Done With Surgeries!

This week seems to have lasted forever.

The weekend was the last time I would have one good foot for a while so we made sure to see Monsters University altogether. I really loved the movie and the short that went before it. Very motion-design-y.

Monday was then a bit busy. My ’baby’ sister was in a parade in Atlantic City so we all went down. They really had no idea what spacing was so sometimes there 15 minutes between floats. After that Dad and I had to go up to PA to get to the hotel to spend the night.

Tuesday.

Last surgery. 

Again I had to be there before 6 in the morning. Had to change, get an IV, and meet the docs...fun. The anesthesiologist was different this time but very fun. This time I also got a patch so I wouldn’t get as nauseous. 

So when I woke up I wasn’t nearly as sick as I was before. We were even able to get out several hours earlier than last time.

Since then I have been very tired. The left foot, the new one operated on, only had to have one bone broken but that still means that the right foot is taking all the weight. So every day, a couple of times, I hobble over to the bathroom and try not to re-injure the right foot.

Today, Friday, was spent going to the doctors to re-wrap both feet. Of course that means that they are now a bit more sore than before but the left foot looks good at least.

I really don’t think that much is going to happen this week. Amanda went to the beach with Katie and Mike. Dad’s play opens this weekend and Mom is off vacation and has to work weekends for a while. In other words - I’m stuck. With the new operation I can bearly open doors let alone get food or down a step.

So there’s the week. Two surgeries down, 3 bones broken, a couple of screws and few dozen stitches and the feet are straight for the first time I can even remember.

Last Few Days

This last week was fairly busy in comparison to others.

It started off with Father’s Day on Sunday. To celebrate we went up to North Jersey - to my Papa Tom’s house (Dad’s family). My other grandparents came by the house too, mainly to drop off my cousin Tori. They stayed a while, but not long enough to eat - they had other plans. 

Nearly everyone else was there though; Uncle Michel, Aunt Kim, Uncle John, Aunt Marie. All the “kids” were there except for Aunt Karen (in Maryland).

It was still great though. We had a large lunch and great dessert, got to hang out, and told lots of stories.

Tori was at the house until Wednesday. She and May-Lou spent the time on the computer, in the pool, and at the beach. I spent it finding my balance without crutches and trying to put more weight on the ‘bad’ foot.

Tuesday though was my Mom’s birthday and she was heading towards the beach. I had stayed home figuring it was a better option than sitting in the house there watching them in the sand - but Michael wanted us all there. So I went down with dad when he got off of work, but of course that’s when it down pours. You can bearly see in front of you and when we get to the house the drive way is starting to flood, but I do make it inside.

Turns out the reason for dragging us all there was that Michael and Katie had made a Trivia Game with questions form Mom and Dad’s past. It was really fun, but very hard.

We only spent 2 hours there since we all had to get home that night and chose a low in the storm to escape. A pizza dinner and cake later at home called for the end of the festivities - for this year at least.

Wednesday - appointment day. Oh I hated this week. First I needed more x-rays. Not so bad. Then I had to get the old bandages off - the nurse couldn’t find the right scissors so kept pulling at the foot and tow. Finally he re-wrapped it - only to pull it all over in the opposite direction it has been going all this time. It got really sore. Two days later and it is still too sore to walk with.

Oh well.

Not much happened after that. Mom and May-Lou dropped Tori back off at home after doing a high rope challenge on Wednesday, then did open water SCUBA diving on Thursday. I was home alone that day since Katie and Michael had to work, as did Dad, and no one else could ‘watch’ me. It’s not like I was going to burn down the house...

Well there you have it. The days leading up to this, the Summer Solstice. As well as my Mom’s last weekend off and my last few days with 1 ‘good’ foot still. (Next operation is on Tuesday).

So until next time - Happy Official Start Of Summer!

Graduation Mess

Another week, another appointment.

Well, right, the week didn’t start off with the appointment. Instead it started with Katie coming back to the house. Reason? Sunday was the annul Puppy Ferry Trip from Cape May to St. Louis, Delaware. I went twice but I really don’t like boats, neither does my dad. So we stayed at home and had some bonding time while they were out.

I went walking a couple of times before my appointment on Wednesday but not too far. Just down the driveway and a little ways. Not too far, but was still a near half an hour walk. 

For course then I had another doctors visit. 

Every time I get it re-wrapped he makes sure the the big toe is more towards the inside of my foot rather than being straight so when I’m done it is straight. Well, this time he pulled it over a bit farther than before and it was really uncomfortable. Fun.

Anyway the appointment was mainly spent scheduling the next surgery. As well as the appointment for next week, and the first appointment after the surgery.

Took forever.

The only other thing that happened was at the High School.

My youngest sister Amanda is still in High School, just finished her Sophomore year. She had finals all week and graduation was on Friday after the last day. Since she’s in the band she had to go to play the music.

Last year was a mess when it started hailing and a tornado almost touched down on the field during the ceremony.

Therefore this year they were a bit more couscous.

The band had to be there at 4:30 to get ahead of the traffic from the graduates. The actual ceremony started at 6. Fifteen minutes before hand it started to drizzle, then pour, and then by 6:30 it was clear and sunny. Amanda came back a lot later since she went out to dinner with her friend before getting dropped off at home.

According to her they were able to call the names of the National Honors Society (they sit in the front and are always first). They then moved everyone inside. The graduates moved to the PAC and the parents to the gym. They read the names and the parents were allowed in to watch them throw up their hats. I would have hated to had a kid graduating that year and not get to see them walk.

Well that was the week. Nothing spectacular, but everything is going well considering.

Good Bye Meds

Another week has past. In all I am now 3 weeks out from surgery and the best thing is that I’m off all pain meds!!

Okay, you might not think its a big deal, but it really is. I’ve been off the big medicine since day 5, but was still running the risk of over-dosing on Advil ever since. So to say that I’m off all pain killers is great.

Not much else has happened. Katie and Michael came by for a few days which meant that Kramer was there too. All ways going fine. Mike goes out, we sit out in the sun a bit, Katie visits friends, we watch the dogs, same old same old.

The dogs were running around outside one day, and since they got so muddy we had to put them somewhere way from the carpet. We ended up wanting to go out to brunch so we had to put Kramer in the bathroom - the place where we normally put Nikolai when we go out. But what can we do, he was still muddy.

It wasn’t until latter in the day that I realized a problem...kind of.

Mud was all over the bathroom including inside the bath tube that I have been using in the first floor (we fixed it so I could take a shower there with my foot). Anyway, I had just gotten a new bar of soap and guess what...it was gone. No soap + mud tracks in the tub = Kramer ate the soap.

He realized the next day that you really shouldn’t eat that stuff. He was really unhappy by the end of the day, but since he had thrown up 6 times - mostly on the carpet - I couldn’t feel too bad.

So there is the week 3. Just 3 more until surgery number 2. 

Memorial Weekend and Stitches Out

This past weekend was Memorial Day Weekend in America. It’s the unofficial start of summer and to those near the cost its a big deal. Everyone leaves home and goes to the shore and all the shore stores that close during the summer open and start their season. 

My family spent the weekend at our beach house on Long Beach Island. The house had  gotten a bit of damage from Supper Storm/ Hurricane Sandy. Thankfully only the real damage was to the basement so by now it is mostly fixed.

So we were at the beach. All the stores had a goal to be open by Memorial Day and thankfully that even meant our favorite places like the pizza parlor called Slice of Heaven. It was a bit cool so there weren’t as many people as usual yet my mom still managed to get sun burnt.

We spent Saturday to Monday all together at the beach. My dad’s parents, Mama Lou and Papa Tom, came down with my Aunt Kim on Sunday and we got to enjoy a dinner made by my brother and his girlfriend.

It was a nice relaxing weekend.

This week also kicked off my mom’s month off of work. Her office isn’t going to survive without her, but she really deserves it. The only thing is that she always has to be doing something...and that includes you too.

Most of my week was still spent inside but I did start knitting again.

I also had another doctors appointment. This time my mom came with me, first time she has through this whole process. Of course Mom has known my doctor since they were pre-teens (their dads work together.)

This week was 2 weeks after the surgery so the stitches were coming out. I really didn’t want to watch so I held my mom’s hand and looked away as they came out. It felt like needles were piercing me and really didn’t feel nice. Of course what are the adults doing? Just talking. Talking, talking talking away as I squirm. He finishes, starts cleaning up, moves away then turns and says, “You okay?” Yeah, fine...

I blame Mom, she started it.

Whatever, I also go some x-rays to make sure it was all going right. All good. And Mom did get to see and and felt better that she did ‘cause now she knows it is really going okay.

So yeah, another week gone and hopefully only 4 more weeks before the next one.

Going Out on Recovery

By now it has been about a week and a half since my surgery. Healing is going fine. I’ve got off the heavy pain killers after 5 days, and now I’m only taking about 1 Advil a day.

I’ve also been told to start putting weight on my heal. It was hard at first to even straighten the leg since I’ve had the knee bent constantly. It’s slow going, but going.

Anyway, this past week moved. Kicked off with my parents 24th wedding anniversary. Even with Mom working and Dad on a run to drop off a car they were able to go out for dinner.

Honestly, most of the week was spent watching Criminal Minds or West Wing.

But I did go out. Wednesday was actually very busy for me. It started with going out to breakfast with my high school friends. We got to meet up and get run downs on how term went and summer outlines before I had to go to the doctors again.

Check-up was fine. Everything is looking right and I get stitches out next week.

Then we got back home to find Michael and Katie already there, they said they wouldn’t be there till 7 and it was only 4. So we decided to feed the dogs early an meet Mom for dinner at Outback. We then went to the new IMAX theater and saw Star Treck Into Darkness. Awesome movie, great music.

In the end though it was still a lot. I had to climb a stair case, do a lot of walking, so by the time we got back at 10:30 I was so tired and swollen that I collapsed on the couch, got my bag of ice, and feel to sleep very fast.

So, yeah, the week is now over and Mom will be off for a month and hopefully won’t drive us all, and herself, crazy.

Until next week.

Recovery Week 1

So the operation went well, to all those who care.

We had to be there at 5:45 so we stayed at a hotel in the area. I got prepped and the actual operation started on time at 7. I was put asleep and remember getting the drug with the doctor over me....then nothing.

If you’ve never gone through an operation then you should know there are 2 parts of recovery. Stage 1 is where you’re lying down and just starting to wake up. Stage 2 is when you’re normally in a chair and sitting up.

For me it wasn’t as straight forward.

The anesthesia got me a bit sick. Boats make me throw up, and waking up felt like I was waking on a boat in the middle of a storm. 

I was given some apple juice, that didn’t sit with me long. After a while, with me only getting worse, they gave me a different drug and moved me into a privet area where I was put on monitors and oxygen.

Finally around 1 pm I was well enough to go home. I got back into normal cloths, given ice packs, crutches, and helped into the car.

Since then I have been on the couch trying to ignore the throbbing when the medicine wheres off. Not that it’s that bad, I’ld rate it at like a 3-4.

Tomorrow I go back and get the bandages changed, I’m told it will hurt a bit. Great.

But yeah, I’m alive, fine, and mobile - in a way.