THR Recovery in Labrador

Good to hear from you Jan and glad you are doing so well. Getting out socially is so mood lifting I found, even if you do pay for it the next day! You must be miles better if you are thinking of returning to work! Would the sitting down be an issue for you? Even at 11 weeks, I still feel as though I am sitting on a lump, although it is getting better.
Love the artwork - gives a great impression of your home surroundings. Looks quite wintery still. We are well into Spring here. Spent today choosing and buying plants at a nursery, then came home and potted up four big tubs - only about another 12 to do!
Hope your appointment goes well,
Diane
 
Hi Diane -
Yes, bit worried about the sitting but I facilitate in about hour and a half chunks - I can stand for part of that time and move around if need be. Plus, it is part of my work to get recovering clients moving so I'll walk with them everydsy!

Yes, plenty of ice and snow here still but every day gets better. The bay (we're on the end of a long long inlet from the Labrador Sea) is still frozen - breakup is a bit late here but it will happen. The beach is free of snow now and we only have a few drifts in the darkest parts of our yard. We do, on the other hand , have longer days this time of year than you down south. I can see the red line of dawn at 4 AM, and it isn't full dark until ten.

I don't garden here - our large property is covered in tall white spruce so too dark, but there are avid short seadon gardeners here! I'll wait until we're home in Nova Scotia. I love gardening.

Thanks for coming by!

Jan
 
6 Week Report:

I just read my own thread and found it helpful so want to remember where I was at this juncture. I spent some time reading other threads this morning too. Not so much to compare, but to boost my spirits. This has been a tricky week. For one thing it has been grey and moody since Tuesday. For another I realize my off-work time is coming to an end. I will go back to work on the 30th or so. I plan on a light first week and then back to full time. My weeks are quite different as I have a clinical week (when the client families are in residence) followed by what is called Nutshimit, an Innu word meaning land, which is when our client families are out on the land with a different crew. Clinical week is intense with me facilitating a program all day. Nutshimit weeks are quieter and when I do lots of outreach and planning. I work with Aboriginal families and youth (on the reserve school). I love the work but it is extremely intense. Families here are broken in ways that are unexplainable to folks who haven't been exposed to cultures that were colonized, exploited, and forgotten. The suicide rate is high, accidental death rate is high, domestic violence rate is high, and, of course, addiction rate is high.

Where am I going with this? I think if I hadn't been off work for my recovery I might have been for burnout. And now I am feeling most definitely wary about returning.

Note: I'm not asking at all for advice on this - just needing to unburden myself. There are naturally many other factors. I need to work. I was a feckless hippy in my youth and am not on the Freedom 55 plan (may be a Canadian reference) but Freedom Death - in other words no retirement for me! Plus, although I may not be excited about going back to work, I'm truly bored not working, so there's that.

I talked earlier on this thread about major back surgery that I had when I was 29. It changed my life and I know this surgery, the arthritis itself, and my recovery have to fo with how I design my Third Act.

So that's the deep shite. Here's the nuts snd bolts stuff.

1. I'm not spending nearly so much time in bed and my bed does not look like an art studio, office, and gym, but merely like a library and cinema!

2. My walks increase daily and my gait is improving. I don't use my cane so much around the house but definitely for outdoor rambling. I'm walking on sand, gravel, some snow etc...so want it for balance too.

3. I'm making meals, doing dishes and laundry and a smidgeon of housework.

4. I'm not doing the exercises given to me by physio. Sometimes I feel guilty about this but I apply Josephine mind liberally and it goes away.

5. In July I'll be taking a three thousand kilometres road trip. I'll fly back from Nova Scotia so it isn't a 6 thousand kilometer trip.

6. Sleeping still kinda sucks. Pillow engineer is not one of my skill sets.

Okay - time to do the dishes!
 
Sounds like you are progressing well @labanan. It's definitely a reflective period, I agree. I realised that going back to teaching 2-4 year olds was not going to be a great idea if I wanted my new hip to last and am having a rethink about what I want to do next. Giving it til September when my son goes off to university and hope I have some ideas by then!! Trying to look at it as exciting to change things a bit!
Glad you are getting out and about. The sleep does get better but was the slowest thing for me. I think you get into the habit of sleeping badly and it's hard to then sleep well. I'm getting there, you will too.
I'm just back from a few days in Italy. The walking didn't bother my hip - even the very steep Tuscan hill towns .. but the car journies did. I suggest you stop lots to walk around on your big drive in July. As long as I stretched out my legs it was ok.
Take care,
Sam xx


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Thanks Sam! Yep, we stop often on our road trips and walk. We might have our dog (not sure - she's a great traveler but it can be a pain in the keester finding motels that take dogs) and that is very good for the stopping.

It was very helpful to write my report yesterday as it is how I best process. I came to a decision after writing that, talking to a good friend, and then with my fella. I'm not going back to work until August. My doctor's note gives me until July 3rd. I was going to go back on the 30th of this month part-time increasing until I was full-time and then taking my paid leave to go on this trip. I was anxious about doing that for reasons already stated. Now I've decided to take my full time allowed and then take a month's leave without pay. I think my work will be fine with that and it gives my replacement more work which will make her happy.

I felt elated last evening at my decision. We can handle one month without me having a paycheck and it means I won't be pressured for time on the trip home. Whew!

Had ANOTHER lousy sleep last night. To night I'm taking a sleeping pill as I'm getting frantic.

I finally get my xrays and see a family doctor on Thursday. I won't see my surgeon as he is an expensive plane ride away but I'll be cleared I hope for normal activity such as having a bath instead of a dumb shower! Today the fella and I are going to give something a whirl and it isn't gin rummy. Hope it is like riding a bike!
Jan
 
Oh you are awful.
But I like you.
There is a section in the forum dealing with this.
Joe.....
 
Ha! Perfect response as always Joe! I expect nothing less from you! And Jan, hope you had a great day!
Diane x
 
Hey Joe! I was of course referring to line dancing! Can't imagine what you were thinking. With a little care and a few moves we've never thought to try before all was good. Like a 'dance' between a hedgehog and a sloth.

And Diane, I did have a good day. We went into town (45 minutes away). I hoped to see some bears as this is the time of year we generally do - flooded out of their dens, new cubs in tow - but alas, none to be seen. I got some very nice doll making supplies as I'm going into production this month. All hand-sewn, felt bodies. Never sure of finding what I need in Goose Bay- shopping can be infuriating. But I was successful and now I'll start to work. I've had little spurts of doll-making my whole life and when my surgery was postponed for a week l went into the doll zone and made three of them!

I took sleeping pills last night- ones I took the seven months before surgery. Still had a devil of a time getting to sleep and it was still disturbed but I slept until 9:30 this morning so yay! I usually wake at 6.

Okay I'm getting up now! Enough lolly gagging about.
 
Ha ha ha! What a giggle! Particularly loved the image of the hedgehog and the sloth!!
Have a great day guys,
Diane x
 
Hey ya sorry on the sleep I've had issues with sleep for a long time and slept pretty good for weeks but week 5 hit and Splat I um now and then take 2 not one.... I stopped that but lack of sleep makes me whining .....Your job sounds fascinating but hard and maybe depressing....Good luck with your GP appointment and HAPPY HOLIDAY
 
Report - 6 week checkup at week seven:

All good! Am waiting for the fella to pick me up - had xrays and saw gp. Xrays look gorgeous and I'm cleared for anything I wasn't already doing in defiance of restrictions. Except floors - apparently no vacuuming or washing floors for life. Just kidding but think I can sell it to the fella!?
Home for more dolly making. Here's Trixie. Finished her this morning.
 

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Great report! Hearing we are doing very well is always reassuring, that's for sure. Your Trixie is adorable. Having hobbies like that along with your painting sure helps pass the time during recovery. You are lucky to have a "quiet" hobby like that. For those that pretty much only enjoy the more strenuous activities like biking, paddling, running, hiking, it is much more of a struggle to get through the recovery time it seems. It did seem hard to get into much during the first two weeks but after that, it was no problem and it sure does make the recovery days go by faster. That idea of no vacuuming or washing floors for like sounds like a good one. If only there was a way to convince the guys!!
 
Hi Granny C, just was over checking your thread! Yes, passions certainly help! I finished another doll today!

I love hiking too but it snowed here today. Yes, snow!
 
I love your doll I do have a latch hook rug and adult coloring books but just can't get into sitting fun for now.... I bet if they told me move more I'd want to sit
 
That stinks to have snow now but I know it happens. Even in upstate NY it is a possibility but this year it is just lots and lots and lots of rain. It seems we get a max of 2 nice days followed by several days of rain. It is so wet I don't even think the farmers can plant yet. Sat and yesterday were very nice but now today rain AGAIN. I was able to get outside and get some weeds out of the flower beds yesterday so that seemed good. I was pretty tired last night and slept very good thankfully.

Do you have a pattern for your dolls or do you just make them up as you go along?
 
I do a riff on a standard pattern using felt or melton cloth for the body and button jointed legs. There is a free Mimi Kirchner doll pattern on Purl Bee that I used for two dolls but I don't like flat faces so I've tweaked and changed.

Having a very slow day as didn't sleep at all well. Feeling a bit hlue...
 
Jan by the time you see this I hope you're less blue but I understand if you're not ....me tense and semi blue

I'm so sorry you didn't sleep well that's hard I know it's something I deal with often even pre surgery.... I'm one who NEEDS sleep and can't function without it.... I get like scared it will always happen..

Sending hugs and prayers
 

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