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August 18, 2006
Hi Again
Folks,
An entire month has already
passed since my dad broke his hip while harvesting honey from
his rooftop
beehives. | | |
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| He keeps
the hives on the shed roof so the bears won't get into
them, which had been a major
problem. | | |
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| When I got
word on Sunday evening, July 16 about my dad's injury, I
figured he'd fallen off the ladder or something. But he
made it down the ladder just fine with bee frames and a bucket
of honey. Ironically, he tripped & fell hard as
he entered the house with his honey - up one easy
step! | | |
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| Since my
mom can't see to drive safely at night, and my van was
not working, my dad drove himself to the Mather V.A. Hospital
more than an hour away at 2:00 a.m. when the pain became
unbearable. He didn't want to bother the neighbors, even
though many would have been more than willing to take
him. | | |
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| Emergency
room tests showed a hip fracture, and he was taken on to Fort
Miley V.A. Hospital in San Francisco for surgery on July
18 - his 86th birthday. The ocean view from his hospital
room was nice. But what a way to celebrate his
birthday! | | |
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| My sister
Linda Adams flew up from southern California to be with
him. Being an emergency room physician for the past 19
years, she wanted to be sure our dad was well cared-for.
She's flown or driven up to be with our parents
every weekend since then - a round trip of nearly 1,000
miles. | | |
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| By Friday
July 21 my dad was eager to get out of the hospital and back
home again. Using a walker and putting very light
pressure on his right leg, he's been able to get around.
He has 4 screws holding his hip together. He needs to
"tread lightly" for 6 weeks from the surgery
date. | | |
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| My parents
stayed in Daniel's room at our home because of the
record-breaking heat. We had 12 days in a row above 100
degrees, and their home has no air conditioning. My
sister Lanita Medina flew all the way from her home in Maine
to spend some time
here. | | |
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brought Conchita, a Mexican student who had been helping her
during the summer, to be with our parents and help wherever
needed. They cleaned our parents' home thoroughly before
letting them move back
in. | | |
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| A few days
later, Lanita's husband Norman and 3 of their kids - Ben,
Krista and KK came to visit as well. Oldest daughter was
working at Summer Camp and couldn't
come. | | |
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| While
tidying up the yard and picking up obstacles at our parents'
place, Linda made sure Conchita did her assigned tasks - or
else! | | |
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| As soon as
the house was clean and the weather cooled down, my parents
were back in their own home - on the next ridge over from our
house. There's no place like
home! | | |
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Right away
my dad wanted to get out and check on the garden.
Only 5 days after his surgery, he was out there watering the
corn. Whenever nurses or therapists would come to visit,
he'd come to our place, have my mom clean the dirt of his
walker, and lie on the bed or sit on the sofa.
They'd walk him slowly around the house, warning him to be
careful about obstacles and uneven places.
As soon as they left,
he'd be back in his garden again - forget those hoses, dirt
clods and everything else the therapists don't know
about! Nothing is going to hold HIM
back! | | |
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| When he
needs a break, my dad has fun with the "new" toy he
acquired last year - an old player piano. He also plays
some songs he knows and really enjoys doing
it. | | |
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| And he had
to get more frames ready for the beehives, though we don't
know yet who will be able to get up on the roof and put them
in the
hives! | | |
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| Tired of
his walker, he pulled out his old cruthes - ones he got new 42
years ago when he broke his leg in a logging accident.
They're in pretty bad shape after sitting outdoors a long
time! | | |
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| Sometimes
he grabs an old axe and hops on one leg to get around in
places his walker won't
fit. | | |
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| Then he
came up with a quicker mode of transportation. He had
Lanita put an old sleeping bag in the wheelbarrow so he could
get around further & faster. He also fixed up our
garden wagon "limo" for getting around his uneven
property. | | |
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| When
vehicles need repair, he gets right in there, telling my mom
or a helper what to
do. | | |
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| He got our
old Honda 90 running again, and 13-year-old granddaughter
Krista Medina is trying it
out. | | |
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| My parents
spend a lot of time out in the garden, taking care of corn
patches, beans, tomatoes, squash, and more. The grapes
are ripening as well. There's always plenty of watering,
weeding and harvesting to do! And more corn to
plant! | | |
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Here he is
in the middle of the corn patch with his walker, holding
a machete and an ear of half-eaten corn in one hand and
another ear of corn in his pocket. After picking the
corn, he uses the machete to chop his way through the
harvested area and get back out of the patch.
If only the nurses
& therapists knew! Obstacles? Yes, he's being
careful - as much as possible in this particular
location! | | |
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My dad's
really grateful for a devoted, loving wife. She takes
good care of him and does everything else around the house
& yard, now that Conchita has returned to school.
And my parents are grateful for their wonderful kids &
caring neighbors who will do whatever they can to see my dad
back to full recovery.
And thanks to each one of you for
your thoughts, prayers and notes of encouragement.
With Love,
Fred Adams
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