In a second

It's amazing how much one second is going to affect our lives for the next few months. Short story first, and then if you want details, you can keep reading.

I broke my ankle yesterday morning, and it's going to require surgery on Monday. If things go smoothly, I'll be in bed for two weeks, crutches for four weeks after that, and then slowly start weight bearing. Hopefully by the time the baby comes in October I'll be back to normal with just a little tenderness and pain.

If you're interested in the rest of the story, here you go . . .

I wish I could say it happened while hiking or skiing, but it is so not a glamorous story. Yesterday morning I wanted to let Robert sleep in, so I took Tiki outside for her morning business. Luckily Danielle was up and came outside with me. She had to run back inside to go to the bathroom, which was good because she ended up not seeing the fall (and maybe hearing some choice words? I can't remember).

The grass was wet from the sprinklers earlier that morning, and our lawn slopes down, so while I was following the dog around, I lost traction and started sliding down the lawn. I'm not really clear on how it happened because it was so quick, but I think it was when my foot hit the edge of the sidewalk and decided to go in instead of out. I won't tell you the gory details because I've seen the look on a few people's faces when I have, and it's not for the squeamish (give me a call if you want to hear about it . . . I'm impressed with myself and don't mind sharing)!

I just sat on the ground afterward, praying that Danielle would not get distracted and would come back outside. After a very long minute or two, I finally heard the door open and before I even saw her told her to go get Daddy. After another very long minute, Robert and Danielle came outside, and I very plainly told him that I broke my ankle (there was no question). It's amazing how calm I was, and I chalk it up to shock. We luckily had crutches here in the house and I sent Robert in for them. After he brought them, I hobbled to the house and made a phone call to a friend. No answer, so I just left a message saying that I broke my ankle and could she take the kids. I then went back to the couch and calmly swung my leg up and put my foot on a pillow.

My ankle was already swollen and it was then that it all started to register. The pain, the "what ifs" and "how are we gonna deal with this" hit me hard. I know I was blessed to keep it together so I wouldn't freak out the kids. My friend called back a few minutes later (which was good because my mind was blank on who else to call) and told me she'd be up in a few minutes to pick up the kids and puppy. (Bless her!) Between then we got ourselves all dressed and ready to go. Poor Liesl had to be woken up and I could see she was really confused about what was going on, but she didn't cause any trouble.

The fall happened at 7:15 and the kids were out the door by 8:00. The moment I heard them pull out of the driveway I started to groan and cry. After a few minutes I decided that wasn't helping me feel better, so I stopped and Robert and I started talking logistics. ER or urgent care? Can he get work off? (He had the 12:30-9:00 shift that day, and luckily did end up getting it off.) Which car to take? After we got it all figured out, we set off for our adventures in the world of medicine. I don't think it could have gone more smoothly--four hours after entering the doors of urgent care I was finished: x-rayed and numbed (I loved the orthopedic surgeon then), my ankle was set and a splint put on.

(A side note on the numbing: It required shots, which of course freaked me out, so I buried my head in Robert's chest while the doctor did it. The doctor did such a great job that I hardly felt a thing, but poor Robert almost passed out!)

My view for the next two weeks

So now I'm in bed for a few weeks (anyone have any book suggestions?) Luckily Robert's sisters from Colorado and Oregon were already planning separate trips to visit us these next few weeks, so I'll have plenty of help (one even changed her plans to come here earlier). Then my mom will be here to help for a month since I'll be on crutches and can't drive.

I've also been blessed with people from church willing to help. I called my visiting teacher this morning and she's already been here to clean my house (super embarrassing since I had been letting it go until right before our guests got here). I've had play dates and babysitters all day for the kids, and since Robert has to work tomorrow, my good friend who saved me yesterday will take the kids and the puppy until Robert's sister gets here (she took the puppy today, too. Her four boys love it!) I'm finding it really easy to count my blessings instead of cursing the situation, and that's a blessing in itself.

One big bummer, though, is my surgery is on the first day of school, so I'm going to miss all the pomp that goes along with it. Luckily their school had sneak-a-peak today and Robert explained the situation, so hopefully the teachers will be a little more understanding.

So I guess I needed a reminder that I'm not in control (more like a knock on the head). But life does go on. Just a few minutes ago Danielle came in to show me that she lost a tooth.

A better view