Mail-Call

Before Carolyn's surgery, I put out a message asking friends and family to write a letter or draw a picture and to drop it in the mail, so our mailbox would be full as she was home recovering.  I want to offer a big THANK YOU to all of you who have sent things, and to those of you who forwarded this request even further.  This has made recovery pretty exciting.  Here is a recap:

First, there were a couple of pre-surgery deliveries -- flowers from RJ and Nikki & Joshua.  Both said they would be thinking of her during surgery.

Day 1, the Day of Surgery -- the mailbox was not that full, but already notes were starting to come in.  Thanks to a package from my parents (with the Christmas stuff that did not fit in our suitcases), there was a new book and a new nutcracker to bring a smile to a very drugged-up Carolyn.  Kim, Nick, and Sebi sent a book, which she enjoyed as much as she could in her foggy state.  Great-Great Aunt Margie and Uncle Harry sent a letter with stickers.  And, a notecard from Kara Lohbeck, my mom's goddaughter, also arrived.

Day 2 - Friday -- fairly early in the morning, the doorbell rang with a cookie delivery from her piano teacher Sammy.  Just a few minutes later, the doorbell rang again with a flower delivery from Grandma and Grandpa Utz.  Carolyn kept asking when the doorbell would ring again.  It did not, but the mailman filled our box later that afternoon with a package from Uncle Bill, who asked his middle school students to write notes and draw pictures (there were probably close to 100 letters in that package alone!).  A handwritten letter from Grandpa Harry was also in the box.

  

Day 3 - Saturday - a full mailbox!  A bunch of letters and cards and hand-drawn pictures from friends, family, and classmates.  A hand-made bracelet and a new movie from her friends Lukas and Oliver.  A book from cousin Lauren.  Carolyn asked if she could invite over a friend for a quiet movie date. Annie came on Saturday morning for a movie date; she brought powdered sugar donuts with her!  Max (and his mom Michelle) dropped in for a visit later that afternoon, and brought a beautiful necklace, a book written by Madonna, and other treats for Carolyn and me.  Then, on Saturday night, Joshua, Nikki, and Persephone came over and cooked all of us a beautiful dinner, as Carolyn was starting to move around quite a bit. 

Day 4 - Sunday - No Mail.  But, another friend visit.  This time with Sevilla.  Carolyn was tired and had a pretty short fuse, but was very happy to see her friend.  Sevilla had been skiing in the morning, so was happy to curl up on a couch and watch a movie! 

Day 5 - Monday - Another Really Full Mailbox.  The highlight of today's delivery was a package of hand-made cards from her classmates and teachers.  The mailbox also had a package of sweets and wax lips from her friends Zoe, April, and Aiden.  And, of course, there were lots of cards, many filled with stickers and other goodies, from friends and family in Ohio, Salt Lake City, and elsewhere.  This was probably the biggest delivery day!

Day 6 - Tuesday.  Today was her first outing; she chose to go to "Eggs in the City" for breakfast.  When the owner saw that she was moving so cautiously getting in and out of her chair, he asked if she had been in the hospital.  Of course, she told him that she had surgery and that this was her first outing since the surgery.  Our meal was free!  The mailbox was not as full today, but it did include a special letter from Miss Shiela (her former teacher who moved to Texas) and Isabella (her daughter who has had similar surgeries in the past).  Her classmate George stopped by with some pretty pink flowers.  There were handwritten letters from other friends and a package from RJ which included Hello Kitty lip gloss and make-your-own tatoos (notice her feet in the picture).  Steve spent the afternoon doing science experiments with her, while I went into campus to teach my class.  Zoe and April came over for dinner. In the middle of the evening, Carolyn wen to take a nap on the couch.  At another point, she put on her PJs.  She is feeling better, but definitely gets tired with even a little bit of activity.

Day 7 - Wednesday.  The mailbox had a stack of about 10 cards today.  Among them was a package with a very special pillow case signed by lots of people in Ohio and several notes and drawings from classmates.  One of her teachers, Miss Ruby, called to check on her (which made Carolyn very happy!).  And, I took her for a movie date in the afternoon.

Day 8 - Thursday.  Given that she is moving really well, is not taking any more pain medicine, and that she is getting bored (which I take as the most positive sign of recovery), we decided it was time to go back to school.  Her energy is low and she has very little reserves, so we limited it to a short day (9 to 1130).  Mail continues to trickle in. There were 4 new cards and letters today - from a classmate, grandpa Harry, a friend from Dayton, and Great Great Aunt Jan.

Day 9 and beyond -- She made it for about 4 hours of school on Friday.  After the MLK holiday, I bet she will be able to handle a full day of school.  She is mostly back to normal, with perhaps just getting a little more tired than usual.  The mail has slowed down, but continues to come in.  Each day, there have been a handful of cards in the mailbox, mostly from my parents' friends in Centerville.  A few to note:  A card from "Kramers" (my uncle's favorite watering hole).  A package with books and cookies from Poppy and Grandma Sue (Addie and Emerson's grandparents).  I imagine that the mail has come to an end, but more packages and letters just keep arriving.

Seriously.  I cannot tell you how impressed and thankful I am with the amount of support and attention she has received.  Everyone's response and participation has made the recovery fun for her, and hopefully is the perfect start for her to begin healing and getting back to being a kid. The past 12 months have brought a lot of pain, worry, and sickness of her.  I think that she, and we, are ready to put it behind us.