Gearing Up for Round Two

[enoughpain]

No big plans although I want to get out there and do a bit of gardening (translation: weeding) today. I did some yesterday afternoon and it was a lot of work standing and kneeling, moving my kneeling pad every few feet to get at a different batch of pesky weeds. At one point as I stood up I thought to myself, "sheesh, you are moving like an old woman", and then I realized, "well, yes, I am an old woman--and an old woman with a bum hip".

@Barbaraj , your comment made me laugh as you just described me! The thing giving me the most anxiety right now is the condition of my garden. I spend several hours every Saturday on that kneeling pad, then get out the pruners and chainsaw to attack larger things that are sprouting up where they shouldn't. I have always done all of the gardening, as my husband thinks weeds and flowers are the same thing. I wind up sitting on a heating pad Saturday night and Sunday, but I want things in the best possible condition when I leave for surgery, as I'm not likely to be back our there this growing season. I am hoping to be healed enough to rake leaves in October, but time will tell.

 

[Barbaraj]

Yup, @enoughpain, I can relate to the whole body aches and pains after (and during) gardening chores. My garden areas were a total mess last year before surgery--not only hip pain preventing me from the work, but we also had a ton of wildfire smoke coming in from Canada and the eastern side of the state which meant the air quality was just awful. This spring I did get out there (that sweet spot of time following first hip recovery and before second hip began screaming) and did a lot of work, but increasingly I find it harder and harder and suspect by the time surgery rolls around in August, things will be looking pretty sad and neglected again. My husband doesn't really garden either--he mows and edges, but nothing in the garden areas. But, next year is YOUR year, and I bet your garden will be looking sensational in 2020. Won't that be nice? Just one of the many, many good things about our new hips!

 

[enoughpain]

@Barbaraj You will probably think I'm a little obsessive, but I actually took the growing season into consideration when scheduling my THR for 7/29! There should only be 6 weeks of growth left post surgery, and I'm hoping to be healed enough when the leaves fall in October to be able to do the cleanup.

 

[Barbaraj]

No, @enoughpain, I don't think you're obsessive, but certainly a good planner! Thinking about gardening chores is way down on my "to do" list when considering surgery! In fact, if I'm being honest, I didn't think about it at all. If you stay healthy and as active as you can now and the days leading up to surgery, I'm betting that the joyful (??!!) task of raking leaves this fall will be well within your ability.

 

[Ptarmigan]

@enoughpain Like @Barbaraj , I can imagine you’ll be leaf-raking come fall, and I hope the weather cooperates with warm sunny days deep into October. You remind me of my grandmother, who grew up on a farm in Eastern Washington, and had a greenhouse, a garden, or both every year until the age of 96. She told me she loved gardening because every season brings its own pleasure - even the “dead of winter” because “that’s when the seed catalogues come.” Certainly, you’ll be in fine shape for catalogue season and free to participate fully in the entire cycle of 2020. Me? I’m always drooling over the tea roses...but I force myself to be sensible about what it takes to care for them properly...

 

[enoughpain]

Thanks, @Barbaraj and @Ptarmigan, thinking about projects for the fall helps me to deal with the anxiety surrounding my surgery date. And yes, @Barbaraj, raking leaves is something I really enjoy! @Ptarmigan, I love tea roses too, but we have humid summers and blackspot is difficult to control.

 

[Barbaraj]

Oh, you gardeners, @enoughpain and @Ptarmigan! I can relate to the enjoyment of being outside when it's nice weather and you can nudge nature along to show off its beauty, whether it's weeding, raking or planting. I only know how to weed, which I'm reasonably good at doing--leave the raking to my husband! I have two rose bushes, originally small potted plants my husband gave me on Mother's Day which got stuck in the yard and have gone gangbusters! They get no attention from me, have terrible black spot, but the flowers are so pretty. I cut them during their growing season and stick them into little vases around the house, spots of cheerful color that brighten my day. It's beautiful today here in the PNW and because my hip was really aching this morning, I "treated" myself to my every other week dose of OTC medication, and popped an Aleve. My husband and I then walked up to our local Starbucks, a good half mile each way, mostly uphill on the way there and mercifully mostly downhill on the homeward trek. My husband was good about slowing his pace to match my slower plod, and it was a very pleasant way to start my morning. Feeling happy and caffeinated! So far, knock on wood, walking hasn't really bothered me that much. It's the sitting that brings on the ache. I am grateful for this change from the first pre-surgery wait where walking more than half a block was difficult.

 

[enoughpain]

@Barbaraj Your roses are a beautiful color. Please enjoy some walks for me! That was always my favorite form of physical and mental release, but the leg is too unreliable at the moment. Just finished 4 hours of weeding and pruning, I'm very satisfied with the results.

 

[mainegirl1]

Good Morning! Time to go outside and rake again! This is one thing I can do and I used to enjoy it but now its a daily thing.. The Beech trees do not lose their leaves until new ones push them off and same for some Oaks.. That is May..
And now the little flowers from beech and maple come down along with winged samaras.. We had a storm of pine needles a couple of weeks ago.. the deck covered with an inch of them.. Had to rake and sweep so they don't all get IN the house.

Last night we had big storms after a hot day 79 degrees.. And this morning more stuff from trees! And the pine pollen has been insane.. I have to dust and wipe down patio furniture again today.

My hip is sensing that it is getting the ax. And its being good.. Sort of like when you are given four toasters and you save them all just in case.. The first one conks out and you threaten it with disposal and it starts working again.
We have had so much rain I have to get at the weeds but THAT is hard getting down and up.
Strawberry season has just started but this year I can't pick.. I can buy.. Asparagus is in full swing as well as lettuces and peas just came in.

 

[Ptarmigan]

Such a pretty picture! These little touches make a home so pleasant, @Barbaraj ! Thank you for the smile it gave me .

 

[Barbaraj]

Another gorgeous start to the day, blue skies and sunshine, and because of yesterday's Aleve and/or all the walking I did, my hip/thigh isn't feeling so achy this morning which is quite nice. We had a busy day yesterday. My husband mowed the lawn when we returned from our coffee run, but I never did make it out to do any weeding. I really should have been more disciplined but what the heck! We headed out after lunch to check out small desks at various stores. We are going to reorganize a small study off our master bedroom, which means getting rid of our current behemoth of a desk and replacing it with a small one we can stick in the corner and then reorient a chair towards the one window in the room, currently hogged by the desk. We also swung by an electronics store on the way home and bought a cool new portable speaker--which flashes colored lights, very disco looking--so we can stream music from our cell phones. We then hit the grocery store for shrimp, veggies, and the makings for a delicious grapefruit and mint mojito. We came home, put on loud Motown music, made a cocktail and began cooking! It was so nice to have a day relatively free of hip pain, allowing me to do everything I wanted without constantly focusing on my hip, like a sore tooth in your mouth that you keep worrying with your tongue. I know it was just a gift of a day, and I can't count on that sort of a day until my second hip replacement, but it was certainly a treat to feel so relatively comfortable for the entire day.

 

[enoughpain]

@Barbaraj Your day sounds like a wonderful gift. So happy for you. Unexpected presents are the best kind.
@mainegirl1 I know what you mean about the hip behaving, mine is trying to trick me into changing my mind, but it will not succeed!

 

[Barbaraj]

Ah, another beautiful day ahead. Despite a too early wake-up call (those dratted crows!) I am up and about, with caffeine slowly starting to course through my veins, telling me "wake up--it's a gorgeous day". Hip still feeling reasonably good, all things considered, so I really do need to get in some exercise today, both PT plus the elliptical. I kind of slacked off this weekend but got busy with chores and running around. My goal has been to do the PT exercises every day, no excuses, and I'm mostly pretty good with that although weekends, which involve more socializing and outings, can be tough. If I don't get my exercises done in the morning they often don't get done as I am definitely a morning person. By mid afternoon I start to fade a bit and trying to do any exercise at night is a joke. But, it's July 1, the start of a new week so I intend to behave myself today and get moving. Carpe diem!

 

[mainegirl1]

My carpe diem is seize the grocery store! And clean the trailer. Today my hip is being good....We are off to Grand Manan Island next week to go camping..

 

[enoughpain]

@Barbaraj Atta girl!

By mid afternoon I start to fade a bit and trying to do any exercise at night is a joke.

I am the same way, at least with cardio. The earlier in the day I do it, the faster and longer I can go.
I'm trying to do all of the things I know that I won't be able to do for 6-8 weeks or more!

 

[Barbaraj]

My carpe diem is seize the grocery store! And clean the trailer.

Ha, ha, @mainegirl1, I can so relate! Funny how one's day revolves around chores so often. But they need to get done, bum hip or not, so glad to read you're powering through your day, too.

And, @enoughpain, were you always a morning person? My three younger kids would all sleep until noon if their lives permitted, but my older daughter confessed to me that after having children she feels she'll never sleep in again. My response? Welcome to parenting, which changes your life for the better and, uh, the worse! With four children under my belt, early morning hours were inevitable and I've learned to embrace that. I am not a crazy early person, but 6:30 is my usual "get up and get moving" time and even on vacation I can't sleep in. So, need to get ready this morning (still lolling around in my bathrobe!) and head out shortly. Keep up your good work in terms of your activity level. Don't overdo things but I think you're correct that you'll miss a more active life during recovery, and doing stuff beforehand will mean you're in better shape rolling into surgery, at least that was my experience last time.

 

[enoughpain]

@Barbaraj Yes, I've always been an early bird. I wake up when the sun comes over the horizon, although I usually wait until 6:30 to get up. Like you, I can't sleep in on weekends or vacation. When my children were young, I treasured that early time on weekends as it was the only time I could read.

 

[Barbaraj]

Well, it is a cloudy start to the July 4th holiday, but allegedly around noon the sun will punch its way through the clouds. We're off to a barbecue and evening fireworks viewing this afternoon, and I need to make a pan of cornbread to bring as my contribution. Feeling pretty good today which is nice as I'll have a bit of walking today as we're taking a ferry, walking on, which means we'll have to find a place to park in downtown and walk to the ferry which could be a considerable distance. Walking continues not to be a huge problem so far, although standing in one place for very long is painful, but I suspect as the month moves on I may have more symptoms such as aggravated aching when I walk. I continue to be fairly religious about my PT exercises, even on days when I am very unmotivated (uh, wait...that would be most every day!) My plan for today is to get 'em done and then maybe hoof off to the gym for a short workout and shower. Much as I groan about this approach I truly believe, at least for me, that it works. It did last time around, and why mess with success? Hope those who celebrate have good holiday today. Off to start my day!

 

[Barbaraj]

Eyes and throat are so sore and scratchy this morning--dratted fireworks smoke! It was indeed fun to see a fireworks show around 10:00 last night, from the deck of friends who have a waterfront home. But they had overnight guests up from California who proceeded to go bonkers, heading to several Indian reservations to buy HUGE, LOUD and incredibly smoke-producing fireworks which they proceeded to light off for hours leading up to the 10:00 "official" display which was put on, presumably by the city or county. Oh, yeah, and a wood burning firepit that was also cranking out a fair amount of smoke. As a result, the entire evening was spent in a haze of nasty sulfurous smoke. I tried going inside, but the hosts had opened all the doors and windows inside the house so it was almost as bad inside as outside. And the ferry departure, the last one of the evening, was delayed by 20 minutes. Didn't get into bed last night until 12:30 and the bombing of Beirut continued for several hours more, I suspect, although I did get to sleep eventually. Argh--love the fact I get to celebrate Independence Day but sure wish it involved less smoke and loud noises! Positive spin on this being that despite the usual morning ache from my hip, I am feeling more grouchy about my throat and eyes, thus lessening my focus on all things hips. Off to grab another throat lozenge and squirts of soothing eye drops...

 

[julesglass]

Shame your friends had everything open. We had a fireworks duel in my neck of the woods which as cool. Lucy my poor dog is still traumatized and pooped in the house. It's just once a year so I roll with it. Watch DC celebration on pbs, that was nice. Hope you get your throat and eyes cleared soon. Take care.