Sunday 5.11.2008 Mother's Day

Surprised me, I didn't sleep well at all last night. I went to bed after 1:15. Freezing cold. And as soon as I was just thinking about warming up, there it was. Hot. Oh my gosh. Covers off, breathe. About 10 minutes later, shivering again. I tried to lay quiet, to breathe through all this instability, to find some sense of calmness. I watched 2:30, then 3:30. I finally dozed off, then woke at 0530 and 0730. Geesh. I dozed, finally got up about 8:45. And you know I don't feel rested. The good thing--I will probably sleep tonight.

It was dry this morning, and thought I might get the other railing planter planted. By the time I had breakfast the rain had started.

Jeremy called to say all was well in South Carolina, and Happy Mother's Day. A big storm had moved through this morning, but had not affected them. Thank you, God. We had a nice visit on the phone.

A little while later Frank called, and he came up to visit in the afternoon. Daniel, Frank, and I went out to a local eatery, Carlin's Catch, and had some great fish. After we were at home, Frank mentioned going to Ann Arbor to visit his friend John, who had been in the motorcycle accident April 20. He is still at the University of Michigan Hospital, and will be there for a while yet.

Frank left and picked up Keesha, and I met them in Jackson, and we rode together over to the hospital. John is still very painful and had 3 staff persons to help him get back to bed. He only started bearing weight on his right leg (the good one) yesterday. He has a cast on his left leg, toes to thigh, with a drain. He has a short arm cast on the left arm, immobilizing the ruptured tendons of his left thumb. A supra pubic catheter is still in place, with good output. He breathes carefully, guarding the 5 broken ribs, and unknown other internal bruises. His right eye is dark, healing from the black eye. This is not a complete list, just what I could see. He is struggling with depression, and with the pain that is constant. He also had a skin graft, from his upper thigh to his lower leg. I hugged him, and he cried. I cried, too.

I hugged his friend Amber, too. She was on the back of the bike, and was unconscious in the road after being hit. She has a short arm cast on her left arm, with pins in her hand. She said the pins come out tomorrow, and she is scared of that process, and wonders if she will regain use of the ring finger and the little finger. They now are curled down with minimal movement. She also sustained a burn from something, somehow, on the calf of her ?right leg. She said that the skin was healing well, but she has no sensation below it, almost down to her heel. Those problems are one thing, but she is also insulin dependent diabetic, which can compromise healing. So she is a watch and see, too.

We left a little before 8. I think Frank and Keesha are ok; they verbalize helplessness at not being able to do more, and guilt of being with them but not getting hit. (survivor's guilt?) I left them at their vehicle in Jackson, then I came on home in the rain.

Daniel said we had a visitor tonight--the first hummingbird of the season at our feeder! That was nice to hear after seeing all that difficulty.

We visited a little, and I wrote here. Tomorrow is Monday. I have radiation at 0840, and support group at 0900. I go in to work after that. My breast is sore, tender in the wound bed.

I ask you pray for John's healing and for strength for him. Also for Amber's healing and strength. If you'd like to send him a card or something, I'd be happy to give you the address. Email me at katherine_putnam@hotmail.com. (that's an underscore between the first and last names).

I'm on my way to bed. Hugs.