Tuesday was a great day. I don’t mean that anything unusual happened or that I suddenly could run at top speed, or at all for that matter. Indeed, after eight days I’m still hurt when I move, though again, it’s not nearly as much as I might expect, especially when I’m fresh.
The wound has not completely healed and I’m getting a little drainage, non-infectious thank goodness, requiring me to use bandaging when I dress. Earlier on this was not happening but for the last couple days I’m getting a few drops. This happens pretty much only when I’m sitting. My suspicion is that as part of swelling would naturally be excess fluid, as the swelling subsides the liquid has to go somewhere. A few drops are finding their way out through what amounts to a hole in my leg. In truth the cut itself is dry. The leakage is coming from a small patch near the cut that appears to be caused by something other than a knife.
But I digress. There’s no problem here or so my PT person tells me. Though I remain on the watch for any signs of infection. So far so good.
No, the great part of the day has nothing to do with that. Basically it has to do with my second PT session where I was complimented again on my apparent willingness to follow directions and the speed at which I seem to be improving.
I was reminded by the therapist that I can thank myself for my recovery in that I kept riding my bicycle until the week before surgery. He said that thanks to the fact that I kept up this exercise my legs were in excellent shape before the operation. That alone accounts for much of the outcome so far. In other words, if one expects to have this surgery one should do everything they can to get in shape before hand, don’t slack off. I was very lucky in that cycling never hurt thus I was not compromised. If walking or running were more to my taste I might have had to find something else.
In any case, the therapist, a replacement as my own was out sick, pushed me hard today, starting with my five minutes on the stationary bike. Like last week there was no pain and I had to be told to get off. Oh well.
Then I demonstrated the other exercises I’d learned, at full energy. I worked up quite a sweat and felt pretty good about things. I might note that I did take a Tramadol about an hour before the exercise session.
Then I was helped at shopping by a friend with a pickup truck. She’d given me a ride to therapy, which was great because it was raining, and ran errands in town while I exercised. I’d asked for help because I wanted to stock up on paper products and some other things that are just hard to carry in any amount on a scooter.
No rest for the wicked I’m afraid because as soon as shopping was done it was time for laundry, something I didn’t get to do last week as I was still in the hospital. I may have mentioned it before on the blog, but we have assigned laundry times and, while we can switch or use open times, it’s just easier to use your own time.
My concern over laundry was caused by the fact that the machines are on the roof, a full flight of stairs after the last floor serviced by our elevator. I’ve had trouble getting my rolling basked up the stairs before because of the bad hip and I wasn’t so sure I was ready given my current, albeit healthier situation.
I needn’t have worried. I won’t say it was hugely easier getting to the laundry area but it was easier. It was still work, but in the end I have clean clothes.
And here’s why it was a great day. For the first time in months and months I was able to walk up and down stairs using both legs as they are meant to be used. I’ve had to use my right leg to do all the hard work and pull the left even with it going up or down till today. Yes, I needed my cane and the rail of the stairs. But it was normal.
I know it seems pretty tiny, but mentally it was huge. Sometimes we forget just how important little things can be till, after a period of loss, we get them back.
After that I went out for a burger with a friend and came home completely done in. I did have that second pain pill today after laundry, and am grateful I did because all the exercise I’d done really started an ache (not worse than any I’ve had, but an ache nonetheless). I remembered something I’d been told by my doctors, that in cases like this it’s important to take pain medication in advance of exercise and movement.
This seems foreign to me as it leaves open that excuse of, “I’ll take this just in case I have pain later.” But they are right. It takes an hour for the effects to be felt and you don’t want to show up at PT in pain before exercising, just as you don’t want to go out, where you’ll have to walk around, in pain. Plan ahead.
For the record I’m still a low twice a day dosage of 50mm of Tramadol. Well under what I’m allowed and, while I’ve been at this level for a couple of days, the trend would still be down after eight days.
You might note by the time of this post that I’m up fairly late, but it isn’t because I’m having a bad night. I went to bed ridiculously early this evening, and have already had several hours of sleep. I’m headed back now and don’t think I’ll have much trouble nodding off.
Tomorrow? No real plans actually. No laundry, that’s for sure.