Protected post up.  It’s a doozy.

I posted earlier about Mo Farah’s race poses becoming a dance which was so cute and fun, I’m posting it twice . . .

Well here’s Brit Olympic diver Tom Daley doing the Mobot.  In a Speedo.  Hellllllllo, Tom!

 

 

After my first attempt to work at home, I felt like a wasted lump of atrophied muscle. So I was very pleasantly surprised to receive a get well card with this image on the front.

Heh. 

The cartoon my bf works on, The Amazing World of Gumball, won a BAFTA this weekend.  In even better news, The Gruffalo sequel which was one of its competitors was also produced by the same studio.  BF told me he had an opportunity to go to a party next week of one of the projects and would have a chance to meet some of the voice actors.  I’d go apeshit over meeting Simon Pegg!!  My work is so not exciting.  Sigh.

I joined in the conversation on Runner’s World injury support forum.  It’s really interesting reading back posts but sometimes it makes me feel woefully inadequate.  There’s women with 6 children, 6-7 minute per miler runners, ultra runners and just all around hyperachievers.  Lots of stories of how quickly they recovered.  It’s amazing.  I’m not sure where everyone is located geographically but it seems a lot of them go to the same doctor or have enough money to spend to seek out the specialists across the country, especially New York.  I’ve seen a few “I have a crap ass HMO” and I cling to them.  However, whatever background, we all have similar stories.  Hip pain, MRA, surgery.  Suffering en masse = being needy en masse.  It’s nice to centralize it. 

I think I’ve found a few people to talk to who know the 70-80 work hour week, are the sole providers of the family and found solace in running when they could fit it in.  We have the same worries like how long were you off work, short-term disability vs. vacation, finding the time for PT or inconveniently timed PT.  I couldn’t really relate to the 9-5 workday and disciplined after work runner.  That’s not me anymore.  I hope it’ll happen soon though!!!  I’ll be keeping an eye on those posters/posts and hope everyone’s recovery goes well. 

Right now, I’m keeping a separate protected by-the-day diary of recovery.  I was inspired reading this post to keep track of how I’m doing.  His injury is a little different from mine but I think his journey will be somewhat similar.  http://www.captainapplesauce.com/fai/#fix

I’m still getting dizzy from the painkillers but I’m able to eat soup now.  I’ve graduated to ramen noodles.  Woohoo!  I also had some stuffing.  Mashed potatoes, not doing so great.  Might be the cream or cream cheese?  Not sure.  I felt bad because my sister wanted to bring a ton of leftovers but I’m just not ready for them or the effort doesn’t make it worth it right now.  They’ll just spoil.

Some of my gym and work peoples visited me this weekend and tried out my chair bike . . . 

Here’s the evil redhead (just kidding) channeling Flashdance.  What a feeling!

His lovely wife, A, who’s drinking while biking.  She brought over a couple of awesome movies from Russia, Night Watch and Day Watch.  I like this vampire lore, way better than Twilight. 

Abbyrunner, face obscured by looking down and all WTF? with this contraption.  I think she liked how it was gentle on the legs after running her hard 10.  She ran 20 the day after.  She’s training for Goofy this year and I know she’s got that down pat.

M, drinking while cycling except with Starbucks.  Ahhhh, as it should be.  She works as many hours as I do (more right now) and managed to squeeze in long runs for the Marine Corps Marathon.  When I say she works a lot, it’s a ridiculous amount of hours, 90-100 hours of active work.  I hope she’s well compensated for it during review time. 

When I finally got to shower Friday, I also got to change the dressing/bandages.  I was taped from mid thigh to the top of my hip.  I had no idea what to expect.

Before the reveal, there was a lot of padding under these bandages. 

And just two tiny pieces of gauze underneath those huge pads . . .

Not sure what this is.  BM?  RM?  It was written on my hip.  There’s writing on my foot, too, but I can’t reach those yet.  I’m not supposed to reach past a 90 degree angle from my hip to leg.

 

Discarded bandages for the small incisions,

Life as I know it for the rest of the year.

Kiddo, her fiance, my friend MB (who declined to be photographed), my friend K, G and K (who didn’t get on the bike) and my friend Becky and Ken also came to visit.  It’s been hoppin’!  Becky is going to do a Reiki energy healing treatment on me when I feel more at relaxed, less rushed and am more aware.  I’d love to do her restorative yoga class but she said I had to be able to sit on the floor comfortably and without assistance to do this.  It will probably be next month.

This little thing is the chair bike.  It’s under $20 but I can hop on it way easier than hopping on my road bike trainer.  Well worth it.  I think it was a great purchase for what I need, zero resistance and focus on sitting comfortably.  I don’t know how my hips would feel in a saddle right now and I’m not interested in finding out until I can put weight on both legs and able to hoist my leg over the center bar of the frame!

My daughter brought me a Starbucks this afternoon so I’m going to relax with that, hop on the chair bike for another 30 minutes then attempt shower #3.  Showers take about an hour of me maneuvering into the shower to getting dressed and back in bed.  I’m getting the hang of this and no falls, knock on wood. 

Tomorrow, world domination!!

Starting yesterday, I’ve only had evening supervision because of my daughter’s job.  She’s been a tremendous help, making sure I’m drinking enough water or Gatorade because these pills and this house in general sucks the moisture away.  I have a terrible diet right now because nothing seems appetizing.  Vitamins and supplements will have to suffice. 

TMI, I know  -   My immobilizer makes it difficult to wear panties.  I could put them on but if I have to go to the bathroom, it’s difficult to pull them down because of the immobilizer.  Putting on pants in general when I can’t move my waist past 90 degrees of my legs is difficult but I’m wingin’ it – I’m now putting the brace on over the pants because I’ve developed a rash to the foam padding on the back of the brace.  Last night, the itching got so bad, I could hardly sleep.  Well, I need to get this panty thing together soon because that time of the month starts in a couple of days.  Yeah.  All I need is to be both gimpy and on the rag.

The most utilitarian article of clothing during my recovery so far is my bra.  I’m not coordinated enough to hold something and use my crutches at the same time.  The bra has come in handy as a pocket for the small items I’ve needed to transport to keep close at hand like a hair brush or a charging chord.  Before I move from the room, I put my cell phone in there – if I’m having trouble, I want to be able to call somebody. 

This Sunday I’m going to navigate the inside stairs with my daughter.  It will be the next big bump for me as they are steep, dark and narrow.  I will be navigating it boot scootin’ style.  I’d practiced going up and down the steps with one leg last week but I totally forgot I need to figure a way to bring the crutches with me. 

 

Today, I’m looking forward to my 72 hour post-surgery shower.  I thought I’d be a greasy mess by now.  Instead, I’m a dried up mess.  The medication is dehydrating the hell out of my skin and hair.  And other things.  TMI – everybody poops but some people are much happier than others when it happens after a couple of days.

WooOOOoooOOO!  I’m loving Percoset because this crap is stupid painful.  I’m in an immobilizer and today, I’ve successfully changed my pants and gone to the bathroom all by myself.  Hmmm.  That last sentence looks weird.  I did not pee in my pants.  I’m successfully taking the crutches to the bathroom.  Damn my English.  The crutches did not have to pee. 

The most painful feelings immediately after surgery were two unexpected places.  My ankle was very, very sore and my eye.  When the nurse asked my scale of pain (1-10), I put it at a 7 on my ankle and I couldn’t open both eyes.  WTF?  The ankle was from traction during surgery where they put a post between my legs and hoisted up the right one in order to do the pins and debridement.  My eye had a corneal scratch - residue from removing a mask that was taped down over my eyes/eyebrows. The ankle is much, much better, the eyes don’t need the special numbing drops anymore and my hip hurts like a mofo. 

Today, I was able to eat soup.  I don’t think a Thanksgiving dinner will make it into my belly this year.  I’m fighting off some wicked nausea and for last night and today, saltines have have been my best friend.  Plain, salty carbs.  That’s about as exciting as it’s going to get for a while. 

For your entertainment, here’s a fun Mo Farah dance video.  Reminds me of Zumba!  Heh.  Even if you don’t follow running, this looks fun.  Wonder if I can dance with my crutches?  Maybe a cane.

I was out of town on business late Thursday and got back late on Friday.  My flights were both a little delayed in leaving both times.  Most frustrating was Friday – the reason why we were delayed were people who couldn’t figure that they should have checked their bags.  Longest boarding and deplaning ever for a transfer flight.  I almost missed my flight home because of it.  On the flight home, I sat next to an overly polite young man who just got out of basic.  He’s going to Afghanistan in January and he was coming to Louisville to visit his girlfriend who’s a cheerleader at the university.  He was extraordinarily sweet and alarmingly young.  I wanted to take him home and protect him.  A lot of us on the plane were thinking the same thing, I know it.  But he’s a man with a plan.  Powers that be, protect that one.  Protect them all.

On the other side, I sat near a guy who’s son was running in the NCAA cross country championship from a west coast school much bigger than Louisville.  He was a dick, rolling his eyes at everything the young recruit was saying.  Yeah, well, your school didn’t win.  Suck it.

This weekend is my last on two standing legs for the rest of the year since after surgery, I’ll be on crutches or using a cane for 4-6 weeks.  I had a GREAT time with some of my running peeps trying out a couple of classes I had yet to experience and completely crashing and burning on standby favorites.  Zumba yesterday was absolutely insane.  Introductions from Diedre the instructor was “xxxx who teaches Monday does Zumba the right way.  yyyy who teaches Wednesday does Zumba the right way.  I don’t do this class the right way.” upon which there was a big woooooop from the class.  This class was awesome, tough, high energy and very hip hop oriented.  I’m sore all over and my back is still paying from shifting all the junk in my trunk forwards, backwards and all around the world.  Bike riding on the trainer later that evening was misery for my behind and lower back.  I lasted about half an hour before calling it. 

This morning, swimming, was a big bonk.  I wasn’t feeling it.  My friends were feeling it.  I eeked through 1,000m then just gave it up before trying PiYo which I sort of half assed so I wouldn’t tear my hip up any further than I already tore it up.  It was a good class but I suffered from the teacher moving to a location where I couldn’t see her very well and any of the exercises where my right leg needed to be stable in front, particularly triangle and the warrior poses.  Yeow.  Then we took a quick drive to my almost new house’s driveway.  There’s a new “PENDING” on the sales sign.  Yay! 

So a lot more to do to night, not even counting work.  My house is about 30% packed.  Lots of things on the upper shelves in boxes but I didn’t get the entire kitchen like I wanted.  I have more boxes to tape together and I have to throw a bunch of clothes and random closet-y things in ‘em.  Ugh.  Then I have to finish getting the temporary upstairs office together.  Then my mini snack and beverage station.  And I’ll be all set upstairs.  The Kiddo will be with me and we’ll see how terrible a patient I am for her.

Tomorrow will be hellish but I’ll blog again post-surgery.  Until then, have a good Monday, all.