Little Bit of Everything

I believe in setting goals.  I think its motivating to have something to work for.  Sometime goals can be small, like just today my goal was to poop, and it only 11am and I've already accomplished this.  Goals are motivating, and I think and important part of any day, week, month, you get the point.  November 5, 2011 Katy, Texas will be hosting a Viva Las Vegas 5k Fun Run/Walk and my goal is to walk my first post-op 5k on that day.  That gives me 3 weeks from yesterday to make this happen, and I think its feasible.  I will not do anything to hurt the progress of my surgery, but it is known that the more you walk in recovery during this surgery, the faster you heal.  I have absolutely no walking restrictions except for when my body tells me enough.  As of Thursday I will be two weeks post-op.  That day I will officially put on my walking shoes and hit the streets to prepare for my event.  Until then, I'll be safely taking my indoor lap I've gotten comfortable with in the house.  Wish me luck, and I hope I can do it!

Yesterday was the first day I was left alone for a few hours since my surgery.  I confidently said good bye to my husband, mother, and kids as they went off to the mall.  Other than doing a load of laundry, I did my best to take it as easy as possible.  Now, let me preface this story by telling you about my hospital bed.  It is electric and with a hit of my remote I can elevate feet, back, middle and anything in between.  I was laying on my bed watching TV and playing on my Ipad when I decided I was done with playing with "My Clinic" App on Ipad and folded up my device and tossed it on the bed to my left just below my waist.  This also happens to be the exact location of where the remote for my bed was located.  The impact of the Ipad on the remote not only triggered the operation of the simultaneous lift of the body and leg function, but it also managed to push it about another few inches away from my reach.  As the familiar cranking sound of the bed engaged I realized what was happening.  As my back and legs began then endless merge I desperately tried to reach the remote, but to no avail.  I quickly maneuvered my "Log Roll" technique and got myself out of bed.  The only reaction I could muster up was uncontrollable laughter which right now sounds somewhere like a laugh, choke, and gasp for air because it hurts so bad to laugh.  I looked like something out of a movie, and I couldn't believe what I had actually done.

Moving on, today is day 10 post op and am happy to report that I am weaning off of the pain pills already.  Just to give some perspective.  While I was at my worst in the hospital I was taking 3 (5mg) Oxycontin pills every 4 hours to manage my level of pain a long with a strong muscle relaxer (xanaflex) every 8 hours.  Since yesterday, I am only taking ONE oxycontin every 6 hours and a muscle relaxer every 12 hours.  Pretty much awesomeness.  Nice to have my head out of the clouds, and being able to manage my pain on just Tylenol with a little bit of a boost when needed is so much better on your body than narcotics, yuck!  I do still have pain, but pain is relative, and thinking about where I was one week ago Tylenol seems appropriate.  I'm hoping to be completely off the narcotics soon.  Muscle relaxers might take a while longer because they really do help with the tightness that builds up and the random muscle spasms that can really hurt.

Last night, I got to keep the kids up a little bit past bedtime and we all snuggled on my bed together and looked at pictures on my camera and enjoyed closeness.  One of the tougher things about recovering from this is the distance I've had to keep from them.  I can't give them squeezes and they can't give me either.  Man, do I miss my Lyla and Drew hugs.  They are the best!  All the more reason to enjoy them when I can again.  I since declared a new bedtime routine:  Bath with Bela, then storytime, prayers and snuggles in Mommy's hospital bed.  Can't wait! I am so impressed with how well they are handling having "Mommy's back hurt."  Drew gives me the most gentle high fives ever and Lyla strokes me and tells me sorry on an hourly basis.

Finally, I made a list of all I am able to do already.  I so much farther along than I thought I'd be:

1) I can bathe, dry, and dress myself

2) I can go down to my knees and back up again without moving my back at all

3) I can pee without thought again.  The first few times I was sitting on the toilet for 15 minutes trying to remember how to do it. 

4) I can dry, and flat iron my hair

5) I can do a load of laundry

6) I can make lunch for my kids (sandwiches and diced peaches)

7) I can be out of bed for 2 hours at a time, no problem

8) I can pick small item off the ground with my toes and bring them up to my hands ( grapes, hair ties, clothes) 

That's all I can think of right now, but I'm pretty happy with my progress.

Here is the after back.  I can't bend per my doctors orders, but I'm quite pleased.  I do still have swelling as it has only been 10 days, but I think its pretty amazing.  Here is the before again, in case you forgot. 

Before of my and Tim:

And After:

Yay!!  I think about an inch to an inch and a half.