Paradise ponders...

Paradise ponders...  When I let the puppies outside for their first outing this morning, even before my morning caffeine I couldn't help but notice what a gloriously beautiful morning it was.  The temperature was 69°F, humidity 40%, with a light breeze from the southwest.  Everywhere I looked on the ground there were varied shades of green, except that the mountain tops are still white with snow.  The sky was a deep blue, with a few pink and orange clouds heralding the sunrise.  Birds all around me were singing the songs of springtime.  Swallow chicks nesting under our roof peaks were squabbling amongst themselves.  Several adult robins were plucking worms out of our lawn.  A hawk circled overhead, scanning the adjacent alfalfa field for low-IQ voles.  Dogs barked in the distance, and our dogs ran around the yard playing with the puppies.

We live in Paradise...

Debbie update...

Debbie update...  She's doing great!  On Friday she was transferred into the Transitional Care Unit (TCU), where they've already started on physical therapy to help build her upper body strength (she's going to need it with both legs out of action) and training in how to maneuver with both legs locked straight for the next six weeks.  Her spirits are good, her attitude positive, and she's making progress every day.  She's on email and available on the phone, and if you'd like to visit she's in Room 326, Logan Regional Hospital (435-716-1000).

Below are the X-rays taken of her knee immediately before surgery (left) and after (right).  In the left X-ray you can easily see the largest broken fragment – it's on the bottom bone (the femur), on the right.  It's displace downward from where it should be.  If you enlarge it and study it carefully, you can also spot three other fragments, all much smaller.  In addition to those, the surgeon found two more when he actually went in.  In the right hand photo you can see the bones are back in place – and there is some rather imposing hardware in there holding it all together.