What a day!

So, it's been another couple of days since I wrote here. It's Tuesday and last I wrote was Sunday morning!

Sunday afternoon was indeed fun as Jack and Patty along with Ben and Jenn and Jackson came over and we had delicious homemade enchiladas for lunch! Later, after the kids left, Jack and Patty and Doug and I decided to go on a "grandparents" mission to purchase Jackson's birthday gift at Costco: a big old play structure! It will be so much fun to build and for him to use, I am sure. It was a beautiful day and we took the mini with the top down...I just propped my leg up on the dash. Wonderful!

Yesterday was Valentine's day and, according to our traditions going on 30-plus years, I was determined to make a red velvet cake for Doug. This I did, along with running a couple loads of laundry and folding some of it. I was pretty tired and a bit sore after but everything turned out nicely.

Today Marshall and little Gracie came for a visit in the morning and I then spent the rest of the day doing planning and development for work. Got a lot done, but there are some scheduling issues that have several of us quite stressed out. I am convinced that things will eventually work out, but I hate seeing others stressed out over someone else's failure to do their job properly. You just have to trust that all will be resolved to the good in the end, but that is much, much easier said than done when it's your own responsibility!

I have decided that I am going to go in tomorrow night to lead rehearsals. I am soooo excited to see everyone! I did not want to wait until Doug was gone next week for my first time back. This way he can help me get physically situated and I think that will make next week much easier. I almost have everything done for the service on Sunday already, and all the info sent in for the bulletin, so that should be fine. I may try to attend the 11:00 service on Sunday, but not lead it. I miss everyone so much!

All in all, recovery is going well. Pain is very managable...more discomfort associated with swelling and feeling that against the splint and dressing. There have been a few "twinges" today and last night, but nothing awful. All in all, I think my knee is more uncomfortable right now than my ankle. Of course, my ankle is well-protected and stable, and my knee probably is getting more stress because of the weight of the splint and dressing....

Quiet, quiet Sunday morning!

I guess I missed a couple of days...but it's been good.

Jennifer and Jackson came by again on Friday and brought us lunch, which of course was great. And THEN after Doug was finished working, we went on a "road trip"! I wanted to pick up something for all the kids for Valentines Day, so we went to Costco to get them some movie tickets and then to Target for cards and stuff for Jackson. I rode in the little motorized carts in both places. Felt like a cart NINJA at Costco...the motor is so very quiet that people just do NOT know you are coming up behind them, which is NOT a good thing. Those things do not stop very quickly, so I kept worrying about running someone over if they turned suddenly in front of me. No accidents, though, so that is good. Then Ben and Jenn and Jackson ended up meeting us at Target, so Jackson rode around in my lap. That was GREAT! He kept saying "EEEEEE" which is his word for "Wheeeeee", which is also what he says when riding in my car. :)
All around, a good time. It was pretty cold out, so my toes got fairly chilly. My foot and knee did not hurt that much more, though, at night, so I did manage to keep things elevated enough, I suppose.

Saturday Doug went to Daniel and Mackenzie's to work more on the encapsulation of the crawlspace project. I went along for the change of scenery. I spent the day on their couch reading and napping. I am NOT used to being so lazy and I cannot say I liked that. I liked being there, but not the enforced inactivity part. Saturday night we all met up at our house for a family dinner...all my kids and Jackson! Dinner was wonderful, and it was great having them there.

I can see how someone with mobility issues could become isolated and/or depressed. It's so easy for me to let myself feel "left out" in big group situations. Not that I usually talk all that much in big groups...I really do not. But my "role" is usually to be busy cooking or cleaning or playing with Jackson, and I could do none of that. So I just sat and listened to the conversations that others were having most of the time. In the "current events" category, I kinda suck right now because there is not a lot new going on with me and nobody wants to hear more about my ankle/knee! I do not mean any of this to complain: it was great having everyone here. Just an observation that I hope I will use in the future to be more empathetic towards those who might be feeling a bit isolated when, in reality, they are not.

Doug left early this morning (our usual time) to work sound for church. I heard him get up but did not even hear him leave. I have really been sleeping well, which is a blessing. We will see how it goes when I stop taking a pain pill at night! Also, how it is when Doug goes out of town in a week. I am frankly dreading that.  A bit later on, the Storeys and Ben and Jenn and Jackson are coming over to make enchiladas for lunch and I am very excited about that and about seeing them. AND it is a GORGEOUS day out....maybe I will go and sit on the deck or on the bench out front at some point.

The pain level is quite manageable. As I said, one pain pill at night and then either advil or Excedrine in the morning is all I am taking. I have been icing my knee (can't get to my ankle) on and off during the day. My arms and shoulders are a bit sore from the crutches, but nothing terrible at all. I am soooo tempted to remove the dressing to look at my ankle and leg. I will not do it, but I cannot wait to see what it looks like under there!

One week post-op

Well, I am definitely feeling much better than I was a week ago! I am glad to be this far down this road.

Today is the first day that I really have done no work. I finished a really good book, though! First time I have done a lot of recreational reading like that in a long time.

I had the idea that if Doug would put the dirty clothes in the laundry room, I could sort them and start a couple of loads, which I did. I find that my leg is a bit more uncomfortable today than it has been. If just feels hot and swollen and kind of sore at times. I really don't think that I have done that much more, but Doug thinks I have.

All I know is that I am going pretty stir crazy. Doug is upstairs working all day and generally after we eat, he heads down to work in the workshop for a while. I am so glad he has that and enjoys it, but this is the time of night I really wish for someone to talk to. I feel awkward calling people, though, because it's also generally the time that families get together or people who have been working get to relax. So, that is just something to deal with. Thank goodness for the internet, TV and good books!

Great friends brought dinner again and one of those friends, Ruth, came for a visit, which was fantastic.

So aside from a bit of discomfort, and a lot of stir-crazyness I am doing well. I slept fine last night after taking the pain meds, so I plan to do the same tonight.

Really good day!

So, I wrote my post about yesterday this morning. The rest of the day turned out very nicely! I spent time writing thank-you's for all the wonderful meals and treats we have been brought, and finishing up some work things for Doug to take tonight. Then Jennifer brought Jackson over, and they also brought some lunch stuff. It was so great to have them here for a while!! Jackson even spent time in my lap and also playing with his Granddaddy. Just could not be better!

After they left I had a relaxing afternoon finishing up the notes and work stuff and watching some movies/resting. Doug went to dinner and then rehearsal/inputting things in the computer and Ben and Jenn brought my dinner over a bit later. After Doug got home, I actually took a bath! The dry-cast thingey works well, but I feel like it should be longer. It just wants to roll down over my knee (which is still swollen) and I worry about it's constricting that area and causing some sort of issue with clots or something. I did not take a really long, relaxing bath, BUT I got myself into and out of the tub with no issues and feel so much better!

So now, my foot and ankle are starting to do a strange pins-and needles thing and it is a bit achy. I will definitely do the meds tonight. And the "pins and needles" is not the tingling you think about when your foot is asleep. It's the sensation that something is actually sticking me in the outside of my foot. Very localized and very strange. I hope it stops soon!

So here are some pictures from this day:

My sweet daughter-in law and grandson

Happy little boy!!!

Happy, happy Nanna!

He was very content for a bit and so was I.

keeping on...

Yesterday, day 5 post-op, was a good day. I can tell I am adjusting to the crutches, but my upper back still gets stff and sore by the end of the day. Probably more from being idle so much. Again, I was fine through the day with just advil and thought I would try only advil last night as well, but THAT did not work out. By the end of the day my ankle and knee were both throbbing uncomfortably (in spite of continued icing of the knee area) and sore. I gave up and took the pain meds around midnight. 

The skin under the post-op wrapping is all crinkled from the wrapping and swelling and certain areas are beginning to itch like crazy. I had bought a spray can of stuff to use for just this purpose, and have used it some. I hope it works better under casts, as it's pretty difficult to get the little flimsy plastic tube to go underneath the surgical gauze wrapping, right to the area that is uncomfortable without the tube popping off of the spray nozzle. Plus I am definitely trying to avoid spraying around the incision area which, of course, I have not seen but can pretty definitely feel under the wrapping. It's nothing unbearable and icing my knee tends to calm everything down. 

Ben and Jenn and Jackson came by for a brief un-planned visit last night and of course that was great. Jackson picked  up the crutches (one at a time) and tried to walk with them as I do. It was pretty funny. He climbed up with me a couple times to give me a hug and mostly played with his granddaddy, which was great. Also, several friends from church called to check on me and to chat yesterday, which was really nice and helped to pass the time. I finished the movie for Ben and did some other work stuff and watched some TV shows that we had recorded. 

Today, day 6, I plan to write thank-yous for Doug to take to church, and also record some data and music for him to take for rehearsal and for the service computer. One kind of sad thing is that Sarah and Karyn cannot come up tonight, but I completely understand why and will be fine. I am sorely tempted to try to go with Doug to dinner just to see everyone, but that would just be silly. I hope Doug and I can do some sort of errand or something some time soon...I will even ride in a motorized cart! We have already planned to go down to Tucker on Saturday to work on Daniel and Mackenzie's project and I will be able to at least sit on a different couch for a day. And then the kids are all coming over to cook dinner! So that will be a fun day! 

It's all going well, though. Really well. And all of this is making me appreciate being mobile and able-bodied and I hope to never take that for granted again!!!

First Monday post-surgery

Got through the day with only taking some advil at around 6:30 this morning, and have not experienced much discomfort at all. Just late today had some throbbing in my knee and foot, but have been elevating and icing it since and it feels better. I have not decided yet whether I will take anything tonight.

I managed to get a first run done of a slideshow for work and some worship planning/communications done for this week at church. Had an unexpected visit from my daughter, and it was wonderful to be able to spend time with her talking and relaxing and watching a movie.

It was kind of funny this evening, after Doug came down from work and went to the workshop for a while, the doorbell rang. He came up and it was some great friends bringing a delicious dinner and a beautiful plant. I think he had gotten some things confused and did not think anyone was bringing dinner, but it worked out perfectly. PLUS we had a nice visit with them.

Doug is working some more downstairs and I am watching lame TV and trying not to get antsy. But I would be doing the same thing even if I could walk right now, probably. Tomorrow's big adventure is hopefully to shower and wash my hair. That will feel great!

Super bowl Sunday...day 3 post-op

My grandson giving me my crutch...

Awoke with a bit of a headache and feeling woozy, so took a pain pill and the anti-nausea meds at around 6 and then slept a couple more hours. Doug went to church to run sound and I stayed and worked on videos and slept some. After he got home and we ate lunch, I took a shower! The first trial with the dry-cast pro was successful, though I think it will be less uncomfortable when my knee is less swollen and sore. It did perform as advertised, with all the air vacuumed out it clung tightly to my bandage and kept things dry (see the first two pics).

Dear friends brought food and stayed for a visit, and then later on Jenn and Jackson and then Ben came to fix "football food" and watch the super bowl. Jackson was very intrigued by my crutches and did try to get me to get up off the couch a couple of times, but never seemed upset or anything. He did encourage me to put my crutches up out of the way, though, as you can see in one of these pics. He also did climb up on the couch to give me a hug, which was great.

I only took one additional pain pill this afternoon and my discomfort is only at about a 3-4. So I am going to wait and take either one or two right when I go to bed. I want to get off of those as soon as I can.

dry-cast pro about to be put to the test

another view of the gizmo to keep the bandage dry...

My biggest issue right now is my upper back/chest which aches from the position I am sitting in, crutching, or all of the above. All will be better soon, though, I am sure. I can already tell that the swelling is going down in my foot and wiggling my toes does not hurt at all.