Day 4 – 10/4
Sleep was not good. I didn’t have the oxy onboard and I think that was helping me sleep. I maybe got 5 hours, most of the night was just sitting there staring at the ceiling. However, I was not really in pain, so I cannot complain.
My days are pretty predictable:
- 3×1:20 on the CPM
- Netflix
- Trying to do some emails
- Trying to blog (mostly fail)
- Talking to people who call to check in
- Try to do MORE than the day before
Pain was managed, so now BOREDOM was hitting me HARD. I watched the first episode of about a dozen shows on Netflix. Most stink and I won’t return. A few I am liking (Being Human, Marco Polo right now).
I went into my (home) office and tried to do stuff. Made it about 20 minutes. Cannot sit that long in a normal chair.
Day 5 – 10/5
I tried a Narco overnight to sleep better. Didn’t work. Still slept badly.
I managed a shower! Wow, that was a lot of work. I had to use Saran Wrap and I did not have the press and seal, so I had to wrap my leg a bunch of times. The shower chair and shower handles were essential. It is actually pretty hard to shower sitting down, especially since some of the bits you want to shower are currently sitting… but I managed. Felt like I needed a nap afterwards though!
I managed to use my good leg to get into the CPM. Between leg and core, I was able to get in AND out by myself!
Super. Duper. Extra. Bored.
Luckily I managed to nap 2x to make up for the poor overnight sleep.
Parent Teacher conferences for son #2 were today. I haven’t missed on of these, ever. I felt strong enough to make it to the first classroom and worst case, I would stay there. It was quite a bit of work getting there and I think it must have shown as a teacher gave me their rolling chair to use. I then got pushed from room to room – which worked out GREAT! Boy was I tired after.
Day 6 – 10/6
I tried a muscle relaxant overnight to sleep better. Didn’t work. Slept worse. By 4am I was in the haze of not-really-sleep and not
PT #2! An amazing difference a few days made. I managed to get into the PT place and again it was nothing special, just movement and stuff, but it was WAY easier to get in and out. Tired and sweating, yes, but way better. I even managed to get up on the bike and ride for 10 min. However, I wasn’t able to get it to spin enough to power up – wow. That was a shocker. What I was pleased about was I could use entirely upper body to mount and dismount the bike. Was amazingly easy – so maybe I’m not such a weakling after all!
Luckily I managed to nap to make up for the poor overnight sleep. Even learned to sleep on the CPM a bit.
Day 7 – 10/7
This evening I tried my codiene cough syrup to help sleep, WAY BETTER! Or maybe exhaustion. Don’t know but I got 7 hours and felt great!
Followup #1 with the Doc. Got the bandage off (see below if you want to see it). Talked to him for about 45 minutes a lot of talk about what was done, why, and what it was going to mean about recovery. Even Monday I was still stoned a bit so being more clear, I was able to remember it. I wrote it up here.
We went out to lunch afterwards at Olive Garden. It was nice to eat out and feel kinda normal, but I was really uncomfortable by the end.
I slept in the CPM when we got back – I was bushed. This was an amazing amount of work!
Picture below… (not too gross)
as you can see the blood “settled” down the side of my leg. It will be absorbed eventually. The steri-strips are covering the sutures and the bandaid is covering a blister formed because of all the fluid pumped into my leg – it split the layers of skin. It will absorb – or pop – whatever it does I just leave it covered and do nothing until it does what it will do. Swelling is way down.
