In a few days I will be traveling on a plane totally by myself since the operation (or well before). I'm a little nervous, but don't think there is actually much to be worried about. I'm at nearly 10 weeks post-op and the hip is getting stronger everyday. I'm mostly concerned about the stairs getting on the plane, they're kind of steep and spaced far apart.
I'm heading out for meetings, but going early to spend time with my godbabies!! I can't wait! I haven't seen these kids (and their parents, love them too), in months. And, the last time I saw them was just before the replacement and the day after Dom's hand surgery. EG., not the best time to have an enjoyable visit.
So, I haven't been back to work yet. Which is a pretty long time. It's been a combo of me taking my time and now my building is not open (new office building, yay!!). I haven't worked since September and feel pretty nervous about getting back into that groove. I'm worried that I'll be really uncomfortable in my two day long meetings coming up.
In other news, summer is coming! We're getting the garden ready, and the greenhouse is getting full. Can't wait to eat some fresh veggies from my backyard (well, fingers crossed we are successful).
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Two Weeks
I can't say the above post title without thinking of Arnie in Total Recall, which makes me either really lame or really awesome, I can't decide which.
Anyhoo, this is to say I am two weeks with my new hip!! Life has been better than ever and I continue to surprise myself with what these shiny pieces of metal/plastic/ceramic are allowing me to do. Some highlights:
1. I am now fully able to get in and out of bed by myself at all times. Something I have been unable to do since December!
2. After a doctor's appointment to look at my incision (which is looking great, by the way. Well, as great as an 8ish inch long incision on my butt can look), I totally jumped in on his walking group that meets at the hospital. It took me 25 minutes, but I walked around the whole damn thing (outside!) and got a lot of praise from my doctor along the way. My hip was fine, but my poor atrophied muscles have felt it for sure. Love it!
3. The snow is finally melting away enough from the road that Domino and I were able to walk outside for a bit yesterday. Sun and exercise! Pretty soon I will resemble a human being! Good-bye pasty, puffy body!
4. Oh, and I have been home in Labrador for about 5 days now! I thought that I would have to live in my basement for a while to avoid the stairs (sunken living room and no bathroom on the main floor), but it turns out navigating the stairs before the replacement was actually more difficult than now. I can scoot around all over the place.
5. I can actually walk around with just one crutch for the most part, but stick to two with the stairs. Not ready to try that just yet.
There were a few bumps in the road, mind you. I was looking to get a spinal as opposed to general anaesthetic, which my anaesthetist agreed with due to "instability" in my neck. However, after nearly an hour of trying, two docs, and about 16 jabs to my spine (which, yuck), it was a no-go. I was told I probably have arthro-spinal-degeneration, or some such thing. Apparently it also took two docs and two tries to intubate me as well. Now, my anaesthetist wants me to wear a medic-alert bracelet stating "cervical instability" and "difficult to intubate". I ended up with a chip in my femur during the surgery, which seemed to turn up okay. On day three, the IV narcotics majorly caught up with me and I had a very scary low-blood pressure event that was one of the yuckiest feelings ever. Once I got off the IV, I was fine and up doing laps, exercises and stairs. No more passing out :) My hemoglobin dropped down, and there was a threat of transfusion, but it raised up on its own by the next day, thank goodness.
Despite these little hiccups, I have felt so thankful to have this done. If my life is already so drastically improved, what will it be like in a few months? I can't wait to see!
Anyhoo, this is to say I am two weeks with my new hip!! Life has been better than ever and I continue to surprise myself with what these shiny pieces of metal/plastic/ceramic are allowing me to do. Some highlights:
1. I am now fully able to get in and out of bed by myself at all times. Something I have been unable to do since December!
2. After a doctor's appointment to look at my incision (which is looking great, by the way. Well, as great as an 8ish inch long incision on my butt can look), I totally jumped in on his walking group that meets at the hospital. It took me 25 minutes, but I walked around the whole damn thing (outside!) and got a lot of praise from my doctor along the way. My hip was fine, but my poor atrophied muscles have felt it for sure. Love it!
3. The snow is finally melting away enough from the road that Domino and I were able to walk outside for a bit yesterday. Sun and exercise! Pretty soon I will resemble a human being! Good-bye pasty, puffy body!
4. Oh, and I have been home in Labrador for about 5 days now! I thought that I would have to live in my basement for a while to avoid the stairs (sunken living room and no bathroom on the main floor), but it turns out navigating the stairs before the replacement was actually more difficult than now. I can scoot around all over the place.
5. I can actually walk around with just one crutch for the most part, but stick to two with the stairs. Not ready to try that just yet.
There were a few bumps in the road, mind you. I was looking to get a spinal as opposed to general anaesthetic, which my anaesthetist agreed with due to "instability" in my neck. However, after nearly an hour of trying, two docs, and about 16 jabs to my spine (which, yuck), it was a no-go. I was told I probably have arthro-spinal-degeneration, or some such thing. Apparently it also took two docs and two tries to intubate me as well. Now, my anaesthetist wants me to wear a medic-alert bracelet stating "cervical instability" and "difficult to intubate". I ended up with a chip in my femur during the surgery, which seemed to turn up okay. On day three, the IV narcotics majorly caught up with me and I had a very scary low-blood pressure event that was one of the yuckiest feelings ever. Once I got off the IV, I was fine and up doing laps, exercises and stairs. No more passing out :) My hemoglobin dropped down, and there was a threat of transfusion, but it raised up on its own by the next day, thank goodness.
Despite these little hiccups, I have felt so thankful to have this done. If my life is already so drastically improved, what will it be like in a few months? I can't wait to see!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Hipsters R Us
Well, I am about five days out of THR surgery and I have to say I feel pretty darn good. Gone is the stabbing, grinding pain that inhibited nearly every movement pre-surgery. I do have some dull aching (and butt swelling!), which increases when I do my exercises, but I'll take it. Every day gets better and better, already there are movements I can do that I couldn't before the surgery, it's truly changed my life already! I won't write a long post, I'm still feeling a bit of an energy drain. Just stopping in to thank everyone for their well wishes!
Friday, March 23, 2012
One Week
In exactly one week from now I should be (barring any delays) either in a recovery room or in my actual room at the hospital. I am simultaneously freaked out and wicked excited. It is high-time for this dysfunctional hip to go, high-time I tell ya. It's causing me to live I life I do no wish to live: house-bound, inactive, and in far too much pain.
I can't help but get caught up in the minute details of it all: how am I supposed to get in and out of a car/bed when my arms are destroyed by RA? How am I going to deal with all the damn stairs in my house? What if my ass falls off? (I am not actually scared of this, it's in reference to my new favourite - though now inactive - blog by Arley McNeney, fellow Canadian and youngster hip recipient. Part of her ass was literally unattached after surgery. Seriously).
But, I have been promising myself the past couple of days to really focus on the positive. I even have my own mantra, which I say aloud when my hip painfully grinds and pops its way into place:
"Smooth metal ball, shiny new socket. Smooth metal ball, shiny new socket. Smooth metal ball, shiny new socket". Oh yes, smooth metal ball and shiny new socket, you will soon be mine!
I can't help but get caught up in the minute details of it all: how am I supposed to get in and out of a car/bed when my arms are destroyed by RA? How am I going to deal with all the damn stairs in my house? What if my ass falls off? (I am not actually scared of this, it's in reference to my new favourite - though now inactive - blog by Arley McNeney, fellow Canadian and youngster hip recipient. Part of her ass was literally unattached after surgery. Seriously).
But, I have been promising myself the past couple of days to really focus on the positive. I even have my own mantra, which I say aloud when my hip painfully grinds and pops its way into place:
"Smooth metal ball, shiny new socket. Smooth metal ball, shiny new socket. Smooth metal ball, shiny new socket". Oh yes, smooth metal ball and shiny new socket, you will soon be mine!
Monday, March 5, 2012
March Updates
1. Tentative surgery date of march 30th. Come on already!! I need me a new hip, like, five months ago.
2. Still not too bored, which is impressive as I have been off work since September. I've learned just how much t.v. I can watch (a lot). Fortunately I've recently challenged myself on a new website I've joined to read 30 books this year. Which simultaneously sounds like a lot and not very much.
3. Speaking of joining new websites, I've joined Pinterest (OMG, so addictive!!), twitter (less addictive), and Goodreads (take over my life why don't you?). Social media much??
4. I shaved my damn legs for the first time in MONTHS. I don't really care, but it was pissing me off because I couldn't. I got a wicked shower seat for my birthday that makes me a happier, and cleaner, person.
5. Oh yeah, Dom broke his RIGHT hand a month ago, so we only have three good legs and three good arms between us. And, I'm labelling my arms as "good" as I can technically use them: unlike my right leg and Dom's right hand. It's been a real fun month. We are a pathetic couple right now. He had to travel by plane for surgery and everything. With me as an escort. Yeah.
6. We've had the best winter in a few years up here in Labrador. And a good winter is here is lots of fluffy snow and blinding sun. Except I rarely leave the house, never mind snowshoeing or ski-dooing. And, with Dom's hand, the relentless snow has really made us rely on family and friends to constantly shovel us out.
What's new with you folks? I'm a little out of the loop!
2. Still not too bored, which is impressive as I have been off work since September. I've learned just how much t.v. I can watch (a lot). Fortunately I've recently challenged myself on a new website I've joined to read 30 books this year. Which simultaneously sounds like a lot and not very much.
3. Speaking of joining new websites, I've joined Pinterest (OMG, so addictive!!), twitter (less addictive), and Goodreads (take over my life why don't you?). Social media much??
4. I shaved my damn legs for the first time in MONTHS. I don't really care, but it was pissing me off because I couldn't. I got a wicked shower seat for my birthday that makes me a happier, and cleaner, person.
5. Oh yeah, Dom broke his RIGHT hand a month ago, so we only have three good legs and three good arms between us. And, I'm labelling my arms as "good" as I can technically use them: unlike my right leg and Dom's right hand. It's been a real fun month. We are a pathetic couple right now. He had to travel by plane for surgery and everything. With me as an escort. Yeah.
6. We've had the best winter in a few years up here in Labrador. And a good winter is here is lots of fluffy snow and blinding sun. Except I rarely leave the house, never mind snowshoeing or ski-dooing. And, with Dom's hand, the relentless snow has really made us rely on family and friends to constantly shovel us out.
What's new with you folks? I'm a little out of the loop!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
New Year's Resolution
As I posted on my facebook recently, my new year's resolution is to lose as few body parts as possible. It's good solid advice. I mean, we all need as many body parts as we can keep, am I right?? Alas, I said that I wanted to lose as few as possible, not lose no body parts. For you see, I learned on December 28th, that I am in pretty desperate need of a hip replacement. Not that I didn't know some kind of intervention was coming, the crutches and wheelchair were clues. I just kind of thought that they might need to go in and "clean" things up a little. I don't know if I was being naive or something, but when the doctor told me, I was shocked. It seems silly to think back to my feelings, obviously there is some serious crap going on in there. I can't walk or get in and out of bed by myself. I can't really remember the last time I put on my own socks (I need some new gadgets).
So, I probably will lose the top of my femoral head, but it's all for a greater good, right?? I know that down the road I will feel soooo much better than I do right now. But, where I am right now is wishing I didn't have to be in need of this in the first place. Thinking about those first couple of incredibly painful days, basically re-learning how to walk and months of rehabilitation, still not being able to put my socks on for a period of time (what I wouldn't do for some independence!!), the threat of infection (got first hand experience), and the not being able to go back. Go back to all of my own body parts, to not having yet again some foreign object in my body. There's a level of distrust in my own body.
Sorry this post is a little bit of a downer! I am a bit excited, really. I can't wait to be able to get around without aids, to go outside for a walk with my fella and pup, and to put on my own darn socks! I know the outcome will be good, I just know that the road to get there will be tough.
So, I probably will lose the top of my femoral head, but it's all for a greater good, right?? I know that down the road I will feel soooo much better than I do right now. But, where I am right now is wishing I didn't have to be in need of this in the first place. Thinking about those first couple of incredibly painful days, basically re-learning how to walk and months of rehabilitation, still not being able to put my socks on for a period of time (what I wouldn't do for some independence!!), the threat of infection (got first hand experience), and the not being able to go back. Go back to all of my own body parts, to not having yet again some foreign object in my body. There's a level of distrust in my own body.
Sorry this post is a little bit of a downer! I am a bit excited, really. I can't wait to be able to get around without aids, to go outside for a walk with my fella and pup, and to put on my own darn socks! I know the outcome will be good, I just know that the road to get there will be tough.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Accomplishments
Today's shining glory: only breaking out into massive, sobbing hysterics once (yet - the evening is still young) while trying to get to the bathroom. I'm proud of myself!! I think it only took me 20-25 minutes, too, which is amazing! Okay, okay, Dom basically carried me most of the way up there, but I made it down myself!!
I know I've been MIA lately, and that sucks. This is an RA blog after all, and I've got some RA crap on the go. Despite the fact that most of my time is spent on my couch watching television ALL day long, I do have pretty big things going on in my life, most of which are not fun.
More of a long-winded post, full of depressing crap* soon, I promise!!
* Okay, so my life is not total crap :) I feel with all this stuff, my relationship is getting stronger, I can appreciate those tiny little victories so much, and Christmas is a season I love very much. While, I'm not getting as much accomplished as I'd like (fun shopping, baking, hanging out, etc.), it's still a beautiful time of the year up here in Labrador!
I know I've been MIA lately, and that sucks. This is an RA blog after all, and I've got some RA crap on the go. Despite the fact that most of my time is spent on my couch watching television ALL day long, I do have pretty big things going on in my life, most of which are not fun.
More of a long-winded post, full of depressing crap* soon, I promise!!
* Okay, so my life is not total crap :) I feel with all this stuff, my relationship is getting stronger, I can appreciate those tiny little victories so much, and Christmas is a season I love very much. While, I'm not getting as much accomplished as I'd like (fun shopping, baking, hanging out, etc.), it's still a beautiful time of the year up here in Labrador!
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