Cane & Able

This is what came home with me from the hospital.

Walker, cane, crutches, bathroom chair, shower chair and ice machine.

I took a look at all this and wondered if it was all necessary. Yes, it IS. I still can't use the crutches, they are too unwieldy. I only use the cane on the stairs, and even that is wobbly with four prongs on the bottom.  The ice machine is AMAZING. It won't burn skin, so I can keep it on all the time. It's necessary too because the amount of swelling is indescribable. My hip and upper leg are unrecognizable. I have to keep reminding myself that this is MAJOR surgery. I had my pelvis broken in three places, and two major muscles detached and reattached. 

Learning to walk again is a strange feeling. But I must say that having been a figure skater for 35 years now has definitely prepped me for pain and mental toughness. 

Stairway to Heaven

I've been home . . . who knows how long now. I've been woefully deficient in keeping up this blog. But it was pretty difficult the first week or so. I was on a HUGE cocktail of meds, and I slept a lot. Thank goodness for that though because I was uncomfortable and in pain. Also, if I had been awake I would have been aching for a shower. Being asleep so much meant that I was blessedly unaware of the stench that built up. Now that the home PT has been coming around, and I have become mildly more mobile, I have been able to learn how to ascend the stairs in my home.

I have been sleeping downstairs, and my amazing and supportive husband has also been sleeping downstairs. He pulled out our camping cot (it's a nice one) and has been shacking up in the living room with me. So grateful! Anyway, navigating the stairs seemed so daunting, and I had a very hard time in hospital when one of the PTs wanted me to practice on a curb height step. I pulled a muscle under my arm and it hurt something fierce. Since then I've been wary of stairs, but desperately wanting to get to my room and shower. Finally, after a couple of visits and firing the first PT that came, I got a great PT and - I went up the stairs! No shower that time, but it was such a relief to know that I was able to go up.

My son has Cerebral Palsy, and for the past two years he has learned how to walk, sit up, and yes, climb our stairs. is therapists time him and he goes up on an average of 43 seconds, and down at about 53 seconds. Waaay faster than me. He offered to teach me what to do. Little bugger. Over the past few weeks with some practice, I've been able to get better at going up with a cane. I have trouble on the landing as there isn't anything to hold on to, so I need 'supervision'. And finally . . . I got up and . . . got to my shower!! It was heaven to sit under the hot water and wash my hair. I've now been able to shower more often (less apologies necessary to those around me) and feel oh so much better. Thank goodness my house of full of males, with the exception of my daughter. They hardly notice anyway. But I sure feel better. That stairway really does go to heaven.

Rookie Move

rook·ie   (rk)

n.

1. Slang

a. An untrained or inexperienced recruit, as in the army or police.

b. An inexperienced person; a novice.

2. Sports A first-year player, especially in a professional sport.

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[Perhaps alteration of recruit.]

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This whole dysplasia thing is bizarre. One day I have pain, the next, very little. So after a few days of lessening pain, I woke up to a virtually pain free day yesterday. So what did I do? Play soccer with the family. Rookie move. It was just some kicking around on a field. But after five minutes, I started to ache a little. Ever the 'tough minded' one, I kept going, even drop kicking a few balls and running a bit.

Big. Mistake.

Today, my good side feels worse than my affected side. I literally almost had my husband run out to the drug store for a cane. I can barely stand on that side. Great too because that's the side I sleep on when my affected side hurts too much at night. Well done new kid. Well done.