Doin's of the Day

Many things occurred today, so let's hop to it!

Loren decided that this day, the day before possibly traveling to Iowa to see the children again, would be the ideal time to take the car in to have them check on the starting problem. Being the good, and utterly submissive wifie that I am, I said nothing, at least nothing much more than, "Couldn't this have waited until next week?

We found the car dealership with little problem, discovering the phone book map was only wrong on one count: which side of the 4 lane highway it was ON. After dropping off the car, we were taken by the dealership courtesy shuttle to our first appointment at the Gonda building.

Time for Pain Therapy for Loren's crushed vertebra. The physical therapist used a TENS device, placing the electrodes along Loren's spinal column. This little gizmo is then turned on to produce the electrical stimulus that is supposed to interrupt the pain pathway. Last time it was adjusted to a steady rate , but this time the therapist put it on a modulating wave-type frequency that made Loren jump a little bit :-) But by the end of the session, his pain, which had been at a level 2, was completely gone. His back hurts worse by evening, but still, the therapy seems to help, and results can last up to 4 hours.

Loren was given some exercises with the abdominals that are supposed to give him better core stability in his back. He is also encouraged to stand up straight and "not slump, " as bad posture can aggravate more compression fractures.

There was one moment of mortification when Loren took off his outer shirt. Several days of putting off the washing had led to the bottom of the undershirt pile. You know, the ones with HOLES in them :-( "You mean Santa didn't bring you new underwear? " kidded the therapist. Apparently not. But "Santa" made plans to start the laundry as soon as we returned to the "Big House."

Rehab followed, and then, having no car, we waited for the shuttle back to Gift of Life. Being one floor up from a large open atrium, we were well within earshot of the fine piano player on the subway level. I strolled over and rested my arms on the railing, listening as the woman played beautifully by ear. It was about this time that my watch, totally of it's own volition, became unfastened and fell from my wrist. I could not choke back a little gasp, as I thought of it hitting someone one floor below. But it had landed on a small ledge beyond the railing. Beyond anyone's grasp. A nice couple next to me offered to knock it off with the edge of a folder, where I, having gone down the stairway, neatly caught it.

Well, in retrospect, it doesn't sound all that exciting. You have to realize, it takes so little to amuse some people :-) And, at least I will not have to consider a lawsuit against Wal-Mart for selling cheap watches-that-come-apart-and-could-cause-possible-injury-to-atriumly-
placed-persons.


The shuttle arrived before any other untoward occurrences.

Upon hearing that the car was fixed, Loren had a slight moment of teeth gnashing. A shuttle was en route to ferry us to the car dealership, and......and.......there were two computer parts to be bid on at Ebay! Nothing for it, but to place a bid and hope for the best. We picked up our car and arrived back at the house. On the way up the elevator, Loren murmured, "Well, I wonder how the bidding turned out....." Ever the sage bearer of encouragement, I replied with a sly smile, "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away."
Well, in this instance, the Lord gaveth. Loren won his absentee bids. A car fixed and a bid won, all in the same day. How can things get any better?

I'll tell you how. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we shall visit the kids, again :-)

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