thepuckhead
junior member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
- Messages
- 77
- Age
- 53
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United States
OK, so I've lost count of how many weeks it's been since surgery, so there's that indicator of progress, but also just wanted to pop by quick and say...
....I cannot believe this....
...never thought this would happen....
....you guys.....hold on...I hope you are sitting down....
...deep breaths...
....CHASE is dead!! Yes, really! You see, crazy lady stole Maggie's baby and was going to run away to Argentina with said baby, but then Chase, of course, hopped into a cop car along with the cops and told them where to go and then crazy lady saw all the fuzz and sirens and stomped on the accelerator and then, ooops, ended up driving off the pier and spash! Into the bay she went with an Emmy-reel scream. Chase immediately hopped out of the police car (after being told that, no, no, nothing you can do, let the authorities handle it...authorities! Can you imagine?)and ran to the edge of pier, stripped his shirt and shoes off (but not his belt or socks, nor did he think to maybe leave his wallet behind?) so we all got a good luck at the manly zombie chest before he dove in after the sinking car. Then, not to be outdone, Bad Seed came along, kicked off his shoes and rolled up his shirt sleeves (what the...???) and plunged in as well. Bad Seed and Maggie have been having an affair, you see. Pretty soon Chase surfaces with a bundle still perfectly wrapped in a blanket and hands over the baby to Maggie and then plunges back down to rescue crazy lady and Bad Seed. This is one miracle baby, folks. It's seen in Maggie's arms chortling and perfectly dry, as if just waking from the most serene nap. Bad Seed pops up with crazy lady hanging onto him, so that's one save for Chase and one for Bad Seed.
So, curtain on Season 6. Season 7 opens and now we have a cgi falcon flying around as well as the weird liquid transitions, but also....no Chase in the opening credits! The actor actually left! Now, I'll allow for the possibility that he may yet emerge from the bay, zombie staggering, covered in seaweed, bleeding from a shark bite and carrying some buried treasure he found while "dead," but....for now, Bad Seed is now the leading man. I feel....strangely kinda sad. I sort of bonded with Chase back in the day of throwing his crutches into the vineyards. Well, three more seasons left to see if he returns.
Meanwhile, back in reality....
Got some milestones to report!
My wife and I had an overnight getaway to celebrate finally being out of the thick of constant crisis and recovery mode. We went to a hotel and saw a dinner theater production. For those in the hip recovery know....this meant several new feats accomplished: hottub sitting, unfamiliar bed sleeping, sitting for three hours for dinner/theater. And, most of all, it meant NOT focusing on my hip, but rather, enjoying the evening. I am pleased to say I could sit in the hottub and enjoy how my legs felt like noodles afterward (they hadn't been that relaxed in ages). I could sit the entire show/dinner and not really think about whether I was going to be in pain when I stood up and....I wasn't! A little stiff, sure. My leg in general is still a bit hinky/vulnerable/janky/weird/strange, but I sure noticed the night/day difference in being able to get up from the table and walk without that horrid catching or sharp pain.
I am back to work and that is going well. I LOVE the walk from my car to the office now. Used to hate it. I freaking love getting up from my chair to refill my water or use the bathroom or just wander over to visit someone without first wondering how much pain I was going to have standing. I do my best, but it wasn't long before I was back in the bad habit of sitting with my legs wrapped around my chair and leaning forward for hours....that's just how I naturally work (long bouts of concentrated work), but luckily, only a bit of grumbling and tingling from Lefty.
Best for last....I have skated!!!
Repeat: I HAVE SKATED!!!
I started bringing my skates to the walking track, which is rubberized and so I could practice standing/walking in my skates with the guards off. My wife came with me to an open skate and for the first couple of laps, I used the walker thingie that little kids use to hang onto, but after a few laps I ditched it and....wow, wow, wow!!! I cannot describe how it feels to skate without wondering whether each stride is going to hurt. Lefty feels pretty darn strong and suddenly I can use BOTH legs to stride now. My wife said she hadn't seen me skate with that much ease or confidence in years. I thought I'd be very nervous about open skates because there were a few hotdogging teens there, but I realized I felt strong and confident enough that they didn't bother me. In fact, they grabbed my walker that I'd ditched and started playing with it. You're welcome, boys. I've skated three times and each time gets better - started with 15 minutes and last time I ended up out there for 45 minutes. Ice afterward, of course! Best of all, no increased pain or discomfort the day after. Some soreness, some complaining, some tingling, but nothing that I'm concerned about. Just my body letting me know it's still sorting some healing out.
My wife said that I had the same look of amazement on my face when I took my first strides on the ice as I did when I took my first steps after surgery. I really didn't understand how much that pain was taking from me until it was gone. Now I get it....when people say this surgery can be life changing, it's true. When I used to read about the healing timeframe taking up to and sometimes beyond a year, I would get really depressed and sulky. Now I'm thinking...wow! It's going to continue to keep getting better! Not just the big things, but the small nuances. So, so glad to have embarked on this healing journey and had the opportunity to share and learn with all of you here.
So I thought this was going to be a short update and I'd end with "I'll be back with a longer post later." I should know better than to think any time I sit down with a keyboard it's going to be short!
P.S. @cold_brew - I found a pair of compression shorts with pads in the thighs, hip bone and tailbone by searching for 'figure skater crash pants.' I saw a skater wearing well-padded shorts while doing her jumps, so I asked her what those were. My other option was to get a set of football pads, but I didn't know how well they'd stay if they weren't sewn in and, plus, finding adult sized football pads is not that easy! Not a game they expect adults to play unless they're getting paid for it! The extra padding does give me more confidence mentally. I found the shorts at Shock Doctor, but you're sure to find other brands if there's one you prefer.
P.P.S. -- for fellow birdwatchers. Have seen a pair of yellow warblers, white-throated sparrows and freaking pelicans flying over the lake down the street! Also, I haven't seen the parent eagles on the nest we found, but we have spied a little head poking up from the nest. I was going to call Avian Social Services on the parents because I never see them, but apparently they do spend a lot of time away from the nest.
P.P.P.S. -- originally had thought I was going to re-plant my entire yard this spring. Um....no. Decided I don't want to spend the money and all that time/possible pain when I have a certified red thumb anyway. So a pro is coming out to take a look and among the flowers I want to ask her to plant are hellebores, which remind me of posters here who shared their sights when I was sitting staring at snowbanks.
P.P.P.P.S ---erm....I meant to put all the boingy boing happy emojiis after my skating update, but they ended up down here. Well, they're worth repeating...
....I cannot believe this....
...never thought this would happen....
....you guys.....hold on...I hope you are sitting down....
...deep breaths...
....CHASE is dead!! Yes, really! You see, crazy lady stole Maggie's baby and was going to run away to Argentina with said baby, but then Chase, of course, hopped into a cop car along with the cops and told them where to go and then crazy lady saw all the fuzz and sirens and stomped on the accelerator and then, ooops, ended up driving off the pier and spash! Into the bay she went with an Emmy-reel scream. Chase immediately hopped out of the police car (after being told that, no, no, nothing you can do, let the authorities handle it...authorities! Can you imagine?)and ran to the edge of pier, stripped his shirt and shoes off (but not his belt or socks, nor did he think to maybe leave his wallet behind?) so we all got a good luck at the manly zombie chest before he dove in after the sinking car. Then, not to be outdone, Bad Seed came along, kicked off his shoes and rolled up his shirt sleeves (what the...???) and plunged in as well. Bad Seed and Maggie have been having an affair, you see. Pretty soon Chase surfaces with a bundle still perfectly wrapped in a blanket and hands over the baby to Maggie and then plunges back down to rescue crazy lady and Bad Seed. This is one miracle baby, folks. It's seen in Maggie's arms chortling and perfectly dry, as if just waking from the most serene nap. Bad Seed pops up with crazy lady hanging onto him, so that's one save for Chase and one for Bad Seed.
So, curtain on Season 6. Season 7 opens and now we have a cgi falcon flying around as well as the weird liquid transitions, but also....no Chase in the opening credits! The actor actually left! Now, I'll allow for the possibility that he may yet emerge from the bay, zombie staggering, covered in seaweed, bleeding from a shark bite and carrying some buried treasure he found while "dead," but....for now, Bad Seed is now the leading man. I feel....strangely kinda sad. I sort of bonded with Chase back in the day of throwing his crutches into the vineyards. Well, three more seasons left to see if he returns.
Meanwhile, back in reality....
Got some milestones to report!
My wife and I had an overnight getaway to celebrate finally being out of the thick of constant crisis and recovery mode. We went to a hotel and saw a dinner theater production. For those in the hip recovery know....this meant several new feats accomplished: hottub sitting, unfamiliar bed sleeping, sitting for three hours for dinner/theater. And, most of all, it meant NOT focusing on my hip, but rather, enjoying the evening. I am pleased to say I could sit in the hottub and enjoy how my legs felt like noodles afterward (they hadn't been that relaxed in ages). I could sit the entire show/dinner and not really think about whether I was going to be in pain when I stood up and....I wasn't! A little stiff, sure. My leg in general is still a bit hinky/vulnerable/janky/weird/strange, but I sure noticed the night/day difference in being able to get up from the table and walk without that horrid catching or sharp pain.
I am back to work and that is going well. I LOVE the walk from my car to the office now. Used to hate it. I freaking love getting up from my chair to refill my water or use the bathroom or just wander over to visit someone without first wondering how much pain I was going to have standing. I do my best, but it wasn't long before I was back in the bad habit of sitting with my legs wrapped around my chair and leaning forward for hours....that's just how I naturally work (long bouts of concentrated work), but luckily, only a bit of grumbling and tingling from Lefty.
Best for last....I have skated!!!
Repeat: I HAVE SKATED!!!
I started bringing my skates to the walking track, which is rubberized and so I could practice standing/walking in my skates with the guards off. My wife came with me to an open skate and for the first couple of laps, I used the walker thingie that little kids use to hang onto, but after a few laps I ditched it and....wow, wow, wow!!! I cannot describe how it feels to skate without wondering whether each stride is going to hurt. Lefty feels pretty darn strong and suddenly I can use BOTH legs to stride now. My wife said she hadn't seen me skate with that much ease or confidence in years. I thought I'd be very nervous about open skates because there were a few hotdogging teens there, but I realized I felt strong and confident enough that they didn't bother me. In fact, they grabbed my walker that I'd ditched and started playing with it. You're welcome, boys. I've skated three times and each time gets better - started with 15 minutes and last time I ended up out there for 45 minutes. Ice afterward, of course! Best of all, no increased pain or discomfort the day after. Some soreness, some complaining, some tingling, but nothing that I'm concerned about. Just my body letting me know it's still sorting some healing out.
My wife said that I had the same look of amazement on my face when I took my first strides on the ice as I did when I took my first steps after surgery. I really didn't understand how much that pain was taking from me until it was gone. Now I get it....when people say this surgery can be life changing, it's true. When I used to read about the healing timeframe taking up to and sometimes beyond a year, I would get really depressed and sulky. Now I'm thinking...wow! It's going to continue to keep getting better! Not just the big things, but the small nuances. So, so glad to have embarked on this healing journey and had the opportunity to share and learn with all of you here.
So I thought this was going to be a short update and I'd end with "I'll be back with a longer post later." I should know better than to think any time I sit down with a keyboard it's going to be short!
P.S. @cold_brew - I found a pair of compression shorts with pads in the thighs, hip bone and tailbone by searching for 'figure skater crash pants.' I saw a skater wearing well-padded shorts while doing her jumps, so I asked her what those were. My other option was to get a set of football pads, but I didn't know how well they'd stay if they weren't sewn in and, plus, finding adult sized football pads is not that easy! Not a game they expect adults to play unless they're getting paid for it! The extra padding does give me more confidence mentally. I found the shorts at Shock Doctor, but you're sure to find other brands if there's one you prefer.
P.P.S. -- for fellow birdwatchers. Have seen a pair of yellow warblers, white-throated sparrows and freaking pelicans flying over the lake down the street! Also, I haven't seen the parent eagles on the nest we found, but we have spied a little head poking up from the nest. I was going to call Avian Social Services on the parents because I never see them, but apparently they do spend a lot of time away from the nest.
P.P.P.S. -- originally had thought I was going to re-plant my entire yard this spring. Um....no. Decided I don't want to spend the money and all that time/possible pain when I have a certified red thumb anyway. So a pro is coming out to take a look and among the flowers I want to ask her to plant are hellebores, which remind me of posters here who shared their sights when I was sitting staring at snowbanks.
P.P.P.P.S ---erm....I meant to put all the boingy boing happy emojiis after my skating update, but they ended up down here. Well, they're worth repeating...
)
Also, and this is something I can only admit here.... yes... I listened to Cher during my work out yesterday... Shhh! Don't. Tell. Anyone.
Kidding aside (or was I??) AC/DC Thunderstruck the locker room fav before hockey games..
