Well, it's been a while since my last post. Doesn't time fly?
The last few weeks have been spent recuperating, resting and more recently starting to push myself a little further as I've now had my first physio session.
The pain of the wound has abated but the whole of my left side seems to ache most of the time. The pain can concentrate in my knee, thigh, buttock, lower back or even as far as my calf and ankle. Doing stretches, my physio exercises and getting up and walking around does help though. I'm back on regular paracetamol just to help manage the pain.
I had my clips out 10 days after surgery. There were 46 clips, even the nurse commented that she had never seen so many clips. It looked pretty brutal. She put the dressing back on as it was bleeding a little, probably not helped by the blood thinners and she just told me to remove it after 2-3 days.
I've also managed to take a few showers, which felt great, although I am so cautious when moving around in the shower to make sure that I don't slip. I can't imagine how distressing it would be to dislocate my hip at this stage and have to start all over again.
I'm now walking around the house without crutches. I'm very slow and wonky but it makes life a lot easier. I'm utterly convinced that my operated leg is now way longer than my other leg. Even the though the consultant told me that my legs were now the same length as I was wheeled out of the operating theatre. Prior to the op he also warned me that my leg would feel longer as it had been shorter for so long, so my body will need to readjust to this, but it just feels so wrong. I can't imagine my body readjusting to the change, but hopefully it will.
The wound is healing nicely, just a few little scabs left and I'm applying bio oil twice a day. The physio also wants me to apply pressure to it and play with it and even brush it using a body brush (once the scabs have gone) to prevent it from becoming over sensitive. It feels a little odd playing with it as parts of the surrounding skin are still totally numb; like I've got a dead arse! Apparently it can take months for nerves to repair if they repair at all. So I may have a numb bum forever. I can feel myself touching it, but I can't feel pain, it's a very odd sensation.
My friends have been great still visiting on a daily basis and doing basic household chores for me. They've also been getting me out of the house and taking me out to lunch. I've totally mastered getting in and out of the car. The weather hasn't been great, but to be honest it is perfect recuperation weather. I think I have sat in the garden on just two occasions, but that made me realise that crutches, suncream and surgical stockings don't mix.
I have worn my denim shorts a couple of times and was delighted to discover that they cover my scar perfectly. You can see the tail end of it when I'm sitting down but it is totally hidden when I'm walking. I've been taking a scarf with me to drape over my legs whilst we are in restaurants as I don't want to put anyone off their dinner with my scabs!
I can honestly say that I haven't been bored once. In fact I'm still finding that there's not enough time in the day. I pass the time reading, listening to the radio, watching photography and Affinity tutorials on YouTube, editing my photos using the new skills I've learned, playing around with Affinity Designer (so much to learn) and of course checking social media. Twitter has been very entertaining over the last few weeks since Theresa May announced her resignation! I'm also learning to play my ukulele which I bought about six years ago. I've just mastered Twist & Shout by The Beatles (well, I say mastered, I can just about play it! I'm not very good to be honest but I shall persevere.)
And I think that's all the updates for now. My friend is arriving in ten minutes to take me to The Captains Wife for lunch. I can't wait to eat their amazing dough sticks, I've been dreaming about them since we first tried them about six weeks ago. Ciao for now.
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