These past few days, following Nurse Jean Marie’s tele-advice, I’ve been largely staying off of my injured left foot– with the hope that I would see a tremendous uptick in the healing process. I placed iodine on the wound twice daily; I bagged it to protect it from shower water; I walked minimally on it; and, I kept it more elevated than normal during much of the day. These were the original written instructions from the hospital; however, the written instructions also told me that I could “shower as normal” after 24 hours– and the MD guestimated that I could resume normal walking after 4-7 days. Following these guidelines, the condition of the wound worsened. After consulting Nurse Jean Marie, however, and following her 50+ years of on-the-job wisdom, this weekend I finally reached the point where I felt very assured of my healing progress– no longer wondering if I’d have to return to medical professionals for any further analysis, guidance, and bills…
Luckily, wonderful hosts in the Richmond area have warmly invited me in over the course of my additional days here. I’ve spent a recent handful of days with previous host Dawn Alba. I’ve spent Saturday night and most of Sunday with Jerry & Ann Swiatoviak. What a pleasure to invest time getting to know them all!!

Hosts Jerry & Ann Swiatoviak point out what is and what was here on the James River. Early explorers wrote that the river is so full of canoes, you can step across the canoes from one side of the river to the other.

James River, May 2013

James River, May 2013

James River, May 2013– you’re more likely to find rowing teams here now.

Jerry & Ann Swiatoviak hosted me this weekend near James River High School, where Ann works in the library with my next host: Annie Reinke. They invited me to stay after seeing me speak to the students at James River High, and understanding that I need more time than anticipated for my foot to heal adequately.

Ann Swiatoviak prepares a delicious French Toast Recipe!

Breakfast with Jerry & Ann Swiatoviak