Sunday, February 20, 2011

You're Never Too Old . . .

Never too old to break a bone.  Really? I'm 41 and my first real broken bone?  Stinky.

Here's a summary of what I've learned about my broken scaphoid:

1.  Pill bottles--they are hard. And it's cold/flu season.  And I have a hundred kids.  Childproof caps are also cast-proof.

2.  Diapers--Since I can't close my thumb to my fingers, I can't grasp that tab on the diaper.  There are worse things than not being able to do this.

3.  Pony tail--This, my friends, was the biggest surprise.  I CAN DO A PONY TAIL ON MY OWN HEAD!  But not on Lily's.  Weird, huh?

4. Bra--I've got this one figured out, but it did take a little practice.

5.  Shoelaces--These are impossible.  Can't do it.  End of story.

6.  Door knobs--Twisting of any kind is extremely difficult, and if I do try, then my wrist aches.  Never too old #2--don't do things that hurt, even if you're the mom.

7.  Steering the Suburban--This is hard, but I've figured it out.  I still get surprised when I accidentally unlock all the doors with my feeling-less forearm.

8.  Eating a sandwich--That first day, I bought yummy sandwich stuff--tomato basil wraps, shredded turkey, tomato, Havarti.  And I could barely get it to my mouth.  Surprise that was so hard.  Who'd a thunk it?

9.  Personal armpit hygiene--hard.  Very hard.  But not impossible.  Thankfully.

10.  Picking up Evie--The hardest part of picking up my baby is remembering that my arm isn't soft any more.  And I've hurt her a few times.  Trying to be more careful.

All in all, this stinks, but it could be so much worse.  It's waterproof, so I can shower.  I can still type fairly easily.  And I have a great excuse to not exercise.  All in all, still good.

So, the answers:  3 is surprisingly easy, 5 is virtually impossible, and 8 is surprisingly difficult.

And Karen got the virtually impossible right (only because I think I told her earlier :) ).  Most people guessed that the ponytail was virtually impossible.  See why I was so surprised?

Never too old #3--you're never too old to listen to your mama.  Mom and Dad called me yesterday and they got after me to try and rest my wrist a little more.  You see, it's still hurting a lot, and I think it's because I attempt everything I used to do (except diapers and shoelaces).  I've stepped it back a bit today, and I hope it will start healing.

Thanks for all of your concern.

I'm done complaining about it.

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12 comments:

  1. paigeFebruary 20, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    I've been mia in reading blogs lately, so I missed the challenge. I love a challenge! Do more! Do more! I don't even need a prize. The game is the fun.

    #1 was my fave. Bless you. I'm sure it'll barely slow you down, though.

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  2. ShannonFebruary 20, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    Like Paige, I'm so behind in reading my bloggy favs...so sorry to hear about your current state! I'm 31 and haven't broken a bone in my life (perhaps I should knock on wood or something)! I can't imagine trying to deal with my 18 month old with only one good arm! So hard!

    Your list made me smile...good luck to you! Sounds like in spite of it all your attitude remains upbeat!

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  3. Welcome to the Garden of EganFebruary 20, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    You can complain about it all you want.
    That does stink.
    It would be one thing to have a broken arm if you could lay around and have people wait on you hand and foot.
    Apparently you don't get to do that.
    Sheesh....where's a wife when you need one?

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  4. Dana @ Bungalow'56February 20, 2011 at 10:50 PM

    This has been all very enlightening... leading me to one very important conclusion. Never break my scaphoid! Letting it heal properly is far more important than letting things slide a bit for six weeks. You will be glad you did.
    Dana

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  5. PondsideFebruary 20, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    You just go ahead and complain all you want. We all know that you're a mum, and while you might complain a little here, you're surely still doing the lion's share of cooking, cleaning, cuddling, organizing, laundry.......

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  6. UnknownFebruary 21, 2011 at 7:11 AM

    I am quite surprised about the ponytail one and at the sandwich one! Who knew! Well you do now, of course. Hope you heal up soon! A broken bone is never fun to have, regardless of what age you are!

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  7. sloanFebruary 21, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    such a pain in the rear that you have to make soooo many adjustments in every. single. thing. you do!! Hoping and praying for your speedy recovery!!

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  8. CBFebruary 21, 2011 at 8:46 AM

    I missed the challenge too but I think I would have thought the Bra - ha ha.
    The armpit hygience made me think back on my hysterectomy last summer when I could not bend so I had to shave my legs with my razor jimmy-rigged to a long stick - that was fun - seriously thought about lasor hair removal at that point!

    Hope you heal quickly!

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  9. Susan RFebruary 21, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    As if life isn't difficult enough being a mom right?
    If I lived near you, I'd come tie your shoelaces for you every morning.
    Exercising is dangerous to your health...that's why I try to avoid it if at all possible.

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  10. GabeFebruary 21, 2011 at 9:40 AM

    am praying that your break heals quickly and cleanly and that no screws or other metal things need to be addded to your hand!

    Probably your parents are right, but taking it easy is a challenge isn't it?

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  11. karenFebruary 21, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    Well, taking it easy SOUNDS like it should be easy in theory, but in reality its not. Try not to twist and hurt more than necessary though - we do want you to heal without screws and bolts. I'm completely amazed at the ponytail news, but glad as well - at least you can do that to make yourself comfortable.

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  12. JessFebruary 21, 2011 at 5:42 PM

    So sorry Jen- I hope you get better soon. Also don't use ibuprofen- it'll slow down the bone healing process.

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