Home notes for Tuesday 12/9

Just the facts, Ma'am. 
Many of these are written from ben in waking late-night hours on my phone, as it is too painful to sit on my desk chair for long and write, yet... 
Some kind of disclamer there, I suppose. I'm about a day behind... hope t catch up tomorrow
before Norco brain sucks random bits of  memory away. 
All part of the story... 

12/9/2013

Rough pain after bed last night- it looks like the pain levels are high still at night in
My lower leg, knee on down, along to outside, mostly, and likely due to the extended hours of my surgery, during which  the surgical team was really twisting my leg around according to my surgeon.
Took more norco at night and slept a bit. Not liking nights like this- wanting to get the stuff out of my system- but this is where I am learning the two lessons: 

1. Yes- remember that each surgery IS different. Just because my first surgery had me off norco in 8 days, 
I am in NO way failing just because I am not able to wean off it sooner. 
Today is day 8. 
And as long as I can continue to keep my digestive system in motion with Metamucil and Dulcolace, I must use norco for the pain reducing properties for which it is useful, in spite of the goofiness and dizziness it causes.
I  do wish my sister would stop attributing EVERYTHING I say, express and feel to the drugs,
or when I am feeling grateful and overjoyed, or moved to write something. 
These are real emotions, sometimes enhanced but narcotics... but I am a passtionate person and I feel things, and express them genuinely.
And the reason I still need them is VERY  real - the first surgery was less operating table time - 3.5 Hours. This one took more like SIX hours due to the deformity, and they were working the limb around a LOT, according to My surgeon. 
So- lighten up, control the pain AND the norco, and we should m

Right, then. 
Monday mornings it's yard worker noise wake up at 7...
Up from bed about 9:30

Got ice onto the different parts of right leg, Toni made us soft boiled eggs, toast, fruit and a bit of yoghurt. 

Cat care care came...
Then I get a call from Shuana, my wonderful Physicsl therapist!! She was thrilled to get started, and I, likewise . She's a terrific person, positive, smiling and upbeat, and and excellent PT- she still knows and uses alternates when needed, like massaging trouble spots, etc., 
Very encouraging, yet goes at the pace the patient needs, as long as she knows it's legitimate and not laziness.

She arrived at 10 am, got the setup paperwork done, and evaluated where I was. 

Did my bed sets, had a few helpful pointers

She let me know that Dr.  Smith added appointments this time! Last time, it was 2 x a week for 
3 weeks. 
This time, 3x a week for 3 weeks! 
I figured it out after she left- last time were we're working on getting me as much mobility as possible for the time being,  with the still ruined right hip in a holding pattern, using the two walkers, cane and stair  rails for support until surgery #2.

We did toe lifts, and some slow technique work. When I was able to mindfully focus on the exact way to make walking happen. It was so good, to feel the individual parts work in concert, smoothly, properly aligned, with NO compensation, or muscles covering for each other, or skipping steps by going up on toes- no faking it. My first... REAL... Steps- in my whole life!!??!? 
It moved me to tears, and a poem just after she left ! 

Well, this time- we are  going to full fruition! Learning to walk all over again with new/Two strong pain free hips, performing the natural act of WALKING.
Lean forward, leg swings forth, foot makes the full contact with the floor heel-arch-ball-toe  in tandem with the properly aligned and smooth roll of hip through the forward motion, over the top and pushing back , smoothly transferring that action to the right hip- all of this unassisted by walker or  eventually even a cane.