It's funny how I've gone from checking hipwomen a dozen times a day and updating this business near-daily (what did I even have to say??) to dropping off the face of the internet post-op. I guess because now I'm not so concerned with what to expect and, to be frank, recovery is kind of boring. Being back in the pool has been the most exciting part - remembering (my muscles, not my mind) how to walk is a definite eye-opener. I've certainly never tried so hard to act natural before! Last week I was right on the verge of asking one of the PTs how to turn around, a skill I seem to have lost after 8 weeks on crutches. I just could NOT do it normally - I found myself doing the crutchy hop-pivot and thinking "Now that can't be right!" But that muscle memory is something else, let me tell you - all of a sudden last week I realized I was turning like a normal person again. Everything I've started doing normally again has thus far happened like that - I do it unconsciously and then a second later go "Whoa! I just did that!" Same with lifting my leg up to the edge of the tub to dry it, which I did for the first time last week. I'm not too concerned about doing something bad that way, since if the soreness doesn't stop me the physical inability to bend or twist or exert myself that way certainly will. I just can't do it - period. But that list grows shorter by the day and I'm out and about (slowly but surely) more and more. Most pleasing is the steady return of feeling in my hip and thigh, which has been the most surprisingly slow development. Being in the pool is definitely helping in that regard - I never thought I'd be so happy to get that zippy ZING! shooting out of my scar.
And the scar... now I finally understand why the hipwomen talk about not being able to wear jeans post-op. MAN that thing is sensitive! I don't have to worry much about overexerting myself in the pool because the pressure of my suit on the incision gets unbearable far faster than any muscle fatigue. Not really sure if there's any solution to that save for that old healer time, which til now has been mostly on my side. My extended hiatus from the world of work came to an end this weekend, and being back in the store has been great thus far. Going back to school in a few weeks, however... I am SO hoping I'm not still on crutches for THAT business! And Adam & Sue's reception, which is on a boat. :/
At this point I'd say the biggest pain I have is the pain in my ass of trying to communicate with the folks at Boston Childrens - much as I love them and the work they do! I left the hospital feeling like I knew what to expect but as time goes by I'm less and less sure of what I'm supposed to be doing. My second round of post-op x-rays (which I'm trying to do in Vermont instead of driving 6 hours roundtrip for 10 minutes of appointments) still hasn't been scheduled and I have no idea how soon after that I might hope to be off crutches. I haven't seen a PT since I was in the hospital, which just seems wrong. Thankfully I already had my pool routine (which I've curtailed significantly, limiting myself to stretching & walking in the shallow and jogging & skiing in the deep) so I'm not feeling like a total lump, but still. Oh what a lesson in patience hip dysplasia has been!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
6 weeks post-op tomorrow and I am headed HOME!
Much as I love my parents and their relatively handicapped-accessible digs, it's high time I return to my own sweet sweet Montpelier home. And so I am on this drizzly day, though they're pretty much convinced I'm insane to do so. "Brave soul," my dad said, "at least here you know mama and I are here to help if you need it," conveniently forgetting that they just returned from 2 solid weeks on vacation, during which time I was left completely to my own devices. So I'm not too terrified, though a bit about dealing with having a car (and no parking spot) and stairs, of course, and being able to feed myself in a kitchen where the refrigerator is nowhere near the counter. (Something I never would have thought of at all were it not for the crutches in my life!)
Last Friday I had my one month post-op appointment with Dr. Kim and finally got to see his handiwork.
(This pic I took with my phone when left alone in the office - if the copies of the x-rays I ordered for myself are significantly more impressive, I'll be sure to post them.)
Everything seems to be healing nicely - my incision is down from a gory bumpy gash to a semi-lumpy vibrant purple line and I've been cleared to put 60 lbs. of weight on my op leg. I can't say enough about my fancy Millennial In-Motion Pros (Yao Ming's crutch of choice, I've just learned - woohoo!), which have kept me very comfortable, not to mention impressed even medical professionals, lo these many weeks. I haven't flung myself down the stairs ONCE (knock wood)!
I've been off pain meds for awhile now and am surprised to find that, for probably the past 2-3 weeks, I've been in less discomfort now than I was for nearly 2 years before surgery. It's pretty mindblowing. Really the only hurdle I need to clear now is strengthening my thigh muscles, which are still fairly weak and, because of continued immobility, haven't moved much past the nerve sensation level I had when I first got out of the hospital. I had a wonderful massage last week, though, and when Jennifer was working (gently!) on the back of my op leg I started to get a bit of pins and needles in areas that've been numb for over a month, so I'm certain with time the sensation will return fully. Thankfully my return to Montpelier also allows a return to the therapy pool where, amazingly, I CAN WALK! Oooh I'm so looking forward to it!!
And... what else? I went to my first show (the incomparable King Sunny Ade & His African Beats) on crutches and THAT was frustrating, but I'm still so glad I went. In a couple weeks I head down to Northampton to see THE AVETT BROTHERS (and probably cry from joy) and that one I'm swinging alone, which should be interesting. Generally people are pretty respectful of the crutches, though, with a few notable exceptions... but I suspect those people would be inconsiderate assholes crutches or no. :) All in all I'm definitely feeling good about the decision to go ahead with the PAO and, general inconvenience aside, am so thankful to be coming out on the other side of it all better, stronger, and decidedly less limpy than ever before!
Last Friday I had my one month post-op appointment with Dr. Kim and finally got to see his handiwork.
(This pic I took with my phone when left alone in the office - if the copies of the x-rays I ordered for myself are significantly more impressive, I'll be sure to post them.)
Everything seems to be healing nicely - my incision is down from a gory bumpy gash to a semi-lumpy vibrant purple line and I've been cleared to put 60 lbs. of weight on my op leg. I can't say enough about my fancy Millennial In-Motion Pros (Yao Ming's crutch of choice, I've just learned - woohoo!), which have kept me very comfortable, not to mention impressed even medical professionals, lo these many weeks. I haven't flung myself down the stairs ONCE (knock wood)!
I've been off pain meds for awhile now and am surprised to find that, for probably the past 2-3 weeks, I've been in less discomfort now than I was for nearly 2 years before surgery. It's pretty mindblowing. Really the only hurdle I need to clear now is strengthening my thigh muscles, which are still fairly weak and, because of continued immobility, haven't moved much past the nerve sensation level I had when I first got out of the hospital. I had a wonderful massage last week, though, and when Jennifer was working (gently!) on the back of my op leg I started to get a bit of pins and needles in areas that've been numb for over a month, so I'm certain with time the sensation will return fully. Thankfully my return to Montpelier also allows a return to the therapy pool where, amazingly, I CAN WALK! Oooh I'm so looking forward to it!!
And... what else? I went to my first show (the incomparable King Sunny Ade & His African Beats) on crutches and THAT was frustrating, but I'm still so glad I went. In a couple weeks I head down to Northampton to see THE AVETT BROTHERS (and probably cry from joy) and that one I'm swinging alone, which should be interesting. Generally people are pretty respectful of the crutches, though, with a few notable exceptions... but I suspect those people would be inconsiderate assholes crutches or no. :) All in all I'm definitely feeling good about the decision to go ahead with the PAO and, general inconvenience aside, am so thankful to be coming out on the other side of it all better, stronger, and decidedly less limpy than ever before!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
3 weeks post-PAO
You'd think I'd forgotten about this place lately, but really I've just forgotten what day/week/month it is. Seriously, I have no sense of time. But even so I'm aware that 3 weeks ago this afternoon I was waking up in recovery, putting my tongue stud back in, and feeling comfortably numb (if a bit woozy). Hard to believe that the hospital stay that at first moved so slowly from my static position in bed actually lasted a mere 5 days before I was back in Vermont, eating maple creemees with my folks.
Hospital living was so outside my realm of experience that it's only in retrospect that I realize how completely strange it was. At most I had the same nurses for 2 shifts, so it was a revolving door of new faces endlessly taking my vitals, bringing me pills, refilling my water. The first two nights I was lucky enough to have Nadine, who not only appreciated my sense of humor (thankfully unmarred by surgery) but had one of her own, and called me "sweetpea", which is what I call Augustus when he's not chewing cords or running laps while I try to sleep. This is helpful when one's job is to wake up an exhausted person every 2 hours to lay a bag of ice at intervals down both sides of their body and make them say "cold", "cool", or "nothing" as appropriate.
I was also lucky enough to have a room of my own, and the window view to boot (most of what I could see being relatively parkish) and flowers from friends and a teddy bear (Cowbell, as in "I've got a fever [which I did] and the only cure is more") that I quickly became very attached to. I learned to account for lag time in asking for vital equipment like a trapeze or a walker early to allow for the inevitable half-day bureaucratic delay in delivery. This lesson was driven home waiting for the toilet riser to arrive once my catheter came out. I learned not to order the fish (kind of a "duh" moment, in hindsight) but that the veggie burgers were enormous and you won't get ketchup unless you ask for it. Life skills, I tell you what! :)
The epidural was perfect (kudos skilled anesthesiologist whose name I don't remember!) and kept me well insulted from pain for as long as it was supposed to. I hadn't taken into account how difficult sitting up would be with a numb midsection, most of the reason why I nearly pulled my epidural out in all my scootings and squirmings before the trapeze arrived. I learned the power of the boost, when a nurse takes either side of the pad you're laying on and slides you right up to the top of the bed - THAT was awesome. I learned that without it your feet end up resting on the metal bar across the end of the bed, and that that, coupled with the epidural's numbness, will lead to bedsores (which thankfully I was spared) if you're not careful. I learned that having a drain pulled out and having a catheter pulled out are equally bizarre sensations, but the drain actually hurts, whereas the catheter is only uncomfortable. And that you should ask for the commode chair well before committing to catheter removal. I may have mentioned this before - it's a lesson I've learned well! :)
Going to the bathroom (as in physically getting myself in there and sitting down) was by far the most painful aspect (aside from rolling over to change the sheets under me - NOT for the faint of heart!) and complicated by the fact that my equilibrium was totally screwy. I'm glad the bathroom door was about 6 inches from my knees so that when I stood up I just bounced my head off of it instead of toppling to the floor. I can't quite explain the joy of being able to go in there, shut the door and just be ALONE after feeling like I was living in a glorified hallway for days on end. Oh, the simple pleasures!
I can't say enough about the BI staff and the care I received there - I always felt well looked-after and everyone I encountered was very kind. I can't thank my mother enough for staying with me for the duration, even though she commented more than once that she might as well have stayed home for all I "needed" from her. Just having her sitting there reading a book was enough most days, though the burrito she brought me for dinner halfway through my stay made her presence invaluable.
Since I've been home (or at least in my former home), I've been doing dandily - my bandage and steristrips have all been off for about a week now and, though it's considerably more gruesome than I'd anticipated (not to mention long as hell), my incision seems to be healing nicely. The tenderness along it is subsiding, along with the numbness in my upper thigh and the side of my hip, though that's receding slower than I'd thought/hoped it would. Last Friday I was able to sleep on my (right) side for the first time and it was VERY strange - the whole balance of my midsection is completely different (don't make me waste one of my duh's, as Bev would say) but it's comfortable, though rolling back over onto my back is a little difficult. Oooh and last night for the first time I lifted my op leg onto the bed without using my hands! Woohoo! I did it without even thinking and then went "Hey! My leg's on the bed! Sweeeeet."
My parents leave for 2 weeks at our place on PEI tomorrow and in anticipation I've been cooking more and more for myself without too many problems, though I did drop a bucket of raspberry sorbet (sing it like Prince!) on the floor the other day and ended up laughing hysterically as I tried (and failed) to pick it back up again and again with my crutches. I've learned that having my grabber with me (and a chair in the room) is key for safe and effective meal preparation.
And, though my mom is insanely restrictive in her assessment(s) of what I can and cannot do, I've been out on the town three times in the last week (not counting last night's long-awaited trip to the pharmacy) and have fared very well. This weekend I hope to make my triumphant return to civil society with some parade-and-fireworks action at John & Ali's in Hinesburg - we'll see how long I last without having to take a nap. :)
All in all the experience has been FAR less horrendous, painful, and frustrating than I ever thought it would be. Good thing I was consumed with it for 9+ months, right?! In two weeks I return to Childrens in Waltham for my post-op and get to see if the ol' pelvis is healing according to plan. I'm no expert (on anything, really), but I do suspect the results will be favorable!
And now, back to my It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia marathon, already in progress. I'm gonna rise up, gonna kick a little ass, gonna kick some ass in the USA. Gonna climb a mountain, gonna sew a flag, gonna fly on an eagle. I'm gonna kick some butt, I'm gonna drive a big truck, I'm gonna rule this world, I'm gonna kick some ass, I'm gonna rise up, I'm gonna kick a little ass, ROCK, FLAG, AND EAGLE!!
Hospital living was so outside my realm of experience that it's only in retrospect that I realize how completely strange it was. At most I had the same nurses for 2 shifts, so it was a revolving door of new faces endlessly taking my vitals, bringing me pills, refilling my water. The first two nights I was lucky enough to have Nadine, who not only appreciated my sense of humor (thankfully unmarred by surgery) but had one of her own, and called me "sweetpea", which is what I call Augustus when he's not chewing cords or running laps while I try to sleep. This is helpful when one's job is to wake up an exhausted person every 2 hours to lay a bag of ice at intervals down both sides of their body and make them say "cold", "cool", or "nothing" as appropriate.
I was also lucky enough to have a room of my own, and the window view to boot (most of what I could see being relatively parkish) and flowers from friends and a teddy bear (Cowbell, as in "I've got a fever [which I did] and the only cure is more") that I quickly became very attached to. I learned to account for lag time in asking for vital equipment like a trapeze or a walker early to allow for the inevitable half-day bureaucratic delay in delivery. This lesson was driven home waiting for the toilet riser to arrive once my catheter came out. I learned not to order the fish (kind of a "duh" moment, in hindsight) but that the veggie burgers were enormous and you won't get ketchup unless you ask for it. Life skills, I tell you what! :)
The epidural was perfect (kudos skilled anesthesiologist whose name I don't remember!) and kept me well insulted from pain for as long as it was supposed to. I hadn't taken into account how difficult sitting up would be with a numb midsection, most of the reason why I nearly pulled my epidural out in all my scootings and squirmings before the trapeze arrived. I learned the power of the boost, when a nurse takes either side of the pad you're laying on and slides you right up to the top of the bed - THAT was awesome. I learned that without it your feet end up resting on the metal bar across the end of the bed, and that that, coupled with the epidural's numbness, will lead to bedsores (which thankfully I was spared) if you're not careful. I learned that having a drain pulled out and having a catheter pulled out are equally bizarre sensations, but the drain actually hurts, whereas the catheter is only uncomfortable. And that you should ask for the commode chair well before committing to catheter removal. I may have mentioned this before - it's a lesson I've learned well! :)
Going to the bathroom (as in physically getting myself in there and sitting down) was by far the most painful aspect (aside from rolling over to change the sheets under me - NOT for the faint of heart!) and complicated by the fact that my equilibrium was totally screwy. I'm glad the bathroom door was about 6 inches from my knees so that when I stood up I just bounced my head off of it instead of toppling to the floor. I can't quite explain the joy of being able to go in there, shut the door and just be ALONE after feeling like I was living in a glorified hallway for days on end. Oh, the simple pleasures!
I can't say enough about the BI staff and the care I received there - I always felt well looked-after and everyone I encountered was very kind. I can't thank my mother enough for staying with me for the duration, even though she commented more than once that she might as well have stayed home for all I "needed" from her. Just having her sitting there reading a book was enough most days, though the burrito she brought me for dinner halfway through my stay made her presence invaluable.
Since I've been home (or at least in my former home), I've been doing dandily - my bandage and steristrips have all been off for about a week now and, though it's considerably more gruesome than I'd anticipated (not to mention long as hell), my incision seems to be healing nicely. The tenderness along it is subsiding, along with the numbness in my upper thigh and the side of my hip, though that's receding slower than I'd thought/hoped it would. Last Friday I was able to sleep on my (right) side for the first time and it was VERY strange - the whole balance of my midsection is completely different (don't make me waste one of my duh's, as Bev would say) but it's comfortable, though rolling back over onto my back is a little difficult. Oooh and last night for the first time I lifted my op leg onto the bed without using my hands! Woohoo! I did it without even thinking and then went "Hey! My leg's on the bed! Sweeeeet."
My parents leave for 2 weeks at our place on PEI tomorrow and in anticipation I've been cooking more and more for myself without too many problems, though I did drop a bucket of raspberry sorbet (sing it like Prince!) on the floor the other day and ended up laughing hysterically as I tried (and failed) to pick it back up again and again with my crutches. I've learned that having my grabber with me (and a chair in the room) is key for safe and effective meal preparation.
And, though my mom is insanely restrictive in her assessment(s) of what I can and cannot do, I've been out on the town three times in the last week (not counting last night's long-awaited trip to the pharmacy) and have fared very well. This weekend I hope to make my triumphant return to civil society with some parade-and-fireworks action at John & Ali's in Hinesburg - we'll see how long I last without having to take a nap. :)
All in all the experience has been FAR less horrendous, painful, and frustrating than I ever thought it would be. Good thing I was consumed with it for 9+ months, right?! In two weeks I return to Childrens in Waltham for my post-op and get to see if the ol' pelvis is healing according to plan. I'm no expert (on anything, really), but I do suspect the results will be favorable!
And now, back to my It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia marathon, already in progress. I'm gonna rise up, gonna kick a little ass, gonna kick some ass in the USA. Gonna climb a mountain, gonna sew a flag, gonna fly on an eagle. I'm gonna kick some butt, I'm gonna drive a big truck, I'm gonna rule this world, I'm gonna kick some ass, I'm gonna rise up, I'm gonna kick a little ass, ROCK, FLAG, AND EAGLE!!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
1 week post-PAO
First off let me say that my sense of time is pretty much nonexistent at this point, so please forgive any continuity errors in my narrative. But I'm certain I've been out of the hospital since Monday afternoon, and sleeping pretty much nonstop (when not watching The Sopranos) since. Geez, where to begin?!
I guess Monday morning I saw another PT who made it her goal to get me away from my toe-scrunching method of moving my left foot while on crutches. To start, she had to physically pick up my left heel and advance the foot for me, but about halfway down the hall I started being able to do it on my own and by the time we were headed back to the room (2 chair breaks and 5 stairs later) I was picking the whole foot up in as close a semblance of a normal step as I was able to muster. It's really incredible what the body's able to do - muscle memory and whatnot. To clarify, in order to perform the PAO the surgeons had to sever all the muscles, nerves and tendons across the front of my thigh to get to the bone and reattach them - understandably there's a bit of a lag in them becoming fully (or even partially) functional again. The biggest hurdle is the tendon that runs along the back of your leg, and right across the biggest cut made in the pelvis - it's the one that allows you to lift your leg up (something I'm still doing manually, despite other improvements) and because of the new bone ledge created by moving the piece of my pelvis that was removed, the thing that pops over and over again deep inside the joint (I'm reassured that's normal body mechanics!).
The time when the non-functionality of said tendon is most evident is getting back into bed. I pretty quickly mastered the art of using my good leg to move my bad, but getting the full weight of that left thigh up onto the mattress, even using both hands and extra support, was by far the most painful movement post-op. Ehm... along with, you know, sitting up, moving, etc. :) Days later, it still hurts, for sure, but nowhere near as badly and I don't need 5 minutes rest to recover once I've successfully repositioned myself. Thankfully, after several nights of mind-blowingly confusing and detailed dreams, followed by soaking sweat and pounding headache, I've figured my pain meds regimen out to where things are a bit more normal, though I still have by far the strangest dreams of my life - the other night actually involving pink elephants. hahaha I told my mom about it and she again warned about abusing my meds lest they have to deal with a "hop-head" on their hands. :)
That said, my ease of mobility, though still very limited and tiring, is worlds away from just a couple of days ago and my folks are duly impressed, though my mom is daily telling me that I'm "doing too much" - yesterday she said this to me when I'd literally been awake for a sum total of 3 hours (or, as I like to count them, episodes of Sopranos) and moved from bed only to go to the bathroom... TWICE! The setup here at my folks (in addition to the marvel of having them here to make me food) is pretty much perfect - they've got a hospital bed set up for me in the old living room with a view out the atrium door looking right at the ever-busy hummingbird feeder, I've got wireless (which thankfully just started working again!) and a bathroom just far enough away to make it a good leg-stretching distance but with a toilet high enough that I haven't needed the extender seat thing on it conveniently located in an alcove for easy leveraging into and out of. Plus Augustus has access to perpetually-full water and dry food, so he's certainly not complaining!
Yesterday the dressing on my wound came off and nobody wants to see it! I think it's pretty badass (slash cringe-inducing) but both my parents have taken a pass on a peek. The incision itself is still covered in steristrips but fairly gruesome nonetheless at this stage of the game. Alas the amazing tape stuff they use basically pulled up my skin along one side, so I've got a couple actual bleedy spots in addition to the general itchiness of the exposed skin, but it's good to have it all open to the air finally. I gather the steristrips will come off over time, and then the real long-term cosmetic effects can be assessed. Not that I really give a hoot about the cosmetic effects on a part of my body that's almost never seen by anyone but me - the locomotive effects will be readily apparent to all and sundry!
Oooh, and let me tell you the coolest thing! Back when I started on this business several medical folks commented on how my left foot had a noticeable external rotation, most evident when I was lying down. When my first PT in the hospital met with me she pointed out how important it was to avoid that rotation (and any internal rotation) while healing, not least of all because it hurt like hell - she said I'd just need to put a towel or something along the outside of my leg to keep it straight on. Well, I did that for maybe three days and now my foot's straight as an arrow! Oh it's quite magical!
Hm... I'm sure I've missed something, but now that the internets are back to being my full-time friend, I'm sure I'll be back sooner rather than later. It's funny - I've been outside for a sum total of about 10 minutes in 2 weeks and it's not really bothering me yet - helps that it's raining today and my folks' house is pretty open. Just weird to not care AT ALL about the weather forecast for once. No offense Eye in the Sky Guys. :)
I guess Monday morning I saw another PT who made it her goal to get me away from my toe-scrunching method of moving my left foot while on crutches. To start, she had to physically pick up my left heel and advance the foot for me, but about halfway down the hall I started being able to do it on my own and by the time we were headed back to the room (2 chair breaks and 5 stairs later) I was picking the whole foot up in as close a semblance of a normal step as I was able to muster. It's really incredible what the body's able to do - muscle memory and whatnot. To clarify, in order to perform the PAO the surgeons had to sever all the muscles, nerves and tendons across the front of my thigh to get to the bone and reattach them - understandably there's a bit of a lag in them becoming fully (or even partially) functional again. The biggest hurdle is the tendon that runs along the back of your leg, and right across the biggest cut made in the pelvis - it's the one that allows you to lift your leg up (something I'm still doing manually, despite other improvements) and because of the new bone ledge created by moving the piece of my pelvis that was removed, the thing that pops over and over again deep inside the joint (I'm reassured that's normal body mechanics!).
The time when the non-functionality of said tendon is most evident is getting back into bed. I pretty quickly mastered the art of using my good leg to move my bad, but getting the full weight of that left thigh up onto the mattress, even using both hands and extra support, was by far the most painful movement post-op. Ehm... along with, you know, sitting up, moving, etc. :) Days later, it still hurts, for sure, but nowhere near as badly and I don't need 5 minutes rest to recover once I've successfully repositioned myself. Thankfully, after several nights of mind-blowingly confusing and detailed dreams, followed by soaking sweat and pounding headache, I've figured my pain meds regimen out to where things are a bit more normal, though I still have by far the strangest dreams of my life - the other night actually involving pink elephants. hahaha I told my mom about it and she again warned about abusing my meds lest they have to deal with a "hop-head" on their hands. :)
That said, my ease of mobility, though still very limited and tiring, is worlds away from just a couple of days ago and my folks are duly impressed, though my mom is daily telling me that I'm "doing too much" - yesterday she said this to me when I'd literally been awake for a sum total of 3 hours (or, as I like to count them, episodes of Sopranos) and moved from bed only to go to the bathroom... TWICE! The setup here at my folks (in addition to the marvel of having them here to make me food) is pretty much perfect - they've got a hospital bed set up for me in the old living room with a view out the atrium door looking right at the ever-busy hummingbird feeder, I've got wireless (which thankfully just started working again!) and a bathroom just far enough away to make it a good leg-stretching distance but with a toilet high enough that I haven't needed the extender seat thing on it conveniently located in an alcove for easy leveraging into and out of. Plus Augustus has access to perpetually-full water and dry food, so he's certainly not complaining!
Yesterday the dressing on my wound came off and nobody wants to see it! I think it's pretty badass (slash cringe-inducing) but both my parents have taken a pass on a peek. The incision itself is still covered in steristrips but fairly gruesome nonetheless at this stage of the game. Alas the amazing tape stuff they use basically pulled up my skin along one side, so I've got a couple actual bleedy spots in addition to the general itchiness of the exposed skin, but it's good to have it all open to the air finally. I gather the steristrips will come off over time, and then the real long-term cosmetic effects can be assessed. Not that I really give a hoot about the cosmetic effects on a part of my body that's almost never seen by anyone but me - the locomotive effects will be readily apparent to all and sundry!
Oooh, and let me tell you the coolest thing! Back when I started on this business several medical folks commented on how my left foot had a noticeable external rotation, most evident when I was lying down. When my first PT in the hospital met with me she pointed out how important it was to avoid that rotation (and any internal rotation) while healing, not least of all because it hurt like hell - she said I'd just need to put a towel or something along the outside of my leg to keep it straight on. Well, I did that for maybe three days and now my foot's straight as an arrow! Oh it's quite magical!
Hm... I'm sure I've missed something, but now that the internets are back to being my full-time friend, I'm sure I'll be back sooner rather than later. It's funny - I've been outside for a sum total of about 10 minutes in 2 weeks and it's not really bothering me yet - helps that it's raining today and my folks' house is pretty open. Just weird to not care AT ALL about the weather forecast for once. No offense Eye in the Sky Guys. :)
Sunday, June 14, 2009
3 - it's the magic number
Yeah it is! :)
I'm told that surgery day is Day Zero, making yesterday Day Three in my LPAO adventure, and what a day it was! My mama arrived soon after the epidural came out and was kind enough to give my back a thorough scratching (telling me I looked like a zebra already from where I'd been able to scratch) followed by some nice soothing lotion. We had a good bit of time to kill before the PT showed up, so we watched some Curb (which she'd never seen) and I tried not to laugh too hard - unintended consequence of this surgery being a change in my laugh as I try to keep all the motion in the upper part of my torso (weird!).
When Jenna, the PT (and a Vermonter!), arrived, she asked if I could wiggle my toes and was immediately impressed by the range of motion in my left foot/ankle/calf - I'd been moving it all around since the epidural started to wear off down there and was scared for a bit that I'd done something I shouldn't. She reassured me that I was actually doing marvelously and gave me a little tutorial on walker walking before getting me to sitting on the edge of the bed. Bear in mind that neither of my feet had touched ground in something like 80 hours, so needless to say it was a bit woozy-making even getting them into position. The pain was bearable, though, as long as I remembered to keep my torso leaned back enough that my leg wasn't at a 90 degree angle to it. Standing with the walker was a fairly bizarre sensation, since it was the first time I could really feel the effects of the surgery (and I'd just taken some more percocet!), but I was pleasantly surprised at my ability to maintain my balance given how long I'd been bed-bound. Definitely have to give yoga some credit on that one!
Apparently it's fairly standard for PAOers to have no ability to move the foot on the op side, such that Jenna often at first has to physically move their foot forward for them for a time. This was not to be my fate, however (thank heavens!), since I maintained so much mobility below the knee. Still and all, the extent of my phenomenal range of motion is to be able to creep my toes along the floor until my leg is angled toward the walker before hoisting the rest of my weight into position with my arms. On the walker the right leg doesn't seem to have to do much in this regard, save for keeping me upright, but we'll see how crutches go today. In any event, I managed to walker to the window and back to an armchair they'd brought in for me (approximately 15 feet, approximately 15 minutes) and sit for awhile waiting for them to bring in a commode to put over the room's toilet, which for some unknown reason is about a foot off the floor normally. Sitting up in a chair was SOOO very nice! And as soon as they got the commode in place they took out my catheter, which was a bit painful and strange, but also quite nice to see it go! Of course, I immediately realized what I'd just committed to and decided to stop drinking water and eating ice by the bucketfull!
Awkward though it was, it was a big step to be able to use the big kids potty again, and I was pretty wiped by the time I made it back to my armchair. Around this time Elizabeth showed up, having made the trip down to friends in the area the night before - it was really nice to see a friendly face from home here, where I feel I've been in exile for about a month, and to see my good spirits and relatively good health reflected in her. After she left came the delightful moment of getting back into bed, definitely the most painful part of the whole process, in no small part because I'm dependent on the nurse to get my op leg back into bed, and she has no way of knowing what hurts. I did make another unauthorized solo trip to the bathroom at about 4 this morning and managed to use my good leg to hoist my bum leg back in bed (with a short stopover propped on the walker) which was still painful but better, if only for being all under my control. You know how much I like control! ;)
Alright, time to make the trek to the bathroom again and hopefully not throw up, as I'm feeling a bit queasy this morning. Also fevery, but that's nothing new. In any event, it seems reasonable to expect that I'll go home tomorrow, barring any unforeseen complications. Here's hoping!
I'm told that surgery day is Day Zero, making yesterday Day Three in my LPAO adventure, and what a day it was! My mama arrived soon after the epidural came out and was kind enough to give my back a thorough scratching (telling me I looked like a zebra already from where I'd been able to scratch) followed by some nice soothing lotion. We had a good bit of time to kill before the PT showed up, so we watched some Curb (which she'd never seen) and I tried not to laugh too hard - unintended consequence of this surgery being a change in my laugh as I try to keep all the motion in the upper part of my torso (weird!).
When Jenna, the PT (and a Vermonter!), arrived, she asked if I could wiggle my toes and was immediately impressed by the range of motion in my left foot/ankle/calf - I'd been moving it all around since the epidural started to wear off down there and was scared for a bit that I'd done something I shouldn't. She reassured me that I was actually doing marvelously and gave me a little tutorial on walker walking before getting me to sitting on the edge of the bed. Bear in mind that neither of my feet had touched ground in something like 80 hours, so needless to say it was a bit woozy-making even getting them into position. The pain was bearable, though, as long as I remembered to keep my torso leaned back enough that my leg wasn't at a 90 degree angle to it. Standing with the walker was a fairly bizarre sensation, since it was the first time I could really feel the effects of the surgery (and I'd just taken some more percocet!), but I was pleasantly surprised at my ability to maintain my balance given how long I'd been bed-bound. Definitely have to give yoga some credit on that one!
Apparently it's fairly standard for PAOers to have no ability to move the foot on the op side, such that Jenna often at first has to physically move their foot forward for them for a time. This was not to be my fate, however (thank heavens!), since I maintained so much mobility below the knee. Still and all, the extent of my phenomenal range of motion is to be able to creep my toes along the floor until my leg is angled toward the walker before hoisting the rest of my weight into position with my arms. On the walker the right leg doesn't seem to have to do much in this regard, save for keeping me upright, but we'll see how crutches go today. In any event, I managed to walker to the window and back to an armchair they'd brought in for me (approximately 15 feet, approximately 15 minutes) and sit for awhile waiting for them to bring in a commode to put over the room's toilet, which for some unknown reason is about a foot off the floor normally. Sitting up in a chair was SOOO very nice! And as soon as they got the commode in place they took out my catheter, which was a bit painful and strange, but also quite nice to see it go! Of course, I immediately realized what I'd just committed to and decided to stop drinking water and eating ice by the bucketfull!
Awkward though it was, it was a big step to be able to use the big kids potty again, and I was pretty wiped by the time I made it back to my armchair. Around this time Elizabeth showed up, having made the trip down to friends in the area the night before - it was really nice to see a friendly face from home here, where I feel I've been in exile for about a month, and to see my good spirits and relatively good health reflected in her. After she left came the delightful moment of getting back into bed, definitely the most painful part of the whole process, in no small part because I'm dependent on the nurse to get my op leg back into bed, and she has no way of knowing what hurts. I did make another unauthorized solo trip to the bathroom at about 4 this morning and managed to use my good leg to hoist my bum leg back in bed (with a short stopover propped on the walker) which was still painful but better, if only for being all under my control. You know how much I like control! ;)
Alright, time to make the trek to the bathroom again and hopefully not throw up, as I'm feeling a bit queasy this morning. Also fevery, but that's nothing new. In any event, it seems reasonable to expect that I'll go home tomorrow, barring any unforeseen complications. Here's hoping!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Epidural out!
Else why would I be awake at 7am on a Saturday?? I can't explain the relief of finally being able to scratch my back, which has been covered in tape for 3 straight days. Ahhhhh! This also means I'll be getting feeling back in my legs (for better or worse!) and will soon be released from the dandy plastic compression legwarmers I've been rocking. My fever spiked again last night to 101 and I was so sweaty and miserable, but this morning it seems to have broken (thanks in no small part to the abundance of crushed ice available to me). After the epidural, they wait a few hours to take out the catheter, which means I'll be down to just one IV and able to finally get out of this stinking bed.
Of course, I'm probably crazy to look forward to that since it will undoubtedly hurt like hell. Just trying to reposition myself in bed with my trusty trapeze is cringe-inducing enough, and that's WITH the epidural! Yesterday a most intrepid nurse not only got me cleaner than I've been in days but also managed to change my sheets without me ever leaving the bed - miraculous! Ooh and a scrub-wearing angel just appeared at my bedside and gave me percocet! This hospital living's not nearly so bad as I thought it'd be!
Today is the first morning that the sun is shining fully on Boston, making it also the first day I'm really regretting not being able to get outside. Thankfully, though, my regret is assuaged by the phenomenal bouquet delivered last night from my dearly beloved Rivendell crew - truly one of the loveliest I've seen! Pretty much made my week. :)
Of course, I'm probably crazy to look forward to that since it will undoubtedly hurt like hell. Just trying to reposition myself in bed with my trusty trapeze is cringe-inducing enough, and that's WITH the epidural! Yesterday a most intrepid nurse not only got me cleaner than I've been in days but also managed to change my sheets without me ever leaving the bed - miraculous! Ooh and a scrub-wearing angel just appeared at my bedside and gave me percocet! This hospital living's not nearly so bad as I thought it'd be!
Today is the first morning that the sun is shining fully on Boston, making it also the first day I'm really regretting not being able to get outside. Thankfully, though, my regret is assuaged by the phenomenal bouquet delivered last night from my dearly beloved Rivendell crew - truly one of the loveliest I've seen! Pretty much made my week. :)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Day... uh... something...
Three? I've been in this bed since about 8:15 Wednesday morning, and it's starting to lose its charm! On the plus side, I'm now down to only 3 tubes coming out of me, as last night they took out the "spare" IV that was really paining me and this morning removed the drain in my hip. Which, let me tell you, was a BIZARRE sensation!
Everything seems to be progressing according to expectations, though I've been running a fever since last night and basically just want to jump into an ice bath. Sadly, it is not to be! Really I think the only thing that's happening today (aside from general rest and recovery) is getting the unit of blood I donated back. Tomorrow the epidural comes out and the real fun begins - I've been stepped down to a 6 (out of 10) and can definitely feel pain at the surgery site, if only when I try to move. Thankfully I've got a trapeze (metal triangle hanging over my head) so I can hoist myself up and reposition without doing too much damage. A good bit of popping going on in that hip, which I guess is normal, though I'd be lying if I said it didn't freak me out a bit when it happens.
Everything seems to be progressing according to expectations, though I've been running a fever since last night and basically just want to jump into an ice bath. Sadly, it is not to be! Really I think the only thing that's happening today (aside from general rest and recovery) is getting the unit of blood I donated back. Tomorrow the epidural comes out and the real fun begins - I've been stepped down to a 6 (out of 10) and can definitely feel pain at the surgery site, if only when I try to move. Thankfully I've got a trapeze (metal triangle hanging over my head) so I can hoist myself up and reposition without doing too much damage. A good bit of popping going on in that hip, which I guess is normal, though I'd be lying if I said it didn't freak me out a bit when it happens.
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