Au revoir

As I sit in my sister's house watching the Giants beat the Cubs, this is my view.  Nashville, Indiana is where I am right now and this is part of my sister and brother-in-law's  backyard.  I'm relaxing with my feet up and feeling pretty good right now.  This is my "rest stop" on my way to France.  

On Tuesday Carolyn and I leave for Toulouse, France where our other sister, Nancy lives--an all-girl trip!  Too good to pass up.  When I first contemplated going (in June) I wasn't sure I would be able to actually do it.  I hadn't started physical therapy yet and didn't know for sure how far along on my healing progress I would be by September.  I made the commitment "hoping" that I would be able to make the trip.  My husband also encouraged me.  He knew how much this would mean to me and has helped make it a reality.

Soon the itinerary was set and I had to put my money where my mouth was.  I was going to France!   But as the date got closer I began to worry.  Would I be able to walk as much as I needed to?  Would I even be able to walk at all?  What if I needed surgery again and wouldn't be able to go at all? 

When I finally started physical therapy (in July) one of the first things I told my therapist was that I was planning a trip to France in September and I wanted to be able to walk without pain by then.  Her response caught me off guard in two ways.  First, she told me that it was entirely possible that I would make it and she told me that she was going to France in September as well!  So, as my physical therapy progressed we talked not just about my physical condition but about our France plans as well.  She and her mother were going to Paris and I was going to Toulouse with my two sisters.  I was determined to do well in therapy so I could see my plans come to fruition.

So here I am on the cusp of this long awaited trip.  I am excited but have some concerns.  I saw my orthopedic surgeon last week and expressed a concern about the pain I was still having in my hip.  He was a bit concerned about it because it is possibly related to some slow healing of the hip fracture.  That was NOT good news and I immediately said, "No more surgery!"  He wasn't really recommending that I have surgery immediately but threw it out as a possibility for the future.  A last resort if you ask me and I won't do that unless it is absolutely, positively necessary.  In fact, let's not speak of it again.

As I start this trip I hope to have much to write about.  There will be new sights and adventures and hopefully new insights about many things.   My next entry will be from France!