I type this from the living room. In front of me is the Christmas fern I bought yesterday as a Christmas surprise. Clancy is downstairs in the basement, and can’t see it. I’m not sure when she will be able to leave the basement. We’ll have to drop off Lain at a babysitters before she does, though. If she does any time soon.
Last night, at just after twelve, Clancy had to go in to the hospital to see to a pregnant patient. She’s been working or on call just about every day this month. She’s covering for a lot of people who are going to see their families over the holidays. Christmas day, though, she was actually supposed to get off, oddly enough.
At around 3:30 in the morning, my phone started blasting out Macon Greyson, meaning that I was getting a phone call. I was co-sleeping with the baby as we help her adjust to her new post-crib existence. Clancy knew this, and it was odd that she would be calling at such a late hour. I figured it was a butt-dial. Instead, she was explaining about some sort of… accident.
It was 3:30 in the morning, and then 4 by the time she got home and I – along with one of her colleagues – ushered her into the house as we tried to manage her crutches. To say that I was tired would be an understatement. I was also groggy after having taken 9mg of Melatonin. I almost never take that much Melatonin, but I did last night. She explained to me, both other the phone and in person, what had happened. She’d fallen down and busted her kneecap. Also, something about a nurse all but telling her that she needed to toughen up and stop being such a wimp. Surgery would be required, but couldn’t be performed for several days until the swelling is down. She tried to explain it all to me,
I spent the morning contacting my aunt to let her know that we would not be able to make it to the Christmas luncheon on Saturday. Then immediately calling my parents before my aunt did. Clancy was supposed to call her parents, but she must have fallen asleep because I got a frantic call from her mom asking what was going on. Unfortunately, I didn’t know anything more this morning than I did previously. We don’t know what kind of mobility she is going to have until surgery. Or, for that matter, what the long term ramifications of it may be.
She’s getting some much-needed sleep. For that I am grateful. Even when she wakes up, I don’t think that we will have very much in the way of answers. Including when she will be able to see Lain again, for fear of Lain jumping on her leg and causing unnecessary damage. We do have the tri-state medical community having her back. Her colleague has already contacted an orthopedist in Millsburg. If there’s a list, there’s a good chance that she will find herself near the front of it. Which is not right, and unfair, but I can’t really say that such is high on my list of priorities right now.
My parents arrive in a few days. It’s looking unlikely that I will have the house in the shape that I was hoping to have it in. Which may be another year of snide comments from my mother about how we live. Which, to be fair, I probably would have gotten regardless of how much cleaning I’d managed to accomplish. That said, I’m glad that they’re coming. Between that and a nearby family willing to look after Lain, that’s going to be some much-needed help as we wade through some rough waters.
Oh Will. I’m profoundly sorry for Clancy. For you and Lain, too.
Your mother. Make her useful; put her to work, tell her you need her. If there’s one sliver of potential joy here, perhaps it will in helping her move beyond something judgmental. I wish it so, with all my hedgewitch heart.Report
Sorry to hear about all that Will. The intertoobz are great for many things, like sending good thoughts and well wishes, but that doesn’t get the baby changed or the house cleaned. For as good as xmas can be, it can also be a massive pain the rump when something like this comes up. Keep on chugging and you’ll get through this anti-merry situation. Best wishes.Report
So sorry for Clancy, Will. If wishes from the community of virtual friends means anything to her, tell her we’re wishing for a speedy recovery.Report
I’m so sorry to hear this. Broken patellas can be enormously frustrating, depending on how long things are immobilized and the follow-up physical therapy. Hopefully this will be a straightforward case.Report
I’m sorry that you, Clancy, and Lain have to go through this on the holidays.Report
Well, here’s hoping that it gets better soon. Happy Xmas Will.Report
Deep hope that things improve bud. All the best.Report
Good luck in the coming days/weeks/months. Man, that’s rough.Report
Ugh, sorry to hear that. I hope the recovery is swift and as painless as possible, in every way.Report
Sorry to hear about all this. Please accept my best wishes.Report
Oof. That sucks. One day you’ll both look back on this and laugh. But right now you’ll just want to smack anyone who tells you that.
Take care.Report
Sorry to hear of your misfortunes Will.Report
Ooof. That’s horrible. Speedy recovery to Clancy and hopefully she can see Lain soon again.Report
Surgery at 11 today.Report
Thoughts with you both.Report
Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Clancy.Report
Oy, poor Clancy. That’s terrible, Will. I hope she recovers quickly and that you have as stressless time helping her convalesce as possible.
FWIW, I would take things like get the house looking perfect for your parents off your mental To Do list. They will understand, and will want to pitch in and help with stuff like that when they get there. (Parents get stressed out if they can’t do *something* to help when the kids are having problems.)
Mostly, though, I’m just wanting to send the three of you hopes and prayers.Report
Everything everybody else already said.
Damaged lower limbs *suck*. Impaired mobility is a wretched curse, even when it is only temporary. Hang tight.Report
Sorry to hear about Clancy. That sucks. (And what’s up with the nurse berating her for toughin it out?)
About the house and “the way you live” stuff, man, I’m *really* sorry about that. A broken knee cap will heal and get better, but judgment from your parents lasts a lifetime.Report
I’ve been thinking about you all since you posted this. Hope things are going okay and that the family turns out to be more help than drain.
*hugs*Report
Clancy is finally home from the hospital. Less pain, can’t walk yet, but they say she should be able to work again in a week.Report
good to hear Will.Report
Didn’t get to weigh in earlier but hope all is well and glad to hear that things are improving. Wish we were closer and able to pitch in in some way. Instead, we’ll hold you all in our thoughts and hope for a speedy recovery.Report
This is completely missing the point, but was she in the hospital where she works, or a different one?Report
Both. Her job is at two hospitals, this is one of them. She primarily worked at the other hospital over the last year, but will mostly be working at this hospital starting in January.Report