Mama, travel arrangements, medical assessment

Although there was no improvement in the bend of Mama’s knee yesterday, she was in less pain. I do not know if that is a good thing. We had originally been told that once the knee was bending properly that the pain would ease substantially and eventually go away completely. Since we are not able to test that mantra, I am not sure where we are with our expectation of Mama’s full recovery. I went to bed early last night, so I was not the one to massage Mama’s leg and help apply her brace so, I do not know if the slacking pain was solely from inactivity – and I believe she needs the rest – or the result of the joint finding its own comfortable spot in range of motion. Mama did not go to physical therapy as scheduled yesterday morning, sighting the rainy weather as the reason. I am sure that was partly the reason, but I do not believe that was the whole reason. Please continue to pray for her.

November is a month of big doings for us. Not the least of which is our trip to Honduras. November always feels like the official start of the holiday season. I have yet to formally work out my absence with my employer for the week following Thanksgiving when we will be in Honduras. I am out of vacation, so the time off will have to be granted without pay – which is okay with me. I am not planning on missing our trip to Honduras to sit in the office and pretend to work. That week is typically a light-duty week. My newest manager is not worried in the least about the point in question, but I still need to pursue the answer to have the issue settled and confirmed with HR and current management. It should not be a problem – at least I am not anticipating a problem with the request. We are only twenty one days away from getting on a plane and heading to Nate, Cori and the kids for Thanksgiving. All of us are excited about the trip. It would make sense for me to get the time off approved.

Because of Brittany coming with the twins last weekend, Mama and Victoria packed away much of the accumulated items we will be carrying – literally – down to Cori and the kids. The three suitcases used to house those items once they were moved off of the bed in our spare bedroom are full, but not horribly so. That may change over the next three weeks. I am still not sure just how much we are taking with us or how we will get the empty suitcases back home – or if we will simply leave them there. A couple of the suitcases are the nesting style of luggage so maybe Mama has planned this better than I am giving her credit for. At any rate, we are gearing up for the trip. It will be the first time out of the country for Mama and me in several years. I have a feeling it will be the first of many repeat visits to Honduras.

Cori is scheduled to see a rheumatologist in country early next week. She is trying to get a sound diagnosis for the constant pain she is in. There is a fairly extensive list of possibilities for the malaise and pain, each with a slightly different approach to abatement, so narrowing down the cause will be helpful. Too often a diagnosis is a hinderance to treatment rather than serving as a pathway to a remedy. We are hoping in this case, it will allow us to get an herbal regimen in place to help Cori. We can at least avoid problematic foods and activities, select the proper strength exercises and apply herbs and natural oils in a focused manner if we can define the cause. I will have a better sense of the problem when I am around Cori and can observe her as we spend time with her and the kids. That will be a side benefit to the trip – but it is not the primary reason for the trip.

We hope to have fun while we are with the kids and grandkids while we are there.