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SteveSueMac · 05-19-2019, 01:26 PM

Oh my! Speedy recovery!!

Gene · 05-19-2019, 05:14 PM

Also, wow! I guess there was a weakness there that was aggravated by the fall and there would have been problems soon anyway. Six hours makes me guess she had discs fused. Barb fell on ice last December, hyperextending her knee underneath her when she landed, and is looking at a total knee replacement some time, probably sooner than later. Her knees are her weak point and it was just a matter of time, though anyone would prefer that time come much, much later. These things happen unannounced. At least you got a trip in beforehand. Medical stuff gets in the way of travel and other enjoyments—happen to all of us.

Bob, you'll be a caretaker for a while and hope you can use a dishwasher and a washing machine. They have gotten a lot more complicated since I last used them and Barb doesn't trust me with them (white socks with colors seem to bother her for some reason). First, you need to get her favorite ice cream and keep away from it.

I am looking at what I will have to do when Barb has surgery (though I hope she has a miraculous recovery without it) and whether she will be able to stand my cooking. She is a great cook (like Lee) and I think I am fine, but she doesn't care for my cooking very much and I gave up trying most of it decades ago. The life of a caretaker can be demanding while your patient gets to sleep, rest, watch TV or read and you have to go to the grocery store. Barb wants to do things herself and is difficult to help, so I know I'll have to tie her to the bed or sofa so she doesn't hurt herself. I wish the best for both of you.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-19-2019, 09:35 PM

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Originally Posted by mimiandrews

Prayers will be offered--for both of you.

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Originally Posted by OTRA15

Prayers . . .

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Originally Posted by xrvr

Holy cow!! Get well. Wishing, hoping praying for a good recovery. Be patient, it will take a while.

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Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Oh my! Speedy recovery!!

Hi, THANK YOU everyone. Lee is slowly getting better. [expected] And will be home when her Doctor feels that she is ready.

I took two pictures today to show what our rock retaining wall looks like and where she landed. Lee was found next to my neighbor's house close to their rain gutter down spout.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-19-2019, 09:45 PM

Hi, Gene; We found out that Lee has weak bones that couldn't take the shock from the landing. I'm a simple cook meaning that I can cook simple things. I am very good with house hold appliances such as dish washers, clothes washers, and dryers. I not only run these machines, but fix them if I can. Lee will be wearing a back brace, that you have to be a technician to install, for about three months.

79nTOW · 05-19-2019, 10:03 PM

So sorry to hear the news about Lee. Will say a prayer for her. Glad she has you to come home to...take care. Predeta

NoResults · 05-19-2019, 10:07 PM

Bob, you know I am close bye call me if I can be of any help.

Dave

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-19-2019, 10:09 PM

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Originally Posted by 79nTOW

So sorry to hear the news about Lee. Will say a prayer for her. Glad she has you to come home to...take care. Predeta

Hi, THANK YOU.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-19-2019, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoResults

Bob, you know I am close bye call me if I can be of any help.

Dave

Hi, Dave. THANK YOU; I will.

tallytwo1994 · 05-20-2019, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, THANK YOU everyone. Lee is slowly getting better. [expected] And will be home when her Doctor feels that she is ready.

I took two pictures today to show what our rock retaining wall looks like and where she landed. Lee was found next to my neighbor's house close to their rain gutter down spout.

So sorry to read about Lee’s fall and surgery. Praying for a quick recovery.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-23-2019, 02:29 AM

Hi, Lee is at home now; I brought her home from the hospital yesterday. We are working on her recovery. I cannot leave her alone, at least not this early. If she needs me she just calls my cell phone with her cell phone and I go to her. This way she doesn't have to yell and I will definitely know when she needs me. I don't answer the phone and she knows that. She hears me coming. They gave her a brand new walker. The one in the hospital worked great, but this one doesn't slide very well. I installed two tennis balls on the rear legs of the walker. I have done this mod before.

In between all of this I'm working on my trailer. [actually the hitch] With the stock 12" shank, I couldn't open my tailgate all of the way. The best match that I could find and one that was very well made was an 18" shank. Shortly after buying this 18" shank, I decided that it was more than I needed although my trailer towed perfectly with it. I took it to a hitch shop and asked them to drill a new pin hole 2"s back and to cut 1" off of the receiver end of the shank. This worked great, but I still have 4 1/2"s of gap between my tongue jack and my lowered tailgate. Well I thought that I could do better by taking my shank back to the hitch shop and ask them to drill another pin hole 2"s back and cut 2"s off of the receiver end. At first the guy told me that they don't do that and won't do it for me. Then I told them that they were the ones who modified my shank the first time. Then the boss said he really doesn't want to do it again, his shop is in the busy season, and I would have to leave my shank with him for more than a month. Later I brought my shank to a fabrication shop and asked them if they would modify my shank as per my instructions. They would and they did a great job. Sometime back I built a hitch dolly for storing my hitch in my garage and so I don't have to lug around 50 lbs. each time that I use it. Now I just roll my hitch cart to my truck, lift and insert into my receiver, and save my back. I want everything ready for our next adventure when Lee is up to it. We might have to wait about three months or so before she's ready, able, and willing.

xrvr · 05-23-2019, 05:17 AM

Her job is recovery, yours is to make it as easy as you can. Good job, it will not be easy.

Gene · 05-23-2019, 05:19 PM

When Lee can carry the hitch, you will know she is healed. Or do you bring the hitch dolly with you to campgrounds? I know when I can't carry the hitch, it is time to sell the trailer and buy a hospital bed. I can't open my tailgate all the way either, so I put a tennis ball on the ball and gently lower the tailgate and do not put much weight on it. I manage and don;t have to make any more modifications.

Anyway, I hope Lee is doing well and you too—the life of a caretaker is not easy.

Smartstream · 05-23-2019, 06:29 PM

Bob I'm so sorry to hear about Lee. Give her our best and let her know we hope and pray for her swift recovery. Take care of yourself because you have to be around to take care of Lee.

I apologize for the late response but we have been camping and without Wi-Fi access.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-23-2019, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gene

When Lee can carry the hitch, you will know she is healed. Or do you bring the hitch dolly with you to campgrounds? I know when I can't carry the hitch, it is time to sell the trailer and buy a hospital bed. I can't open my tailgate all the way either, so I put a tennis ball on the ball and gently lower the tailgate and do not put much weight on it. I manage and don;t have to make any more modifications.

Anyway, I hope Lee is doing well and you too—the life of a caretaker is not easy.

Hi, Gene. Sorry but Lee will never carry my hitch. Lee insisted that I make something to make hitching easier on my back, so the hitch dolly it is. I have also said that if I can't hitch up my trailer I will sell my trailer and buy a class "B" motorhome / van conversion. [no hospital bed for me] I'm not giving up yet. Lee wanted me to take my hitch dolly with us on trips. I might have to put off road tires on it so it will roll on gravel Etc. I was hefting my generator into the bed of my truck, but now I use a wooden ramp and a dolly that I made for the Yamaha 2400 generator.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-23-2019, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smartstream

Bob I'm so sorry to hear about Lee. Give her our best and let her know we hope and pray for her swift recovery. Take care of yourself because you have to be around to take care of Lee.

I apologize for the late response but we have been camping and without Wi-Fi access.

Hi, Dan. Thank you for your concerns for Lee. Yes, I have to take care of myself so that I can take care of Lee. No apologies necessary; I no longer depend on WIFI when traveling. I use Memo, or note pad, to document my travels and report when I get home. I can't enjoy myself fighting camp ground WIFI's.

Gene · 05-24-2019, 07:05 PM

Yes, Bob, we have to take care of ourselves. Most of us will be caretakers at some point. I hope Lee will be mobile enough to take her (with or without trailer) somewhere nice this summer. I am looking forward to being a chauffeur for a while, but I won't wear a uniform. It is going to be an interesting summer.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-15-2019, 01:02 AM

Hi, Lee is still slowly improving. We go for a short walk almost nightly. I'm guessing about one mile or less. [I walk 2.2 miles almost every morning] Even a car ride is still hard for her although we have gone as far as about forty miles one way from home. Her last X-Ray seems to show proper healing of her back. Twelve screws and ten rods show in the X-Rays. In October we have our once a year Airstream Rally in Northern California; Lee said to go ahead a sign up for the rally and if she isn't up to going that far she said that I might have to go alone. Healing is taking longer than we expected. [It's tough when you're old] We usually take some sort of a side trip after the rally before coming back home. Not that we ever make trip plans, but we can't just pack up and go somewhere now. Washington was a practice trip and several more trips was on our minds before Lee's accident. Mostly because last year our trailer never left home and our River Cruise was at the same time as the October rally. We were going to make up for lost time this year. Time will tell.

xrvr · 08-15-2019, 04:23 AM

Healing is a slow process, bith physically and mentally. Glad to see there is good progress! Keep up the fight!!!

Gene · 08-17-2019, 11:53 AM

Healing does take longer and everyone expects to beat the odds, but while some do better than average, it still takes too long. Barb’s knee is healing fast and her mobility keeps increasing, but she still upset her knee hasn’t broken all records. I guess it is human nature to expect the impossible. That’s a lot of screws and rods in Lee’s back, so it looks to me from afar she is doing extremely well. Glad you can make some plans. We are going to a nearby forest service campground in a week—that will be 6 weeks from surgery and getting up and down the steps may be Barb’s biggest challenge. Old age is a challenge, though Lee looked pretty young when we saw her a couple of years ago.

ROBERT CROSS · 08-17-2019, 12:28 PM

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Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, Lee was gardening near our rock retaining wall. She stepped on a wet rock, slipped and fell about 5'-6'. Even though Lee landed on her feet first, The pressure broke her back. She is now in the Salem, Oregon Hospital recovering after a six hour operation.

Better late than never....

So sorry...prayers sent. Pass on a BIG hug.

BfloBob