Down for the count and a week of updates

Since my last post, I was down with a cold/flu for about a week.  Three of those days I slept for almost the whole day and in my few lucid moments, I thought that I might have felt worse than when I did when I was in hospital after my op.  I'm not sure if the memories have faded or whether the fog of congestion distorted the true state of things, but at the time it was the worst thing in the world.

I couldn't even help puppy sit on the weekend which was quite sad.  By Tuesday I felt a lot better and though I wasn't totally on top of things yet, the massive difference between not being able to scrape myself out of bed and being up and about made Tuesday feel amazing.  I spent most of the day looking after the puppy from across the street since his human was away for a few days.  The little rascal is a bit of a Houdini and I spent a good part of the day getting enough exercise to make up for the few days in bed.  I think that Jack, aka the little rascal, had realised on Tuesday that I was one big sucker for that cute little face and that I would be his human for a few days while his was away.  He really is a good puppy, it's just that puppies have a lot of energy and I'm not quite there yet.  I did get a good sleep when his human came home on Wednesday night.  The handover was kind of like giving him away which is a little weird since we were only puppy sitting, though I guess that I had fallen for the little guy some time ago.  I can still visit him there and maybe sometime soon, I'll be able to take him for some long walks.

I missed physio on Monday but made it in for a session on Wednesday.  Even though I walked in without the cane, the big 'look at me' moment was walking up and down the stairs without holding a railing or using the cane.  It's something that I have been practicing for quite a while.  In the last two weeks I had become brave enough to not hold on to the rail but I would still hover my hand near it - just in case.  My active ranges had dropped a couple of degrees, though I am not surprised or disappointed as I really did nothing for the best part of a week and was still a little fatigued.   The fact that I could breath through my nose again was just too much of a natural high for a couple of degrees to dampen my spirits.I have no doubt that I will be back and improving those again in no time.  

After a big sleep in today, I headed into work to catch up on a few things.  I've been walking around a lot more without my cane, though I still carry it around in my laptop case (it folds down!).  The only real place I need to use it is when I go to the bathrooms.  The main reason for this is the large step at the door that has no where to lean.  I could probably manage it, though I am still a little wary, especially in areas that could be wet and slippery.  Every now and then I have those 'almost could have been really bad' moments where I'm reminded that I still need to be careful.  I'm still six or so weeks away from the point where the risk of fracture to my femurs reduces.  Six months and twelve months are the points where the risks drop off quite substantially.  

Tomorrow, I'm back at Pilates.  Looking forward to reformer time!  I'm starting to think that my left leg not only has more range than it did pre-op, it is also stronger than it was before.  It's a pretty amazing outcome.  The surgery has been a massive success and I'm looking forward to see what the outcomes as my strength continues to increase.

Hydro and the sniffles

It's not cause and effect, both just are today.

It's the holiday for my area for the Brisbane Exhibition (the EKKA).  I'm not sure if the term 'exhibition' translates globally.  It's like a town fair or show.  I'm not going.  I've never been a huge fan though this is likely because there is a massive amount of walking around and standing in lines.  I associate EKKA time with colds and flus which seem to propagate wildly amongst the thousands and thousands of people that congregate at the RNA show-grounds each year.  Somehow, this year, I've picked up the EKKA time sniffles. (Or maybe from my husband who came home from Melbourne with germs.  I'm sure that he would prefer that I don't blame him.  I actually think that it is unlikely that they are his germs as he has been back for longer than a cold incubation period, so it must be EKKA germs!)

I was fine this morning at hydro and I got through a pretty full session.  It was a beautiful morning when I headed out.  Sunny and warm, I didn't even need my jumper on the way out.  The pool was empty by the second half of the session so we were a little sneaky and took some video of me walking and jumping in the water.  There is a big sign at the door that cameras aren't allowed but I figured that if we were the only ones there and there was no one to see us take the video, it would be ok.  At some point I will string all of the footage together.  It will end up being a pretty interesting look at my progress over the past couple of months.

By the time that the session was over, it was overcast and chilly.  It wasn't too cold.  I've defiantly gotten out of the pool and had it be a lot colder than this earlier in winter.  It was a shame really as I was looking forward to having my coffee on the porch when I got home to make the most of the sunshine.

A few hours after being home, I had eaten lunch and was sitting on the couch with my laptop starting to catch up on the daily reading and set up do a little work.  It didn't really work out like that as after about an hour, I'd started to sniffle and feel exhausted.  I ended up going back to bed and spend about four hours there.  I feel a little better since I've woken up but it still feels like I'll be fighting these bugs off for the next couple of days.  I need to kick it tomorrow really as I can't take germs with me to Pilates.  That would be rude.

25 Days Post Op: The Home Visit

Today I got to go home for the first time in almost four weeks.  I went for about an hour with an occupational therapist to check things out in anticipation of me getting out of here on Friday.  My big achievements that were made today were getting in and out of a car twice, getting up my front stairs at home and getting up the inside stairs and out of the house twice.  (We really were only going to do it once as the point of the exercise wasn't to practice multiple times, just to check out how to handle things - but nothing ever goes smoothly and there were of course issues with the alarm that had to be sorted out before we could leave - typical)

We have sorted out the shower chair and I have figured out a place to put the crutches so I can get them to get out and we also sorted out the raised toilet seat as the toilet was too low and I would have violated hip restrictions without the higher seat above it.  These are the main two things that needed to be sorted out so that I can actually survive at home.  Good news was that our bed is also the right height and the only thing we really need to sort out is another comfortable chair to sit in when I am up.  We are going to look at one of those recliners that tips you out but I think we will need to go and actually look at some and see what is comfortable and high enough that doesn't dip back to much at the back of the seat.  We'll get home first and worry about that one early next week.

I am becoming more confident on crutches and though it is tiring to walk around, my stamina is increasing and I think that is making the other hurdles a little easier to overcome.  As my mobility is increasing, my hip flexors seem to be getting a little stronger as I am starting to see that there is a slight difference in the amount that I can lift my feet off the ground.  Today I spoke with the Physio that will be in charge of managing operation awesome (bugger normal!) also known as my home program and once targets are met the ongoing maintenance program.  It isn't going to be any problem at all to be re-assessed and an appropriate program written to strengthen up these stubborn little muscles that haven't yet joined the party.  I am looking forward to working with the Body Leadership Team again as I really have missed working with those guys!   Speaking of people I miss working with, I miss Pilates too - though that might be a little while before I am back to my usual schedule.  I can at least do bridges now (pelvic curls) and they are slowly getting better even if I am a little way of my pre-surgery capability.  It's unlikely that I will be using the bosu or a fit ball for a little while yet!  It's a step at a time at the moment and I know that once I'm home and under expert guidance that I will be making those steps at the right time and maximising the benefits that I will receive from the new joints in the long term.

Pain meds were reduced today and so far I am going ok.  The nights are the big test and those haven't been reduced yet so I am pretty confident that we are on the right path.  Today was a big day and so far there isn't much pain.  There is some muscle fatigue and aching though this is to be expected and isn't anything that is going to keep me awake.  I am hoping that what I feel now continues to be the worst of it as it certainly is manageable at this level and the level of activity I can do before it gets to this level is significant enough to see progress.

After the excitement of this morning I had a quiet gym session this afternoon with the regular drills.  We didn't do steps again today as there were probably as many today as the amount we did in practice yesterday.  I'm sure we will be back on them tomorrow and in the 'fine tuning' mode to work on not using the grounded leg to provide the extra clearance space required by pushing up on the toes slightly.  I'd guess and say I'm probably about an inch off that and I would expect to see that amount picked up in the next week.

All in all a good day with the slight exception of the possible cold germs that I may be carrying.  It might just be the really dry air-conditioning that is drying my throat out and causing me to start to lose my voice.  At least I hope that is all that it is and as soon as I am back in my regular environment everything will go back to normal.

It is time for sleep now.  It has been a really long day.  I hope I'm worn out enough to sleep in more than two hour blocks like last night.  Fingers crossed!

I just figured out that since I don't have to stay here all Friday and today is already gone, the countdown was actually wrong.  I only have two whole days left, Wednesday and Thursday!!

Husband in Exile

My husband was supposed to come home from Melbourne today but I didn't let him (at some level his exile is self imposed as he does share the sentiment that it is a good idea - neither of us have to like the good idea - but unfortunately it is).  He has germs.  Somehow he has managed to catch a cold and is busy resting and hopefully kicking it in the next 24 hours so he can actually come home.  

I sound like a completely crazy woman.  I very well may be completely crazy woman - not just 'sounding like one' but I do need to tell a story that backs me up.  A friend of a friend was due to have surgery on his knees last week (I don't know the guy - this is just a story that I have heard second hand) and he got food poisoning two days before and he got bumped!! Poor guy was in public and has been bumped for a year!

Ok, that won't happen to me in private - a bump might only be a month but even so, I'm not sure my remaining sanity could survive a month delay.  More accurately I don't think that the sanity of my husband or close friends could survive.

Hydro, GP Checkup and Items off the checklist

This morning started out at Hydro and I was a little bit concerned that we weren't starting off the day well when there was no parking, the hydro pool was full of little germy children and the pool outside was cold.  It got progressively better though.  One of the outside pools was relatively unoccupied, though cold for the first few minutes it was ok and best of all there were no children's germs.  I know I have been harping on this recently, though the upset tummy late mid last week and the sore throat of the weekend has put me into a mild panic that I won't be well for next Friday and I might get bumped.  I think that I might just hide away from the public for the next ten days.  Unfortunately I do need to go into the office tomorrow for a while and then maybe again on Thursday for a little bit.  Next Tuesday is the last office day leaving me to be able to kick back and spend some time with my husband before I go into hospital.  Things have been pretty crazy in the lead up, mostly because we both need time off work for more than just a couple of days. A lot of my stuff has been 'housekeeping' type things that I've mentioned earlier (paperwork and the like).

Today's checklist included getting to the GP to get a new referral so that medicare will actually chip in for the operation, renewing a mail redirection, cleaning out some old paperwork and other old junk.  Nothing exciting but things that I am unlikely going to want to do for a little while.  Hell, I haven't wanted to do these tasks for the last year, the next few months is unlikely to be any different.  I'm a little anxious about getting everything done, even though I am sure that some of this stuff really could be put of for a few more months.  I guess I have really gotten into the idea of having a clean slate when I get home from hospital, or very soon after that time, that I am freaking out a little bit on the nearing deadline.   I'm not actually sure if I am misidentifying the cause of the anxiety and it's actually about the op itself and other associated bits and pieces that is causing the anxiety.  I'm not sure.   I know that I am looking forward to being on the other side of the op though a general anxiety would also explain my newly acquired OCD about Germs (which really haven't bothered me too much in the past, anymore than anyone else - I do wash my hands when appropriate and take the appropriate risks) and I do realise that I am becoming a little crazy about it just as I am about the other things that aren't neatly filed away in their happy little boxes.

Back to the GP visit:  the sore throat isn't anything too bad.  I think that the honey, chilli and garlic, lots of water, lots of fresh vegetables and fruit (not all together), have kicked it a bit.  I got the doc to check it today when I was there for the referral just to help put my mind at ease and it isn't too bad.  If it does get worse, I am apparently still allowed to take antibiotics and I have been given a script for that.  I think I would double check with the surgeons office first just in case but I shouldn't need them so it doesn't really matter too much.  The GP visit was pretty sucky as my normal doctor wasn't there and he is way cooler than the one I saw today.  (He's on paternity leave - so I would be an ass to complain too much about his absence).  I've only really just started to go to this clinic, I really do like this new doctor and I'm fussy.  He seems interested in what is going on and is actually knowledgable about it (he does work on some orthopaedic cases though with a different surgeon - so that helps) but I really think that even if he didn't have the ortho background, he would just be one of those doctors that really takes an interest in people so even though I understood the reason why he wasn't there today, I was still a little disappointed that the replacement didn't really live up to expectation (which may well just me not relating to her as well - not a reflection on skills and abilities as a GP).  It is difficult to find these doctors who not only take an interest but you also relate to and feel comfortable with.  If you have been lucky in your life and got an awesome doc first go, you should be very grateful!

I was lucky enough to have one of my best friends to help me stay focused on the clean out and this afternoon post doc's appointment was actually pretty productive.  I am a hoarder and even knowing this about myself, I was still surprised at just how much 'junk' I've collected over the years and carted around from one house to the next.  She'll be back on Wednesday to help relieve the insanity again.  We'll head off to pilates at midday and maybe get coffee on the way back home so it should be a good day.  Thursday is girls night again, so all in all it will be a good week.  Here's to it being a productive and stress free one as well :)

Sunday Night

It's Sunday night and the end of a pretty lazy weekend.  I'm catching up on my online reading while watching a Tivo recorded episode of The View in the background (ok, I know that is pretty sad but hey it's easy watching and there isn't anything on at the moment).  I've spent a large portion of the last few days napping, trying to kick a cold that is threatening to turn up in full force.  I woke up the other morning with a sore throat (after all my panic and illness paranoia that amounted to nothing a few days before that) and the associated panic hit in as I am within the two week period of the surgery and not supposed to take anything.  The stupid thing is that I can take my normal anti-inflammatory medication until this Friday and I didn't have enough - so I had to go out today to get a prescription filled for six days.  I shouldn't need them after :)    Anyway back to the cold thing, so I have been eating lots of fresh food, drinking lots of water and getting lots of rest.   I have been out of sorts a bit since mid-week and am slowly getting back on top of it which is good news.  I need to kick it quickly so that nothing bumps my surgery date!  About to have tea with lemon and manuka honey and another early night.  Checkup with the GP tomorrow afternoon and to get another referral for the surgeon as my current one runs out before the surgery (stupid rules, the specialist referral that I got to go see the surgeon only lasts three months yet the GP's lasts 12.  How does that work? Wouldn't you think that the specialist referral should have a higher weighting?  It's just weird and a huge waste of time)

This week is going to be a pretty busy one.  It's the last full week and there is still much to be done.  

12 sleeps to go (ignoring any more naps!)

Illness Paranoia

I was actually a little rude today which I'd like to think is out of character.  I caught up with some friends of mine who I haven't seen for such a long time and things were going smashingly until one started to sniffle a little.  At that point, I was pretty much out of there.  I was asked if I could give her a lift home from the event which I normally wouldn't have an issue with at all, but instead responded with, I can't be in enclosed spaces with contagious germy people - I have major surgery in three weeks.  I'm not sure if I am just being overly precious as I really don't want to delay my date because I have a cold or flu.  My chosen surgeon is going on leave for easter, so I'm not sure how long I'd have to delay for if I don't make that April 8 date due to illness.