The Road to Recovery

August 6, 2014 – The Road to Recovery

Life is slowly returning to normal here in the Thompson household.  By normal, I mean pre-accident conditions.  During the time that Elliott was incapacitated due his injury, there was a necessary re-alignment of responsibilities.  For example, he usually prepares his own breakfast.  However, because he was very weak and unable to use his arm, I assumed the task of making his daily oatmeal.  I am very well acquainted with the process.  In fact, I’m the one who taught him how to prepare his oatmeal with cinnamon and mashed banana in the microwave.  But Elliott wasn’t content to sit back and relax.  He had to supervise every step and offer directions.  I tried to be patient, but when he criticized me for insufficient stirring before I popped the bowl into the microwave, it took a lot of self-control for me not to ask, “Clockwise or counter-clockwise?”  As you can imagine, this sudden dependency has been frustrating for him and stressful for both of us.

When he returned from the hospital, he was very tired and, more troubling, somewhat delusional as well.  Our days revolved around frequent wound care (I won’t go into detail except to say that I surprised myself at my ability to deal with this) and visits to various doctors who were monitoring his condition.  Fortunately, the infection responded quickly to the antibiotic he was taking.  And just as the infection was clearing up, we realized that this same drug was causing his mental confusion.  Once he stopped taking the medication, he was back to his normal mental state.  He also got a big psychological boost from knowing that the infection had been defeated. 

I had a brief escape last weekend when I went up to Rochester for a mini-family reunion.  In addition to spending time with several cousins, my brother, and my aunt, I visited the Pittsford Wegman’s (their flagship store) and took a long walk along the Erie Canal with my brother.  It was very quiet and peaceful, which is not surprising since we started out at 6 o’clock in the morning.  One of the highlights of the very short trip was a visit to Canandaigua, a town at the northern tip of one of the nearby Finger Lakes.  It’s a quaint little town with a lovely lakeside park where we spent a relaxing afternoon.  We also stopped at one of the nearby wineries for a wine-tasting.  Less than 48 hours after I left home, I was back on a plane to DC.  

First stop - Wegman's, of course!

Lock 32 on the Erie Canal

With my brother on the trail

Lake Canandaigua

My family at Lake Canandaigua

This week, we have fewer doctors’ appointments.  Although we’re still doing twice-daily wound care, the gash has started to close up, even without stitches.  Elliott is gradually regaining his energy and his appetite.  And now that he’s feeling more like himself, it’s time for him to start making his own breakfast again.