Pain Management

A Sixth Sense . . It's hardly believable to me that it has been SIX days since my surgery. There was so much anticipation on my part for this major procedure, and now it's over and the recovery process is in progress! I am very blessed to have wonderful friends. In my house sits five incredible arrangements, lots of cards and well wishes, and I've had many wonderful visits. . .

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It's really nice to know people care. Now, I did receive two dozen red roses today, addressed from the Methodist Hospital. Am I to assume the hospital sent them, or some unknown person? Maybe the hospital was sending flowers because of the meltdown incident? I had a few people, including the nurse director, come visit me and ask me what had happened. Was this its way of saying sorry? Anyhoo, they look and smell great.

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Night Naggings

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I had a not so good night last night. Before I went to bed, I accidentally took two of my muscle relaxers instead of one, so I skipped the vicoden thinking the extra dose of musle relaxer would knock me out.

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Wrong.

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I woke up around midnight in seething pain. My legs start feeling sharp shooting pains and my lower back starts plain hurting. The vicoden have been a lifesaver, and I pretty much take them every four hours, except for when I head to bed. So instead of bearing the pain, I popped two pills and went back to sleep. Only I kept on waking up through the night. I was sweating and having the strangest dreams all night. At one point I was trying to get to the beach because it was my turn to watch the shetland pony? I did get a my little pony toy as part of my happy meal package the other day... I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

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Daytime Turnaround

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I woke up pretty groggy this morning, but once I was up and around I started feeling great. Of course, that's with the help of pain pills and mobility. Rob and I took a walk around the neighborhood, and I walked a whole two blocks! That's major for me. I went from shuffling to walking relatively normally, although with tightness.

So I am better, but of course in the back of my mind I have some fear that the pain, and these little sharp shooting pains, won't go away. Of course they will, right? I mean, it has only been six days? I just hate that right around the fourth hour, the pain creeps back, and I am forced to take 2 more pain pills. Two pills are all I need, but I need them. I take about 10 pills a day, and three muscle relaxer pills a day. I was hoping to wean by now, but I simply can't. The pain has not subsided and worsens at night, although my mobility is better.

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Cleaning Clutter

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I have been doing a lot of organizing around the house. I cleaned out a few kitchen drawers, organized some drawers for office supplies and threw out a bunch of junk. It's amazing to me how much crap piles up in drawers when you neglect them.

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I'm also back to obsessively cleaning. I have been keeping up with the kitchen and bathroom.

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Maybe I am overdoing it. I do a lot of kneeling, but I am careful to not bend my back. Laying around drives me crazy, but I know, I need to be careful. I just hate seeing a messy, cluttered home.

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Maybe tomorrow I'll just rest and catch up on Grey's Anatomy or Ugly Betty. I have not watched one episode this year, but did TIVO them.

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Cheers and happy training!

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The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ~Mark Twain