“Sometimes sitting
and doing nothing
is the best something
you can do.” 
Karen Salmansohn

When the week began, I was planning to be in Camarillo, California this evening, a quick stop on my way to visit my brother, Tom, in Los Angeles. No one could have predicted that Brendan would have a basketball mishap on Monday morning, resulting in a ruptured patellar tendon that would require surgery on Tuesday. Needless to say, my plans for the week changed. 

I spent the day at Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, then again on Wednesday until Brendan was finally discharged around 1:00 p.m. Soon after we returned home, Brendan noticed that there was evidence of bleeding in the bandaging of his knee. As a precautionary measure, we headed back to Regional to get it checked out. The medical team there assured Brendan that post-op bleeding was normal. They redressed the wound and we were on our way.

Today we were back to Regional for Brendan’s first physical therapy appointment. The PT, seeing more evidence of bleeding, recommended that we return to the ER once again to have the knee checked out to make certain that the sutures were holding. Again, the staff there was awesome. After an observation, Brendan was assured that all is well. One of the nurses changed the bandages and sent us on our way.

Now we begin the journey of a slow recovery. I say “we” because Brendan will require assistance to do a few everyday activities, as well as for transportation to and from upcoming appointments. I am grateful to have the opportunity to provide this assistance. Since I was planning to be out of town until next Thursday, I have nothing on my calendar for the next six days. After that, I will adjust my calendar, as needed, to make certain that Brendan’s needs are met. Since his “needs” at this point are minimal, I have a bit of spare time on my hands.

The words of author Karen Salmansohn quoted above are pertinent right now. Brendan’s next scheduled appointment is on May 22nd, so for these next few days, there is nothing I need to be doing. This is a gift, because it offers the opportunity for me to do whatever I want, which, in some cases, may be nothing at all. It’s interesting to note that the Dutch have a word for this: niksen.

The pool furniture at our complex pool is out and ready for use, so I might just head out there with a cold drink, a good book, and a vivid imagination which will enable me to visualize being in Nassau, or Montego Bay, or somewhere in Maui. With the water and sun provided, I’ll have everything I need for a pleasant virtual vacation experience.