Monday Morning

It's 8 a.m. in St. Louis. I slept 8 hours. I've had breakfast in the hotel lobby. I'm back in bed & in no hurry to beat the 11 a.m. checkout.

I've been trying to find words to describe how the trip has changed because of mom's knee.

I don't mind the extra effort. I don't feel angry or resentful that mom needs more help. But I do feel a perpetual tension & fear that mom could fall. And I'm constantly making mental adjustments for every detail affected by her new limitation.

She's off balance anyway because of her meds and the conditions they are intended to treat. The demands of the move have deprived her of her regular medication-induced naps, which has a huge affect on her stability. But now she can't put any weight at all on her left knee, which requires compensation by her right side. Yet she's fairly weak in general anymore and the more tired she gets, the less ability she has to support herself on the cane.

So I am extremely grateful that she is back in bed taking a post-breakfast snooze. That gives me a little time to think about the day ahead realistically.

I originally thought we would get to Oklahoma City on this leg of the trip, or we could stop in Tulsa if we couldn't make it that far. Now I'm hoping we get to Tulsa but preparing to stop in Joplin if necessary.

I guess I'll find out when we get there. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to more giggle fits. I'm hoping to capture one on video so all you followers can share in the fun!