March 29, 2016

     First let me update the progress on my wrist.  I have been through six weeks of physical therapy, and met all the goals that the therapist set for me.  Most of the swelling is gone, but there are times that I have swelling in my fingers.  I now know more about what the doctor was trying to do.  The wrist bone at the base of the thumb and the bone next to it had separated due to a torn ligament.  Surgery was necessary to try to fix the problem.  The doctor had told me that the surgery may not be successful.  The plan was to use a tendon from my arm to graft and hold the bones back in place.  About 20% of this type of surgery fails.  In my case, the gap between the bones was closed considerably, but there is still a small separation in one spot.  Also, the wrist area is slow to heal thus the continued swelling.  I am not sure what the next step is and my next appointment is not until June.  It could be that another surgery may be required to fuse the bones together.  Only time will tell.  The doctor said I could begin light work with the wrist, of course I did not tell him that I had already moved and stacked 100 concrete blocks a few days before my appointment.  I only lifted them into the front end loader and used the tractor to move them.  I did ask about using a tiller for my garden, and was told specifically not to use the tiller.  I have one on my tractor, so I still can get my garden planted this year.  I plan to plant next week.

     Amy and I have been traveling a little bit.  We visited the grand-kids in Virginia for a week, and just got back from a weekend at Jason's.  He gave his wife a new puppy, a golden lab, and of course we had to go see it in person.  It is the cutest puppy you have ever seen.
     We have an exciting trip planned.  We have booked a cruise to Alaska.  We are going with some old friends that live in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Chuck and Mary Jane Wood.  We use to vacation with them in the 1980's some.  We are really looking forward to this trip.  Everything is already taken care of for this trip and we will have a couple of days to see Seattle before the ship sails.  Can't wait!


     Being laid up with my wrist has given me plenty of time to work on my "latest hardest puzzle ever".  That is the picture below.  2000 pieces.

     I have my next two puzzles already picked out.  I started one while visiting Katy but did not finish it.  It is a panoramic view of the Auburn Stadium.  Katy had wanted to glue it and frame it, but since it was not finished by the time we left I brought it home to finish.  I tried to take it apart in sections so I would not have to do the whole puzzle over from scratch.

     Last post we were expecting my brother Lewis and his wife Deon to come visit us and Mom.  Mom's trip to rehab delayed that.  Mom is back home now and doing well, but Lewis has been back in the hospital a couple of times, then he had a fall last week and broke some bones in his spine.  He hopes that the doctor will cement the cracks and relieve the pain he is in.  We plan to go visit them some time next week since he will not be coming to Talladega any time soon.

      Amy and I also plan to use our new camping equipment soon and camp at a state park in either Alabama or Georgia.  With the weather changing it is time to get outdoors.  Until next time....