After hip surgery Feb 1….
4 days in the hosoital, coming out of spinal athestestic and pain of4 hrs of power tools to take out the old hip and put in the bionic one for $50,000 to last my lifetime.
A room full of flowers and plants from friends and relatives, phone calls and visits much appreciated. Hospital food that was lukewarm and not much even to a non gourmet like me. Needed 2 pints of blood after surgery…I did not make arrangements to give my own. They check every 2hrs for something and how can I get any sleep?
Transferred to Sister Kenny on Mon Feb 5 for physical therapy….6 times a day including Occupational Therapy and PT starting at 730 am to 330 pm as scheduled in 1/2 hr to 1 hr sessions. The therapy gym had real stuff like cars, buse and stores s to get in and out of, plus kitchens,, bedrooms and bathrooms to work in. And yes, an office area with a computer I could use
Caring male nurses (8 of 10), fun aides, patient therapists and doctors, lots of pain pills. Reading 2 or 3 books at a time while watching TV all hours. I was on my back in bed with a wedge between my legs to prevent me from moving my new hip. Commode by bedside meant ringing the bell for help getting up and back in bed. How many times in a night? Anytime after 4 am, I just stayed up and sat in the chair reading til breakfast.
Each day I was getting stronger and able to do more. I was glad to check out early on Sat Feb 10 since only 1 hr of PT was available on wkends. I was glad to be home. At first Jan had to lift my legs in and out of bed and put my surgerical stockings on. He helps with the therapy exercises and is doing some of the cooking. The PT person comes 3x a wk and the health aide 2x to give me a shower and shampoo.
Friends and neighbors have sent meals and stopped by to visit. I have been in the office for the 1 hr in the AM sitting in m wheelchair at the computer. Then Im ready for a nap. But I keep both phones so Jan is not bothered. One time while I was gone he had 30 calls in a day here…drove him crazy.
We still play cribbage after supper…there is no mercy in our games. And I walk around in the building and out if I can during the day. The wheelie walker from Linda Kojetin is a life saver…bigger wheels ad a soft padded seat for me to sit on in the office. It is much smaller than Ilenes wheelchair and easier to use. I even took it grocery shopping…the electric scooters in the stores are hard for me to use.
My month of hiberation to recuperate will be up March 1 and then I can drive. I shouldn’t need the walker in the house and will be accustomed to my cane. And unlike Humpty Dumpty who had many broken parts, I will be whole again. Pain free an ambitious ….
Happy Spring soon….Linda
