Week 5
Sleep is slowly coming back to normal. I’ll have 2-3 days of 6 or more hours sleep, then a night of just 3-4. It’s ok, not perfect but getting better.
My OS cleared me to drive, as long as it feels safe, so I drove around the block in the middle of a weekday to test it out. Not bad, I felt I could brake and control the vehicle. I’ve been dependent on my husband to drive me around, so knowing I can now get behind the wheel if needed is reassuring. I will probably not drive much in the next week or two. I did ride in a car for about an hour each way to a nearby city and that was fine.
I also attended a performance by my ukulele group that lasted about an hour. It was fun being in the audience, and my knee was fine with the sitting. I hope to return soon to playing with the group.
Outside I use my cane, but mostly forget to use it indoors unless my leg is tired and complaining. I keep icing, elevating and resting as needed. I’m able to comfortably, if very slowly, walk my dog for 6-8 blocks a couple of times a day. He enjoys the slower pace since it allows him to sniff more.
I met with a friend who had seen me a few weeks ago, and she said I looked and seemed much better. She may have said that out of kindness, but I’m trying to believe it, especially on my down days when I feel progress is slow.
I’m grateful that I am retired and am not under pressure to return to work. I can really focus on activities that support my recovery.
Enough good news, haha. I’m doing my stretching 3 times per day, and am frustrated that my leg is not as bendable as I would like. I’m just impatient. I know it will get better in time, I just wish that time were right now! The stretching exercises start out being uncomfortable then feel quite nice by the end. They are a combination of straightening and bending in various positions. I sometimes also pedal on an under desk pedal machine I used when I was working from home before I retired. It’s less of a rotation than a regular bike. I mostly use this when zooming into a class or group event. One silver lining of the pandemic is definitely the wide availability of online meetings and classes. It makes life more bearable for people with health issues. My zoom sessions have been high points during this recovery period, and have helped me stay connected to people.
Allergies are in full swing, sigh…I know that has nothing to do with TKR, it’s just an addition to the misery level.
Even though I’m off the opiate pain meds, I seem to have the worst brain fog. I’m forgetful and having difficulty concentrating. It could be recovery from the sleep deprivation. I was probably worse before, but didn’t notice it. Now I’m a bit more with it, I notice how not with it I am.
Boredom comes and goes. It’s much improved since I can get out more. I am focusing on being mindful when I’m feeling bored and trying to recognize what is going on leading to the bored feeling. I think mostly it’s impatience and wanting things to be other than they are, which is basically a recipe for unhappiness. On the other hand, I’ve been reevaluating some activities I was doing to see if they were really adding to my enjoyment of life. I may drop a few things I was doing previously.
Wow! This is much longer than I intended. It’s so nice to have a place to express all this. Hope all of you here are having a good week!