Chapter Twelve: When is Hump Day on Monday Not Wednesday?

It is CC Day +3. The girls and I are at the house this morning. Soph got going before my alarm went off. She's such a doer and leader. I got Na going at normal time. The two of them packed much of their lunch while watching the Super Bowl. They had been rooting for the Saints - they weren't satisfied that I had no dog in the fight. They pressured me into rooting for the Saints. We talked a bit about the history of the French Cajuns, persecution, religious freedom, and underdogs. Not a bad thread for an old guy and two bright young ladies. They convinced me that we've had a few days of rooting for the underdog and the oppressed while dealing with Phoebe's situation. Touche - out of the mouths of babes. I made sure to do my best work brushing Na's hair. Her last day of school had been Friday - the morning Phoebe had been hit in the crosswalk. The timing of Friday morning was such that Carol had thrown on clothing and had run out of the house. Na had done her best to brush her hair but isn't quite capable. I wanted to be sure and do a good job because in our discussion after the accident, Na brought up the fact that Mommy hadn't been able to brush her hair and she wondered why Mommy had left the house in such a hurry. Mental note: If you let them, people will tell you what is important to them. Remember this and act on it accordingly and everyone will be a bit better off.
Carol called with the morning update. She and Phoebe had a great night. Carol called me in the morning after they got going with a status update. First an editorial comment. I am the luckiest man in the world and I know it. The events of the last few days have provided affirmation of this fact with the catastrophy but I have tried not to lose sight of this long before the Crosswalk Chronicles became a necessity. One of the things that makes me such a lucky man is the relationship I have with Carol and the girls. They are all unique and simultaneously very similar - as you can well imagine, there are a lot of quirks in there. One of the quirks that I most admire of "my girls" is their love of Jane Austen and old movies. Before we got Netflix, it wasn't an uncommon occurence for me to come home late and find the four of them in the master bedroom eating popcorn while watching old movies or a Jane Austen flick on Turner Classic Movies. They, of course, were only allowed to eat popcorn on Daddy's side of the bed by Carol's Edict. Gee thanks. While their activities are not my thing they are my thing. My thing is anything that makes my girls happy. When they get together, chat, crochet, knit, sew, craft, and watch old movies I am happy because they are happy. This little editorial sidetrip was necessary to set up the evening that Phoebe and Carol had on CC Day +3. According to Carol Phoebe rested and then was AWAKE and raring to go. They've been watching a series called Emma on PBS for the last several weeks. The two of them, as afficionados of all things Jane Austen, gave it high enough marks that it was worth watching. So, it's Sunday evening - never mind the Super Bowl, they're watching Emma. They watched Emma and, from what I understand, Phoebe was still wakie, wakie so she opened up the laptop and watched episodes of "The Office" and something else. Phoebe would be a star employee of Dunder Mifflin. Now that we haven't lost her and I have a chance to, I need to ask her more about her preference in characters and why. From what I understand, she has watched all the episodes through Season Five! Minus the popcorn, this could have been any evening at the Miller household. This is a relief but also a bit scary. Her recovery has been so rapid that our routine is becoming routine again. Please refer back to Chapter Eight: How are Physical Therapy and Visitors Alike for my thoughts on the up-side and dangers of resiliency and human nature. There can be NO ONE else hurt in the crosswalk. We've got to make sure that something is done about a viable and safe solution to a dangerous crosswalk. We need action! Without action nothing will change and the Avent West, Athens Drive Community will be faced with this again. It's not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN. So anyway, Carol tells me that she and Phoebe had a great night. She and Carol slept well - as a matter of fact, Carol said that she didn't wake up until one of the doctors arrived. What more could we ask? Normalcy in the face of adversity. Carol told me she had a good shower - she didn't rank it up there as high as I did, but she told me she read the blog - we're still talking then - coool. I've not been too reserved about what I write, I'm sure it has been more than she would have put "out there." If we're still talking after she has read it, then there is hope. LOL. So, when is Hump Day on Monday, Not Wednesday? You've guessed it. According to the trauma team, Day 3 post-trauma is Hump any day of the week. All of the aches and pains that weren't there before come to the surface, trauma pain amplifies, swelling is at its greatest, etc. Phoebe definitely has had her own Hump Day. As the doctors came through and did their inspections and check-ups the question was asked of her, "So Phoebe, on a scale of one to ten, how's your pain?" This morning she flashed eight fingers! The highest of all. Poor kid. She had a dose last evening but nothing since then. She's been struggling through this - wow. The nurses administered a dose and let it take affect prior to physical therapy. Stay tuned for a Chapter Twelve epilogue.