What Paddy Shot At

I had a good time with Patrick yesterday. He took me to the barber and I got my hair cut and my beard trimmed. Needed that very badly.

Then we had lunch at the Limerick Pub, a wonderful little place in Wheaton. I had fish and chips, which I always enjoy. We did get a parking ticket as we stayed a little longer than we had intended. It was worth the extra cost for the meal and the company. As it was over 90 degrees, I came home, took a nap and stayed in all evening.

This morning, I had the 8:00am Mass and again, my leg really hurt and so I had the priest chair moved down to the same level as the altar. It seems that the stepping up and down jars things.

Then I went out for therapy. The staff assured me that the pain is normal and that I should take the pills when it hurts. They also explained that I am “on track” with what I can do and I shouldn’t get discouraged. I did all my exercises and the cold wrap felt good. As I left, they asked how I was feeling now. I said, “Much better! It’s like confession, you don’t like it but you feel so much better once you do it”. I left them laughing!!

I took a nap and then did exposition in the chapel. I also had the 5:30 Mass there. I think there were 60 people there. I had planned to go to the rehearsal for the wedding I have tomorrow. I thought it was at 6pm. It was at 4:30, so I missed it. We have a wonderful lady, Mary, who does the rehearsals but I wanted to meet the couple as I don’t know them. I wanted to show them that I can walk upright; so they wouldn’t worry that I’d be like Quasemodo going around the altar. I have talked to the bride on the phone but Fr. Ron was suppose to do the wedding but he is away and so he asked me to do it. Mary will act as my assistant and get me around the altar with some decoram.

Well, I see that it is almost 101 degrees, so I shall cross the street; ride my chair up to my air-conditioned suite, eat supper, take a pill and go to bed. I have a full day tomorrow.

I was confused by the feast last Sunday of St. John the Baptist in place of the 12th Sunday of the year; so yesterday I thought was week 13. I apologize!!

Today I had the 11am Mass and had a rough time. My leg was bothering me but not because it hurt; I lost the support stocking and couldn’t get the ace bandage on correctly. I was upset and just feeling low.

Joan drove me to therapy. On the way, we stopped so I could buy some underwear and socks. Our housekeeper is away and I have lots of laundry sitting in the corner. It just added to my feeling frustrated.

Therapy went well; although it hurt to do the exercises and the cold wrap at the end, was very cold and made my leg feel cold! I haven’t been cold since 1963!! At the end, they re-wrapped my bandage and assured me that I am doing very well – and that seemed to help my mental state.

Joan brought me a steak and cheese from Ledo’s, which I ate on the way home. That and a coke seemed to help also.

I had exposition at 3pm and just sat at the desk and did “phone ministry” till the 5:30 Mass. Afterwards, I came home to the rectory and inaugurated the chairlift. It had been installed during the day. It is going to be very nice. It is on the main staircase and I just sat down and pushed a button on the armrest and up the stairs I rode. At the top, I swilved around and got off on the landing. It was nice to arrive at the top and still be breathing normally. Then I took a nap.

I am having some soup and then going to bed. I have the 6:30am Mass tomorrow and will be on the altar with Fr. Duffy at an 11am funeral. Then Patrick Mullan is coming to take me out. I do get “cabin fever”! More tomorrow.

Yesterday, the doctor told me that the surgery went very well and that my recovery is on track. Then I did some therapy and when I got home, I was exhausted and went to bed. I got up for exposition and the 5:30pm Mass and when I got back here, I was really tired and went to bed.
Today, I had the 8:00am Mass and was planning to drive to Ocean City and visit the Witte family. I was vastly over confident. When Mass got over and I went to the office and met with our IT person, who is trying to “recover” my computer stuff that crashed and then I came home and went to bed. I stayed there, doing exercises and putting ice on my leg and finally fell asleep.
I went back to the office around 4pm and Joan drove me over to DeCarlo’s at 6pm to have supper with Fr. Jim Beattie. It was very nice to sit and laugh (as I always do in his presence!). He drove me home and I have done a few more exercises and wanted to get this out to you, and then I’ll go to bed. The recovery seems very slow to me but I am not very patient, so maybe I’ll learn to let go and let God!!

Tomorrow, I have the 11am Mass, then therapy at 1pm and exposition at 3 and then the 5:30pm Mass. I’m hoping that the movement will help to get the swelling in my left leg down. It is just so awkward to walk around with this ace bandage and my support stocking!!!

I spent most of the day in my suite going through papers and photos and throwing out stuff. I also watched the Sunday talk shows and the Jessica Fletcher Marathon – many of whom I had not seen the end of, because I had fallen asleep.

I just finished the 5:30pm Mass. I had great servers, Cole and Grace, and lots of good eucharisitic ministers; so I didn’t have to move around much. As soon as I finish this, I’ll head back to the rectory and back to my suite. Joan Ward will drive me out to the doctor’s and my thereapy around 11am tomorrow and then I will relax till exposition at 3pm and Mass at 5:30pm. I must be improving as I can get up and down the stairs now on my own. More to follow.

Well, things went fine at the baptism and the wedding. The baptism of Colin James was a small affair with only about 6 people there. No one seemed to mind that I was limited in my movements. I had a chair but I stayed upright through it all.
The wedding of Anne and Brian was just beautiful. They had a quartet of musicians and that sound just is great in our church. John helped me by being a good strong arm to lean on. The organist did say that my alb kept exposing my leg, which looks like “Aunt Birdie’s support stockings” but I don’t think it will get into the photos.

Because of the storm last night, there was no mike when I first got there but the man came to repair it. Also there was no air-conditioning for the baptism but that was repaired by the wedding time (3pm). However, there is no elevator and I had to walk up and down the stairs in the parish center. We’ll see if that can be repaired by Sunday evening.

Fr. Percy has offered to take the 10:30am Mass tomorrow and so I will only have the 5:30pm Mass. I have spent most of the time after the wedding just relaxing in my suite and I’ll do the same the rest of the evening and all day tomorrow. It gives me a chance to do more of the exercises and I hope that the swelling will go down some more. Fr. Percy also offered to take my 11:00am Mass on Monday. That will be a great help as I have a doctor’s appointment and a therapy session at 10:30 and 11:30am. I am hopefull that he’ll tell me I am almost well again. I have exposition and the 5:30pm Mass on Monday. Fr. Ron leaves tomorrow (Sunday night) for Ireland and Fr. Testfaye leaves on Wednesday for Ethiopia and so Fr. Percy and I will be covering things. I hope to be back to full strength by Wednesday. Keep that in your prayers.

Our electricity just came back on. It went off around 7:30pm in the midst of a very strong storm. There was hail and lots of rain and then the electricity went off. I just lit a candle and laid down on the bed. I also had a flashlight and put the light up on the wall; then I did some exercises. I feel good and the leg seems to be doing better.

I had spent most of the day just relaxing and doing “desk work”. I didn’t have an appointment at the therapist today, so I just tried to do stuff here. Some of the men from the center and John helped me up and down the steps. I did go over to the church for my wedding rehearsal but didn’t do much of it as Mary Tull does the rehearsals. I just wanted the bride and groom to see that I would be there tomorrow. I have that wedding at 3pm.

I also have the 11:ooam Mass and a baptism at noon. I think I’ll be able to hobble around. I think John is going to help me. He and Fr. Ron leave on Sunday with Fr. John Dillon and the group for Ireland. I hope to be able to do a lot more over the weekend. We’ll see.

I don’t have any pain. It’s just akward to get around. I was able to shower today but it took a long time to dry off and get dressed. I went to therapy today. It was tough but they tell me I am doing fine.
Joan Ward drove me and Tom and Mark helped me up and down the stairs. Humberto made me a good lunch and a nice supper and I think I’ll do some therapy and go to bed. Keep up those prayers because the therapy is hard to do and I get so tired. Also it was so hot outside today that I was glad to be “confined” to my air-conditioned suite. More tomorrow.

All went very well with the surgery and I am in recovery mode. Spent much of the day lounging in bed. The staff have been so good to bring me food and stopping in to see if I need anything, which I have because it’s hard to get around the room. They have moved medicine and papers close to me and even showed me how to use my DVD machine. I watched “Michael Collins” and “Looking for Grace. Enjoyed them both.

No pain but I am suppose to take a pain pill at 8pm – and I will! I want to sleep well and Joan will take me out to therapy at 7:15am tomorrow.

Thanks for all the prayers, Please keep them up for the next few days as I am not a good patient usually. More to follow.

Yesterday was full. I had the 9:30 and 11:30am Masses at St. Mary’s in Barnesville. I always enjoy visiting there. It reminds me of St. Michael’s in Ridge. On the way home, I dropped off four boxes of clothes and then came home to nap. Had the 5:30pm Mass.
Because of the surgery, I can’t use the muscle relaxant medicine and the knee hurts when I go up steps, so I didn’t do much at Mass or go up and down the stairs in the rectory if I could avoid it.

I had a good homily about that God has a word or two for us each week in the Scriptures or the songs, or even in the homily. It is a word that will help us this coming week. After every Mass, someone spoke to me about how good or easy the surgery will be or warned me to do the therapy. I think that was God’s word for me.

I went to bed early and had the 11am Mass today. Afterwards, I dropped off the paperwork for the wedding at St. John’s and went to Catholic University to meet Fr. Dan from Texas. He is here for a two week seminar. I missed him and I called him on the cell phone but he was in the building and couldn’t pick it up. So I headed home. I called Ledo’s and picked up a steak and chesse. We were going for crabs but I had to stop eating by 5pm, so I decided to just have a sandwich.
I had a lot of stuff from my office in the center brought over to my suite in the rectory so I could do some work while I am “stuck here” for the next few days.

I forgot if I told you that my computer in the center crashed. Don is working on it. I told him there was no rush as I don’t think I’ll even go over to the center till Friday. Father Ron and Percy are taking all the Masses this week. They are so good to me.

Well, off to bed. Joan Ward took my car home and will pick me up around 6:15am. She’ll drop me at the surgery center, which is about 5 minutes away. They’ll call her when I’m ready to come home -probably around 9:30. John Williams, the seminarian will come with her as I might be a bit for her to handle. Then up here and rest – and frozen peas wrapped around my leg. It’s a strange story! Will write again, maybe on Wednesday. Keep those prayers coming that I be a good and obedient patient.

Just finished the 5:30pm Mass. I stumbled around and didn’t help with Communion. I am not allowed to use some of the medicines that help me because they might make me bleed too much during the surgery. That means that the knee hurts more and I have to use the cane and can’t stand too long. I’ll be so glad when the surgery (and recovery) are over.

I realize that I haven’t written since Wednesday; that’s because Thursday was a mess. I had the 8:00am Mass, then Joan took me down and dropped me off at Dr. Lucas’ because I had to have some pre-op stuff. Well I failed the EKG and they told me that it might be a mistake but that I wouldn’t be able to have the surgery unless I could prove that my heart was OK. So Dr. Lucas called a friend (in the same building) and I went and had a sona something of my heart and it showed I was OK. All of this took from 8:45am to 1pm.
I was suppose to be in Olney at 10:15am to meet with Christine, Dr. Higgin’s PA. Joan kept calling her and saying I would come as soon as I could. I also was suppose to stop at St. John’s to pick up the church key for the rehearsal that night. I got to St. John’s at 2 and saw Christine at 3pm. I got home at 4:30 and then the rehearsal was at 6pm. It went fine and then I went to a dinner at my cousin Karen (Nolan, O’Brien) Hanlon. It was a lot of fun. I got home around 11pm.

On Friday, a man came to talk with Fr. Ron and me about putting a chair lift on our main staircase in the rectory. It should be installed in a week or two and will make that trip upstairs (those 17 steps!) much easier. I feel spoiled but I appreciate Fr. Ron’s decision.

I had a relaxing day and then did the 5:30pm Mass. It was Maggie’s 70th birthday, so after Mass, I drove down for ice cream and cake and cards. Had a great time. Drove home around 11pm.

This morning, I got up early because my phone rang. It was Pat Berry calling to tell me about a tragedy. His great niece, Katie (who would have been two years old this coming week) somehow died. That is Sara Jean, Pat’s sister’s grandchild. I don’t know any details but please keep all the family in your prayers.
Then I came to the center early and went to Holy Cross Hospital to visit my friend, Larry who has had a series of heart attacks. He seems to be improving but please keep him in your prayers.

Then I went to my wedding. It was at St. John’s old church in Forest Glen. That was the home and chapel of Bishop John Carroll’s mother. It is lovely. It was only 11am but I settled in and prepared my homily for Mass this weekend. Finally, at 5 of twelve, I went outside and no one was there. I called because I figured something bad must have happened. My noon wedding was at 1pm. (Oh, it is tough to get old!!). I didn’t rush the wedding but I left as soon as it was over because I had a 2:30 funeral here at Blessed Sacrament. I made it with 5 minutes to spare. After the funeral, I had a nice long phone talk with Denise Merenda Grabiac, a dear friend from Forbes Road, where I taugh CCD as a seminarian. I married her and Chris many years ago and we had a chance to “catch up”
Then I came down to the office and just played on the computer. Then I went up for the 5:30pm Mass. And that brings you up to date.

Tomorrow, I will say the 9:30am and 11:00am Masses at Barnesville so that Fr. Kevin O’Reilly can go with his Dad up to New Jersey and celebrate Fathers’ Day with Vince’s grandchildren. Then I’ll come home, take a nap, and have the 5:30pm Mass here. Then I think I’ll go to bed early. I will write on Monday.