Thursday, March 29, 2018

Rambling

The nails go 'round and 'round...

Ever since I began this long knee story, my nails have become awful.  They split, break, chip off and combinations of all those.  I don't know if this is an effect of the antibiotics or what, but they are often covered in band aids to keep them from splitting even further into the quick.  Next week the nail lady is coming here to do them, as I cannot get into her place with my walker.  I can hardly wait, I have had them done every 2 weeks for around 20 years and now my naked natural nails look weird to me.  I also need to get my toenails painted, but R can do them for me, save a few $$.  I have a list of phone calls I need to deal with, like the gutter installer, and I hope his estimate is not too dear.  I need them done this year before there are torrential rains mid-summer.  I also have 5 doctor appointments to catch up with, podiatrist, psych doctor, etc.  A fun time.

I am currently burning an apple cider candle from Yankee Candle, and it smells nice without that going-to-be-hungry vibe.  I like the vanilla scents as long as they are not too bakery scented, I have plenty of trouble staving off snack attacks as it is.  I have mandarin cranberry lined up next.

I want to get to work on my cross stitch projects, but the problem is the chair I have next to the fireplace.  It is very comfortable, but also very deep, and I fear I will be unable to get out of  it once I settle in.  There is a special light there too.  I am typing this on the fold-out for the sewing machine, but it kills my back pretty quick.  Maybe I can put pillows under the chair cushions?  I will think it over.

I bought a nice pair of CZ earrings as my birthday gift to myself, and they are very shiny (Sparkly!)  and have a screw-on back for extra security.  I had to get R to put them on me, she has tiny fingers and can see what she is doing.  I fiddled with them for 20 minutes trying to get the clasp to screw on, but she did it in 20 seconds.  I usually wear them without removing them, and I don't see any reason to remove them (like if they pinch for example).

The home therapist just left and he is pleased at the progress I am making, although to me it is very slow.  Still, I am able to walk at a  slow walk with my walker, this is better than being bed-fast.  At the rehab hospital I used the walker to transfer to the wheel chair, and now there is no wheelchair, so there is some improvement.  I am careful now, no risky moves that might cause me to fall.

I got an honest to goodness get well card last week, With a hand written note no less.  There is something to having a note that can be re-read and held that email doesn't cover.  My BFF and I wrote back and forth over our many years as friends, she is gone now and I miss her notes as well as herself.  I have kept most of our letters,  they fill most of a dresser drawer.  I wish she was still alive, big hole in my heart now.

This is a fragmented post, I am usually more organized than this demonstrates, where each topic isn't more than 3 sentences long.  Maybe the next post will be more cohesive.  Meanwhile, carry on and be grateful for your abilities walking, talking, hearing and more.  You would miss them if they were gone.


Thursday, March 15, 2018

Home Sweet Home



Well, not quite germane to my situation, but close enough.

I AM HOME AT LAST!!!!

I have not been home for 4 months, while I have been in assorted hospitals, rehab, more hospitals, etc. you get the idea.  I now have a new knee, and am able to walk somewhat with a walker.  I also have "drop foot"  as a result of all the cutting and such, and it is slowly coming back to normal.  So good to sleep in my bed, use my bathroom, eat meals with my son.  I still cannot do stairs, so LR, DR, Kitchen are all unreachable.  I have the bedroom, bath, laundry, computer office (!) and I am quite content.

I have had two close calls with surgery, one where my blood pressure plummeted during the operation, and one where I had an emergency intubation when I stopped breathing in the recovery room.  I will think mighty hard about any general anesthesia in the future.  Although the blame for who is responsible for the panic time is still up in the air.

I will try to keep this blog up to date from here on out, I have missed doing it, although I only have a handful of followers right now.  That's OK with me anyway.  I  will have to re-read my past posts and see what I have already discussed.  I have plenty of time for doing this...

Bye for now...