Tuesday, July 24
Tuesday, July 24 -- 6th post-op day one week in hospital
Usual morning festivities today, get up, wash up, wait for the doc and breakfast. The surgeon said the wound is healing well and he's happy with the progress. Much less drainage yesterday and last evening than the day before.
Lots of bustle and hustle in the hallways, and suddenly, I have a roomie.
Interesting young fellow from Hohenfels, a US Soldier working with the visual info team there. He has a buddy with who can speak a bit of German, but I wound up translating a bit, and helping him get settled in.
He's here for repair of a fracture of a finger and possibly of one of the bones in his hand. Looks a bit like 'boxer's fracture' to me, but I have no idea what happened and haven't been nosy about it. He's probably here only for the day, and will likely be gone again tonight.
Took a quick turn around the hallway and spoke to the PT briefly, but just now, when she was passing by my room, I got scolded. As I type this, I'm sitting on the edge of the bed (knees dutifully lower than hips, feet theoretically flat on the floor), but when she was passing by, I had unconsciously crossed my legs at the ankles (thought the knee-hip angle and the spacing between my knees about two fists wide) was still correct.
It's interesting, the things I'm supposed to be undergoing and the things I'm not supposed to be able to do. I'm afraid I tend to push the envelope a bit, and am constantly trying to find the edges of my new functionality. For instance, I'm not supposed to be able physically to touch my toes, but I can. Of course, I've got arms like an orangutan, too.
I'm not supposed to be able to do this or that, but I can find a way to do it and stay within the parameters of my restrictions, for the most part. It just takes longer or I must re-learn simple skills and replace the old way of doing things.
*HW: It's been interesting watching his creative approaches to simple problems with doors, shoes, clothes, those damned unsexy anti-thrombosis stockings (I really must get him some proper white lacy garters) et cetera. He lives for pushing the envelope, which anyone who has trained with him can vouch for-- he WILL find your envelope and he WILL push it! He's not a big one for rules and tends to follow them with a jaundiced eye... but he's being very good, especially for him. *
Be interesting to observe, as this progresses, to see how much of what I can and can't do changes over the coming months.
Overall, I feel pretty good right now, pretty functional. I'm thinking healing thoughts at the wound (Mostly along the lines of, Quit fucking seeping, already, dammit!), and am marking off days on the calendar.
Later that day ..
Alex woke up craving a smoke and by that, the nurses figured he was ready to go home and kicked him out.
The rest of the evening was quiet, restful and utterly unremarkable. I did get a care package from HW, clean clothes and a few treats and necessities.
Every day, almost every hour, I feel better, hurt less, seem stronger. I still tire pretty easily, but stamina is coming along as well.
Couple more days here, and then we'll see what Reha brings.
Usual morning festivities today, get up, wash up, wait for the doc and breakfast. The surgeon said the wound is healing well and he's happy with the progress. Much less drainage yesterday and last evening than the day before.
Lots of bustle and hustle in the hallways, and suddenly, I have a roomie.
Interesting young fellow from Hohenfels, a US Soldier working with the visual info team there. He has a buddy with who can speak a bit of German, but I wound up translating a bit, and helping him get settled in.
He's here for repair of a fracture of a finger and possibly of one of the bones in his hand. Looks a bit like 'boxer's fracture' to me, but I have no idea what happened and haven't been nosy about it. He's probably here only for the day, and will likely be gone again tonight.
Took a quick turn around the hallway and spoke to the PT briefly, but just now, when she was passing by my room, I got scolded. As I type this, I'm sitting on the edge of the bed (knees dutifully lower than hips, feet theoretically flat on the floor), but when she was passing by, I had unconsciously crossed my legs at the ankles (thought the knee-hip angle and the spacing between my knees about two fists wide) was still correct.
It's interesting, the things I'm supposed to be undergoing and the things I'm not supposed to be able to do. I'm afraid I tend to push the envelope a bit, and am constantly trying to find the edges of my new functionality. For instance, I'm not supposed to be able physically to touch my toes, but I can. Of course, I've got arms like an orangutan, too.
I'm not supposed to be able to do this or that, but I can find a way to do it and stay within the parameters of my restrictions, for the most part. It just takes longer or I must re-learn simple skills and replace the old way of doing things.
*HW: It's been interesting watching his creative approaches to simple problems with doors, shoes, clothes, those damned unsexy anti-thrombosis stockings (I really must get him some proper white lacy garters) et cetera. He lives for pushing the envelope, which anyone who has trained with him can vouch for-- he WILL find your envelope and he WILL push it! He's not a big one for rules and tends to follow them with a jaundiced eye... but he's being very good, especially for him. *
Be interesting to observe, as this progresses, to see how much of what I can and can't do changes over the coming months.
Overall, I feel pretty good right now, pretty functional. I'm thinking healing thoughts at the wound (Mostly along the lines of, Quit fucking seeping, already, dammit!), and am marking off days on the calendar.
Later that day ..
Alex woke up craving a smoke and by that, the nurses figured he was ready to go home and kicked him out.
The rest of the evening was quiet, restful and utterly unremarkable. I did get a care package from HW, clean clothes and a few treats and necessities.
Every day, almost every hour, I feel better, hurt less, seem stronger. I still tire pretty easily, but stamina is coming along as well.
Couple more days here, and then we'll see what Reha brings.
Labels: Hip Replacement Post-Op
posted by edge | 3:52 PM
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