Alive, but not kicking, yet.

One week and two days later: her 64th birthday today.

Her life is no longer at risk, though she still has some serious medical issues with which to contend, such as being fed through a nose tube, as her jaw was wired shut on Monday, and will be fo another 3 weeks. That actually isn't too far away.

She is healing well, and quickly. Her edema is subsiding, and the bruising on her face is too. All bandages have been removed from her face, and she looks good.

The hardest part is her lower half, her hips and legs. Her upper thighs on the back are still black/dark purple with bruising both from her fall and the orthopedic surgery I think.

As she hasn't been able to move her legs, there isn't much circulation there. The occupational and physical therapists have begun seeing her and as soon as they can get the Trauma Team (heading up all decisions on her healing protocol) they will have the cast on her back left knee removed so that she can sit on the edge of the bed and raise her legs.

She's so lucky, no nerve damage. She can wiggle her toes, she can flex her knees.

Most of the people in the ward hse's in who are assigned to the room she's in, have been great, with the exception of last night's crew who ignored her flagging them when she had a bowel movement this morning. She called me at 5:45 am to ask me to come down to the hospital. I walked her through getting the attention of the CNA assigned to her. No luck. The nurse. No Luck. Finally I called the nursing station. There is such a delicate way in which I have to talk with these people, because they could easily be unkind and not gentle when they work with her, so I want to be sure she gets the care she needs, without aggravating them.

I think the bowel movement and clean up is the hardest part for her. The pain isn't good, but she is dealing with it.

I've been at the hospital no less than 8-10 hours a day, so she is getting good care, I think because they see me and my concern for her, and I've killed them with kindness, that even the colder types have warmed up and check in on her proactively.

And me? I'm doing what I can to take care of myself. I am eating ok, people have been good one the food front. My neighbors good on the pet and lights on at home front. Being so *aware* of so much can be exhausting. I am trying to focus myself on reading and doing my homework, but I don't feel inspired. I know that I really have to make an effort because there isn't much school left, two weeks really. That isn't all that long. Yet, I'd like to rest *Now*.

I am spending my energy keeping things covered on the logistic front, that I almost don't know what I feel. I feel as though I am waiting for the other shoe to drop, that *my* life has stopped until some details regarding CW have been resolved, such as when her status changes from being hospitalized to be convalescing, to when she might come home and the details I'll need to cover on that front.

Ah well. My tolerance level is really really low right now for things that irritate me. I mean *really* low. Right now some asshole is talking on his cell phone in the cafe with his low, montone male voice. He also moved from some other table to just behind me, and I could kill him. I gotta go before I do, in fact.