THE THING ABOUT AUSTRALIA IS…

Okay this post won’t be as epic as the last one I swear. So here I am a week into recovery and I must say doing alright. Especially now that I have time to write and get a minute to myself (being a full-time stay at home mom I wasn’t getting much alone time). I am sure in a couple of weeks Dan will need a much deserved break for his mental health as well. Ramona is very easy to care for, but she is a baby, and well it is a whole different mindset and set of skills to learn.

So on Sept. 17th 2009 I was discharged and wheeled down to the car we call Migaloo (Aborignal word meaning white), a ford hatchback that Dan’s grandfather used to own. Basically we had to put the front seat as far back as it could go and Ramona’s car seat was behind it. The orderly held my leg while I tried to wiggle and maneuver my leg into the car without using my muscles. It was painful, I was scared my leg would snap off, and after a few tries it was just not working. The car was way to small, everyone outside the hospital was putting their 2 cents in, and I was freakin’ out and full on crying. So was Ramona. So humiliating. I couldn’t even swing my leg into a car to go home and I was holding up an ambulance and Ramona was upset and I just felt like a big ole failure.

Luckily we got the Camry, Bluey Sparklepants. Dan’s mom, Kate, was at our house and able to bring it to us. It was just going to take an hour. They asked if I wanted to go back to the ward and I was like NO WAY! I can’t go back there! So I was wheeled into the parents room to get it together. I broke down again. I missed my friends, I was supposed to leave today on a plane to see familiar faces. My knee was not working and wouldn’t work for months and I had a young baby I could not look after. Oh, and the drugs were hittin’ hard.

Finally got home, depressed, tired, and just sat on the couch watching bad Australian TV until bedtime.

Next day, after a bit of a cry, I needed a shower. The drugs were making me wake up in a full sweat. I could not physically/mentally get into the shower because I was certain I would slip, so Dan gave me a freakin’ sponge bath! We laughed hysterically, bonding over all this insanity. In sickness and in health people, in sickness and in health….and then he washed my hair. Which I have to say was the nicest thing a partner can ever do for you. I finally felt relaxed and refreshed. Rachael said the color was finally back in my face because yesterday I was looking a bit grey.

So here I am getting better everyday and almost off the drugs! Dan is the best person ever and my friends and family here and abroad have been sending well wishes all week. I finally have a feeling that everything will work out fine. My buddy Juli-anne is coming in October to be with me and help us out which is soo appreciated and Dan will be able to get back to applying for school. We are also planning a nice trip to NYC, DC, and Florida with the whole family in a few months-we can use my old ticket towards another purchase so not too bad of a loss. Kate was really helpful this past week and Dan’s sister Phoebe my come down as well. And Rachael is really sweet with Ramona. We are so happy to have a baby that can be handled by a bunch of different people.

It will take a long time to recover but I won’t miss the whole summer. So as soon as I am mobile again we are all taking Ramona on her first swimming lessons-cuuute!

For some reason this has made me feel like there is more of a community here then I realized…

FYI: Ramona is so gonna be walking around before I even get off these damn crutches.