Donuts and "Oh, that's it!"
It's Memorial Day weekend. I called Maureen--we each had a donut and she drove off to visit her family east of here. (I also talked to Luce.) I listened to some music and fell asleep for about two hours, did a little work, then fell asleep for another 2, 2.5 hours. Just had lunch of leftovers, juice, and salad.
"Oh, that's it!" I just remembered that I had been to the meeting house two weeks in a row, and may have hurt my ankle at a circle activity there.
Labels: dancing, dine, dining, friends, health, pain
Those Nagging Pains...
After meeting with a student, I spoke to the Assistant for the Frosh Studies class yesterday afternoon. I collected more teaching materials when I headed back to the computer lab, then picked up some books at the Carnegie Library.
I went home to rest, and to rest my sad little ankle. Then Maureen and I went to the pan-Asian restaurant and then to the library to look up airfares for her. I took some photos on the way home.
~~~
My "pore li'l ankle" and my shoulder have been bothering me for a while---time to get seen. I will go to Marissa's doctor, as my physician is relocating this week.
Labels: Carnegie, dining, friends, health, library, meeting, pain, student
Hand Tests, March 2010
I have had hand pain for about a week and a half now, alleviated with ~500mg acetaminophen p.r.n. I saw my general practitioner/ primary care physician last week, who ordered nerve tests and X rays for me, which I had this morning.
Scott did the nerve tests on my dominant hand. The nerve tests consisted of first stimulating a standard set of nerves in the affected hand and observing the results on a computer. This caused a feeling of a small shock, then a corresponding muscle twitch. The second nerve test consisted of utilizing tiny needles to deliver the impulse to the arm, and then asking the patient to gently flex or extend affected muscles distally. This test had the results displayed on a computer and hooked up to a speaker, so one could hear the results "talking." My results turned out okay, and Scott indicated that it just may be that I have tendinitis, and that I need to ice my hand regularly.
Greg took three X ray films / views of each hand, first one of the hand (palm down, and open) and then two views (at different angles) of modified "OK" signs. Greg indicated that my views looked fine. I am pleased!
Stopped by the pharmacy to pickup some ibuprofen, but the pharmacy was out of it until this afternoon.
Labels: health, pain, tests
Laundry, Physical Therapy, Airline Miles Promotion
I awoke at ~6am today to do some laundry. After breakfast I went to physical therapy. I told Keelan that I was kind of sore in the socket from Monday's walking adventures. I still need to develop my muscles...
I completed my profile for the airline miles promotion, and played the online geography game. I also took a nice nap this afternoon.
Labels: BAD, exercise, games, laundry, pain, sleep, travel, water exercise
Pool Exercises, Free Sandwiches, St. Anthony
After donning an OpSite (TM) sticker on my small but pernicious? tiny scab, I did pool exercises (after my land exercises) for the first time before my second total hip replacement:
walking (10 minutes)
side stepping (5 minutes)
~ronde de jambes en l'air: i.e., "front, side, back" 20 reps/side
and, finally,
"Stretch that neck" by submersing in the water, putting my arm behind my back, and stretching my neck in the opposite direction. This is to counteract effects of using a cane on my shoulder.
I picked up Karina, and we bought sodas to get free bacon, cheddar, and roast beef Wednesday specials. We sat at the library, read women's and travel magazines, picked out books and ran into Jim B., my former boss, on the way to the car.
Went home to look for some misplaced/lost items (noticed this morning). Boy, oh boy, time to pray to Ss. Anthony and Jude for lost items. Found the documents I need to replace the lost documents, but it sure would be nice to find my lost items.
~~~~~~~~
Dinner was at William's family's home. I took photos of the children before they ate their dinner, but while they were seated in their high chairs. We had capelli d'angelo with sauce, chicken, fish, mixed veggies, milk, and raspberry-banana cake. Beatrice kept asking to be carried upstairs by me.."Not yet, Beata. Not today. Later."
Labels: BAD, career, Carnegie, dine, dining, exercise, friends, health, library, niece and nephew, pain, prayer, water exercise
Progression: What I Can Do III
Last week, I went to Mass and sat without a pillow.
Today, I can walk with just a cane. I will also sit in church without a pillow.
~~~
13.30
At Mass today, I stood for the Gospel, Creed, and General Intercessions. I stood and (slightly) wobbled to receive Communion!
Labels: BAD, Church, exercise, Mass, pain, surgery, walking
Progression: What I Can Do Now!
I can shower standing up now (except for my feet).
I can mobilize using only my cane/fold-out chair (which I will use to ambulate about Ornella's art exhibit).
Labels: art, BAD, Choir, exercise, friends, pain, surgery, water
Surgeon's Post-operative Appointment
This morning I have my surgeon's post-operative appointment. I am looking forward to it. I hope to find out all kinds of things, such as when I can stop using certain medicines/medical devices and when I can start to do such things such as outpatient physical therapy, pool therapy, drive, do laundry/work the dishwasher (waow!), and dance.
~~~
19.00
My post-operative appointment was with the physician's assistant, Greg S. After a short round of X rays, he removed all of my Steri-strips (which were hanging on), taught me a "Jane Fonda" exercise after having me demonstrate it. It is truly difficult, but necessary if I don't want to walk with a wobble. We looked at the X ray films, and I discussed them. I now have two screws holding in my acetabular cup on the left, which is 2 units smaller than my right socket.
And I asked my questions:
I mentioned the various types of pain I have (probably attributable to healing and the changes in my legs/hips due to surgery).
When can I be fully weight bearing? (now, starting with a single crutch or cane, and gradually progressing to no accessories).
Blood thinner injections in my soft underbelly? (no more).
Fashion statement hose/ old lady hose (no more).
Stated my lack of any pain medication since Monday morning, my problems getting to sleep, and, should I need pain medication, if I could take the Extra Strength/Arthritis Tylenol.
Outpatient physical therapy? (Yes, Greg would write me a Rx for 3x/week for four weeks.)
Pool therapy? (As long as there is no broken skin, scabs, or blood, I'm fine. BUT NO HOT TUBS).
Driving an automobile? (Yes. And NO OTHER movement limitations.)
Dancing? (When tolerated.)
Omega-3 fatty acids, which I had dropped ten days before surgery? (Go ahead and take them).
I was instructed to get a set of X rays every two years or so, so as to prevent foreign body expulsion of polyethelene cup liner degraded pieces.
~~~~~
This morning, I contacted my outpatient physical therapist, who quickly booked me an appointment for tomorrow.
Labels: BAD, dance, dreams, exercise, health, list, pain, patient, surgery, walking, water exercise
negative slope for Pain Medication Administration
I've skipped the last two doses of my pain medication (on purpose). I skipped the lunchtime dose, as well as the dose about an hour ago. I'm not taking a whole lot of this oral pain medicine, anyway, (half of a tablet). But I want to see how little pain medicine I can get away with...since I went for a walk of ~1/3 of a mile at eleven today with Margie, the physical therapist.
We are readying for Emily and Sally B. (Joyce's former coworker's family) to join us and William's family for dinner tonight.
Labels: California, dine, exercise, neighbors, pain, surgery, surprise
No More Big Bruise
The big bruise I had faded away last week: It was gone yesterday. The Steri-strips, however, are hanging on for dear life. I also occasionally feel a dull ache/smarting in my gluteus maximus, especially when sitting for a while. O, life! (The process of healing.)
~~~~
Found the hypertext link for the encyclopedia which I was working on last year (was lead author on one of the articles).
Labels: BAD, excited, pain, surgery, writing. health
One of the Rules: "No Chubby Checker"
When I was doing inpatient physical therapy right after surgery this year, I went to a satellite unit (really, a room with tools, toys, and contraptions in another wing of the floor I was staying). The first day there I was quizzed about "The Rules" for hip replacement patients. I rattled them off, without getting rattled:
1./ No angles (less than) 90 degrees whilst seated (angle of femur to hip/lumbar region)
2./ No crossing the midline with your leg
3./ No "Chubby Checker" = No Twisting of the leg!
I reminded Stan, the physical therapist asking me the question, that he had taught me the third rule himself last year. He turned to the younger, "newbie" physical therapist, explaining that I was a "repeater" who he could tell had learned the rules from him.
~~~~~
I'm really looking forward to physical therapy, to get back to higher levels of activity. I told my outpatient physical therapist, K., that I'll see him post-surgery, this time with the "clock" (for hip extention/flexion exercises), my funny term for the machine which caused problems (so!) last summer, due to weight bearing on my then-unoperated hip. Also, I'm looking forward to the water exercises too.
Labels: BAD, exercise, pain, surgery, water exercise
...results in MORE pain
At about five thirty this morning I awoke with my propped-up legs (propped by two pillows) feeling the pain of insufficient pain medication: I actually felt pain in the soft tissues of my left leg, 1/ at and below my knee, as well as 2/ groin pain. This is probably due to 1/ exercises on my tummy (the knee curl-ups), which irritate the iliotibial muscle (which was operated on) and referred inferior muscles, and 2/ aggressive straight leg lifts soon after surgery.
I got up, took another half dose (from the one at four o'clock this morning) along with a biscottus and some chips. I now find myself typing at the computer.
Labels: BAD, blogs, computer, exercise, pain, surgery
Half the pain medicine, and then half of THAT pain medicine
I am on much smaller doses of oral pain medicine than before. I just received the okay from the surgeon's office for half of my originally prescribed dose (when I left the hospital), which was half of my dose of oral pain medicine when I started taking this form of pain management in the hospital.
I'm really happy to be managing the pain in this way...Because some pain medicine side effects are not fun, including being very very drowsy for much of the time.
I look forward to updating my pain medicine doses and to managing myself and my movements next week, at my post-operative meeting.
Labels: exercise, pain, sleep, surgery
It's Just Physical Therapy Now (until the Post-Operative visit with the Surgeon)
Margie stopped by today about an hour ago. We did my exercises in my room, then I changed out of my socks and into my shoes for a short walk into St. Paul Cathedral and back into the building. We saw Mary Lou P. twice during our outings, which was great fun.
~~~
So the nurse Jill stopped by on Tuesday to discharge me.
Labels: exercise, health, neighbors, pain, St. Paul Cathedral, surgery
Remembrances
It sure was a good thing that Maureen stopped by (and Dad took a picture of us together) to chat in Mom and Dad's lobby this past evening (with Rita C. present there with her aide). I told Maureen about what I do daily, and mentioned how my parents are very medically supportive---including giving me my anticoagulant injection---which led me to remember the shot I had forgotten due to naps this afternoon.
Maureen was more than kind to bring Benzel chocolate covered pretzels from her hometown. Chocolate has found its way to my lips this operation-go-round more than once: Stacy and her Lindt dark-milk-white chocolate truffly Lindor thingys, Tita Tina and family's malted milk balls, milk duds, and chocolate turtle biscotti...the delights delight and tantalize. As it seems that I have lost some weight due to the surgery and due to my increased post-operative activity, I try to eat healthfully, but also leave room in my diet for chips and chocolates...from my lips to my hips, so to speak.
Anyway, upon returning to the condominium apartment after my visit with Maureen, I announced to Mom my forgetfulness this afternoon (about two and a half hours' worth, even with the hour time window), and we remedied this problem tout de suite.
~~~
Whilst downstairs, we saw JoAnn I. depart with her brother-in-law Joe W. She asked for prayers as she undergoes surgery tomorrow. I asked her at what time, and promised to pray for her.
~~~~~
Haven't quite figured out what causes or prevents bruising with the anticoagulant medication. Only thing I can figure is that there is a different dispensing device (maybe?) than last year. There remain two very large bruises from my first two days in the hospital, there was one tiny pinprick from the third day in the hospital (when nurse Jeff delivered it), and various-sized tiny, small bruises from when Mom has delivered the medication. I haven't figured out what the bruising size or retention is due to....
Labels: BAD, chocolate, friends, health, neighbors, pain, prayer, surgery
Thankfulness Posting
Last year I shared my thankfulness song with my orthopedic surgeon. This year, I shared it with my primary care physician, who visited me every day in the hospital.
I have a lot to be thankful for:
Conditions that are relatively easily treated by common, standard procedures;
Kind, highly skilled, competent, and NICE doctors: anesthesiologists, surgeons, pain management team, etc.;
Nurses and nursing assistants who were kind, generous with their time, and on-time with my medications;
post-operative care (nurses, and physical therapists) who have helped me to get to where I am now.
My parents, who care for my basic needs and my dressing and anticoagulant injection and antiembolism stockings every day (NOT a small feat), as well as my snail mail.
Thankful for a "repeat performance" from last year's operation, so that I knew to prepare/ask about:
my IV drips' placements, so they do not interfere with a walker post-operatively;
my type of pain medication, so it does not interfere with my systems so drastically;
my selection of music post-operatively, so that I can enjoy various types of music as I heal.
Labels: exercise, family, music, pain, singing, Songs, surgery, thankfulness
Another first good look
I'm up in the middle of the night: This time, it's my pain medication---I forgot to take my last dose at midnight.
My first good look at my LEFT hip operation was very late this evening (cf. to 9 June 2008 post). All the Steri-strips are in place, held there by dried blood. Armed with the memory of my other hip, I told Mom that I thought that this L hip had a slightly longer incision than the R hip did. As with the R hip, the L hip has a dark, long, linear bruise posterior and parallel to the incision. My drain site is a healed-over small puncture hole inferior and medial to the incision site.
I have been sleeping with two pillows for my legs, each pillow folded in half:
~pillow #1 is used to prop up my operated L leg, so that the foot and leg don't list outward to the left, thereby causing pain. This is necessary because the muscles are not strong enough post-surgery to support the weight of the leg. This function is necessary, as it was last year, too.
~pillow #2 is used to keep the two legs separate and to prevent crossing of the midline by the operated L leg (one of the post-surgery "rules" not to break).
Labels: BAD, health, pain, surgery
Impending Picnic
Off to an adventure this weekend--a picnic, etc. I've packed my clothes, toiletries (which are more due to my condition), my medicines and fresh bandages with tape, my appliances for dressing and moving about, my music and mini boom box, and my books and notes. Just need to change linens on my two pillows and wrap my commode chair, and I'm off!
(I travel light.)
(All for the love/need of a daily blood thinner injection...)
Labels: adventure, dine, family, health, music, pain, surgery, travel
Farewell, Farrah...and Michael
Farrah Fawcett passed away. Mom and I had seen the television special of her battle with cancer last month.
God bless her soul--she was a real fighter.
~~~
Today the home nurse, Jill, decided to leave all but the incision site covered, as the drain site has no longer any drainage from it. Yesterday, Margie the physical therapist noted v. v. little drainage from the superior end of the incision site, and no drainage anywhere else.
I'm ready for the adventure tomorrow!
~~~
at ~6.45pm
Mom and I found out that Michael Jackson passed away, too. He was an extremely talented force in the Industry, and his other problems could not eclipse that fact.
Labels: adventure, farewell, pain, surgery
Furniture, Moved
Last night, after watching Kit Kittredge: American Girl movie, Mom and I gave my legs some breathing room (TED hose off for ~ twenty minutes).
After, Mom and Dad moved some furniture from the guest bedroom: an antique rocking chair, some toy boxes of Beatrice and Solomon, and the cedar? chest and also its contents. Quite the event late last night.
Labels: adventure, Beatrice, children, health, pain
