Update on Nicolas

The surgeon who removed Nick's eye is good at what he does, but is a space cadet when it comes to details, such as forgetting to write Nick a prescription to leave the hospital with, for example. So when he originally told Nick to see his eye doc in Durango six weeks after the enucleation, who would then send us back to ABQ the following week to see the surgeon and then the ocularist to have the prosthesis made - I was doubtful.... Both ABQ specialists were going to have an appointment ready for that week? Was the surgeon taking care of that?

The six week mark arrived, Nick saw the Durango eye doc who called the surgeon, who said, "He doesn't need to see me anymore; here's the number of the ocularist." The ocularist then told us he's a month out.

Very frustrating! Nick could have set up an appointment a month and a half ago and he'd have had his new eye by now, but instead has to wait until June 3rd. Oh well, he's not in pain, the good eye is 100% healed and he's not bothered by how he looks. He doesn't wear a patch, nor does he offer an explanation - as he watches people squirm as they actively avoid looking into his left eye - as to what happened. It's pure Nicolas! Oh gosh, it makes me laugh. We're so different we fit together like a dovetailed box.

Nick's sternum is feeling strong enough we can squeeze when we hug him; his jaw has healed; his hand hurts but he uses it for everything, and I can tell by the returning muscle in his forearm that it's actually working. It's not 100% though: The bone has healed but there's something else going on as well. When he smashed it against whatever he smashed it against, it hurt the tissue or maybe a ligament or something else as well. The swelling in his index finger knuckle is still marked. He has an appointment at the end of the month to see the hand doc again, and will ask him what he thinks, but probably time will heal the rest.

His teeth have been temporarily tended to, enough to eat anything. He's had one root canal, but soon he'll start the process of getting a bunch of crowns. Five, maybe? He has an appointment in a couple of weeks to spend an entire day in the dentist's chair. My jaw aches thinking about it!

So there you go. That's what's up with our Nick. It's been the status quo for a while, thus the posts about the rest of the family, but thought getting a date for his new eye was my cue to update you.

And don't worry about us in a deep freeze. It's like summer again and Acacia's snowman barely made it through the next day. Colorado doesn't let go of its winters too easily... but hopefully the apron strings are now officially cut!

So long, Frosty.

(See the plum tree to the right of the yellow wall? No blossoms. Bummer!)