Week 2- January 5th -11th
Week Two – one week today since my operation. Washing and dressing, even with all the help I am given, is exhausting! The leaning stool, on loan from the NHS, is essential in the bathroom allowing me to strip-wash. Roll on the day I can have a shower!
I have now made an exercise chart to be sure I get all the right exercises done enough times each day. I am absolutely determined to get back to all we used to do before my hip started playing up and everyone tells me how important the exercises are. They are so hard to do – it feels as if my legs just don’t want to do what they are told! One of our friends who had a hip replacement sometime ago has reassured me today, Tuesday 6th January, that they do get easier, just keep at them. Thanks, J.
I am now taking Paracetamol 4 times a day alternating with Codeine also 4 times a day and keeping the pain/deep ache at bay. The wound has never been painful, much to my surprise. I haven’t seen it yet. It is all covered with the dressing. I am also keeping a record of what I eat. Now that I have started the codeine regularly I need to prevent the constipation which is threatened by making sure that I eat at least 5 or 6 vegetables/fruit each day. So far it is working.
I love my choir, The Suitcase Singers, who sent me their singing down the phone while they were rehearsing on Thursday (8th January) morning – Jubilate Deo, written by our choir leader, Claire and Thank you for the Days, the Kirsty McColl version, which I love. I look forward to learning it before too long. The singing was especially welcome as I had another fainty session after breakfast and was back in bed feeling a bit wiped out and miserable.
Today, Friday 9th January, I have not felt faint at all, even after meals, which is a big relief.It has felt as though the energy has just drained out of my feet into a puddle on the floor and Mr S tells me that I have suddenly gone very pale. Fortunately, I haven’t actually fainted.
Saturday morning, a good friend whom I have known since I was 11, came to visit which was lovely and brought a beautiful bunch of tulips.
My leg is still quite swollen and gets achy from top to bottom, feeling heavy especially in the evenings. I am doing what was recommended by another friend who has had a new hip, and that is to change position every 40-45 minutes. I have a timer and change from sitting to lying down with a walk up and down the hall in between times. It is 50 steps from the front door to the sunroom so the return journey is 100 steps which I am managing quite well, beginning to walk more smoothly and quite upright which is so important for afterwards when I don’t need crutches at all! I can now stand for a few moments without any support so that is very pleasing progress!
Sunday found me feeling rubbish again, faint and so lacking in energy I needed two long rests. Mr S put that down to me using so much energy when my lovely friend visited yesterday. Sadly, we feel that we have to put off friends, J&M, who were coming round today with lunch. It will only be a postponement and I know they will understand. Mr S will monitor my visitors to keep them a few days apart as I am no good at sitting quietly when people come to see me!
Sleeping on my back all the time is making bits of me quite sore so Mr S went out last Monday to buy a lovely mattress topper to make my nights more comfortable and it is working well.
At the end of this second week I am generally feeling better with fewer of the energy drains, more mobility and much cheered by all the love being sent my way.
