Before you knew it, I was beginning my second year in college and Ted was going to continue to work for his dad on the family seed corn farm. I was very fortunate that I was attending a local college branch and would be living at home. Although a lot of my time was going to be taken up with going to classes and studying, however, there would definitely be time left for Ted!
We settled into a routine of seeing each other on the weekends and once in a while during the week. I had some classes in the evenings, so we needed to work around that. On the nights that we didn't see each other, we would talk on the phone after I got home from class.
We seemed to go to a lot of movies back then...in fact, the first movie we went to see was the original "Star Wars" movie less than two weeks after our first date. I didn't understand it then, and I certainly don't understand it now! I'm not a science fiction buff by any means, so most of it went right over my head!
Other than movies, we would either watch TV at his house or my house...spend some time with some friends, go out for dinner...things like that. Just typical date things. As long as we were together, we were happy.
Not too long after I first met his brother Tim, he decided to leave his job in the newspaper press room and begin working on the family seed corn farm. Ted would spend the day working with his brother, so that was nice for the two of them and for their dad.
Throughout that first fall and into the winter we would spend Sundays at Ted's parents' house. In a rather small TV room six adults would watch the Cleveland Browns football games. It was Ted and me, Tim, Patty, and Holly, and Peg and her boyfriend Mac. Ted's parents would usually stop in and say hi, then go on about their business. There just wasn't enough space in that room for anymore people, and they didn't have an TV in the bigger living room. Fortunately Holly was under the age of two and usually took naps during the games. We really got loud though, always rooting our beloved Browns on!
That November, Ted's sister Peg came home from a date with her boyfriend Mac, and showed off an engagement ring! There was now going to be a wedding in the family and something to look forward to. They wanted to get married the following June, so there were plans to make. Although I wasn't in the family at that point, I still got to hear about the plans and that was exciting. Peg even asked me if I would either be in charge of the guest book at the wedding or pass out the programs. Time has played its tricks on me and I can't seem to remember which one anymore!
Things went smoothly for us as our relationship made it through the first holiday season, the first winter, the first spring, and then Peg's wedding in June. By the time our one year anniversary came around we pretty much knew that it was "real" and we were in this for the long haul!
However, a challenge awaited us....
To be continued....
Monday, February 18, 2008
Cindi and Ted, Chapter Six
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Patients
But there was also another patient.
Peg (Ted's sister) had arthroscopic knee surgery done yesterday. Her left knee has been giving her a lot of trouble and she has been off work (as an x-ray tech at our local hospital) for over a month. She has tried a cortisone shot and even went to the chiropractor for several treatments since this all began a few months ago. Some things worked temporarily, but then the pain would return with a vengeance.
Peg would talk to Ted because he went through arthroscopic knee surgery in mid April. He filled her in on things about his situation in regards to visiting the orthopaedist, the MRI, the actual surgery, follow up physical therapy, getting around with a healing knee, etc. Ted had torn cartilage, otherwise known as a torn meniscus (meniscus has become his new favorite word...he says it at least 5 times a day). Ted had a few other knee issues as he went through the recovery process and has just this past week declared that he thinks his knee is doing pretty good now, and is as good as it's probably going to get.
When Ted had his surgery at the local ambulatory surgical center, they had me write "NO" on his good knee with a Sharpie marker. We sure didn't want any mistakes as to which knee to operate on!
They let me see him right before his surgery and he was actually looking forward to it so that he would get some relief from the pain he'd been having.
And then after his surgery he was in a little bit of a "fog" in case you can't tell. I should have gotten his knee in this picture, but I wasn't thinking. Heck, I even forgot to bring my camera and took these shots with my phone! They didn't come out too badly either.
Anyway, Peg went through her surgery yesterday and it sounds as though there was a little more trouble in there than the doctor originally thought. But the GOOD news is that she's not in any pain! Last night, the only thing that hurt was her throat, and that was from the tube they had put down. I talked to her a little while ago and she said that her throat is fine now and she still doesn't have any pain from her knee. She has a prescription for a strong painkiller, but hasn't even needed to take it yet. Although Ted wasn't in dire pain after his surgery, he was achy and took the painkillers. But he was surprised that he wasn't in much more pain than he was. Peg is also surprised.
Peg is hopeful that this will take care of all her pain and that she will be able to get back to work in 5 or 6 weeks. She really enjoys her job and the social perks it entails.
As for Marina...she's been walking around here, and jumping off the bed and chair. She's sleeping a little more than usual and trying to bite her stitches, but she's well on the road to recovery!
It's such a relief to know that two of our loved ones made it through yesterday with flying colors!
