Saturday, November 10, 2018

Alternative way to spend a month



To recap, I spent a month rehabbing from my broken femur, and came home a week after the school year started, toward the end of August. The cat was happy to be home, and so were Laura and I. Rehab continued at home, and I became darn good with the cane.

I was confident enough to use it in my right hand, to support my still mending right leg. Approved practice is opposite hand to “bad” leg, and if you’ve ever needed to do it, you know the drill. But, I digress. Actually, I did not sacrifice a month to putting my cane in the wrong hand. I was practicing it because I had a goal.

A new shoulder! I consulted with the young shoulder fellow, demonstrated my reasonable ability to be mobile using the cane in my right hand, and we set the date, which I no longer recall. I know it was before September 20th,  the anniversary of breaking my femur. 

And so, I had a reverse shoulder replacement, and came home the next day. It was like magic. Yes, it hurt, but not from arthritis!

I remember I came home on a week day. I remember sleeping a lot. General anesthesia does that to me. A lot of sleeping it off. Waking up and needing a trip to the loo, too. 

In the middle of the night, thumping along the twenty paces to my bathroom, I passed my walker, set aside in my bedroom. I was so sleepy, and tired, I thought how nice it would be to lean on the walker and finish the trip. I hung the cane on my closet doorknob.

My right hand engaged the walker’s grip. My left hand, secure in a body sling, wondered what the hell I was up to. That had not entered my brain, though. I gave my mobility device a push.

Just like a cartoon, I was over the top. I tucked my head, hunched my shoulders and went for the roll. It would have been a perfect landing, except I was too close to the wall, and my right hip took a good smack. I slid down, sat up, considered my options.

Laura was sound asleep and the next day a school day. I scooched along the wall and reached the phone. I called 911 and asked for our local dispatch. I said I needed Valley Fire to pick me up and put me back to bed, after I went to the bathroom. Yes, my front door was unlocked; when I came home from the broken leg, etc., I’ve left it unlocked, just in case I ever would need VFD to pick me up.

I knew one of the EMT’s, who told the other it was OK. If I wanted helped back in bed, so be it.

But the next day my hip hurt. And it hurt worse the next day, and worse the day after.  So, I took the trip to the emergency room…

To be continued, but only one more day. I need to go read some blogs. I’m a month behind there, too.


So much catching up!



28 comments:

  1. Dear heaven, I am sorry to hear this last bit....I thought perhaps you were recovering from your operation. I am hoping things are already much better for you, and look forward to the next installment. It's a good time of year to catch up! Be well!

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  2. Oh my dear Joanne, you've been on my a lot this past week. I knew something had gone wrong but didn't know how to find out more. Thankful you wrote here. Prayers and good thoughts for you. xx

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    1. Sorry, my keyboard often skips letters because they stick (even though they are not dirty). I meant to say "you've been on my mind a lot this past week". Hoping for a better week ahead for you. ♥

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  3. Oh dear again. I have been wondering about you. Please mend soon. X

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  4. Thank you for updating here; I've been growing more and more worried as time passed. I am on pins and needles waiting for the next part! Best wishes, Joanne - I hope your pain is receding.

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  5. Oh dear, that is a lot of injuries and surgery and now I am in suspense about your hip. Be well friend.

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  6. So glad to hear from you even in your state! good heavens! Thank you for posting, you have been on my mind a lot! Gravity is not my friend either- I broke the toilet , fell on it!

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  7. Just when I think you have injured everything you have to injure and in every way possible you come up with a new one. Evel Knievel would envy you.

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  8. Hari Om
    well, that answers the question I asked privately. Tsk. No doubt we'll soon be reading how you are looking forward and leaving as much of this behind as you can. YAM xx

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  9. Oh Christ, Joanne. I have half a mind to come over and give you a piggy back and forth for the next few weeks.

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  10. You need to be carefully wrapped in bubble wrap.

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  11. Oh no. The rest of this story doesn't sound good. I figured you were still recuperating from your shoulder surgery. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story.

    betty

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  12. I am so glad to read that you can write this post. I was so worried about you and contacted other bloggers to see if they have heard from you. You are going through so much now and I am so sorry, but you will get out of this too, Joanne.

    When I voted, I thought of you!

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    1. And, I voted absentee for the first time in my life, and thought of you, on the National Mall!

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  13. Oh Joanne. I hoped you were in recovery mode - as it seems you were. Just double recovery mode.
    I am so very sorry.

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  14. I was just thinking of you and wondering how you were. You've certainly been put through the wringer. Big HUGS from out west.
    -Bea

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  15. Damn that walker! Tempting you like that. Banish it to the outdoors. Oh wait, you're having snow and stuff now...
    I do hope you are feeling much better now and the hip isn't broken.

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  16. I've been worried about you, hope you're healing and haven't hurt you hip too badly.

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  17. Oh Joanne. I am now waiting for the next part to this story. Please let it have a happy ending. -Jenn

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  18. You have been on my mind a lot.

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  19. What more could happen ? So sorry. When a blog goes silent, we know something is wrong. Hope you are on the mend.

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  20. Perhaps it's time to admit that we're not quite as bouncy as we once were … definitely brainier and a lot tougher but slightly less springy!

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  21. I have been thinking about you and wondering if something ill had befallen you.

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  22. your indomitable spirit rises again. been meaning to check on you for the last three days to see if you were home yet.

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  23. So very nice to see you. I hope the fall didn't damage the new shoulder. I will find out about the new hip later. You sound great.

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  24. Oh dear. I hope there's no serious damage. I await the next installment.

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