I have a very dear friend who claimed that he could feel the love and prayers of his friends and family after the tragic death of his son. That statement obviously impacted me, as I vividly recall speaking with him now a decade later. Now I can personally bear witness with him that you can feel prayers.
Tuesday, December 12th was ‘The Day’ and after very early surgery in Indy, my friends David and T.J. (also known as Mr. and Mrs.) Coffman drove me and my car back to Patriot. David and I were in the same police academy class and were working the street together when I retired. T.J., although a reasonably short woman, has been a firefighter with the Indianapolis Fire Department for 16 years. I truthfully don’t believe I could have been in more capable hands!
While waiting for a prescription to be filled in Vevay, I treated the two to lunch at AJ’s and Wendy’s unique and unsurpassed level of entertainment. Finally home and alone, I decided it was time to take some meds, lay back and begin my recuperation – only to find that the childproof cap on my prescription bottle is also adult proof for those of us with limited capabilities. Thank God for strong teeth because although I cracked the plastic pill container during the first two attempts utilizing a pair of pliers I finally gained access to the pain meds. My ‘normal’ pharmacy knows of my limitations with the childproof wonders but for convenience, I went to a different pharmacy that was more geographically accessible and they, of course, didn’t have a clue.
Pretty much for the past two weeks, I have not had a clue as to what day of the week it is or what time of the day. Its all become pretty much a blur. It only took me a couple of days to realize that at my age, I can no longer do the things I have been able to do in the past. First and foremost on that list is my ability to recuperate from this surgery. Two weeks post-op, I still have some rather substantial bruising and soft tissue damage to my right arm that was sustained secondarily during the surgery. I have movement in the affected arm but am still restricted as to use. No physical therapy yet. In a nutshell, my orthopedic surgeon had to re-open my shoulder and upper arm, remove the cobalt chrome head from the titanium shaft that he installed seven years ago to strengthen my arm. Once in, he had to replace the plastic pegs that have supported a working shoulder for me for the past seven years with some less desirable bone grafting material. Alas! I overdid it and the result was best described by my surgeon as “a loose tooth” that could only be removed to alleviate the pain. It is far too soon to determine how much use I will have in the future but most assuredly not as much as I have enjoyed in the past.
Thank you to Sandy and Wayne Dawson and Carol Ann Armstrong for their visits. Carol Ann even brought by a scrumptious cinnamon roll. My friends Mary and Tony Christiani have been checking on me on a regular basis and my neighbor Robin Lawson has been helping whenever I ask. For the most part, the Two Terrible Twin Tomcats have been very attentive and if purrs could cure, I would already be healed!
Ms. Patty Chase has been checking on me by phone periodically and was kind enough to report on our Red HOT Hatters Christmas luncheon for me.
It has been decided that beginning in 2018, all Red HOT Hatter monthly meetings will occur on the third Thursday of the month at 11 a.m. The January 18th, 2018 meeting is planned for Jewell’s on Main in Warsaw, Kentucky.
My friend and mentor Judy Korn passed away last week. She was the editor of our church bulletin prior to turning it over to me a few years back. Beautiful lady, wonderful wife, mother and grandmother – she will be sorely missed by many.
Prayers of healing for Judy’s husband Fritz Korn, Joyce Johnson, John Campbell, Leah Dunaway, Jake Rader, Pam Hutchinson, Mary Ruth Poling, Colton Schirmer, Erin Schmitt, Leona Ware, Travis Griffith, Wayne Dawson and June Lack. Special prayers for the two-year-old grandson of Connie McCarthy, Lucas Winter who is hospitalized.
As always, I encourage people to contact me with their local news. You may contact me several ways: by leaving a note or message inside the cat mailbox in front of 1995 Front Street in Patriot; or by calling my home at (812) 594-2281; or dropping me a note at P.O. Box #01, Patriot, Indiana, 47038. In addition, contact KAY E COOK on Facebook or online at PatriotNews1995@gmail.com. If you have anything for me to include in this article, please send it to me. Information can be received any day of the week but normally my deadline is Sunday at noon for that week’s issue of the paper. Any news received later will appear in the following week’s article. If you need something in a particular issue, please be sure and give it to me early.