First week down . . .

It's been a week since I've had my surgery and there are some things I'm surprised I can do, while there are other things I haven't been able to do - but I'm getting there.  The best way to explain is to go through my day:

I wake up around 5:30-6am and managed to get myself out the bed and up on the walker to the restroom.  I don't need any assistance in the restroom.  In the restroom I have a raised toilet seat, grabber and everything I would need to use within hands reach.  I'm so glad I have so many 31 bags, because I've been using them all around the house.  After my morning cleaning, I grab some clothes out the closet and make my way to the bed where I get dressed, take my morning medicine and give myself Lovonox - the blood thinner shot.  Yes, I have to give myself a shot in the stomach every morning.  I do have to look at my piece of paper to see if it's the proper time for my pain medication.  I realized I was forgetting when I took it last, so I guess I'm getting old and I'm subjected to writing it down :-)  At this point its anywhere from 8:15-8:30am and my niece walks in and asks if I need help with anything.  I usually have her get me a snack - apple sauce or fruit cocktail before breakfast to ease my stomach from the meds.  All of these activities are on a good morning.  On a bad morning I go through the same motions, but with assistance.  After all this I'm ready for PT and its probably 9:30am.  I get back into the bed and start PT exercises.  My niece doesn't let me count a leg extension as two moves - one out and two in . . . ugh!   PT is done and I scope the room for anything I need to take downstairs.  Yep, I'm a stair master LOL!  I am able to go downstairs one step at a time and sideways - good leg first up and bad leg first down.  Once I'm down I either go to the recliner, to the restroom again or the kitchen table.  My daily routine is basically recliner, restroom, kitchen table, walker around the room and additional PT during the day.  And we can't forget the instant naps when you're eyes just won't stay open and you wake up right in the end of a tv show or movie and you've missed everything.  That happens a lot - LOL!  I'm typically more alert after 3pm  - correction.  I'm typically more alert from 3pm to 5pm LOL.  And on most days I stay downstairs until around 10pm. 

So all in all, I'm getting around and feeling better each day.  My in-house PT assistant arrives tomorrow and I'm sure I'll be learning/doing more next week.  Maybe I'll be off the walker and using a cane by the end of the week.  Sounds unbelievable to me, but I'm finding nothing is impossible - just wait and see.

I haven't talked about the pain.  Well everyone's pain tolerance is different and I have my good days and bad days also.  I've been prescribed hydrocodone and I'm still taking pain meds.  I feel better during the day and have my biggest discomfort when I first try to get to sleep in the bed in the evenings.  I am hopeful each night I'm going to sleep soundly, but that hasn't happened yet.  Last night I was sooo happy we finally got rain in the the City, but the storm wasn't my friend.  The temperature got cooler and when I get cold I get the chills really bad and my body usually starts trembling, teeth chattering and all that body movement makes me hurt.  Not to mention, do you know how hard it is to control your bladder when you having body chivers?!  No fun!  There's no waiting to visit the restroom, because it takes me a lot longer to get there now a days :-(

All in all I'm adapting to all these changes and embracing them as well as I can.  My niece can be a hard task master, but I know she loves me to death.  I called on her to help me through recovery and like me, she's sticking to the plan.  When I really need to rest she lets me.  But you know how it is, sometimes you don't want to rest - sometimes you just want your way!!!  I'm not winning a lot of those battles LOL!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, prayers, comments, calls, messages and visits!  I'm so thankful for my family and friends.  Let's see what I can accomplish over the next couple of days . . . I'll update then.