Thursday, July 18 –Slept fairly well on recliner again only waking for bathroom and pill popping. Nice long, hard sleeps. About 4 a.m. however, I woke and knew I wasn’t going back right away. Messed around with the computer a little, contemplated going to the bedroom but didn’t want to wake the puppy too early. Once she gets up, everyone's up! Finally did what I did the night before and stretched out on the sofa with pillows propping up surgery leg, and slept on my left side. Heaven! Didn’t awake til puppy came through close to 6 a.m.
Supposed to have therapy today since he didn’t come yesterday. Anxiously awaiting this as one hears of so many different kinds of therapists.
Therapy was exhausting, but not too bad. Lots of gentle stretching. My extension is the worst right now, so anything pushing that was "ouchy." However, once the stretching was through, I felt a lot better walking. It really does loosen up my leg. The therapist wants me to use my walker more than the cane, so I've decided to use the walker every time I take the hall trip to the "necessary" room. Then, I walk backwards, stretching that hamstring some more.
Sunday, July 21 After my harrowing day in the ER, I have slipped into a routine. I sleep on the recliner sofa each night. With all the pillows, the ice machine, and pain meds, I actually get a fairly good night's sleep. Last night I was awakened before pain pill time with my newest pain - a sharp spasm which hurts like the dickens, but only lasted seconds. It was only about 15 minutes before pain pill time, so I took it and went back to sleep. Slept through the next pain pill time by over an hour, and then for the first time, had to make a bathroom trip. So almost a whole night!
My wonderful husband refills the ice machine and hands me my morning coffee, and I surf the internet for a bit, taking the empty stomach meds. Then breakfast, and some therapy on my own. I'm doing stretches, leg movements, walking and walking backwards. In home therapy is Tuesdays and Thursdays. So far, the PT is doing well. No massages yet. I envy the guys with the massages that I read about on Bonesmart.org, but he's pushing me without major pain. My biggest weakness is extension. The hamstring is tight, so I'm trying to stretch that whenever I think about it. My ROM was 90 in the hospital, and they told me not to push past that until staples are out. My therapist did measure close to 100 the first day he came, but he said I was cheating (?), so it didn't count. He didn't even measure last visit.
I find that a nap during the day is inevitable. If I stay awake through the sleep promptings in the a.m., I'm down for the count in the p.m. This is from someone who could NEVER sleep in the daytime unless ill.
My appetite has returned although I can't eat as much as before (which is a good thing!) Part of this I believe is because I froze so many meals prior to my surgery, so I know the stuff I'm eating will taste good, and it is all on my Weight Watcher diet as well. I have actually gained a couple of pounds since I returned from the hospital, but I had also lost seven pounds in 5 days, so I knew that wasn't going to stay put.
Overall, I'm very pleased with where I am currently. Wednesday will be staple removal day, and the two week anniversary. I'm quite mobile using walker and cane to get around. I still take pain meds around the clock and ice and elevate whenever sitting. The newest spasm pain that started yesterday is the worst pain I've experienced, but it comes and goes so quickly, I can't complain.
I've had one experience that lets me know that I have a totally new knee, and that things will be very different once I get past this rehab. On the last day in the hospital, the PT wanted me to put my foot on a step and lunge forward for a stretch. I looked at her and said, "Do you know how long it's been since I could lunge?" The grinding, popping, and pain that would occur had I tried that previously would have been mind boggling. I did it for the PT, and HAD NO PAIN! The future is NOW!
Tues., July 23 Had my 3rd PT today. Feel stronger and can move more without pain every time. After PT this time however, I had what seemed like deep bone pain on the outside of my leg below my knee. My husband has this little vibrator he was given when he was having nerve pain after a botched carpal tunnel. He held that vibrator over the area and just lightly ran it up and down. It was amazing how much better it felt.
Tomorrow I get the staples out.
Weds., July 24 - Staples removed today with very little discomfort. What was discomforting was seeing the flesh gape open in a couple of places. My OS and P.A. didn't seem to think this was a problem. I now have a series of "steri-strips" down my incision and no longer have to have any kind of dressing on it. They said after a couple of days, I can shower without anything over the incision (except the steri-strips) as long as I don't scrub the area (not to worry.) The strips stay on til they fall off naturally. They just asked me to show my flex and extension and were quite impressed. My P.A. thought the ROM was about 100, but no one measured. He said I will probably be taking pain meds about another 6 weeks and won't be driving at least that long. I have to keep wearing the TEDS until I don't have a problem with swelling which was not today. I made the mistake of riding in the front seat on the way up to the hospital. I'm still paying for that even though I'm at home now and elevating and icing. I got in the back seat and elevated and iced in the car, but the 90 minutes of leg hanging down had already done its dirty business.
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