So What the H___ Happened to Karen?

I can finally come clean because this story has a happier ending than was feared even a week ago. I last posted for Wordless Wednesday....and Thursday morning, I got a phone call. The afternoon before, my eldest niece (& god child) was hit by a car while crossing the street. She was in ICU. There were extensive head injuries and she had already had something like 100 stitches put into her. I truly was just devastated. That is the kind of news, right out of left field, that leaves your knees as weak as jello and your heart in your throat. Heck, I remember just sobbing.....

So it's been a long haul compressed into the past 10 days. I vaguely remember having a birthday party...actually, it was a really nice one--a big potluck here at the park on Sunday 6-13--and the healthiest distraction I could have hoped for....then back to the phones. My sister and her family don't live around here so the phones were critical for news and information.

I seem to recall on Monday or so, my niece went into surgery to have her arm repaired...metal was used to mend the upper bone in 2 or 3 places. The wait was still in progress for the swelling to go down in her face because there were broken bones there that needed to be set. Two big questions were still hanging in the air: was her brain damaged? was her optic nerve injured or possibly severed?

It gradually became clear that her brain was NOT damaged and I wept again, this time with joy! Then a couple of days ago, she went through surgery to reconstruct her orbital socket & have her jaw re-aligned, and has come out well. The problem with the eye is still not resolved. She can see "light" and the nerve is intact, but could be bruised or otherwise injured...maybe it will heal with time?

So she was released from the intensive care unit shortly after that surgery....and Saturday was moved to a rehab part of the hospital. I'm really, really encouraged and relieved enough to write this out. I just couldn't write anything about this while it seemed so dicey and intense yet it was the primary thing that was occupying my thoughts day after day....seems I was pretty distracted because I did a few pretty boneheaded things that have had to be fixed....nothing major, just stupid stuff. And I did fall behind on my orders because things just were not coming together for me here.

My niece is a very bright, very pretty young lady just beginning her professional career in botany, just into her first post grad job-a job she loves, and a position that is being held for her return....that was really fabulous news! I just heard that she hasn't looked into a mirror yet....and probably a good thing because her spirits seem amazingly good, considering the circumstances!! She's young and strong and hopefully will heal well and quickly, but this was just such a brutal intrusion into everyday life, so to speak. The power of prayer, I have no doubt, has nurtured and supported her recovery, and will continue to do so...coupled with excellent doctors and other medical professionals....and a big, wide-ranging family with folks of all ages pulling for her--plenty of friends, too!

Saturday was a good day and today will be even better, I can feel it!! My thoughts right now are about how capricious events can be...how precious every day is....and how miracles can and do happen!!

So back to the remainder of "my birthday month." I posted in my Etsy shop intro (but didn't get much further) that all purchases this month from my little shop....get a gift included in their order!! What fun for me, to try to figure out, based on the order, what earrings or other thing might be appreciated as a surprise...then to just do it and add it. Random acts of kindness?? Sort of...I explained it as "it's my birthday and you, dear customer, get the present...." It applies to orders placed until the end of June!

Thanks for dropping by....and remember to hug your loved ones!