ask about my rotator cuff and he says that he planned to have me finish physical therapy first and then if I am still having issues, he will look at that....well, first of all, tell me that!  Secondly, at both my other visits, I was under the impression that wanted to know about the rotator cuff earlier rather than later because it can retract and not be repairable or as fully/easily repairable as time goes on.  And seems to me that it might be beneficial to know about the rotator cuff prior to physical therapy?!?  AND I have been waiting for 6 weeks now with the possibility of surgery lingering over my head - I want to know my odds - nothing definitive...just their best guess!  I tell him this and I can tell at this point that he is impatient and likely annoyed w/me (which really makes me annoyed!), and he says, that the only way they can know if I have RC damage is to do an MRI, and would you like an MRI today?  Well, not really...but why can't you just do some basic movements that will indicate a RC injury?!?   So, then I realize I am getting no where fast and he is itching to leave me....so, I ask if I can become more active within reason and let any pain or discomfort be my guide - and he says that I can do what I want, but that there is the risk of re-injury and I should stick to the recumbent bike (which I won't resort to doing for many reasons....the posture is wrong when you are use to riding a normal or spin bike AND I don't get a great workout on it). 

So that was is - basically NOTHING. Don't get me wrong, happy to know I am healing ok....but I just don't see any reason to go back in 3-4 weeks for more x-rays...what are the odds that it will stop healing....unless I have problems of course.  My plan is to go to some physical therapy (depending on the cost/coverage) and rehab at home too and depending on how I feel then, go back if necessary otherwise not!

After that apt, I went to see my chiro (we have a new, GREAT chiro), and he was so much better and more helpful!  He did some simple tests (can you do this kind of thing) and told me that he thought my RC was ok likely...and told me that I would probably need about 3 months to be close to 100% again but that it sounds like I am on track for 6 weeks (oddly enough, he broke his collar bone in a biking accident about 3 weeks after me - same place!).  I felt SO MUCH better after talking to him!  So, that's where I stand.  I am not wearing my sling very much now, and am feeling pretty good.  It still is pretty uncomfortable sometimes and when I do certain things, but not bad at all. 

The boys got their flu mist vaccination yesterday.  So far no reaction...the flu mist is the nasal spray and has a weakened live virus in it which can lead to more side effects like fever, mild symptoms of the flu, etc.).  Last year, I actually got sick from their vaccination, so hope to avoid that this year!  It's the trade off of not having to get a shot!