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THR Well here I am on the Other Side... :)

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Oh @FionaW you are doing tremendously well!!! So pleased I have caught up with your thread again!!! Sounds like you are coming ahead in leaps and bounds alright and doing those stairs without a second thought and the 300 yard walk must have given you a great sense of accomplishment. Congratulations and I sincerely hope your recovery keeps going so well.
 
Nope, here in the UK (under the national health system at least) we just don't have that kind of relationship with our surgeons! I'll see him or his deputy at the end of June, and there's no contact before then unless there's a serious problem... I will ask then, but it seems a long way off!
 
Oh Bill @fulafoto , your post has just appeared! Thanks for your good wishes. :) Progress seems to be slowing this last couple of days... I am still doing a bit more each day, but I am still very, very tired! My friend went home on Weds, and yesterday I cooked an evening meal for the first time, with help from my son... Wow, that was exhausting! I guess it's inevitable when sleep is still so disturbed. Last night was my best so far, but that isn't saying much! About 7 hours in total, only waking 3 three times! I see why they say this is a marathon not a sprint... And I think I might be approaching the famous 'wall'! :umm:
 
Well from what I have read Fiona that 'wall' happens to everyone and please remember that we are all here for you when it hits and it is part of the journey for all of us in this boat - whether we have been through it or are scheduled to go through it.

You are achieving some terrific goals such as cooking the evening meal and remember that you are only just over two weeks past a major operation - I hope you are giving yourself a pat on the back for that?

Your progress so far has been wonderful and I am sure your body will tell you when you are doing too much - I guess you have to work out when enough is enough and stop there before you go into the worn out zone :)

Keep up the terrific recovery and remember that 'wall' is part of that four letter word we all endure: it's called LIFE xx
 
Thank you for your kind post, Bill @fulafoto . :) I have been feeling a bit down this morning, and you correctly spotted that I haven't really given myself credit for my small achievements the last couple of days. For instance, instead of feeling good about making the evening meal, I was feeling bad that I hadn't been able to manage to do it on my own and felt so tired afterwards. Instead of being pleased that I walked a bit further again yesterday, I was feeling sad that I can't get as far as the hills I yearn to climb, or even the local park!

I think there are a few reasons for my low mood. Tiredness is one. Hormones are another (my period is late). The sun has disappeared too, and our weather has reverted from gloriously warm and sunny - which I love, and which means I can sit outside all day :) - back to chilly winds and driving rain... And I can't reach our boiler controls under the stairs to get the heating back on! Also, when my legs started twitching and fidgeting this morning, I realised that I missed my 2am Tramadol last night, and since it has definitely been making me cheerful, I think my low mood may partly be to do with this missed dose - a sort of mini-withdrawal.

Anyway, I am doing well. I can now climb stairs reciprocally without a stick, using just the normal handrail for safety. I can do the 'clam' and other exercises that I couldn't do at the beginning of this week. And yesterday's walk was almost 400 y/m (200 each way) - which a bit more than the distance to that park, so I could get there, even if I couldn't quite yet get back! Thanks for helping me put things back in perspective, Bill. :)
 
400 metres in the first two weeks - climbing stairs without a cane?? That is not good Fiona that is MAGNIFICENT!!!! You really do need to acknowledge your achievements big time. Being a pre-opper I am looking at you and thinking to myself "I hope I can do as well as Fiona" I truly am.
Missing your dose of Tramadol could have been a cause of ur lower mood but from what i have read here everyone has a 'rock bottom' in their recovery but do please remember it is only a temporary thing - a speed bump in the road to recovery if you like :)
Keep up the brilliant work and we are here for you xx
 
@FionaW , I am feeling so spoiled right now- I can't imagine not being able to call OS with questions. We're a day apart, and having some of the same feelings. My energy level is way down from usual and it's hard to remember that I just had major surgery last week.

I had an appt with the physician assistant (he was part of the surgical team) today. He said the tiredness is part of the recovery, and also told me that the sweating that I thought was part of menopause (started early 4 years ago for me) is a side effect of the blood thinner I'm taking- so I have a hot flashes and general sweating. :tantrum: I am also sleeping only 2-3 hours at a time, and get up to change my sweaty pajamas once a night.

My pain is mainly near my incision site (kind of a deep dull ache), and I also have some muscle pain- achey pain that goes down from the knee on my operated leg.

I think part of my problem ( and maybe yours) is that I'm doing really well mobility-wise and my pre-op pain is gone, so I'm expecting my independent self to be able to conquer the world. I have to tell myself that the tiredness is a reminder that I need to rest in order to let my body heal; the more energy I use for everyday activities the less energy my body has to repair tissues, muscles, etc.

This process has also given me a new perspective into the lives of the disabled who can't "fix" their problems with surgery. I sometimes think God gives me trials so that I can develop more compassion for others. And it gives me more incentive to count the many blessings that I have.

Sorry to ramble- just thought you might like to know you're not alone in your feelings. I hope you have a great, restful day! :flwrysmile:
 
Well, my batteries are feeling recharged today :) I had my best night's sleep so far: almost 8 hours, with one 4.5 hour uninterrupted stretch, and only waking twice. I even managed to sleep on my side for a little while! :)

I'm still taking things very easy. I horizontal for at least 12 hours a day, with my legs elevated for about 2. I am wandering round the house and climbing stairs (my loo is upstairs) and doing my exercises, but that is about it. I had another shower this morning and made myself a bowl of berries and a boiled egg and toast for brunch... And that's about as exciting as my day will get! I admit I'm starting to get a bit stir-crazy, which must surely be a good sign! And the weather is terrible - torrential rain! - so there's no opportunity to potter in the garden or go for a longer walk... I guess that keeps my impatience in check!
 
Well good news on your activities and sleeping Fiona but not so good about the weather. They say if you are getting stir crazy you must be getting better and that is terrific!!! I hope the weather clears up soon for you and you get the chance to get out into your garden :)
 
I'm very pleased with my walk today! I made it to the corner of my street, which is about 620m/yards there and back... And there, within sight and easy reach, was the park! I was very restrained, and didn't go on any further, but now I know I can definitely make it - maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after...! :)

My leg felt a little bit 'twisted' this afternoon and when I set out. Not painful, but as if the foot on my operatedleg wanted to turn in a bit. I watched, and it seemed to... I made a conscious effort to keep my foot straight... At the start of my walk, I could feel it pulling tight in my glute and down my thigh and calf, but by the end of the walk it had eased. I know that glute was in a cramp before my op - what the physio described as a 'chronic spasm' and the massage therapist called 'the tightest muscle I've ever felt'! - so I think perhaps there are some weird muscle adjustments my new fixed body needs to make! I'm finding the physio exercises useful, not specifically because they strengthen the muscles but because they give me a better awareness of how the different sets of muscles work when I move...

Bedtime now. I hope everyone else has had a good day. :)
 
Glad you noticed your twisting Fiona and that you corrected it - may be something you have to be conscious of for in the short term at least?

Congratulations on getting within sight of the park but Fiona; I must warn you that when you get to the park - no going on the playground yet and watch that slippery slide :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
 
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