back at home i got off all pain meds this week and was fine. i had a few restless itchy nights where i actually got out of bed, wiped down and re-applied all my itchy creams (sarna and gold bond). i don't know what's causing my itchiness. opiate withdrawal? night sweats? it's mostly my upper back and belly area. i am having issues adjusting my sleeping pillow for my knee appropriately. my heel was resting on the bed once and i woke up cuz my heel was hurting. then i thought i had to keep my heel off the bed, but then there was too much pressure under my knee and my calf and foot would get really cold and numb.
we went out in the wheelchair our first day back and i realized i won't be able to go for wheelchair strolls on my own. for one thing, i can't get out our front door unassisted. and then NYC sidewalks are not smooth, paved streets of gold. even getting pushed we had trouble getting over some curbs. i got cursed at by a guy on a bike for getting in his way. oh well. another time a guy came running after me to tell me i was crutching wrong. i asked him what injury he had and said i had hip surgery, and then he went on his way.
my energy has been really low and i've been taking catnaps. i'm probably still anemic. i wake up normal time and prepare hot bfast and go out every morning on my crutches. the farmers market is right across the street MWFSa so it makes for some decent browsing. i can't get very far however, maybe 2-3 blocks at most, and then i got kinda exhausted. if i buy anything, my heavy bag is hard to deal with.
i can prep and cook ok but it is tiring having to shuffle back and forth from the fridge on crutches and not having hands to carry stuff. then i have to stay on my right leg for a long time and it gets tired and sore. i don't mind cooking but it's taxing to do it everyday. we received some frozen meal deliveries which taste ok but are convenient. our church has a meals ministry where volunteers deliver food for a 2wk time period. that was really helpful too.
for bone healing, i am supposed to eat calcium, vitamin C and iron. i stocked my fridge with OJ and soy milk and started taking Caltrate 600mg and a multi-vitamin. meat protein will be good for my wound.
showering is still a chore and tiring. our bathtub lip is knee-high and the sliding doors open just wide enough for me to sit on the ledge and swing my legs in one at a time with a split second where i have to overbend at my hip. our walk-in shower is 26 stairs away. i haven't used my 3-in-one commode at home and just hope that i don't slip and fall in the shower.
my steri-strips have been falling off and the incision is scabby in some spots. my belly has seemed quite puffy since surgery. i don't know if i'm eating more or still retaining fluids. or possibly lack of exercise has made the area less contained. i'm too scared to get on a scale and i haven't tried wearing real pants yet.
i went out with friends a couple of times, all within one block of home. it takes me like 3x's as long to get anywhere but i'm fine once i get to the restaurant. i had dinner one night with a friend and called my guy to take me home in my wheelchair. i learned that i couldn't cross park ave in one stop light. i just couldn't even think of trying to crutch back and it was too cold out. i tried wearing a winter coat once but my crutches get caught in the puffy material and i can't crutch properly so i haven't been wearing heavy jackets. NYC streets are dirty and full of fecal stuff so i got a can of clorox wipes to clean the bottom of my crutches every time i come home. eeeewww.
the strain in my hip during PT is getting better. i notice new found strength every 2-3 days which is exciting! i was able to lift my leg off the couch w/o using my hands and i could raise my leg while seated!
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