Hi , Kate. We just finished bagels & cream cheese, compliments of our same sweet neighbor! Actually tasted Good to me - and yes, you nailed it! Tramadol evidently dealt with the pain, but the nausea was so bad, I lost 7 pounds! Miserably. The Tylenol seems to be working well, hopefully I can cut it back at some point, but I keep it at 3,000 max. Food still often tastes strange, I’m looking forward to really having an appetite & enjoying food again.
Last night I slept well! The night before ( I had just totally quit the tramadol, gradually going from 4 times a day, then 3, then 2, 1, off.) My pain has been very tolerable. Then,the last night, it was as if my knee was rebelling: pain, cramps, zingers, insomnia. It was my worst night, but interestingly enough, yesterday was Fine! A little tired, but overall, OK. And last night I slept Well. It was wonderful.
I had been taking it for 2 1/2 -3 weeks total, so maybe a withdrawal? I rarely take much medication, just Tylenol, an Occasional ibuprofen ( but they do scare me, after my ulcer scare); I was also taking 1 Meloxicam daily, but finished that. So maybe just a combination of things. I plan to get up more today, work on exercises from my therapist. And try not to overdo!
My stubbornness seems to butt heads with that!
I’m often reminded of one of my Grandmother’s sayings: “ I’m not stubborn....I’m just Determined!” She was a strong woman, and suffered a number of tragedies and hardships from her early days. But she went on to marry & raise my wonderful Papa & 2 other children, & left us all with a lot of warm & funny memories. And, she’d probably tell me now, “ Charlie, your determination is good. But listen to the sage advice on this forum... listen to the ones who have walked this journey, and are ahead of you in it. “
I relate to your feelings about clutter.... although, our home Definitely tends to have that “ lived in” quality. My brother’s wife, one of the wisest people I’ve ever known, helped me to put this into perspective some years ago. We were planning a family reunion, much of it in our home, & I was fretting over the often mess I have, particularly when I’m gardening & canning. She said, very simply & clearly: “ Charlie, we’re not coming to see your House..... we’re coming to see You!” And I try to remember that.
My laundry also in the basement. Fortunately, the stairs are split, & stairs have not posed a problem, I’m very Careful, & slow; but my knee has been really bad for a long time, so I’ve been doing that for some time now. I also have a stool that I sit on while I do the laundry....Huge help! We found one on Amazon, sturdy, with a padded seat, a bit pricey ( around $50 I believe), but well worth it. It looks nice enough to be upstairs, too. Is there anyone who might help you with the laundry? It can be a big job, even for 1 or 2 people.
Well, I should get up & walk some... hoping to do more now that I am feeling
better. Enjoy being in your home ( even your own clutter, that’s OK), and, rest when you need to. Don’t go too hard- it generally hits you After the fact. And, my Felicity Kitty says.... enjoy those kitties!!