Angels Among Us

Burns hurt--more than anything else I can think of. There's just no way around it. At first, I had kind of hoped that the nerves in the top of my foot were fried. In comparison to losing the nerves in my fingers, it was no big deal in the "big picture" of it all, and I didn't mind not feeling the pain so much.

Oh, they're alive and well. And angry.

I'm back on the pills, after not taking a single one since the day it happened. I'd be on the sauce, too, if I could walk into the liquor store to get any. That's what Dad prescribed, and Daddy's always right, isn't he?

This has been a growing experience for me, for lack of a silver lining anywhere else. My darling friend Sue offered to bring dinner to me the day after it happened. At first I declined--I was sure Elvira could throw something together. But then I realized that I really did need help, and she was there in a flash. I grossly overestimated my recovery time, so Lisa brought dinner over last Monday out of the blue. It was amazing, and with 5 children of her own she still took care of the five of us. My coworkers have been so kind to me and completely accepted the little I can do at this point. My amazing mom, who has her own stresses in life, has called and texted me every single day. All of my sisters and my brother have called too, multiple times. Sweet ladies, one of whom I've never even met, played the piano for me in church so I could stay home.

When I heard about Stephanie's plane crash, I of course felt such sorrow for her. How painful in every way possible to suffer burns over 85% of your body. But I had no idea at all, and fortunately I still don't. What's the surface area of the top of my left foot? (I'm not really counting my hand anymore--it is healing up very well) About 1% of my body? And yet that alone has completely debilitated me! I'm on serious drugs for the pain, and can still barely walk nearly two weeks after. And yet she experiences it daily, at 85 times the amount I do. Amazing, so I can't really complain--it could be and is worse for so many other people.

So thank you to you all, you who have sent kind words and done kind things for our family. You are all angels.