12/27/2013 More Steps, Baby Ones, Medium Ones...

8:38 am

After the big day of doing maybe too much yesterday (Laundry, walkign with the cane in public, etc), I was concerned that I would be paying for it hard today, but  it's not too bad. 

My back muscles are exercise sore from doing new exercises involving being on my back ,doing a pelvic tilt and holding it while moving arms and legs in different ways, breathing deeply from the core. 

but the right thigh is actually more comfortable. moving and flexing it this morning with wake-up PT  was surprisingly not painful. The deep muscles seem to be happy about getting active - this is great!

It is also clearly why I was able to start using the cane yesterday, 

I switched back to the walker for the evening and through the night, but will use the cane today and continue to be able to use use more and more, the walker less and less. 

While at the laundromat last evening, I pardoned myself to the attendant for moving so slowly as she waiting to go by, but she was sweet about it. I told her I was breaking in a couple of new hips, and she was very kind and wished me well. She said, "I had a question. When it gets cold, do you feel it in that joint? I had a facial reconstruction a couple of years ago, and there are several plates in my face, and when it gets REALLY cold, my face hurts like hell!" 

She was a beautiful woman, and it was amazing to know that her face had been so damaged - clearly, great surgeons at work. I told her it was a little too early for me to quite tell, as I haven't been out into the cold much, but that when I put an ice pack on it, I can kind of feel it in the metal of the joint, and that's kind of weird! 

But otherwise, this morning, I'm feeling glad that, though I did more that I would have on my own, a large amount of laundry is done, there are clean sheets, clothes and towels to last me a good while (perhaps even until I can get to the laundromat by myself!!! This is such an odd concept after so long being unable to get anything up or down my stairs by myself, having to use both rails to support my body. 

More later... I have 40 minutes to put in my contacts, brush my teeth, brush out my hair and get  little coffee before Beverly comes to wash and trim my hair for me! 

Then It'll be PT with Shawna again. Hoping I can get further than yesterday's walk without too much pain - I have bested the previous day's walk every time so far, and hope I'm not too sore to do it again, but if so, I won't be too hard on myself. There were lots of changes yesterday. 

Added at the end of the day: 

Hair trim and wash was wonderful! My curls bounce again - make a workd of difference, even a nice trim. 

Shawna was great as always for my Physical Therapy. She added two sessions for the next two weeks providing I'm home for one extra week beyond January 6, but I am at least home next week. 

We did lots of PT, more knee massage which always helps. Then we went for a walk - I was afraid I'd be pretty stiff and sore after yesterday's long active day, but only a bit, and once we got me moving and warmed up, we were off for my walk. I though I might bhave to make it a bit shorter than usual, but it turned out that not only did I make it past two more houses (ALmost two blocks and back), but the first third of the trip out was using my cane, not the walker!! 

I switched to the walker to be smart and not over-do, and was fine when we got home. TOni was able to join us, and I was really glad. 

I iced up well after PT, and we put together my niece's family's belated Christmas box and actually got it shipped before New Year's! This limited mobility and pain over the last 5-7 years (I really should try to figure out the exact amount of time, but what matters now is that it's essentially over!) has made me the worst procrastinator, and in fact some projects just never got finished let alone mailed, for lack of energy or strength to do them. 

Then we went to Fleet Feet where I purchased the orthotic shoe insoles Shawna had suggested for help walking in proper alignment, since my body has never been able to do so. 

Toni meant to leave today, but then looked at the hurry she was putting herself through, and she has quite a bit of time still off, so she decided to just get her car's oil changed, and help me with a couple of errands, and that was it for a relaxing day. I was able to get my own dinner together - a lovely vegetable stew and salad that my friend Marilyn brought - can I just say how I have CRAVED greens?!?? it was delicious! So It took a little of the constant needs for things off - though I did accept help with wee things like getting ice packs or a hot pack. I want her to have relaxed time now! 

*While my friend Marilyn was here delivering dinner, she told me a coworker is having a hip replacement, and would like to know more - I gave her full permission to share my email or phone number and I'd be very happy to give her any encouragement I can. This is what I want to do! This is what I hope these very words are doing for someone - helping them understand all of the facets and aspects of this life event! 

I was really happy that she stayed an extra day - I will miss her! After our initial stressed out week or so, it has been wonderful having sister-time - watching tv together - laughing, even the getting crabby part was just natural sister stuff. 

After dinner and dessert (cookies Marilyn also made!), we relaxed and just enjoyed the evening together. 

I was able to finish putting together the music we had downloaded and pout onto CDs - but she only has a cassette in her truck - I had the same until recently - so I put the new CD's onto tape for her to listen to on the road, as well. SO happy to be able to reciprocate ANYTHING! This was a music list she has been keeping for years, so it was great to be able to help her get her favorites! 

I am more grateful than I can express for what she has done for me, just coming out from Colorado for more than a month to be with me and help me through this recovery period. Grateful, indeed. 

I am still on and off the walker as fatigue and soreness permits - mostly the earlier half of the day I use it a good bit, but I did use only the cane at the Post Office and Fleet Feet today - I have to really focus and there is pain, but it is POSSIBLE now to put the weight on the right leg! just wonderful and amazing. 

About half of the butterfly tapes have come off my incision/scar in teh shower, as they are meant to do. If they aren't all off by Monday and my Doctor's visit, I will probably carefully remove them. That will be the two week mark since the staples were removed, and that is the time by which they can come off 

Off to bed - friends are arriving tomorrow morning at 10, and Toni will be packing up and heading out some time during the day. After that, I'm on my own again! Thank goodness I can deal with the cane between the car and house again! that is really key, as I cannot deal with the walker on the stairs. I know how, but it is just too much. I expect I'll be taking walks alone with my cane soon... perhaps not as far as I've been able to get with the walker, but that is all part of the process! 

If I have company, I hope to get all the way tp the far corner f the second side of my block, and then I hope to get home by going all the way *around* the block, instead of back the way I came. About 40 feet further that way, but that "First time all the way around the bock" is a nice goal! 

Perhaps that will be my walk with Shawna next Tuesday. 

AFTER my post-op appointment with Dr. Smith!! Amazing to believe how the days were dragging SO SLOWLY - and then all of a sudden have CRASHED by the last week or ten days!  SUch  strange thing, time!!! 

Good night, hip-py people!