....but be safe!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The MIL – Part 3 - Home time soon
The MIL is doing well and should be home tomorrow. Things seem to have gone on just the way that they should have in hospital and she passed her stair test yesterday (oh, I remember those heady days….). The physio is very pleased with her progress and she is apparently already able to cope with her own sticks rather than crutches. The FIL is still a bit worried though so he has arranged with a friend who is a ‘big strong man’ to give her a lift home rather than me. He approached this subject very carefully, saying that he didn’t want to hurt my feelings and muttering something about the friend being steady driver and not speeding (I’m telling you, it’s nothing but a rumour guv!). Seriously, my feelings are all intact, I am just really happy that they have someone they can trust – after all, I wouldn’t be much help if she decided to have a bit of a wobble – hip v. back, I wonder who’d fall on top of who….
On another subject (and briefly if I can), I had a visit from someone last week and I was going to blog all about it because it was a good (and useful) visit. I found myself idly thinking what acronym I could use for my visitor and had decided on the SPF*1. It was only after I wrote it down that I thought, "hey ho, that looks familiar" – isn’t that what it says on my sun tan lotion bottle? I racked my brains for something else, but eventually decided that SPF would do just fine – since she is so tall, next summer I will take her out with me and she can shield me from the sun just by standing next to me….
*1Sports psychologist friend
On another subject (and briefly if I can), I had a visit from someone last week and I was going to blog all about it because it was a good (and useful) visit. I found myself idly thinking what acronym I could use for my visitor and had decided on the SPF*1. It was only after I wrote it down that I thought, "hey ho, that looks familiar" – isn’t that what it says on my sun tan lotion bottle? I racked my brains for something else, but eventually decided that SPF would do just fine – since she is so tall, next summer I will take her out with me and she can shield me from the sun just by standing next to me….
*1Sports psychologist friend
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The poor ole MIL – part 2
Well, it finally happened – the MIL went into hospital for her hip and they managed to do the op instead of booting her off home. They duly got her out of bed after 24 hours so it looks like all is so far going to plan despite the FIL muttering things about doom and gloom and how nothing is ever quite as good as it seems. Still, that’s good too, because it means everything is quite normal in the IL household – they are just like my dear departed grandmother, never happy unless there is something to complain about….
Anyway, she’s off her PCA pump and onto tablets, although she claims that was because the PCA machine was getting in the way. When I was in hospital, nothing, and I mean nothing *1, would have prised that little PCA button out of my fingers – as it was I was considering asking them to surgically graft it on to me in case I lost it in the night….I would even have considered marrying it if I wasn’t already taken.
Anyway, fingers crossed all round for a speedy and pain free recovery, please.
*1 and I include a visit from the Chippendales*2 here…
*2 Go on girls.....click the link....you know you want to......
Anyway, she’s off her PCA pump and onto tablets, although she claims that was because the PCA machine was getting in the way. When I was in hospital, nothing, and I mean nothing *1, would have prised that little PCA button out of my fingers – as it was I was considering asking them to surgically graft it on to me in case I lost it in the night….I would even have considered marrying it if I wasn’t already taken.
Anyway, fingers crossed all round for a speedy and pain free recovery, please.
*1 and I include a visit from the Chippendales*2 here…
*2 Go on girls.....click the link....you know you want to......
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
My cat likes dogging
There, I thought that would get your attention! Now before you think I’ve gone completely mad, I think I’d better explain.
Seriously, hubby bought me a fluffy dog for when I go away on my trips. Most of you know all about it anyway, as I listed him on my packing list before I went into hospital. Anyway, my poor deluded cat has decided that the dog is no longer mine- it’s hers. To start with, she is what is traditionally called a wool sucker although she plainly prefers fake fur to real wool as she will spend hours on top of the dog, purring away and sucking on his ear. She sometimes decides that really she’d like a change of scenery and drags the dog down off the bed and tries to make her way out of the bedroom and off down the stairs. It’s a problem though for her in that the dog is pretty much the same size as she is! So – there she is, dog in mouth, straddling its body and dragging it along. Because of its size she keeps standing on it and that stops her dead in her tracks and then she has to move her feet to have another go, only for the same thing to happen again. She manfully (well womanfully in her case) struggles on, but generally gives up before she’s got to the landing. What do you suppose I do when she’s doing all this – am I upset because she’s stolen the dog? Nope, I’m usually just too busy laughing at the sight of it all to care…..
Seriously, hubby bought me a fluffy dog for when I go away on my trips. Most of you know all about it anyway, as I listed him on my packing list before I went into hospital. Anyway, my poor deluded cat has decided that the dog is no longer mine- it’s hers. To start with, she is what is traditionally called a wool sucker although she plainly prefers fake fur to real wool as she will spend hours on top of the dog, purring away and sucking on his ear. She sometimes decides that really she’d like a change of scenery and drags the dog down off the bed and tries to make her way out of the bedroom and off down the stairs. It’s a problem though for her in that the dog is pretty much the same size as she is! So – there she is, dog in mouth, straddling its body and dragging it along. Because of its size she keeps standing on it and that stops her dead in her tracks and then she has to move her feet to have another go, only for the same thing to happen again. She manfully (well womanfully in her case) struggles on, but generally gives up before she’s got to the landing. What do you suppose I do when she’s doing all this – am I upset because she’s stolen the dog? Nope, I’m usually just too busy laughing at the sight of it all to care…..
Saturday, October 21, 2006
8 months (& a bit thanks to the pesky PC)
So 8 months has rolled round at last and it now all seems like so long ago that I was one of the people avidly reading and rereading the forum entries and the blogs of the recently operated to see what my future held. Now I am one of the not so recently operated – I am now one of those people who have had the job done and now see the path of the rest of my life unrolling before me in a very different way to my pre-op days. Those days when I couldn’t decide if I really was bad enough to warrant such major surgery (believing as I did that a couple of 60++ curves ‘could be worse’) seem very far away now. It’s a curious thought that when I do look back to the time when I knew my curves were worsening - although I was concerned for my future, I was prepared to simply accept it as the way things were (in a sh*t happens, live with it kind of way). Now, I have had the surgery and have recovered well, I cannot believe that I would have been prepared to accept a constant deterioration with this naïve and simple type of resigned stoicism. I see my future now as being like anyone else’s, where barring the completely unexpected, I will trundle into the future in basically the same shape that I am now. In fact (and this is prompted by visiting my mother recently and finding that I now ‘tower’ over her*1) I guess that due to my wonderful metalwork holding my spine up, I won’t shrink with age in quite the same way that most people do – maybe in time, I can become the tallest of all my friends (apart from maybe the BUF who has impossibly long and enviable legs).
So, all that philosophising (wondering) aside, how am I? Well, I am very well indeed and have even caught myself thinking that it has all been a ‘big fuss over nothing’ until of course I lift up my shirt and peer curiously at my scar in the mirror again. It is an amazing piece of work and now has even started to turn from pink to white in places. I still love it as much as I hate the one on my back from my spina bifida. One represents a choice, decision and journey whilst the other was an accident of birth and I simply don’t view them in the same way at all. (Oops, there I go, wondering hat on again). The area around my ribs under my scar still gets sore and I still can’t poke it without it hurting (and yes I know I shouldn’t poke it then) and I still get backache pretty much every day, but it is different to the way it was before. As I mentioned a few days ago, if I had a bad day today, then I’d have one tomorrow too, and usually the day after – it could take me quite some time to get over a weekend away or a competition, but now my recovery time is really good. Even my trip to China and my 25 hours straight travelling took me less than a week to get over – something that would have taken me weeks and weeks to get over before the operation. I am much more resilient in that way and I’m still only 8 months when they said I wouldn’t be fully healed until 12 months (but heck, why settle for doing things at the same pace as everyone else, eh?). Speaking of pain, I still have to take the nerve pain pills for my leg – I’ve managed to reduce the dose a bit but its slow progress. Maybe that’s what will take the full 12 months…
Speaking of legs (agh, that’s a poor link) I carry on walking with 2 sticks when I’m outdoors. As much as anything it’s a matter of safety (um like they stop me falling over!) and they also help me maintain a much better posture. Around the house though, I’m getting on just fine without them - there’s always something to grab hold of if I fall. The other good thing with the legs is that although I still don’t have the same feeling or movement in my thigh that I had pre-op, the ‘different’ way of moving it is now becoming second nature. Movement doesn’t require the same level of concentration and even though I still have to ‘assist’ my leg into the car for example, the ‘workarounds’ that I’ve been using are becoming the norm which is making life much easier.
So, that’s pretty much it as a progress report. Hopefully at 9 months (next time) I will have news of a hospital review appointment – I called them last week and they told me the computers were down so they couldn’t tell me when it was likely to be. I did offer to plug myself into their system and see if I could put it right – well, you never know, when you’re already part Borg, anything could happen…..
*1 Actually, perhaps tower is a little too strong a word. Certainly I feel taller than her and she has shrunk, but I had shoes on at the time and she did not!
*2 The six month one that I was supposed to have 3 months after the three month one that was held at 4 months if that makes sense…
So, all that philosophising (wondering) aside, how am I? Well, I am very well indeed and have even caught myself thinking that it has all been a ‘big fuss over nothing’ until of course I lift up my shirt and peer curiously at my scar in the mirror again. It is an amazing piece of work and now has even started to turn from pink to white in places. I still love it as much as I hate the one on my back from my spina bifida. One represents a choice, decision and journey whilst the other was an accident of birth and I simply don’t view them in the same way at all. (Oops, there I go, wondering hat on again). The area around my ribs under my scar still gets sore and I still can’t poke it without it hurting (and yes I know I shouldn’t poke it then) and I still get backache pretty much every day, but it is different to the way it was before. As I mentioned a few days ago, if I had a bad day today, then I’d have one tomorrow too, and usually the day after – it could take me quite some time to get over a weekend away or a competition, but now my recovery time is really good. Even my trip to China and my 25 hours straight travelling took me less than a week to get over – something that would have taken me weeks and weeks to get over before the operation. I am much more resilient in that way and I’m still only 8 months when they said I wouldn’t be fully healed until 12 months (but heck, why settle for doing things at the same pace as everyone else, eh?). Speaking of pain, I still have to take the nerve pain pills for my leg – I’ve managed to reduce the dose a bit but its slow progress. Maybe that’s what will take the full 12 months…
Speaking of legs (agh, that’s a poor link) I carry on walking with 2 sticks when I’m outdoors. As much as anything it’s a matter of safety (um like they stop me falling over!) and they also help me maintain a much better posture. Around the house though, I’m getting on just fine without them - there’s always something to grab hold of if I fall. The other good thing with the legs is that although I still don’t have the same feeling or movement in my thigh that I had pre-op, the ‘different’ way of moving it is now becoming second nature. Movement doesn’t require the same level of concentration and even though I still have to ‘assist’ my leg into the car for example, the ‘workarounds’ that I’ve been using are becoming the norm which is making life much easier.
So, that’s pretty much it as a progress report. Hopefully at 9 months (next time) I will have news of a hospital review appointment – I called them last week and they told me the computers were down so they couldn’t tell me when it was likely to be. I did offer to plug myself into their system and see if I could put it right – well, you never know, when you’re already part Borg, anything could happen…..
*1 Actually, perhaps tower is a little too strong a word. Certainly I feel taller than her and she has shrunk, but I had shoes on at the time and she did not!
*2 The six month one that I was supposed to have 3 months after the three month one that was held at 4 months if that makes sense…
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Just in case you've gone blue...
Well, just in case you have gone blues*1 with all this holding your breath waiting for news, I thought I'd do a quick update.
The man in the garage was VVV nice indeed and my wing mirror is now back as it should be. It is also complete with greasy fingermarks which I am debating whether to leave or not, in much the same way that you never wash your face again when someone nice kisses it.... Sadly I cannot fold it in against the car, such things having not been invented in 1983 but at least it has a nice strong spring in it, so it will give way without breaking if necessary (I think we proved that already too). I shall make sure I tuck it well into the kerb in future tho' - preferably next to the neighbour's huge Volvo, which they keep leaving outside my window, so their mirror gets it first (heh heh
!)
My new hard drive has finally arrived (way to go on accurate (not!) delivery dates Amazon*2) so my data is being transferred tomorrow and then I should be back to normal - whatever that is around here...
*1)Like this?
-and try clicking too...
*2Ooops, sorry, didn't mean to name and shame
The man in the garage was VVV nice indeed and my wing mirror is now back as it should be. It is also complete with greasy fingermarks which I am debating whether to leave or not, in much the same way that you never wash your face again when someone nice kisses it.... Sadly I cannot fold it in against the car, such things having not been invented in 1983 but at least it has a nice strong spring in it, so it will give way without breaking if necessary (I think we proved that already too). I shall make sure I tuck it well into the kerb in future tho' - preferably next to the neighbour's huge Volvo, which they keep leaving outside my window, so their mirror gets it first (heh heh
!)My new hard drive has finally arrived (way to go on accurate (not!) delivery dates Amazon*2) so my data is being transferred tomorrow and then I should be back to normal - whatever that is around here...
*1)Like this?
-and try clicking too...*2Ooops, sorry, didn't mean to name and shame
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Grrrrrr
Just because I park on the street does not mean that stupid people who don’t know how to drive should be allowed to run into my wing mirror!!!
I came out of the house to go to a meeting with the BMB and noticed that my wing mirror no longer reflected anything – because it was missing! My nice classic car, ruined by some thoughtless, stupid (grrrr) $%*£%@d.
Not knowing quite what to do (the prat having long since gone and with me, by this time, running late *1) I drove off up the road and then turned (because I actually needed to be going in the other direction) in the park entrance (like I normally do) *2. It was dark*3. Anyway, coming back down the hill, I had a sudden thought – what if my poor mirror was lying in the road unsmashed but unloved, just waiting for another heartless b*****d to drive over it? I couldn’t bear the thought and stopped (I was late already so what price a few minutes more) and started grubbing around in the puddles on the side of the road *4. Amazingly, I found it, mirror and surround intact with the just the mechanism for remote adjustment broken (no loss there, it didn’t work anyway). Off to the meeting, apologised to the BMB who was suitably sympathetic (that’s why he’s the BMB) and decided to wait until daylight to put it back together.
So today I went outside (very carefully, don’t want to trip and smash it now…) and find that it’s a ball and socket fit. I am not strong enough to get to click into place and don’t want to force it (or persuade it into place with a hammer) in case I break it – looks like I’m off to see P@NGD (the garage) …….he’d be another VVNM then…
*1 Cursing and swearing can take quite some time you know…
*2 I know you don’t need to know this, I was just setting the scene.
*3 Setting the scene some more
*4 Did I mention it had been raining?
I came out of the house to go to a meeting with the BMB and noticed that my wing mirror no longer reflected anything – because it was missing! My nice classic car, ruined by some thoughtless, stupid (grrrr) $%*£%@d.
Not knowing quite what to do (the prat having long since gone and with me, by this time, running late *1) I drove off up the road and then turned (because I actually needed to be going in the other direction) in the park entrance (like I normally do) *2. It was dark*3. Anyway, coming back down the hill, I had a sudden thought – what if my poor mirror was lying in the road unsmashed but unloved, just waiting for another heartless b*****d to drive over it? I couldn’t bear the thought and stopped (I was late already so what price a few minutes more) and started grubbing around in the puddles on the side of the road *4. Amazingly, I found it, mirror and surround intact with the just the mechanism for remote adjustment broken (no loss there, it didn’t work anyway). Off to the meeting, apologised to the BMB who was suitably sympathetic (that’s why he’s the BMB) and decided to wait until daylight to put it back together.
So today I went outside (very carefully, don’t want to trip and smash it now…) and find that it’s a ball and socket fit. I am not strong enough to get to click into place and don’t want to force it (or persuade it into place with a hammer) in case I break it – looks like I’m off to see P@NGD (the garage) …….he’d be another VVNM then…
*1 Cursing and swearing can take quite some time you know…
*2 I know you don’t need to know this, I was just setting the scene.
*3 Setting the scene some more
*4 Did I mention it had been raining?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Aha news!
Well, not really, I just wanted and eye catching attention grabbing headline!
The new PC is now up and running nicely, but I still haven’t managed to get my data across from my old hard drive. It includes a pre-written report on my 8 month update and rather than typing it in all over again I have just decided to delay it until I get all the stuff back. So give me a bit of time and I’ll be putting in my, er, 8½ month report any day now…
We had a great weekend last weekend. The BUF and her VNSO*1 came down to see us and we had a really nice relaxing time. On Friday the BUF listened to me whitter on about life’s little mysteries (in only the way that a BF can) over a nice bottle of red wine. We stopped at one bottle as my tablets still say ‘avoid alcohol’. I’m not quite certain if this means I shouldn’t drink the stuff, or just not go down the wine aisle in Tesco in case a bottle falls on my head. Whichever, I was trying to be (moderately) sensible – I avoided Tesco altogether and didn’t drink too much..
You may wonder why the VNSO has suddenly picked up a nickname like that from me. Of course, it could be because he is a) a significant other and b) very nice (obviously) but it’s more to do with the new men who came into my life (temporarily) last week. You see they were very nice men, in fact, very, very nice men….The first was the manager in the computer shop – not only is going to transfer all my data for me onto a hard drive that I haven’t even bought in his shop but he even got me a chair to sit on*2 when I had to wait for him to finish something else. What a VVNM he was. Next was the VVNM who finally managed to fit my new CD player in my car (yes, it is finally in). He did a lovely job; very neat extra wiring and even drove my car home for me afterwards so I didn’t have to get a taxi. Of course hubby says it’s just ‘cos he wanted to drive my car but I’m sure it was because he had his extra nice hat on. So, I decided, in a week of two very nice men that I could do with a third one….
*1Very nice significant other
*2This doesn’t normally happen in the real world, even if you are a granny with one leg pushing a pushchair and carrying several bags. It’s like people giving up their seat on the bus…or not….
The new PC is now up and running nicely, but I still haven’t managed to get my data across from my old hard drive. It includes a pre-written report on my 8 month update and rather than typing it in all over again I have just decided to delay it until I get all the stuff back. So give me a bit of time and I’ll be putting in my, er, 8½ month report any day now…
We had a great weekend last weekend. The BUF and her VNSO*1 came down to see us and we had a really nice relaxing time. On Friday the BUF listened to me whitter on about life’s little mysteries (in only the way that a BF can) over a nice bottle of red wine. We stopped at one bottle as my tablets still say ‘avoid alcohol’. I’m not quite certain if this means I shouldn’t drink the stuff, or just not go down the wine aisle in Tesco in case a bottle falls on my head. Whichever, I was trying to be (moderately) sensible – I avoided Tesco altogether and didn’t drink too much..
You may wonder why the VNSO has suddenly picked up a nickname like that from me. Of course, it could be because he is a) a significant other and b) very nice (obviously) but it’s more to do with the new men who came into my life (temporarily) last week. You see they were very nice men, in fact, very, very nice men….The first was the manager in the computer shop – not only is going to transfer all my data for me onto a hard drive that I haven’t even bought in his shop but he even got me a chair to sit on*2 when I had to wait for him to finish something else. What a VVNM he was. Next was the VVNM who finally managed to fit my new CD player in my car (yes, it is finally in). He did a lovely job; very neat extra wiring and even drove my car home for me afterwards so I didn’t have to get a taxi. Of course hubby says it’s just ‘cos he wanted to drive my car but I’m sure it was because he had his extra nice hat on. So, I decided, in a week of two very nice men that I could do with a third one….
*2This doesn’t normally happen in the real world, even if you are a granny with one leg pushing a pushchair and carrying several bags. It’s like people giving up their seat on the bus…or not….
Monday, October 09, 2006
Check back in a few days
Aaargh! It happened....
....that horrible moment when you look at the PC and wonder why the screen has just gone white. You reboot and nothing happens except a series of ominous sounding beeps and still the screen stays white....
After a few minutes panic you rush to huby's laptop and google bios beeps - it tells you that the series you just heard means your motherboard went kaput, phut and bang all at once (actually it didn't really say that but it did use the nasty word 'failed'). So we open up the box and inside there is a nasty glowing spot in the motherboard circuitry. I'm guessing motherboards are not meant to glow like lightbulbs...
To cut a very long story short, I am now typing this with a new system box sat beside me. The very nice manager at the computer shop is personally involved in my case (told you it was a long story - but I'll save that for another time) and has promised to copy all my data from my old hard drive onto an external backup drive for me. Annoyingly I ordered the external drive from Amazon but it hadn't arrived by Saturday so I haven't actually backed up since April (smack my wrists..!).
Anyway, bear with me - I shall be spending the next few days re-installing all my software so shall be a bit busy for blogging. At least you get the benefit right now of me testing whether I got my internet connection set up and running properly yet. I guess if you're reading this I must have eh? *1
*1No smilies yet tho' - they come as a plug in with Firefox (amazing browser!) - one of those things I am going to be spending the next few days installing....
....that horrible moment when you look at the PC and wonder why the screen has just gone white. You reboot and nothing happens except a series of ominous sounding beeps and still the screen stays white....
After a few minutes panic you rush to huby's laptop and google bios beeps - it tells you that the series you just heard means your motherboard went kaput, phut and bang all at once (actually it didn't really say that but it did use the nasty word 'failed'). So we open up the box and inside there is a nasty glowing spot in the motherboard circuitry. I'm guessing motherboards are not meant to glow like lightbulbs...
To cut a very long story short, I am now typing this with a new system box sat beside me. The very nice manager at the computer shop is personally involved in my case (told you it was a long story - but I'll save that for another time) and has promised to copy all my data from my old hard drive onto an external backup drive for me. Annoyingly I ordered the external drive from Amazon but it hadn't arrived by Saturday so I haven't actually backed up since April (smack my wrists..!).
Anyway, bear with me - I shall be spending the next few days re-installing all my software so shall be a bit busy for blogging. At least you get the benefit right now of me testing whether I got my internet connection set up and running properly yet. I guess if you're reading this I must have eh? *1
*1No smilies yet tho' - they come as a plug in with Firefox (amazing browser!) - one of those things I am going to be spending the next few days installing....
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
My back doesn’t talk to me the way it once did
I promised myself I wouldn’t really blog about my back apart from in the monthly updates but I just thought this was odd and so I thought I’d share (or whinge, complain grouse etc etc *1).
You see, my back always used to talk to me – it would twitter away in the background and tell me that I was doing just a bit too much and if I carried on, if I didn’t suffer later, I’d wake up mighty sore tomorrow. Most of the time I ignored it hoping it would shut up and them I’d be mighty sore in the morning and would beat myself up before carrying on and doing the precise same thing again. Learn from it? No way José! Anyway, at least I knew where I was and if I felt like being sensible (stop sniggering right now
) I would take a break and might escape the worse of it.
So, now, the twittering has shut up and that’s great – the only problem is, it still hurts if I do too much. So, it goes like this – I get stuck into something (the cleaning maybe*2), everything seems fine and then suddenly it socks me between the eyes (well in the centre of the back truthfully) – and it hurts! What about that, no warning, just kapow and all that. That’s not very fair, is it?
Anyway, the good thing in all of this is that if I stop right then (not like I get too much choice by this stage) and take it easy for a bit, the kapowwing*3 stops and (even better this) I’m not sore in the morning. This is great – no more morning spasms for me thank you very much (so far so good and all that) – I just wish I could figure out at which point too much is too much, before it really is too much….
*1 you know, just like I always do
*2 well, not the ironing, obviously…the pile is now nearly 3ft tall after all...
...and is developing a personality all of it’s own.
*3 I know this isn’t a word, but it should be
You see, my back always used to talk to me – it would twitter away in the background and tell me that I was doing just a bit too much and if I carried on, if I didn’t suffer later, I’d wake up mighty sore tomorrow. Most of the time I ignored it hoping it would shut up and them I’d be mighty sore in the morning and would beat myself up before carrying on and doing the precise same thing again. Learn from it? No way José! Anyway, at least I knew where I was and if I felt like being sensible (stop sniggering right now
) I would take a break and might escape the worse of it.So, now, the twittering has shut up and that’s great – the only problem is, it still hurts if I do too much. So, it goes like this – I get stuck into something (the cleaning maybe*2), everything seems fine and then suddenly it socks me between the eyes (well in the centre of the back truthfully) – and it hurts! What about that, no warning, just kapow and all that. That’s not very fair, is it?
Anyway, the good thing in all of this is that if I stop right then (not like I get too much choice by this stage) and take it easy for a bit, the kapowwing*3 stops and (even better this) I’m not sore in the morning. This is great – no more morning spasms for me thank you very much (so far so good and all that) – I just wish I could figure out at which point too much is too much, before it really is too much….
*1 you know, just like I always do
*2 well, not the ironing, obviously…the pile is now nearly 3ft tall after all...
...and is developing a personality all of it’s own.
*3 I know this isn’t a word, but it should be
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
My poor MIL...
So, the poor ole MIL is back home. It turns out that her GP had recently changed her medication (in fact, just 4 days ago!) and her system needs to get used to it before they can operate - so they sent her home. I suppose keeping her nil by mouth for the next three weeks until they could take her to theatre would be a bit drastic after all, however much she fancies losing a few pounds! Anyway, she was up on the ward getting her blood pressure taken and stuff while the FIL*1 and I had coffee downstairs. Less than an hour later, when we went back up to the ward to say goodbye and wish her luck, she was all packed up and ready to go home. So, we get a reprieve for 3 weeks and she has 3 more weeks to get stressed out again. At least I now know where the hospital is and have found the car park so I guess we just take it as a ‘dry run’.
Ah well, gives me a bit more time to find heart warming stories of how well other people have done and how they are riding bikes and climbing mountains. In fact, T (of A&T fame, remember them?) took up fencing after he had both of his hips done so maybe she’ll get a new hobby or two with inspiration like that….
*1 I’m sure you can work this one out for yourselves.
Ah well, gives me a bit more time to find heart warming stories of how well other people have done and how they are riding bikes and climbing mountains. In fact, T (of A&T fame, remember them?) took up fencing after he had both of his hips done so maybe she’ll get a new hobby or two with inspiration like that….
Monday, October 02, 2006
Nothing much happens...
So, I woke up *1 to find that Bugalugs*2 had one foot in my ear, another braced against my chin and was drooling down my neck. It was an interesting start to a day….
Today is the day that the MIL*3 goes in for her hip replacement. She is still highly suspicious of anyone who tells her that she will be out of hospital in less than a week and that it is a routine procedure as she bases her hospital experience on an extended hospital stay (for something which would now be routine) which took place over 50 years ago. Even my recent operation has not convinced her (“Ah, but you’re much younger than me” *4) and so I hope that she will be pleasantly surprised by the whole experience – and as delighted with her results as I am with mine.
All this leads to the fact that when hubby woke up (he did not have any feet in his ear as far as I know) he looked out the window and it was raining. Now I know this makes no sense, just ‘cos the MIL is going in for surgery does not logically mean it will rain (not does the lack of feet in the ear), but that’s the facts, he woke up (no feet), looked out the window and it was raining. In fact, it was more than raining, it was p*ssing it down and he just didn’t fancy walking the mile to the railway station. “Why not?”, I asked “Character building” I said (no I didn’t, I’m just making that up) – what I said was – “you’ll have to take my car, I need yours today to get your mother to the hospital. She’ll never manage to get into a 2+2 sports coupe before she’s had her hip done*5” – so he did….
A while later the phone rings:
Me: Hello, yes?
Hubby: I just thought you’d like to know I got to the station safely in your little car and didn’t scrape it round any of the corners in the multi storey car park. I even managed to find all the switches. There was one small problem though.
Me: Eeekk, is the car OK? (Please note wifely concern for hubby)
Hubby: Yes, fine, it’s just I kind of fell into it – it’s a long way down into it isn’t it?
Me: No (indignantly) – it’s just it’s a long way up into any other kind of car
A stunned silence follows…..
*1 I feel that it is good to do this, at least once per day.
*2 Just in case you need reminding, Bugalugs is not hubby, but is one of my cats.
*3Mother in Law
*4 Conveniently overlooking the fact that I think a hip op would be a walk in the park (no pun intended) by comparison.
*5 Actually I’m sure she could get in, but she’d never make it out and as much as I like my MIL, I don’t want a permanent passenger.
Today is the day that the MIL*3 goes in for her hip replacement. She is still highly suspicious of anyone who tells her that she will be out of hospital in less than a week and that it is a routine procedure as she bases her hospital experience on an extended hospital stay (for something which would now be routine) which took place over 50 years ago. Even my recent operation has not convinced her (“Ah, but you’re much younger than me” *4) and so I hope that she will be pleasantly surprised by the whole experience – and as delighted with her results as I am with mine.
All this leads to the fact that when hubby woke up (he did not have any feet in his ear as far as I know) he looked out the window and it was raining. Now I know this makes no sense, just ‘cos the MIL is going in for surgery does not logically mean it will rain (not does the lack of feet in the ear), but that’s the facts, he woke up (no feet), looked out the window and it was raining. In fact, it was more than raining, it was p*ssing it down and he just didn’t fancy walking the mile to the railway station. “Why not?”, I asked “Character building” I said (no I didn’t, I’m just making that up) – what I said was – “you’ll have to take my car, I need yours today to get your mother to the hospital. She’ll never manage to get into a 2+2 sports coupe before she’s had her hip done*5” – so he did….
A while later the phone rings:
Me: Hello, yes?
Hubby: I just thought you’d like to know I got to the station safely in your little car and didn’t scrape it round any of the corners in the multi storey car park. I even managed to find all the switches. There was one small problem though.
Me: Eeekk, is the car OK? (Please note wifely concern for hubby)
Hubby: Yes, fine, it’s just I kind of fell into it – it’s a long way down into it isn’t it?
Me: No (indignantly) – it’s just it’s a long way up into any other kind of car
A stunned silence follows…..
*1 I feel that it is good to do this, at least once per day.
*2 Just in case you need reminding, Bugalugs is not hubby, but is one of my cats.
*3Mother in Law
*4 Conveniently overlooking the fact that I think a hip op would be a walk in the park (no pun intended) by comparison.
*5 Actually I’m sure she could get in, but she’d never make it out and as much as I like my MIL, I don’t want a permanent passenger.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Silence…not golden at all!
So, after owning my new little car for a few weeks now I have decided to do something about the stereo. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it was a very modern stereo when the car was new, but at 23 years old it is starting to look a little dated. Aha, I can hear you thinking, but isn’t my 23 year old car a bit dated too? Well, yes you have a point, but that’s a classic whereas the stereo was never destined to be a classic whatever you did to it. The best thing that you can say for it is that it is at least stereo, but when you can only save 2 UHF (not VHF note) channels and the dial only goes up to 104 (and my favourite station is on 105 – 106), well, it’s not really that great. The real clincher is the fact that you can only listen to whatever broadcasts with the strongest signals – it means that my choice of channels is well, interesting. At least I’ve listened to stuff I never would normally and that’s a good thing, Right? Broadening my horizons and all that?
All this in mind, I picked a very nice unit – plays CD’s and will talk to my MP3 player (which has about 16Gb of music on it at the moment so should keep me going on the way to the supermarket and back). I paid for fitting too (it was on special offer and I thought it would be easy) – but the waiting list was 3 weeks. Never mind, I said bravely, I can listen to Radio Crapola for that long; heck, I may even be able to find a cassette or two hidden under the bed with all the dust bunnies or something…So that was that, they ordered the ‘special fascia’ needed for my car and the ‘special bit of wiring’ (very technical they were in the ordering department) and I drove around for 3 weeks until my appointment time duly arrived.
That was yesterday, so at the appointed hour I turned up to find they had no record of me. How they forgot a 23 year old car with a short lady owner with 2 very funky walking sticks is beyond me but apparently I’m just not that memorable! Anyway, they said they’d fit it in but could I come back in 3 hours instead of 1 to collect it. Hey, I’m an easy going sort of gal so that’s what I did and off I went (to the gym and then shopping if you must know!). After 3 hours I return to find the old stereo still in the car – they couldn’t get it out – just didn’t know how as it’s an ‘older type fitting’. No, really? You could’ve fooled me – a 23 year old car having an older type fitting? Surely not!
So, I have to take it back again next week when they have a different expert in. He apparently knows lots about such things so it should be interesting to see what he does. As long as there are no breakages and he doesn’t use any kind of brute force on my car I may warm to him yet. Mind, I should have known I was in trouble with the first guy when he told me that he was only 2 years old when the car was first registered and …“ Er we don't see many of 'em in here”. Oh, no sh*t sherlock!
Just to add to this tale of woe, when I got home I looked at the ‘specially ordered fascia’. It’s almost as big as my whole dashboard and there’s no way it will fit in my car (unless you were to take a hammer to it, smash it to bits and stuff it in the glovebox) – on the box it lists all the models it will fit and none of them is mine – heck, not even close – not even the same model, let alone the same age! I feel more than a wave of sarcasm coming on here…. I think my next visit will involve a trip to the manager’s office, a refund and a very big fat apology….
Ah well, I hope to be rockin' on, just like the rest of you, soon.....
Wrong – I need a new stereo!
All this in mind, I picked a very nice unit – plays CD’s and will talk to my MP3 player (which has about 16Gb of music on it at the moment so should keep me going on the way to the supermarket and back). I paid for fitting too (it was on special offer and I thought it would be easy) – but the waiting list was 3 weeks. Never mind, I said bravely, I can listen to Radio Crapola for that long; heck, I may even be able to find a cassette or two hidden under the bed with all the dust bunnies or something…So that was that, they ordered the ‘special fascia’ needed for my car and the ‘special bit of wiring’ (very technical they were in the ordering department) and I drove around for 3 weeks until my appointment time duly arrived.
That was yesterday, so at the appointed hour I turned up to find they had no record of me. How they forgot a 23 year old car with a short lady owner with 2 very funky walking sticks is beyond me but apparently I’m just not that memorable! Anyway, they said they’d fit it in but could I come back in 3 hours instead of 1 to collect it. Hey, I’m an easy going sort of gal so that’s what I did and off I went (to the gym and then shopping if you must know!). After 3 hours I return to find the old stereo still in the car – they couldn’t get it out – just didn’t know how as it’s an ‘older type fitting’. No, really? You could’ve fooled me – a 23 year old car having an older type fitting? Surely not!
So, I have to take it back again next week when they have a different expert in. He apparently knows lots about such things so it should be interesting to see what he does. As long as there are no breakages and he doesn’t use any kind of brute force on my car I may warm to him yet. Mind, I should have known I was in trouble with the first guy when he told me that he was only 2 years old when the car was first registered and …“ Er we don't see many of 'em in here”. Oh, no sh*t sherlock!
Just to add to this tale of woe, when I got home I looked at the ‘specially ordered fascia’. It’s almost as big as my whole dashboard and there’s no way it will fit in my car (unless you were to take a hammer to it, smash it to bits and stuff it in the glovebox) – on the box it lists all the models it will fit and none of them is mine – heck, not even close – not even the same model, let alone the same age! I feel more than a wave of sarcasm coming on here…. I think my next visit will involve a trip to the manager’s office, a refund and a very big fat apology….
Ah well, I hope to be rockin' on, just like the rest of you, soon.....
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
On dogs and their humans….
Today I was walking in the park (yes I am still doing this) and I got further than I’ve ever got before (yay for me!). I managed to make it all the way to the new bench on the big bend and by the time I’d got there I just had to sit down. I didn’t see the malevolent bench that lurks in the trees (see 
entry) so I have no idea if it was off terrorising the bowling green or maybe just behind me waiting to leap. Whichever, I didn’t sit for too long, just in case, and started out for home as soon as I could.
On the way back I passed a little fluffy haired old lady and her little fluffy haired dog. I’ve passed her before and we've never spoken, but today she said “you’re doing well today – aren’t you?” which I took as a real compliment – total strangers noticing my progress – amazing! Anyway, I fell to wondering (as I do), whether I have been a topic of conversation for the dog walkers in the park, who often seem to hunt in packs of two or three (that’s the walkers, not the dogs). We have a good selection of dogs and their walkers and it’s just like they say, lots of them look very like their owners. I actually have this theory with dogs and cats, that they actually own us, not the other way around – I mean, they are cared for, provided for, fussed and walked and all we are is servants. Worse than that, with dogs is that their humans then seem to copy their hairstyles too (or maybe they just choose a dog to fit their hair??). Anyway, we have a nice selection. There’s the lady with the curly black hair who has a big black poodle, the little fluffy haired lady with her fluffy haired dog, the dog with the bald patches who’s man has a bald head and the girl with the lovely sleek haircut who has a Doberman. We have one lady who has 4 dogs and I think she looks a bit like all of them depending on the light, but never like to admit I’m thinking it in case people think I’m rude!
Anyway, there’s lots of evidence to support my theory – you only have to look at:
and this article from the New Scientist:
and this one from Science agogo
and for the really dedicated among you – lots of pictures of people and their dogs..
So, there you go – enough wondering for today I think – I’ll just go off and see if I can add something more to the ironing pile …
entry) so I have no idea if it was off terrorising the bowling green or maybe just behind me waiting to leap. Whichever, I didn’t sit for too long, just in case, and started out for home as soon as I could. On the way back I passed a little fluffy haired old lady and her little fluffy haired dog. I’ve passed her before and we've never spoken, but today she said “you’re doing well today – aren’t you?” which I took as a real compliment – total strangers noticing my progress – amazing! Anyway, I fell to wondering (as I do), whether I have been a topic of conversation for the dog walkers in the park, who often seem to hunt in packs of two or three (that’s the walkers, not the dogs). We have a good selection of dogs and their walkers and it’s just like they say, lots of them look very like their owners. I actually have this theory with dogs and cats, that they actually own us, not the other way around – I mean, they are cared for, provided for, fussed and walked and all we are is servants. Worse than that, with dogs is that their humans then seem to copy their hairstyles too (or maybe they just choose a dog to fit their hair??). Anyway, we have a nice selection. There’s the lady with the curly black hair who has a big black poodle, the little fluffy haired lady with her fluffy haired dog, the dog with the bald patches who’s man has a bald head and the girl with the lovely sleek haircut who has a Doberman. We have one lady who has 4 dogs and I think she looks a bit like all of them depending on the light, but never like to admit I’m thinking it in case people think I’m rude!
Anyway, there’s lots of evidence to support my theory – you only have to look at:
and this article from the New Scientist:
and this one from Science agogo
and for the really dedicated among you – lots of pictures of people and their dogs..
So, there you go – enough wondering for today I think – I’ll just go off and see if I can add something more to the ironing pile …
Monday, September 25, 2006
I am a bad blogger...
OK, OK, I admit it. I am a very naughty blogger who hasn’t written about anything for ages (well its about a week actually but who’s counting?). I have excuses (heck, I always have excuses, that’s why my ironing pile is crawling out the basket and is halfway up the stairs) – but this time I do have a proper reason for not writing anything. You see, hubby has had a week off and I thought he might be a bit peeved if I told him to entertain himself whilst I got on with communicating with the world! I’ve also been away again – nowhere exotic this time, but it all eats into my writing time.
I guess I should explain all this travelling a bit better, as I think I’m getting one huge jealous readership here and you all think I’ve got pots of money and time on my hands. You probably think that I’m some kind of hard hearted b*tch who goes off on holiday at the drop of a hat and that I don’t take hubby with me as I want him to not only pay for it until he looks like this
, but also to cat sit while I’m not around. You probably think that I’m off sunning myself on some foreign beach with one hunky male rubbing in my sun tan lotion whilst getting a foot massage from another and slugging down Pimm’s fruit cup. You may even think that after my romantic evening meal has ended with my ‘man in every port’, I’m there sipping midnight margaritas (with the laundry fairy*1 maybe?). (Pinches self) - Oops, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tell you all my secret dreams….
Nope, seriously, it’s just not as exciting as all that and I finally decided that you might like some kind of explanation of why I am off all the time, zotting around the world. I think I already mentioned to you that I’m involved in fairly high level sport – well, it’s because of this that I have to do trips, either for competitions or for training. My recent trip to China was a training trip and I hardly saw anything at all which was a real shame. I was there 10 days and in all that time we only had one free afternoon for sightseeing. You have to believe me when I say you can’t do much sightseeing in one afternoon, especially in the kind of gridlocked city where 3 marked road lanes are occupied by 5 rows of cars!! I have never seen anything like it in my life - mere inches between them, cars and lorries wing mirror to wing mirror and bicycles weaving in and out of every gap (I think the riders all have to breathe in to do this) and totally ignoring every stop sign or red light. Anyway, I have digressed – that’s the reason for the travelling – but you don’t have to worry, my sport’s a summer one, so you’ll have to put up with me constantly over the winter!
*1 You’ll have to see a much earlier entry for this.
I guess I should explain all this travelling a bit better, as I think I’m getting one huge jealous readership here and you all think I’ve got pots of money and time on my hands. You probably think that I’m some kind of hard hearted b*tch who goes off on holiday at the drop of a hat and that I don’t take hubby with me as I want him to not only pay for it until he looks like this
, but also to cat sit while I’m not around. You probably think that I’m off sunning myself on some foreign beach with one hunky male rubbing in my sun tan lotion whilst getting a foot massage from another and slugging down Pimm’s fruit cup. You may even think that after my romantic evening meal has ended with my ‘man in every port’, I’m there sipping midnight margaritas (with the laundry fairy*1 maybe?). (Pinches self) - Oops, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tell you all my secret dreams….Nope, seriously, it’s just not as exciting as all that and I finally decided that you might like some kind of explanation of why I am off all the time, zotting around the world. I think I already mentioned to you that I’m involved in fairly high level sport – well, it’s because of this that I have to do trips, either for competitions or for training. My recent trip to China was a training trip and I hardly saw anything at all which was a real shame. I was there 10 days and in all that time we only had one free afternoon for sightseeing. You have to believe me when I say you can’t do much sightseeing in one afternoon, especially in the kind of gridlocked city where 3 marked road lanes are occupied by 5 rows of cars!! I have never seen anything like it in my life - mere inches between them, cars and lorries wing mirror to wing mirror and bicycles weaving in and out of every gap (I think the riders all have to breathe in to do this) and totally ignoring every stop sign or red light. Anyway, I have digressed – that’s the reason for the travelling – but you don’t have to worry, my sport’s a summer one, so you’ll have to put up with me constantly over the winter!
*1 You’ll have to see a much earlier entry for this.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Yet more travel and excitement …..
So, last weekend was time for more travelling but this time it included hubby (yay!)
- we went off for a short break to Bruges with PTV and his lovely wife and had a really fab time.
Bruges is a really nice place – if you’ve never been, you must – it’s full of fabulous old buildings and canals, has amazing churches and architecture and lots of chocolate shops *1 and bars with 1001 varieties of Belgian beer - Mmmmmm... Kriek and oh yes – lots of cobbles…
Now, before I went, I read something that said that Bruges was great for wheelchair users so I took mine. Well, yes it’s great in that it’s flat but it’s really important that you don’t have any fillings in your teeth if you’re going to use one because guaranteed that 2 days of judderrrinnggg around on cobbles and you’ll lose any that aren’t really firmly cemented in. Still, I got a lot further than I could have on foot so it was worth every bump and shimmy. I’m still wondering how much of my bone graft has now shaken down to my bottom tho’…
After too short a time we had to come back to dear old Blighty to pick up our car and come home. We loaded up the boot with all our chocolate purchases, started up and reversed out of our parking space whilst waving goodbye to PTV (and his lovely wife). Suddenly their waves turned frantic
– our car (the big and boring one I gave to hubby) was leaking its life blood all over the road (that’s oil to all you mechanically minded people out there…). That was it, no oil, no go so we had to call a recovery lorry out to get us the 200 miles home. “No problem”, the guy said “I should have you home by 11pm”. Well, he might have but for a few small details. He was very sleepy for one and was doing his best to stay awake by alternately shrugging and wriggling his shoulders and scratching his crotch and from behind it appeared that he had some strange version of St Vitus dance . Each time he almost dropped off to sleep he then strayed over the rumble strips *2 on the side of the motorway, alternately slowing down and speeding up when he woke again. Hubby slept (fitfully) through most of this whilst I struggled to keep the recovery lorry on the road by sheer force of will alone. At one point I decided to make conversation to keep the driver awake (no all you doubters I didn’t do this just because I like to talk too much…). I asked him if he was married and he told me that he had a fiancé who did the same job as him – in fact he had even trained her to be a recovery driver and she worked for the same company as him. I wondered if he’d trained her to stay awake by shrugging and wriggling her shoulders etc, but didn’t like to ask that….
Anyway, the car is now at the garage and we are waiting for big Bill (he’s not the guy who fixes the car, he’s the credit card destroyer) – I’ll keep you informed…
*1 I make no apology at all for including this link and accept no responsibility for any weight you might gain….
*2 And I thought I was through with cobbles for the weekend when we left Brugges
- we went off for a short break to Bruges with PTV and his lovely wife and had a really fab time.Bruges is a really nice place – if you’ve never been, you must – it’s full of fabulous old buildings and canals, has amazing churches and architecture and lots of chocolate shops *1 and bars with 1001 varieties of Belgian beer - Mmmmmm... Kriek and oh yes – lots of cobbles…
Now, before I went, I read something that said that Bruges was great for wheelchair users so I took mine. Well, yes it’s great in that it’s flat but it’s really important that you don’t have any fillings in your teeth if you’re going to use one because guaranteed that 2 days of judderrrinnggg around on cobbles and you’ll lose any that aren’t really firmly cemented in. Still, I got a lot further than I could have on foot so it was worth every bump and shimmy. I’m still wondering how much of my bone graft has now shaken down to my bottom tho’…
After too short a time we had to come back to dear old Blighty to pick up our car and come home. We loaded up the boot with all our chocolate purchases, started up and reversed out of our parking space whilst waving goodbye to PTV (and his lovely wife). Suddenly their waves turned frantic
– our car (the big and boring one I gave to hubby) was leaking its life blood all over the road (that’s oil to all you mechanically minded people out there…). That was it, no oil, no go so we had to call a recovery lorry out to get us the 200 miles home. “No problem”, the guy said “I should have you home by 11pm”. Well, he might have but for a few small details. He was very sleepy for one and was doing his best to stay awake by alternately shrugging and wriggling his shoulders and scratching his crotch and from behind it appeared that he had some strange version of St Vitus dance . Each time he almost dropped off to sleep he then strayed over the rumble strips *2 on the side of the motorway, alternately slowing down and speeding up when he woke again. Hubby slept (fitfully) through most of this whilst I struggled to keep the recovery lorry on the road by sheer force of will alone. At one point I decided to make conversation to keep the driver awake (no all you doubters I didn’t do this just because I like to talk too much…). I asked him if he was married and he told me that he had a fiancé who did the same job as him – in fact he had even trained her to be a recovery driver and she worked for the same company as him. I wondered if he’d trained her to stay awake by shrugging and wriggling her shoulders etc, but didn’t like to ask that….Anyway, the car is now at the garage and we are waiting for big Bill (he’s not the guy who fixes the car, he’s the credit card destroyer) – I’ll keep you informed…
*1 I make no apology at all for including this link and accept no responsibility for any weight you might gain….
*2 And I thought I was through with cobbles for the weekend when we left Brugges
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The Nuts and bolts of my surgery (literally!)
I will admit to seeing this idea on another blog and so have ‘stolen’ it. Well, it’s not really stealing, as the details are mine not hers, but it was her idea. Why I am being so noble and giving her the credit? I have no idea – I guess I must just have my nice head on today…Anyway – to details:
*2Apparently it is 1½ inches high – that is a lot when you consider it’s between two vertebrae. It may actually account for a lot of my gained height too!
*3I don’t think I fancy this!
- I had an anterior Spinal Fusion of T-9 to L-5. It was supposed to be T3 to L5 but my surgeon got bored and went home so didn’t get any further *1
- It took 6 1/2 hours of theatre time.
- I now have one thick rod, lots of screws and a metal ‘cage’, which is nothing more than a big wedge shaped lump of metal*2 inserted between two of my vertebrae (L4/5).
- I got six units of blood in theatre and ICU and another 2 units a few days later when my blood count dropped so much that my lips turned white.
- Being given Tramadol was the worst part of the whole experience, as I had a bad reaction to it.
- Not going to the toilet for 10 days came a very close second!
- This was closely followed by not being able to get back into bed as my feet didn’t touch the floor (and that was with the bed on its lowest setting!).
- I did not get out of bed for 5 days because I had a chest drain in all that time.
- Having my chest drain out was horrible but only because they stitched it in too tight – it became infected later for the same reason – I think the apprentice did it!
- I was hospitalized for nearly 3 weeks – I was the ‘old lady’ of the ward.
- When I came home I had a walking frame – just like an old lady.
- The first few days after surgery I loved my PCA pump and the morphine it gave me. It didn’t make me hallucinate which was a shame – I would have liked to have seen some weird sh*t.
- The pain was never too bad as long as I took lots of pain pills and didn’t try to move too fast – I don’t include the time I was on tramadol when the pain was vile.
- When I got home I was not allowed a shower for 3 weeks because of my chest drain infection.
- I was not allowed to bend, twist, stretch, or lift anything at all or do any kind of resistance exercises for 4 months until I got the all clear. (Not that I felt like it for most of the time anyway). I did not have to wear a brace during this time.
- I had 2 ribs removed along with the discs in my lumbar spine. My ribs were ground up and put into the spaces where my discs used to be, in the hopes that it will get hard and fuse everything all together. My surgeon says you can’t really tell if its worked unless he opens me up again just to have a look *3
- I ‘grew’ 2” in height. I actually shrank when they took my discs out and then they stretched me out again on my very own internal rack.
- My scar runs from near my belly button round to my shoulder blade in a big spiral. It is awesome and I love it as it represents what I have been through and what my future holds (i.e. all that good stuff…).
- My curvature used to be 75 degree lumbar curve with a 62 degree thoracic curve. Those angles are now down to 33 and 30 – amazing!
- I have had to buy a whole new wardrobe as I am a very different shape now (YAY for both the new clothes and the new shape!)
- Would I do it again? Oh yes, yes yes yes !!!
*2Apparently it is 1½ inches high – that is a lot when you consider it’s between two vertebrae. It may actually account for a lot of my gained height too!
*3I don’t think I fancy this!
Monday, September 11, 2006
7 months post op – 7 months, 7 months, gosh, is it really??!!
There are days when I wake up and think that it seems like years since I had the operation and then other times when it seems like yesterday. Of course, that’s not really true ‘cos when it really was yesterday, I was all wired up to stuff that went bleep and had tubes and wires in (almost) every orifice plus a few more that they had created especially for the purpose! Anyway, all I really mean is that there are days when I feel great and other days when I realise that I have actually had major spinal surgery. Originally I was told to expect recovery in 6-12 months and now I see what they mean – not that you don’t feel pretty good pretty early on (especially given what you’ve been though), but I know that I am still very aware of my scar and my body is still reminding me that it’s been sliced open and stitched up*1.
Anyway, I’m going for the truthful update today and will tell the bad stuff first (not that anything is that bad but I want Ly to know what’s coming!). Here we go: My phantom ribs still get sore from time to time and often feel tight but they are definitely better than they were. At the moment they are an inconvenience, and if I didn’t do so much I’m sure they would be fine. I admit it, I am a bad girl, but hey, life is for living right? What else? Umm, well, when I get tired then my numb leg doesn’t want to work too well but then I always used to get days when my legs didn’t want to go out and play so I think I’m still just adjusting to the new feel of it. Oh, did I say feel? I meant lack of feel of course! Speaking of lack of feel, the area around my scar is still numb but does it matter? Nah! Not really!
The only other weird thing is that I often wake up*2 and one of my arms has gone to sleep. Now I know that you’re all going to tell me that I shouldn’t lie on it, but it’s the one on top that does it. I often sleep on my right side (can’t sleep on my left, ribs complain) and my left hand goes to sleep. Go figure! I have no idea what causes it but it is only since the op. When I wake I just have to flex my hand a bit and it all comes back to life. So, strange but true…
Apart from that, it’s all great. I am doing everything I should do and lots of stuff I shouldn’t. My back still hurts, (although most of my scoliosis related pain has gone) but it probably wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t for me doing the stuff I shouldn’t! I mean, who on earth would travel to the Czech Republic and after less than a week at home head off for China – only a mad woman right? *3
Other things to update on are the nerve pain and the stomach reflux. Well Ly, my stomach problems have all but gone – yippee! At present I have mild and occasional attacks getting less and less frequent with time. (Just hang in there girl!). The nerve pain has improved enough to try me on a reduced dose – so that’s still a case of watch this space.
Anyway, to finish off with the update, I have to say that I feel fit. I mean really fit, you know, like well, a fit person. I feel healthy and well. I put much of this down to my breathing which has improved vastly since the op. Funnily enough, it went downhill so gradually that I hadn’t realised how much of an impact having one of my lungs all squashed had on me. But now I do….Anyway (I do like that word), next back update will be early October. Eight months, oh my ears and whiskers….
*1 I am very glad to report this second fact as otherwise life could have got very messy.
*2 I am glad of this too.
*2 Er, um, that would be me then?.
Anyway, I’m going for the truthful update today and will tell the bad stuff first (not that anything is that bad but I want Ly to know what’s coming!). Here we go: My phantom ribs still get sore from time to time and often feel tight but they are definitely better than they were. At the moment they are an inconvenience, and if I didn’t do so much I’m sure they would be fine. I admit it, I am a bad girl, but hey, life is for living right? What else? Umm, well, when I get tired then my numb leg doesn’t want to work too well but then I always used to get days when my legs didn’t want to go out and play so I think I’m still just adjusting to the new feel of it. Oh, did I say feel? I meant lack of feel of course! Speaking of lack of feel, the area around my scar is still numb but does it matter? Nah! Not really!
The only other weird thing is that I often wake up*2 and one of my arms has gone to sleep. Now I know that you’re all going to tell me that I shouldn’t lie on it, but it’s the one on top that does it. I often sleep on my right side (can’t sleep on my left, ribs complain) and my left hand goes to sleep. Go figure! I have no idea what causes it but it is only since the op. When I wake I just have to flex my hand a bit and it all comes back to life. So, strange but true…
Apart from that, it’s all great. I am doing everything I should do and lots of stuff I shouldn’t. My back still hurts, (although most of my scoliosis related pain has gone) but it probably wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t for me doing the stuff I shouldn’t! I mean, who on earth would travel to the Czech Republic and after less than a week at home head off for China – only a mad woman right? *3
Other things to update on are the nerve pain and the stomach reflux. Well Ly, my stomach problems have all but gone – yippee! At present I have mild and occasional attacks getting less and less frequent with time. (Just hang in there girl!). The nerve pain has improved enough to try me on a reduced dose – so that’s still a case of watch this space.
Anyway, to finish off with the update, I have to say that I feel fit. I mean really fit, you know, like well, a fit person. I feel healthy and well. I put much of this down to my breathing which has improved vastly since the op. Funnily enough, it went downhill so gradually that I hadn’t realised how much of an impact having one of my lungs all squashed had on me. But now I do….Anyway (I do like that word), next back update will be early October. Eight months, oh my ears and whiskers….
*1 I am very glad to report this second fact as otherwise life could have got very messy.
*2 I am glad of this too.
*2 Er, um, that would be me then?.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
New links
Just thought I'd mention some new links...
I fnally got round to adding Brandi's blog to the links of scoliosis bloggers. She has a very funky new site...
Well, talk about eclectic (were we doing that or was I just imagining it?) - I came across something whilst genuinely looking for a knitting pattern. Its Stitchy McYarnpants amazing Museum of Kitschy Stitches (A Gallery of Notorious Knits). You just have to visit this site for its serious reflections on knitting pattern photos of the past. Oh, did I say serious? That's not truthful at all....it's more like this really...
I fnally got round to adding Brandi's blog to the links of scoliosis bloggers. She has a very funky new site...
Well, talk about eclectic (were we doing that or was I just imagining it?) - I came across something whilst genuinely looking for a knitting pattern. Its Stitchy McYarnpants amazing Museum of Kitschy Stitches (A Gallery of Notorious Knits). You just have to visit this site for its serious reflections on knitting pattern photos of the past. Oh, did I say serious? That's not truthful at all....it's more like this really...
Friday, September 08, 2006
I’m back, I’m back (as a matter of fact…..)*
Well, I am back from my Turkish bath of a trip. Actually, where I went was nowhere near Turkey, although it may have been one of the more normal things that I ate during my visit. At a meal out organised by our hosts, goose feet*1 were served on the menu, as was crocodile stew and snake and scorpion soup. There were many other things too, many of which were untranslatable and that may have been just as well! Still a good time was had by all (I think) and that even included when the BMB was forced to get up and sing. J, don’t worry, even when he did his Tom Jones impression no-one threw knickers!
Anyway to those of you who are interested in what it is like travelling for nearly 24 hours when you had major spinal surgery just a few months ago I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I really don’t recommend it! I was very disappointed too that my metal work did not, on its own, set off the metal detectors. When you’re travelling through the airport in a wheelchair, those arch thingies are pretty much bound to start bleeping – I’d be more worried if they didn’t! Anyway, my friend got one of those hand held things waved over her and that was sensitive enough to pick up her bra strap. There I was going “Ooo. Ooo. Me next. Me next!!!” but they just let me go through. What a swizz eh? I guess I will have to try and persuade hubby to take me on lots of foreign holidays then maybe I’ll be able to report for sure…
So, here I am, back! I shall now be updating the blog on a halfway regular basis again – I’m now at 7 months too, so I shall be doing an update on that in the next few days. It does assume that I can get to the keyboard tho’ since it seems to be the latest residence of the cat. This is the same cat that when I came home, stuck his nose in the air and stalked out of the room very pointedly, only to rush back in after about 30 seconds and launch himself at me. I don’t think he’s learnt yet that 30 seconds doesn’t quite class as sulking…
*Please don’t try and guess where this is from. I’m almost ashamed to admit I know it myself!
*1I now know that under the skin of a goose foot is nothing but bone - I never did quite discover which bit we were supposed to be eating.
Anyway to those of you who are interested in what it is like travelling for nearly 24 hours when you had major spinal surgery just a few months ago I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I really don’t recommend it! I was very disappointed too that my metal work did not, on its own, set off the metal detectors. When you’re travelling through the airport in a wheelchair, those arch thingies are pretty much bound to start bleeping – I’d be more worried if they didn’t! Anyway, my friend got one of those hand held things waved over her and that was sensitive enough to pick up her bra strap. There I was going “Ooo. Ooo. Me next. Me next!!!” but they just let me go through. What a swizz eh? I guess I will have to try and persuade hubby to take me on lots of foreign holidays then maybe I’ll be able to report for sure…
So, here I am, back! I shall now be updating the blog on a halfway regular basis again – I’m now at 7 months too, so I shall be doing an update on that in the next few days. It does assume that I can get to the keyboard tho’ since it seems to be the latest residence of the cat. This is the same cat that when I came home, stuck his nose in the air and stalked out of the room very pointedly, only to rush back in after about 30 seconds and launch himself at me. I don’t think he’s learnt yet that 30 seconds doesn’t quite class as sulking…
*Please don’t try and guess where this is from. I’m almost ashamed to admit I know it myself!
*1I now know that under the skin of a goose foot is nothing but bone - I never did quite discover which bit we were supposed to be eating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)