Good News (unlike the national news)

 

Saturday was a good day. I felt like I had kicked this thing in the behind. I met with the home nurse who was quite impressed at how I was getting around, and that made me feel good. I spent the day with no pain killers, (big improvement) and I went to bed with a dose of extra strength tylenol PM. I fell asleep promptly, and slept until I woke up at 3 in some pretty awful pain. 

And stayed awake. Migrated from bed to the couch. Back to the bed after a few hours. I just could not get comfortable. It was not cool. 

That means, because I was tired, Sunday was a wash out. I was dealing with the final hurrah from the narcotics. (Do. Not. Ask.) It was miserable. I was back in bed by 7. I skipped the night time tylenol and just took two OTC sleep aids. My leg was twinging, little jolts of electricity, and quite by accident, I got an idea. Using a heated massage on my foot and ankle really relieved that pain. 

I slept like a rock, which made this morning a pretty good morning. 

For one thing, I was able to take my first shower. I was told by the home health person that my dressing would be removed by the person coming on Monday, but at the hospital, they said that I could remove it myself and shower. So. I went with the advice that I liked the best. Since the visiting nurse wasn't coming until after lunch, I removed the bandage as soon as I was out of bed, climbed into the shower and took the longest, hottest shower and it felt like heaven. 

I made my first cup of coffee since all this had happened, and that tasted pretty good too. 

I got some dishes washed. Tim did two loads of laundry. We planned supper. My meal preplanning was just great, I'm glad to say. 

Tim headed out on the business of his day and I settled in to ice my knee and wait for the pt person to arrive. Here's something else that I'm really, really so happy about. She was very pleased to see that I have 100% extension and 95% flexion with that knee. She said that as soon as I get the staples removed, I'll get the other 5%. My therapy will not consist of range of motion, because I've already pretty much got that back, and from what I understand, the ROM is the most painful part of the PT. I'll simply be strengthening that knee. She says the incision looks great, and was amazed at how little swelling and bruising I had. She was pleased that I'd consider my pain at a 2. Reading the notes, she said, as I have heard, over and over again: "Your response to narcotics is not uncommon." The question really does beg an answer then: why did the hospital find it so hard to believe?

Anyways, all good news. 

I iced my leg and watched two very old movies, movies that I'd never seen. Postcards from The Edge, which struck me as so sad. Despite the triumphant closing song about leaving Heartbreak Hotel, she didn't. 

The other movie I watched was "The Remains of the Day". How did I ever get to be 67 and never see it? I don't know. I could not tell  you, but I LOVED that movie. I was quite surprised when my daughter classed it as the worst movie she's ever seen. It was about perfect in my mind, and in the end, when the pigeon flew down the chimney, and the new American owner ushered it out of the window and into the sky, I almost cried to see Mr. Stevens closing that window of the old house. Closing the door to his own cage, albeit one that he had chosen for himself.

I borrowed a page from Catalyst's blog. He and Judy's Friday night tradition is pizza. They buy a regular store pizza and top it with their own toppings. This is something that I used to do when the kids were young. I don't know why I stopped. But I gimped out to the kitchen, topped a cheese pizza with pepperoni, onions, mushroom, peppers, broccoli, another layer of pepperoni, and a good covering of grated mozzarella and some italian seasoning. Easy peasy, and Tim thinks it is 'perfect'. 

Kudos to CBS' Wendy McMahon. This is what ethics looks like.