Post Op Week 1: Rest, Recovery, & Boredom

 It’s been a WEEK!!

I knew rationally that recovery and healing would be a series of ups and downs - with no two days looking the same.  And that linear progress would be a ridiculous dream.  Rationally, I was totally correct.

I tried my best to prepare for the irrationality and uncertainty of what was to come.  I set up a recovery area in our reading room - full on with comfy couch, medical table, and wire shelving to hold everything I thought I might want or need.  A whiteboard set up with all of my prescriptions, CPM goals, and ice times.  A wheelchair at the ready.  Way too big pants purchased to go over my newly repaired leg.  Oils to keep my mood elevated. An app to help me sleep.  

When it comes to over preparing, I’m an expert.

The first few days are mostly a blur of pain, pain meds, and sleep.  I know I watched a lot of TV - finishing out the last season of House and blazing through a new favorite show - Derry Girls.  But challenges popped up when I least expected them.  The couch-bed I’m sleeping on is very low.  The toilet seat is very low.  The pain meds weren’t enough.  The pants were too much effort, making it hard to lock and unlock the brace.

But my support team came through at every turn.  A friend and neighbor suggested a way to raise the couch (pillows under the cushions) and came over to help with getting the compression sleeve on my leg.  Another friend brought over a toilet seat riser (who knew those even existed!).  And a phone call to the on call doctor brought advice to add Tylenol to the pain meds mix.   I even purchased the comfiest shorts online and had them ready for pickup the same day.  

And through all of that, the one who made it happen was Mike.  He made sure I got my pain meds on time - even waking me multiple times throughout the night to make sure we got ahead of the pain.  He set the CPM and the ice machine up when needed.  He’s made me every meal I’ve eaten in the last week.

We even made an eclipse party happen!

I absolutely could not have done this without him.  Everyone needs a Mike.

But through rounds in the CPM (2 hours at a time, 3 times a day), icing, and going to the bathroom, the uncertainty of it all set in at 6 days post op.  I found myself BORED - bored of the DuoLingo games, bored of watching TV, and bored of spending 23 hours a day in the same location.

I didn’t think it could get worse than BOREDOM.  Until Friday dawned and I found myself both bored and done with it all.  It was my first day of PT - and I was nervous.  I knew I didn’t need to be but I was frustrated at my lack of perceived progress.  Yes - I could go to the bathroom by myself.  Yes - I could sit up and eat and drink and was finally making my way through the haze of the pain meds.  Yes - I could finally get past 60 degrees on the CPM. 

But I was also itching to be able to do things for myself - make coffee, help clients, and just be me again.  And mostly to take off the awful, itchy compression sleeves on my legs.  

And it lead to an emotional firestorm that had me certain that the slight tingles in my feet meant I was losing all circulation in foot and it would need to be amputated.  (I know - totally irrational!!!) 

Luckily again, I have Mike.  Who encouraged me to use my oils… to use my sleep app… and to SLEEP.

It hasn’t all been awful though.  I’ve had my moments of stir craziness!  We received a care package from my mom and DJ - complete with Zabar’s black and white cookies and an orange bow.  Which I promptly put on my head.  Because that is how I roll.