Marsbarn Designs...

Fifteen Years

Fifteen years...

-6 dog bites
-2 bouts of pneumonia (one viral, one bacterial)
-1 twisted ankle
-1 citywide community policing award
-100's of cars pushed to safety (with push-bumper and by foot)
-1 movie style car pursuit with bad guy gunfire
-1 locomotive stopped before it collided with a car stalled on the tracks.
-6 police chiefs
-2 precincts
-1 gunshot wound
-3 pairs of Danner Boots
-2  9 mm Glocks
-4 bullet resistant vests
-3 different models of car
-3 different mobil computer systems
-7 police funerals attended
-3000+ police stickers given to children and adults

Too many arrests, perimeters, drunk drivers, late nights, fights, neighborhood meetings, dead bodies, recovered stolen cars, and people helped to count.

Happy Anniversary Big E.  

The Beach

 

 

 

 

While H. is away, I thought I steal her blog for the day, and add photos from our beach stay.

-Big E.
 

Why I Love My Wife

From Big E:

This morning, after six hours of sleep,

h woke me up for court

with hot tea and a pastry waiting. 

It's been a really, really nice 36 hours.

Big E and I actually had our overnight getaway last night.

 

The getaway that was cancelled due to the hernia, and postponed by the Norovirus, finally happened! 

The incredible Auntie O (our heroine!) took charge of our Sweet Monkeys, and the man and I hit the road.  We (prepare yourself) saw a movie, not meant for children, in the movie theatre.  Ironman 2 was the perfect movie for the day; funny, exciting, not gory, and thoroughly enjoyable.  I was treated to three fabric stores, and after we'd checked into our hotel, Big E enjoyed a sampler of ten beers brewed by the area brewery.

It was a perfect mini getaway,  and we returned to town just in time for teatime with the family and a quick dinner, before heading off to an award ceremony.  Big E was honored for his hard work as a district officer with a citywide award for "improving community safety and reducing the fear of crime".   It was a thrill to see him recognized in such a public venue (as well as entertaining to watch him squirm as his many good qualities were enumerated by the presenter).  Oh yes, he might run toward danger when others would flee, but don't say nice things about him!  

when bad is good, and fungus is beautiful

Today was one of those unusual days.

The most interesting, beautiful thing I saw was lichen.

And the best news of the day is that Big E has Norovirus.

I know.  

I cheered, and shouted, and danced, about Norovirus.

What kind of a place have I been living these past weeks when this is good news?

Anyway, the new pain, pressure, and discomfort Big E has been experiencing is due to virus.  This means no gallstones, no additional hernia, no second surgery, and best yet, he appears to be on the tail end of the virus.  Huzzah!

I should have changed that stupid lock!

Hey, the hernia's back.
Or should I say, it's still here.

Big E is still in pain, and in fact he's in more pain now than he was 5 days ago.

So back to the surgeon's office we go this afternoon.
(Apparently, even they think there is something wrong.)

My song of the day?
"I will survive" By Gloria Gaynor, the 8 minute version.
Oh yes, it makes a good anthem to the hernia that won't go away.

Monday; we are ready for you.

Today is Big E's consult, with any luck they will operate and fix the hernia today.
(Fingers crossed.)

Nothing in his condition has improved since Saturday, Big E is still in quite a bit of pain.  He can only sit upright for about 30 minutes at a time, twice or three times a day. He eats about half of what he normally does, and his abdomen is swollen and tender.  

To spice things up a bit, Little eat woke up with a swollen, red, teary eye this morning.  Upon examination, I pulled a gooey eyelash out of it.  After the liberal application of eyedrops and a compress the swelling has gone down,  but since there's a pinkeye outbreak at school I kept her home.  

We are receiving wonderful support from our friends and family.  It is good to feel so loved.  Between the ongoing support of my Mom and Auntie O, a good for the soul visit from Claude and Bunny, and the continual support from our friends, I am feeling... better.  

Sunday morning I woke up feeling more like myself.  I did a bit of baking (monkey bread from scratch! Yum!), and even cut out a project for Little e's upcoming birthday.  Today, there is a plan, which always makes me more comfortable.  I have laundry to begin and some greens from the CSA box to use up, before we find out what the week is going to bring us.

Donuts, videos, and sleep

Things are better than they were yesterday.
Big E's pain has subsided some. 
He is spending about 20 hours a day sleeping, which is a good thing, I think.
His major accomplishment yesterday was a 15 minute stint sitting up in a chair drawing with Little e.

 

I am no longer as angry as I was, but I am tired.
Very tired.
I've closed my Etsy shop for a bit.  
I just needed one less thing to keep track of. 
I would love to be able to use this time to whip up some sort of fabulous project, but I know that's not going to happen.

 

My Mom and Auntie O came over today.
It was good to be able to get out and do a bit of retail therapy. I bought a set of alphabet stamps that I've been eyeing for ages.

  

Thank goodness it is Friday.  
To celebrate, we had locally made donuts for teatime, 
and as soon as some chores have been done we're going to the video store.

How my man shows me a good time.

I should go to bed, but I have that lingering adrenaline that comes from a day of the unexpected.
No, not the good unexpected, the bad kind.

In short, Big E has a hernia.
I would explain, but that would take too long,
so I sum up.

Date lunch leads to a sudden onset of abdominal pain + visible bulge above navel, which rapidly leads to more pain + a larger bulge 
which lead to an ambulance ride, a five hour Emergency Room visit, an x-ray, and a cat scan.
We are now watching and waiting, and expect surgery next week.

Romantic night away this weekend?
Cancelled.
Disability time? 
Resumed. 

Le sigh.

You take the time you need

So this is Big E's second week back at work.
His ankle seems to be holding up well, and his stamina is returning. The adjustment, after being off work for 3 1/2 weeks is going as smoothly as it could.

Having a spouse at home, when they shouldn't be, is not an easy thing.  On the surface, one might think, "Oh, it would be like vacation time!"  But, it isn't.  Between the stress of the incident, the pain of the injury, the physical therapy,  the irritation that comes from being displaced, and the upheaval of everyone's schedule,  disability leave can be a recipe for animosity and a feeling of distance (to put it mildly). 

The sad fact is that Big E has spent more than 19 months (cumulatively) of his 14 years at work on disability.  That time reflects his GSW, two bouts of pneumonia, a couple of dog bites, and various other injuries.  None of that time was fun. None of it was easy.  There was a whole lot of pain, frustration, stress, rage, night sweats, and grumpiness experienced in those periods of non-work.  

I've often wished that there was a chance for a vacation break between recovery and reentry to work. (Big E spent the girls' Spring Break going between doctor's visits and physical therapy.) 

So.  As part of our aftercare, we are planning a couple of quick getaways together.
There won't be anything extravagant or flashy,
just a night away, here and there, without the kids, so we can be together as a couple.