Family Night

 A Monday Night Family Tradition

We've always had family night on Mondays ever since our children were little. Now that we are empty-nesters Bob and I are able to spend so much time together everyday. It's so different than when we had to compete with so many other events that we had to make sure we didn't have plans that would interfere with spending time together on Mondays as a family. Of course Bree moved to Colorado after getting married to Dean over 4 years ago and we haven't had Monday night family time with her since she was in high school. Ross moved into his own apartment almost a year ago, he's off work on Mondays so he still makes it a point to come over almost every Monday for family night dinner. He likes to help me around the house, or go on a walk in the afternoon, then go to the driving range, down to the park with Bob and watch football or a movie. When he first moved into his apartment he would come over late afternoon on Mondays and we would cook together. I would buy all the ingredients to show him how to make one of our family favorite recipes and then send him home with the same ingredients and some of the pans or utensils he would need for prepping or cooking the recipe so he could duplicate it soon after. He has become quite a cook for a bachelor and does a great job with hospitality, having people over often for a meal.

Quite often Manami will join us for dinner also, but not every week. This week she came over in the early afternoon to help me and spend some time with me. We were able to talk while she sat on the floor next to the couch making a birthday card for her sister. Then we also went on a short walk down the street to the park behind our house and around the block. Ross got here much later because he was taking some teen leaders from Texas around New York before taking them to the airport. By the time he got here we had eaten dinner and were watching a movie.It was really encouraging to have Ross and Manami over even while I'm still recovering and not feeling my best.

Post-op 11 days/October 22nd

 I am doing better everyday, but it is going to take time. I'm still taking some pain medication, but have cut down. Mostly as the meds wear off about every four hours I start feeling pain in the area of the incision and my neck. I can only sit up or be up for small amounts of time before my body tells me that I really have to lie flat. I can lay on either side and right on the back of my head as long as the medication hasn't worn off. I can still dose a little during the day. I am sleeping much better, but waking up quite often when I have to use the bathroom, I need to turn over, or the medication wears off and I need another dose. I also go through about an hour of time every night between 3 and 4 that I am incredibly itchy all over. It about drives me crazy. I don't have a rash, but itchy everywhere; I don't know if it has something to do with the medication wearing off at that time or with possibly being a bit dehydrated so my skin is dry. When the medication wears off I can also have some pain in my neck, shoulder, and arm as well as an interesting sensation in the left side of my face. I had this same type of sensation before the surgery with more numbness. So when I quit taking all the medication I don't know if all of the symptoms will be gone or not. I'm thinking that if my nerves were compressed for so long that it may take some time for them to adjust now that the pressure has been relieved. It will be nice to get back to more normal activity and get off the meds so I can see what happens.