BOO! HAPPY HALLOWEEN

This gal looks like I feel after two solid weeks of intense physical therapy. Actually she looks BETTER than I do. My hair is ragged, I have no make-up on, the only difference is my tears are just tears, not bloody ones. Even though they feel like it and I have several bruises from the work-outs I've been getting. Every day for an hour, then home for a nap, then wake up and do another hour exercise at home, then again before bed. I had an evaluation on Friday. I get to decrease to two times a week at Rehab, but must do an hour every day at home. So, it is paying off, but, darn...I am exhausted. All I want to do is sleep. I guess it is part of the healing to be tired. I'll do 4 weeks on the new schedule then be evaluated again.

I've missed out on several fall festivities that I like...Halloween, and Dia de los Muertos. But guess what? A year goes by so fast that it will be time for them again before we know it. Next stop...unpack the giant Christmas tree and drag that stuff out again. And the beat goes on. Actually there are a LOT of festivities going on in November that I think I can manage, so it's not too bad.

Don't eat too much Halloween candy! I've worked my way through a large bag of M&M peanuts this past week. No appetite for food, but still want me some CHOCOLATE! Did you know that M&M peanut now comes in dark chocolate too?

It's a Full time JOB

Today was my fourth session in physical therapy. I've had 3 different therapists so far. Emily is a tiny little thing, but very strong. The exercises she has had me do have seemed very easy, but her massage technique is very good. The second day I had Aaron, and he is a bruiser! I recall him from before, when I went there for therapy with my broken ankle. He really worked me over, and pushed me way beyond what I thought I was ready for, and it hurt. But I felt better afterwards. All three days I have come home and taken a long nap though. Today I had Robert, and he is very gentle, didn't work me nearly as hard as Aaron did, but his manipulation technique was pretty intense. I was feeling a lot of pain, but also had more energy than I have had any day so far. Today is the first day I haven't had to come home and collapse in a heap on the bed! I am pretty sore though, and have ice on my shoulder right now. I guess it is helpful to have different therapists instead of the same one every time. They all have just a wee bit different technique. It seems my range of motion is pretty good so far for only having 4 sessions. I see the Dr. tomorrow and I think he will agree.

Coming out of the fog.

I'm recovering nicely from surgery. I can type with only one hand as my left arm is trussed up in a sling. Remember I said I was preparing to sleep for 3 or 4 days straight? When I woke up from the surgery I could hear my hubby and the nurse talking, scheduling my physical therapy evaluation for the next morning. YIKES! I got home from the hospital at 8 p.m. on Wednesday and was in physical therapy at 9:15 the next morning. That was a bit of a rough day, then day two I felt a little better. Yesterday I felt like I got hit with a ton of bricks. Besides going to PT every single day for 2 weeks, I have exercises to do at home, every two hours. So much for my plan of enjoying a lot of sleep. Let's see, I can sleep for two hours, do my routine, then sleep for another 2 hours. I haven't eaten much, have no appetite, but at least this time I didn't get nauseous and throw up for days. They gave me something extra in my I.V. to prevent that. Even though I am in quite a bit of discomfort, it is still not as bad as the pain was before I had the surgery, so I know it is going to get better bit by bit. Well, I've used up some of my sleep time writing this, and my pain pills are kicking in, so it's back to bed for awhile.

Countdown to Surgery

Yay! I am finally getting this rotator cuff surgery out of the way. It's been bothering me for far too long, and has gone past the point of where exercise or physical therapy relieves the pain. I did my Pre-Op stuff yesterday, so all I have to do is walk in there tomorrow and get it over with. I told the DR. I wanted him to give me all the drugs the law would allow, and I planned on sleeping for the next few days...LOL Besides pain killers, he wants me to take a sleeping pill. I've never taken them before, except for the occasional OTC thing like AdvilPM. So reluctantly I said I would take the Lunesta throughout the recovery from my surgery. Hmmm..he did not give me that when I had my ankle surgery. Anyhow, I took one last night, just to see what kind of affects it would have. I was still awake 3 or 4 times in the night, just like I normally am. I am not sure I slept any better or sounder, but I think you probably have to get it built up in your system. I will use everything available to make sure I am not going to suffer in pain.

I've got everything prepared for a very long nap anyhow! A stack of magazines by the sofa, and another by the bed, just in case I can't sleep. A few art supplies and a sketch pad, just in case my muse decides to make an appearance. I fixed a tray with all the TEAS on it so Hub can find the right ones. I'm making another attempt to take an herbal vacation. We also took a tour of the pantry...I tease him about having tunnel vision. He will think we are out of something and open a new one, when the one he should have used is right in front of him. Oh well, he is going to be my nurse and he really does take very good care of me, so I can't complain about having several packages of the same things open at once, can I?.

We are off to the store to get a few last minute food items. I need to find some soothing foods, as the anasthesia always makes me really nauseous, I guess it does that to most people. Darn, I guess spicy tortilla soup is out of the question for a few days. I'll be back online in a few days.

Treat from Hubby...A Trip To IKEA

I've only been leaving the house to run neccessary errands or go to the DR. So after the latest run, Hubby decided we needed a treat.. I think he meant me, whiney me.

Walked for ever...you know how that goes in IKEA. Fun store. They have discontinued the wooden Moppe boxes that I've always loved. Drats! Here's what I bought. This fabric has dark grey/black/brown/white and touches of mustard and a wee bit of orange. I've changed my mind several times on the way home about what I'd use it for. A chair cushion cover for sure and a little pillow to match. I love tossing fabric over the stair railing and just looking at it for a few days! I did need a nap after we got home.

Driving myself Crazy Relaxing!

I've never been good at pacing myself, nor making time to relax. The motto of the household where I grew up was "We play when the work is done". Well, the work was never done, so we never played. I've made so many attempts to change the order of this dynamic...but never succeeded for very long. But when hampered by pain, I can't just work through it, like my Father still does. This time around, I think I am finally to the point where I can do so little, that all I WANT to do is relax. This past week-end, I sent Hubby off on a golf retreat, and I did just that...relaxed. I read, I slept, I watched t.v., slept some more. Of course, all this was under the influence of pain pills. After 3 days I was ready to scream! Because I wanted to actually DO something.

But I did finish The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. This is huge for me, because I almost never read novels. The reason being, when I start one, I want to read it straight through, and ignore all else. Ha Ha...reminds me of when I was a kid and my Mom would tell me to watch the pot and not let the potatoes boil over. I would sit right there next to the stove with my book and let the potatoes boil dry and scorch. I have never learned to read the way most people do, a bit here and there. Or like Hubby does...He reads two or three books at a time, and always reads 20 minutes or so before going to sleep at night.

So, I sat in Hub's leather chair by the window, in the sun, read, drank iced coffee, an occasional chai, took a break to check e-mail, watched Sundance channel, read some more, slept. Once in awhile I remembered to eat. This was my little what they now call a "stay-cation" I guess.