Bell's Palsy: Day 7 - A Week Later

Just joining me on this journey? It's Day 7 with Bell's Palsy. So how's it going?

I'm ending my first week since receiving the diagnosis, and since I didn't wake up from the nightmare yet, I'd better take a look ahead.

[First, here's a recap for those of you who just wandered into my world on this post: While visiting my daughter 400 miles from home...to care for her during her recovery from a broken foot...and after a couple of days with deadened taste buds, I awoke on Sunday with a numb sensation on my lip and the top of my tongue. I became paralyzed on the left side of my face rather rapidly, and by late afternoon, I gave all appearances of having suffered a stroke. With fear and trepidation, I went to Immediate Care where I received a diagnosis of Bell's Palsy...and prescriptions for a 15-day supply of a corticosteroid called prednisone and an antiviral called acyclovir. The doctor told me that this could last 15 days...a month...or the rest of my life. With that in mind, I will be posting periodic updates on my latest er, adventure.]

When I spoke with my NC doctor's nurse last week, she encouraged me to continue gentle facial muscle-massage with a warm washcloth, as instructed by the Immediate Care Dr here in KY...but to avoid any exercises yet, as "things are still settling" during the first week. My sweet suitemate from college, KD sent me links to great information about Bell's Palsy (from which she herself has suffered and recovered), including a fantastic website that outlines recommended Exercises: http://www.bellspalsy.ws/exercise.htm

Well. Week is up. So this morning I started down this path. Because I still have a good bit of jaw pain and neck muscle tension or cramping, I began with a warm washcloth massage to loosen up both sides of my face...not just the paralyzed left side. I thought I'd pick three from the list to focus upon:

1. Compress lips together. Pucker lips & attempt to whistle. [I chose this one because I tried to blow on my hot soup last night...and couldn't. Puckering. Whistling. Blowing on soup. Same difference.]

2. Harden (wrinkle) the chin; "stick out" the chin (like a boxer). [With my chin, this one seemed a natural...plus, this gave some tension/release action to that tightened neck muscle.]

3. Placing 4 fingertips on the eyebrow rub using a firm stroke up to the hairline. Return downward to the eyebrow. Do the same type of massage in a circular motion on your cheeks and chin, and outward to your ear. [This one feels good, even without a warm washcloth. Slight change on my part...I can only get three fingertips to touch my eyebrows at one time...if you've ever noticed my wicked-crooked little fingers, supposedly the first feature my Daddy noticed when I was born, you will understand my limitations...:~\]

I will also need to practice chewing and swallowing, since I'm still struggling with food. Again, thank goodness for Boost!

Now, I have a decision to make. On the Facebook support page created for Bell's Palsy, I saw several photos posted..."before" and "during" BP...not too many "afters" though. Mr. T and I talked about whether I should take pictures to be able to document my progress. While I buy into the concept with my head, I have had to convince my heart to go along with the idea.

There is nothing beautiful about Bell's Palsy. With or without the eyepatch. I know this sounds awfully vain...especially for someone who takes so little notice of her appearance on a daily basis.

But, I count my eyes as the one good feature in a face that takes after my Daddy too closely (high forehead, square jaw and chin, major gap between my front teeth, major-league overbite and tiny, crooked teeth that never had the benefit of braces). Now? Well, my blue eyes will never be noticed in a sagging, drooping portrait. Sigh.

But, on the Support Group page, I noticed that many of the "first" shots taken to document the extent of the paralysis, were taken at the one-week point. Maybe, they--like I--had become accustomed to how they look in the bathroom mirror after seeing the same, sad countenance for seven days straight. Possibly they--like I--had such high hopes for relatively quick results with facial exercises...and wanted to be certain to capture the nightmare before it came to a blessed end.

Who knows? I do know there are more members who choose NOT to post pictures...but I'm sure they--like I--are ever so grateful for those brave souls that do.

Ok. Here goes. Lights! Camera! Action! Better do this before I lose my nerve.

Bell's Palsy: Day 6 - Let's Eat!

Let's talk about food...one of my favorite subjects! Unfortunately, since I have almost constant jaw pain on the paralyzed (left) side of my face and a tongue that refuses to behave as it should, I won't be doing much talking...so let me get this down in text, ok?

Here's what I desperately want to eat. It's a picture of the bountiful harvest from our High Point garden that Mr. T brought with him. Beans, potatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, cukes, squash, and the first tomatoes of the season. Isn't it beautiful?

Yes, all those lovely veggies are tempting...and treacherous. For the past two days, I have struggled with eating. Even cutting things into teensy bites hasn't helped. I almost choked on a piece of a chicken nugget last night. Not the whole nugget, mind you...a baby bite of one. And, when we were blanching the green beans, I couldn't swallow the "test" bean that I popped in my mouth without thinking. Wouldn't go down...felt like I was trying to swallow a mouthful of seaweed. 

Not good. Not good at all. As if anything about Bell's Palsy has been "good" so far, right?

Well, after trying to alleviate the jaw pain with aspirin and with an NSAID gel that I've used for back pain, I was beginning to despair when Missy M suggested that I take one of her Advil 800 tablets that her foot doctor has prescribed.  At that point, I could have shouted, "YES!" Except of course, I can't open my mouth wide enough to shout...and I'm trying to avoid loud noises anyway...:~\

Now, I have taken Advil 800's in the past...when I had a root canal...so, I knew I could tolerate them. They work much better than taking 4 Advil 200s probably because your stomach doesn't have to process all of the extra outer coatings that four capsules have. I took one before bedtime last night and slept all night without waking for the jaw pain. Hooray!

Unfortunately, the pain returned this morning, making me ask for another Boost for breakfast...and a straw for my coffee. Sigh. For lunch I managed cottage cheese without choking, but it was a struggle. 

Still I am determined to have a bowl of beef-vegetable soup today...even if I have to run it through a blender and sip it through a straw! As I said in my Facebook post, determination counts, right?

Wish me luck!

==================UPDATE======>

Ok. I managed 1/2 bowl of lukecool soup...with a spoon and not a straw, thank heavens! I had to wait for it to cool under the ceiling fan as I have little ability to distinguish whether a food is too hot until it is too late. Plus, I just learned that if you can't pucker your lips, you can't blow on hot foods! Who knew? I saved enough strength for a small bowl of teensy watermelon chunks. That wore my jaw out...but, oh was it ever good!

Yeah. It's way too hot (102 at 6:00, with a heat index of 105!) for soup, as Missy M reminded me...and even quoting Nana's "hot liquids make you feel cooler" didn't convince (nah, I never believed it either...:~\). But have you ever just craved something...and nothing else will do? Of course, the ice cold watermelon was the perfect Summer's-day ending!

No worries. I'll figure this out. One day at a time, as they say. And as we all know, "they" are always right.

Bell's Palsy Update: Day 5

Ever heard the expression blind in one eye, can't see out of the other? One of Big Daddy's favorites...along with if it had been a snake, it'd bit ya. Well folks, I'm living it.

One of the main concerns about Bell's Palsy is dealing with the eye on the paralyzed side of your face, in my case the left. I have no blink response, so the eye doesn't have the benefit of protection from tears or from the eyelid, which normally serves as a protective barrier to wind, dust, and debris. Hence the reason BP patients are warned repeatedly about using artificial tears (eye drops and eye gels) and keeping the eye covered with tape or a patch...or both. The faintest breeze is painful, as is a bright light. And since we are now a 5-dog household...in summertime when the shedding is significant...well, I probably don't have to go into detail about the debris part. As painful as it is, though, it's not really about the immediate pain. No, it's all about the potential of scratching the vulnerable cornea. So, I wear tape and an eyepatch almost constantly. The eyepatch seems obvious...to provide outer protection. The tape, because my eye muscle is determined to lock in the open position, and I need extra help in forcing it closed, under the eyepatch. So that would describe the blind eye.

I've shared this in earlier posts, but I've been living with a developing cataract in my right eye for over a year now, just biding time until it gets "ripe," as the ophthalmologist said. Yeah. Makes it sound more palatable that way, I suppose. I am due to see him for my annual exam in July, and he was to make a recommendation about my next step then. Well. That would now be the "other" eye.

To step beyond the hyperbole and speak with perfect honesty, I do have some limited vision in my right eye. It's a bit like looking at the world through a sheer window curtain. And, for tasks like posting on my blog or updating my Facebook status, I am forever grateful that I got stuck with the so-called blind typewriter in Mrs. Curry's typing class in good ol' RHS. (It was an IBM Selectric, if I remember correctly...a coveted electric model in the olden days of manual typewriters, but one with NO letters or characters on any of the keys. It didn't improve my typing speed any, but it forced me out of the hunt and peck group...:). Fortunately, on almost all aps on my iPad, I can increase the text size on my screen and accept all the help I can get from autocorrect. So, you will be kind if you find errors, won't you? And, if you are a game-buddy, you will bear with me on Words with Friends and Scramble...I'm a little slower on the uptake at the moment.

Reading? Well, thank heaven for large print...and the ability to adjust the type on my both the iPad and my Nook reader. Check out the screen capture shot of my latest P. D. James' Adam Dalgleish novel ebook...type big enough, you think?! I don't know what I would do if I couldn't read...

Knit, maybe? True, I can knit and purl by "muscle memory," as they say...not having to look at the needles and stitches as I knit. But...and this is the game-changer...I'm struggling with reading patterns and/or counting stitches. Have to work on this a bit.

Outdoor activities? Well, the sun is my enemy at the moment, more so than usual. We are going through a spell of scorching-hot, not-a-cloud-in-sight, Summer weather...more like August than June. Who would believe it could register 113 degrees in Louisville, KY, on June 28...or that today is supposed to be even hotter? (Below is the photographic evidence, taken by Mr T, should you be skeptical.)

KD, my sweet suitemate from college, who has had Bell's and lived to tell about it, has shared so many helpful hints and bits of advice, one gem being: WEAR SUNGLASSES, even inside to protect against bright, blinding light. And I find they help with protection from gusts of air, since I have totally unfashioanble, large, wrap-around shades.

But driving Missy M back and forth to work and to appointments? Now that's a whole nother subject. Not only is the vision in my right eye blurry, but covering my left eye means loss of depth perception. How far is that car bumper in front of me? Hmmm. Your guess is as good as mine! Talk about your flying blind...as Big Daddy used to tell us about simulator exercises when he was in pilot-training in the Army Air Corps, where he had to learn instrument flying. "Congratulations Cadet Lunn, you have just landed your plane 6 feet under the ground," was one of the memorable quotes from his flight instructor. One of the few fit to print. Ahem.

So you will understand how relieved Missy M and I were when Mr. T got here late Wednesday night. Hooray! The cavalry to the rescue! He is now shouldering almost the entire workload for the family: bread-winner as well as chief cook and bottle-washer, to quote another one of Big Daddy's favorites.

He drove her to work yesterday, and then later to her doctor's appointment. I wish I could report good news from that trip, but it isn't what Missy M had hoped. She had her heart set on getting a walking boot, so she could put weight on her foot. Ah well, after reviewing her X-ray, her dr. said she just wasn't ready for it. Three more weeks in a Fiberglas cast...no weight...no walking...no driving...continue with the work restrictions of 4 hours a day with her foot elevated at all times. Of course, that last part is impossible to achieve, with her dr. visit as a prime example: by the time she finally got in last night with her new Kelly green cast, her toes were bluish-purple and swollen. I guess he knows whereof he speaks (another Big Daddy-ism...:). Here's a shot of the newest cast in the making. I said I thought it was the prettiest so far. Missy M said she sure hoped I like it, 'cause we'll be looking at it for three more weeks. Sigh.

And so, we carry on. We count on each other, we count on you for messages of love and support, ...and we count our blessings to remind us it could be worse.

Repeat after me: it could be worse...it could be worse...it could be worse.

Bell's Palsy Update: Day 4

Woke up this morning thinking "what's that on my eye?!" Oh yeah...eyepatch. And that must mean I still have Bell's Palsy. Sigh.

I'll take a short cut on this post and reprint what I sent to a couple of Facebook friends who messaged me this morning, asking how I was doing:

I wish I could say it was getting better, but unfortunately, today seems a little worse. Eye is drooping more, even though I'm now wearing an eyepatch almost constantly. And because i have a cataract developing in my non-droopy eye (right), i have difficulty seeing clearly with the eyepatch on the left. Speech seems a little better (or maybe I'm just getting used to speaking out of one side of my mouth...:), but jaw pain is worse. Sounds...especially the dogs barking...are downright painful, bringing tears to my eye(s). Very, very tired...but having some sleep problems, probably due to the steroid. Eating and drinking are tough...everything through a straw, even hot coffee. Sigh. I could feel down if I let myself, you know? Keep those thoughts and prayers coming!

It isn't all doom and gloom, though. Mr. T will be here tonight, and that thought brings a smile to my face. Granted, that would be half of a smile to half of my face...but you get my drift, right.

Since we use FaceTime on our iPads to talk to each other, he shouldn't be too shocked at my appearance. Well, I hope not. I hate the way I look, especially when trying to talk (since the iPad has both a front and a back camera, I can see a thumbnail shot of myself when we are FaceTiming...and it ain't pretty, folks), but what is my alternative? Hide under a veil for the duration? Nope. Not me. "It is what it is"...to quote one of my fav NCIS characters, Ziva. And we will work through it...together.

Another positive point? I have heard from so many people...you who read my blog regularly, family, and Facebook friends, several of whom I knew in school. Many had never heard of Bell's Palsy; many knew a friend or family member who had had BP. One in that last category, KD, my college suitemate, shared her own story about having had Bell's Palsy...as well as a lot of helpful information from her experiences and on a fantastic website. Follow this link to check it out:

http://www.bellspalsy.ws/

So, even though I'll probably be having a pity party for one sooner than later, I know I am not alone in this journey. I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and move forward.

==========================

I would be remiss if I didn't give a little update on Missy M's recovery. She's trying very hard to stick to the recommended 4-hour work day, and to keeping that broken foot elevated at all times. So far, so good this week...right on target. As you can imagine, she is so ready for this to be over. Next dr. appt. for her is on Thursday. I'm not sure who will be happier that her Daddy will be stepping in to the Driving Miss Maredith role: me, because driving is now one of the most difficult and painful things I do with my eye issues...or she, because she has to ride with me...in her car...:)?

Living with Bell's Palsy: What I Have Learned So Far

Day 3 with Bell's Palsy. So how's it going?

(Recap: While visiting my daughter 400 miles from home...to care for her during her recovery from a broken foot...and after a couple of days with deadened taste buds, I awoke on Sunday with a numb sensation on my lip and the top of my tongue. I became paralyzed on the left side of my face rather rapidly, and by late afternoon, I gave all appearances of having suffered a stroke. With fear and trepidation, I went to Immediate Care where I received a diagnosis of Bell's Palsy...and prescriptions for a 15-day supply of a corticosteroid called prednisone and an antiviral called acyclovir. The doctor told me that this could last 15 days...a month...or the rest of my life. With that in mind, I will be posting periodic updates on my latest er, adventure.)

Let me begin with the bright spots...before I forget that there are any. Having the left side of one's face paralyzed may be the pits, but there are worse things that could befall one. Here is my list of bright spots as of today:

1. Bell's Palsy isn't cancer. It isn't life-threatening. It isn't even terribly painful (unless you count the headaches or the stinging dry-eye issues...minor annoyances).
2. I haven't lost a body part (even if it feels like I have lost an eye...more on that in a minute).
3. I have a terrific support system: spouse, daughter, brothers, friends, and medical professionals. Counting my blessings helps me face the uncertainty with a positive outlook.
4. I can use my experiences to inform others who are facing this same issue. (If you found this post looking for some answers about your own battle with Bell'm Palsy, I hope I can be of some assistance. Leave me a comment or send me an email. PANIC YE NOT! You are not in this alone.)
5. I can adapt as needed, given enough information...and time.

Adaptations? So, what are we talking about here?

Can't drink from a cup without dribbling because the left side of your lips are numb? Use a straw. Granted, sipping hot coffee from a mug through a plastic straw, held on the right side of your mouth is odd, but it is doable.

Affected eye waters constantly, then dries out when even a little air blows in your direction, creating a painful, stinging sensation? Use artificial tears...a lot. Get an eyepatch. If you run into me around town, you can just call me Cap'n Pat! Arrrggghhh!! (This one has some consequences for me. My affected eye is the left one...which prior to Bell's was known as my "good" eye, because my right eye has a developing cataract.)

Difficulty eating, chewing, swallowing? Pick soft foods and take very small bites. And, if I have to live on scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, Palmetto Cheese sandwiches ripped into teensy bites, grapes and tiny watermelon chunks, and milk shakes for the duration...well, worse things have happened.

Difficulty speaking and making yourself understood? Talking taking such an effort that your jaw aches and your head hurts from the stress and strain? Don't talk. [This one is possibly the toughest one for me to manage. I try to limit my talking, but since I was "vaccinated with a phonograph needle" (as I was told as a child...back in the last century when we actually HAD phonograph needles...:), I pay the price for this one.]

Sounds, especially the dogs barking, are so intensified as to be painful? Use ear protection. Cotton balls are handy, easy to carry, and give some protection. If it gets too painful, switch to ear plugs.

Since my mouth has relaxed a bit, making it a little easier to understand me, especially if I speak slowly when pronouncing words with P, F, B, and S sounds, I spoke with my NC doctor's nurse this morning. I told her what was happening with me and what the Immediate Care doctors here in KY had said. I just needed some reassurance and a bit more information about HOW LONG, since that seems to be the hardest thing for me to wrap my head around now.

She was very supportive of the treatment I had received here, saying that's what Dr. K would have done, too. She encouraged me to use an eyepatch as much as possible. She OK'd the use of aspirin for the head aches. Continue facial massages with the warm washcloths. And, she backed up the "open-ended" recovery period, saying that "most" patients recover "most" of their nerve functions between 1 and 3 months. She did add that it may take a year "or more" to get back to normal.

Back to normal. Hmmm. Or, as a friend wrote me, back to my "new normal." As in, I may have to redefine "normal" by whatever state I find myself when all this is behind me.

So what have I learned so far? That I need to follow drs orders. Take my meds. Use aids for comfort like the warm washcloth massages, eyedrops, eyepatch, and hearing protection. Rest. And be flexible and open to recovery when, where, and how it happens.

Flexible? Sure! Just call me Gumby. Make that Cap'n Gumby! Arrrggghhh!!

There's Good News and Bad News

Well, I suppose that title sets the tone for this post, doesn't it? Without further ado...let us begin with The Good!

Lookie! Mr. T sent this photo of the first potato harvest from two of the six potato Grow Bags, which we got at Gardener's Supply...and which we are trialing for 2012. We also have a "regular row" of spuds, but he didn't raid it. I had suggested that he see if the potatoes were developing inside those bags..."just poke your hand in there to see if you can find a few 'new potatoes'" to go with the huge mess of beans he harvested. Well, he found more than a few, didn't he? "We're having potato soup," he wrote. I cannot wait to taste them!! And based on how easy these babies were to harvest, I'm already giving the Grow Bags two thumbs-up and 5 stars!

Wait. "I can't wait to taste them"? So that means either I'm going to them or the potatoes are coming to me, right? Right. They are coming to me, sooner rather than later. Mr. T is headed this way. And there's a good reason for this change in plan.

So, here comes the Bad News part...

For the past few days, I had noticed that I had lost my sense of taste...like my taste buds had all gone to sleep on my tongue. Then, yesterday morning, my lip felt numb...like I had been to the dentist for a filling and a shot of Novocain..but only on the left side. By noon, Missy M decided my face looked swollen and said "have you developed an allergy to strawberries?"

No.

"Well, maybe you have."

No. I refuse to be allergic to strawberries...one of my favorite foods in the world. Not gonna happen. No way, no how.

"Uh, Mom. I don't think you get a choice."

No, no, no. Period. Hey, I can be just as childish as the next adult.

"Well, you'd better take a Benadryl because you look like you are allergic to something."

OK. I'll take a Benadryl. And that means I'll go take a nap. It'll be better when I get up.

Afraid not. Worse. Much, much worse. By the time I got up at 5:00, the whole left side of my face was numb and appeared to be sliding off my skull. "Drooping" doesn't quite do justice to my appearance at this point. And, my left eye, which wasn't blinking as it should, was constantly tearing up, making it difficult for me to see properly.

"Mom. The Urgent Care is open until 9:00 tonight. You'd better go, don't you think?"

Great. Now I have to set a good example for my daughter. Just 5 weeks ago, we had a similar conversation on a Sunday night, when I repeatedly begged her to go to the ER about her foot. So, I didn't have much room for protest, did I? Plus, by now, I was getting more than a wee bit concerned.

So, she gets the address to the Immediate Care and maps it on my phone...and I head out the door. I know the general area I am going, and she has given me great verbal instructions: "it's on the same side as the Chinese take-out place, only several more blocks toward the interstate...and it's easier to access if you turn at the light."

Did I mention I was driving her car...and that I can't see very well at this point? Right.

Well, I am here to tell you that you get very speedy service if you present at a medical facility with all the appearances of suffering a stroke. I was ushered back and seeing a doctor even before they had completed the paperwork! (But not before having my insurance card verified and paying my co-pay...:)

The Good News inside this Bad News: I definitely did NOT have a stroke. After what he called a neurological check, the Junior Dr. (hey, he looked like Doogie Howser's twin brother, OK?) tells me he believes I have Bell's Palsy. He then asks if I have ever taken prednisone and had any adverse reaction to it? Yes, I took prednisone earlier this year during a Bad Back episode, and No, no adverse reaction. Then he excused himself for a minute.

Soon, he returns with the Senior Dr. He, too, asks all the same questions (remember, it is difficult for me to speak clearly, as I am slurring my words pretty badly by this time), and he does all the same neurological function checks as Doogie had done. They nod to each other, and Senior says, "I agree...looks like you have Bell's Palsy." Doogie smiles, and they both leave the room...without closing the door completely. So I can hear the following exchange out in the hall...went something like this:

Senior: The drooping facial appearance, the slurred speech, the lack of blink reflex, the inability to raise her eyebrow or smile on the left side...what led you to Bell's Palsy and away from a stroke diagnosis?
Doogie: She doesnt appear to have diminished hand or arm strength on the left side, and she gave good answers to all my questions. There appears to be no diminished capacity in her brain function.
Senior: Good call! She appears to have a classic case of Bell's.
Doogie: Cool! I've never seen one in person!

I kid you not. He said "cool," and sounded pretty happy about it. Then what sounded like two of the nurses joined into the discussion, and my trip to the Urgent Care became a teachable moment. Hurrah!

I am glad that I have known one person who had Bell's Palsy...back in the 80's when I was the Training Manager at Leader Federal, one of my trainers had it. She was out 3 months on disability, so I knew that I might be in for a long ride.

When Doogie returned, he gave me scrips for prednisone (a corticosteroid to act as an antiinflammatory and relieve some of the pressure on the facial nerve) and the antiviral drug, acyclovir. While there isn't a definitive known cause for Bell's, there is some link to the same virus that causes chicken pox and shingles. He then says, "I'm writing these for 15 days and we'll see how that works for you. This could last 15 days...or a month...or the rest of your life."

I pick 15 days. 'Cause just like I refuse to be allergic to strawberries, I refuse to believe my face is going to be frozen on the left side for the rest of my life.

Wanna hear some more good news? If all this happened yesterday, that means it may only be 14 more days of this silliness. You know me...gotta seek the silver lining. Always looking for the Good in the Bad.

Welcome to Summer!

Holy mackerel! One Hundred and Five Degrees?! That's what Missy M's car registered when I got in it yesterday at 5:00 p.m. That's the outside temperature, not the inside temp...which was probably approaching "fry an egg." Her car had been sitting in the sunshine on the driveway on the west side of her brick house all afternoon, so I imagine we are talking a true reading here. Of course, the weather wonk said on the 11:00 news that the official high yesterday was 92, but that was at the airport...probably out of direct sunlight. And then you have to factor in the humidity...that's a whole other chapter.

Today...the first full day of Summer...is predicted to be 96, so we are in for another scorcher. If this be June, what the heck is August going to be like?!

I spend upwards of an hour each afternoon watering the garden and all the containers. Now, I know that it's better to water early in the day, but that isn't usually possible, given our present schedule. And watering in the late afternoon is preferable to the alternative of NOT watering, any day. And, I usually pull weeds in the raised bed gardens in the afternoon, as that's when it's coolest on that side of the house. Not yesterday...it wasn't cool anywhere...even at 8:30 in the evening!

One of the first things Missy M was told about living in Louisville was how late sunset was in the Summer. You see, Derby Town sits on the furthermost edge of its time zone. Check the map: Nashville, which is in the Central Time Zone, is farther east than Louisville...which is in the Eastern TZ!

Well, we are making our way through the first week of Take Your Daughter to Work Days. So far, so good. Missy M has done remarkably well getting to-and-from her office on her crutches...and with using her knee-walker while at work. She has doctor's orders, limiting her to 4 hours at work each day, but even her Disability Counselor recognizes being that precise just isn't always possible with some jobs...and hers is one of them. So, they have agreed to "more or less" take an average of 4 hours per day (basically 20 per week)...and call it close enough. Monday and Tuesday were more...today was less. She sees her doctor next week, so we'll see how the healing process is being affected by this new routine. Fingers crossed...toes, too!

Since I've been here, I've tried to fix some of M's favorite foods...you know, for comfort. It's terribly hot tonight, the new AC is working hard to keep it cool inside, and it's probably not the best night to heat up the kitchen for this one, but I'm making about the only casserole she has ever eaten. She has always called it Chicken with Sloppy Rice, although I believe the original recipe I got from a Lauderdale County cookbook was called Easy Chicken and Rice...or something along those lines. I've been making it for over 30 years, so I know it by heart...thank goodness. Plus it's a forgiving recipe, not requiring you to be so precise about measurements or ingredients. I can add some chunky veggies like carrots and celery, without offending my no-veg-shall-pass-these-lips daughter, so I can have a one-dish meal (protein, starch, & veg), and she can push the offenders aside. Of course, I can secretly hope that there might be some small transference of the veggies' vitamins into the sloppy rice...but that's a topic for another discussion. (Recipe shared below.)

M was so beat last night when she came home, that she took her meds and went straight to bed...and probably would have stayed there for the rest of the night if the peace hadn't been disturbed by fireworks after the sun finally set after 9:08.

Fireworks? On June 19? All we could figure was someone was celebrating an early arrival of the Summer Solstice. Wonder if there are any practicing Druids in the neighborhood?

Druid or not, Happy First Day of Summer (in the Northern Hemisphere...:)! If today is any indication, we are in for a long, hot one this year.

======================
Chicken and Sloppy Rice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, whole/cut in half
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of celery soup
2 cans-ful water
2 cans-ful rice (uncooked)
2 Tblsp melted butter
1 tsp seasoned salt or poultry seasoning, more or less
1 tsp ground black pepper, more or less
8-10 baby carrots, whole (opt.)
Celery slices (opt.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray inside a covered casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing cup, blend the soups, the water, the rice, the melted butter, and the seasonings together. Pour into prepared baking dish. Place chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture and sprinkle with more seasonings, especially cracked pepper. If you like cooked veggies, push a few whole baby carrots and/or celery slices into the rice mixture. Cover with tight-fitting lid and put in oven for an hour.
3. After 60 minutes, stir to distribute the liquid. If the rice seems to be drying too rapidly, add some hot water. Return to oven for 30-40 more minutes, covered, until the chicken breasts are done and no longer pink. Stir and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.
4. Great served with a salad and some warm Italian bread. Enjoy!