Last Thursday, my wife, Susie, fell badly while we were
taking a short walk. She broke a bone in
her wrist and now has a large, heavy, clumsy cast on her left arm. Over the weekend we thought she had also
broken a rib, but x-rays yesterday showed she had not, thank God. For these five days, the larger meaning of
the current crisis has faded into the background of my mind as I try to deal
with our own small personal crisis.
There is no deep lesson from all of this, just a fact of life when you
are in your middle eighties.
Thank heavens for
pain killers.
I hope for a swift recovery for your wife.
ReplyDeleteBless her heart and I echo s. wallerstein's encouragement.
ReplyDeleteOn another note in today's San Francisco Chronicle one Tobias Wolff was mentioned, in conjunction with Eavan Boland the director of Stanford's creative writing program, as having been part of the faculty and the famed Stegner program. Might that be your son?
So sorry to hear about Susie, Prof. Wolff. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry to hear about your wife's fall and broken wrist. I do hope she recovers swiftly but, as you note, it is fortunate no other bones were broken.
ReplyDeleteI join the others in wishing Susie well. Here's something that might bring a little cheer, at least temporarily:
ReplyDelete"A new Civiqs poll in North Carolina finds Joe Biden leading Donald Trump in the presidential race 49% to 46%.
"In the U.S Senate race, Cal Cunningham (D) is ahead of Sen. Thom Tillis (R) 50% to 41%.
"In the race for governor, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is ahead of Dan Forrest (R) in his reelection race, 53% to 44%."
I don't know how reliable the Civiqs poll is, but assuming its legit, the question becomes: Is North Carolina joining Virginia as a blue state?
All best to you and Susie, from Dick Moran. Your blog is a mainstay for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your kind wishes. They mean a great deal to me.
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ReplyDeleteI hope Susie recovers quickly and that she's able to resume her walks with you.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Wolff, your story strangely mirrored my own recent experience. My wife and I were on a walk last Monday evening and she too had a fall. She also fractured her wrist and either bruised a rib or broke one (they did not x-ray as the remedy is the same either way).
ReplyDeleteI hope Susie makes a speedy recovery! I have made this comment before, but let me say it again. Your blog is a treasure.
I'm sorry to hear about Susie's fall. I wish her a prompt recovery. Stay safe and healthy.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that and also wish her a speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteProfessor Wolff --
ReplyDeleteOne of the (many) side-effects of this pandemic is that people are no longer going to the doctor for regular check-ups or other instances where they might normally seek out care. This hit home for me last week when I was making coffee and happened to scald my hand with boiling water in a pour over mishap. As that brief moment was happening, a number of things passed through my mind in rapid succession: This is bad; I hope it will not be as bad as it could potentially be; What will I do if I need medical attention; If I have to go to the ER will I be risking exposure to the virus. Luckily for me, this event happened adjacent to the kitchen sink and I ran my hand under cold water for 15 minutes (as the Boy Scouts taught me to do many years ago). Now, a week later, the only side effect I have is peeling skin as if I had spent too much time at the beach (save for the fact that the burn occurred over the course of 3 seconds rather than an entire day). The point remains that many people with health care coverage are deferring seeking out health care -- falling into line with the millions of Americans who have always done the same because the have no coverage. I would imagine that from a medical standpoint, the prognosis does not look good.
-- Jim
In other words, be vigilant. Err on the side of caution. Be aware as you walk up and down stairs. Don't lift something too heavy. Don't climb a ladder if you don't have to. Practice common sense. And take extra care when preparing meals. Chopping vegetables can be hazardous if not careful. And for chrissake be mindful of boiling water. Stay healthy everyone!
ReplyDelete-- Jim
Really sorry about this. I hope she quickly recovers. If there's anything your followers could do to help out a little please tell us.
ReplyDeletePlease convey my best wishes to Suzie for a quick and painless recovery.
ReplyDeleteFor Jim, and anyone else who may need to go to the ER, hospitals have created separate ER entrances for confirmed or suspected Covid-19 patients. If admitted, Covid patients are transported in separate elevators to respiratory wards that are separated from all other wards and have a special air handling systems.
If you need to go to the ER they will make everyone wear a mask to prevent transmission from asymptomatic patients.