Bunion Surgery- Left Foot

Sept 10, 2020- Surgery

Megan has been struggling with foot pain because of her bunions for a few years and 2 years ago I took her to the Orthopedist. He said that she had significant juvenile bunions and was a candidate for surgery.  With this pandemic upon us and activities canceled Megan was eager to have surgery.  We went back to Dr Brandao and were surprised at the speed in which she could get on the surgery schedule.

Surgery day was the 3rd day of school and I was a little worried about starting the year by taking days off but Megan worked to get a handle on classes in those 1st two days. We arrived at Kernan Hospital, got registered and brought back right away. Then the medical staff came by and asked questions, the nurses, the anesthesiologists, the surgical nurses and Dr. Brandao. It turned out one of the nurses went to Mary's Land farm store regularly. We were texting updates to the sisters and Jim as things progressed. Megan got prepped as I sat with her. Everything went pretty smoothly. We brought crutches and she got instructions of using them. 

They were going to do a nerve block guided by ultrasound so there was prep for that. Dr. Brandao marked Megan's toe and incision points and added a smiley face. He marked her heal and I asked about it and he said that was where they would harvest bone for the graft. It was the first we heard about that, but everything else was as expected. The anesthesiologists asked Megan if she was ready to be sedated, and I got to give her a kiss and pray for God's blessing. 

I then headed out. Megan didn't remember the sedation but was soon asleep. I returned to the waiting area and settled in. They had a the TV set to Law and Order so I popped headphones in and journaled and read a book. It was drizzling but I went outside and prayed a Rosary while doing laps on the grounds. The patient liaison came out to let me know that Megan would be done soon and be moved to recovery. Shortly afterward Dr. Brandao came out to talk to me. He said everything went well and got about a 95% correction and that he was happy with how it went. We also talked about his newborn daughter. I eagerly waited for them to come get me so I could go back to see Megan. The patient liaison came out and said that Megan was so sweet and that she woke up crying that she had to leave Hogwarts. About 20 minutes later I got to go back and Megan was really drowsy and weepy, but they had her sitting upright and she looked pretty good. She was actively listening to things around her and was worried for the man in the other hall because he looked like he was in a lot of pain. She is a caring young women right at her core. Shortly she mentioned she could use the bathroom and that started a whole process, of unhooking and shifting and putting a stabilizer on. Luckily it was also the process toward going home so after the bathroom visit there wasn't much to do to get released. 

We were really hungry as it was now after 6 and Megan hadn't eaten since last night and I had only had snacks. Megan asked for Subway which was across the street. The drizzle turned into a downpour just at that moment I got out. Megan was so hungry she ate her foot-long sub on the ride home and felt much better. It also was the night for picking up materials at the high school. We drove to the school and after seeing the back up of cars, I made a U-turn and headed home.

Rachael came out with an umbrella when we pulled up at home. I grabbed a plastic grocery bag from the back and quickly tied it over her big wrapped up foot. Megan was good with the crutches and we got her in to her room. She had spent the previous few days cleaning so it was welcoming and easy to navigate. 

We settled into a routine of alarms and pain meds, including a middle of the night dose. My interrupted sleep reminded me of those long gone years of infancy. Megan slept most of the weekend but also had time with visitors. She would come to the dining  room for dinner and her friend Zach came over one night to join us. The kittens kept her company and her sisters came in to play games. 

As the days have gone on, her pain isn't as intense. She has been doing her classwork and virtual school, with a few sewing projects mixed in. Her toes have gradually disappeared into her bandages and we are looking forward to getting them off, for whatever the next wrappings will be.

Not Quite Back to School 2020

September 2020

The 2020-2021 school year is starting off in a very unconventional way but 1st day pictures are still a must. My amazing girls continue to grow and learn and COVID-19 can't stop that from happening.

On August 27th Rachael began her Sophomore year of college at UMBC. There were hopes of in-person class when we registered her for her classes back in the Spring but by the beginning of summer class after class changed its modality to on-line instruction. Other colleges in Maryland commited to in-person classes, only to have large covid-19 outbreaks and quarantines. Most of the colleges have had to go to virtual classes even while having kids live on Campus. It has been very stressful to many families and I am grateful that we haven't had to rework our plans multiple times. Rachael doesn't love online class but she is trying to make connections with classmates and stay on top of assignments. Rae and a bunch of friends have been looking into getting an apartment but so far nothing concrete has materialized. 

On Aug 31st Johanna started a completely new adventure at Our Lady of Victory School for 2nd grade. We had struggled in the spring with online learning and as it became obvious that public school would not be back in person we started considering other options. Johanna did not like the impersonal virutal classroom experience. She was frequently sad after a Google Meet class because there were so many times that she wanted to say something or respond to a friend and it just couldn't happen with 27 kids on one screen. We looked into OLV since it is our parish school and after visiting and talking with them and Johanna. We decided to register her for 2nd grade. We had a lot of questions about distancing and safety and procedures for the what if scenarios, and we know that nothing is completely safe but we were satisfied with the precautions they had in place.  We have to do a symptom questionnaire each morning and Jo gets her temperature checked each morning before she gets out of the car at drop off. there are 12 kids in her class in person and 5 online at home. I spent a few weeks scrambling to get uniforms, Jim took her out for shoes, and we did a school supply run. Johanna liked her uniform and shoes so that was reassuring. I sat down and sewed a dozen new masks for her, so she could have new one everyday and some spares.

Her first week back was hard though. There were so many news things. New teacher, new building, new classmates, new routines, and no siblings in the same process. Johanna was quiet on her first few days when we picked her up. She rated her first day a 75% and her 2nd only at 25%, most of the negative was stressful situations around her and her fear of something bad happening to us when we were apart. Wednesday she cried and cried and didn't want to go to school. Luckily that day had Spanish class and PE both of which she enjoyed. It ended much better than it started and the rest of the week improved. But Tuesday after Labor day weekend came and it was another hard morning. But a good day by the end. This is a hard transition. One thing she hasn't had a problem with is mask wearing. She doesn't complain or have a hard time with it. I think it makes her feel safe.

On Tuesday 9/8 Bridget started 8th grade at Catonsville Middle School. She started getting her work space ready a few weeks ahead. I printed out her schedule. The school system has worked hard on it's plan all summer and then 2 weeks before school the Governor rolled out some new requirements and the state school administration handed out updated guidelines so they had to update it again. New schedules were printed and Bridget gave herself time to get ready.

Her first day first login went well but then her school device kept dropping the wifi connection. She missed 75% of her 2nd class. It was stressful but I was really proud of how Bridget calmed herself down and kept trying. She and her friends planned a lunch time get-together and had their own virtual meeting. She said it was so good to see everyone and to laugh. We expect that her device will give her problems all semester and she isn't looking forward to it but Bridget tucks her head and keeps going. I worry about her internalizing the stress but I am proud of her fortitude. 

Megan woke up to her first day schedule being changed and discovering that she only had 2 classes. She is a Junior at Catonsville High School and she is also taking 2 classes for dual enrollment at the community college. The high school made the decision to split the year into semester classes and offer 4 classes in the fall and 4 in the spring. It isn't ideal for a number of reasons but I am glad Megan has to manage a smaller class load. By the end of the day she got her schedule fixed and has 3 HS and 2 college classes this semester, and she'l have 4 HS in the spring.

The other big thing for Megan's 1st week of school is foot surgery on Thursday. Megan needs a bunionectomy and we decided that if school was virtual it would be the best time to get it done. So on her first day of class, amid getting her schedule fixed, we went out at lunch to get her pre-op COVID test. She'll have one more day before taking off for surgery.

When Megan and Bridget finished their classes today they went for a walk together. It was a beautiful day.

And for the first time in 18 years Emma did not have a first day of school. It indeed is a strange year.

I pray for the teachers and administrators as they navigate all of the technology and changes. I pray that God give they grace to use their gifts and do the good work of meeting their students as they are and inspiring them with knowledge and wonder. I pray for these students that they may expand past what they thought possible and to embrace the best in each moment as they gain information and understanding.

God please bless this school year, may you make it transformational and use it to grow love in your creation.

Emma turns 22

 This summer Emma moved out of her college apartment and into an apartment in Baltimore with 2 of her roommates, Courtney and Tori. Emma and her roommates enlisted family and friends and we all descended on the Towson apartment at Rodgers Forge. We were all wearing masks and we tried not to linger. They had coffee and donuts for all of us and we earned it through manual labor. The new apartment is a 3 bedroom unit on the top two floors of a stand alone house, where the owners live on the bottom floor. Emma has the 3rd floor converted attic space for her bedroom. It had crazy narrow stairs that  formed wedges in the turn. It was not easy to carry furniture up and we were grateful that she doesn't have a lot. Emma's friends entertained Johanna throughout the day but I think she crossed a few lines occasionally. Emma's friends were so kind and everyone really pitched in to get the moving done. It is a good feeling to know your kids have good friends and supportive families. 

Em got settled in her new apartment, kept working at the same Persian restaurant Villagio Cafe, and shifted to a non-student schedule. I think she likes being able to cook, and create. She is sliding more fully into adulthood everyday. We had her over on Labor Day to celebrate her 22nd birthday. We had a beautiful brunch with fresh fruit, chocolate zucchini bread, bacon, eggs and bagels. We toasted to Emma's  new year with mimosas and then we spent the afternoon playing games together. 

Emma I wish you a very Happy Birthday! May God Bless you and Keep you!