by Judy Handley | Jan 24, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 24: On the Road to Recovery on Steroids
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Weather: Snow Overnight, Cloudy with Misty Rain; High Temp 43, Low 39 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth MA
All day today I kept wondering why I felt so great and had absolutely no pain even though I took the last pain meds yesterday. Tonight, I figured it out—just a little slow catching on. My doctor had me start a five-day prednisone pack yesterday. I take a little less every day. When that is finished, I will actually be able to tell how I am doing. But I am so thrilled to be standing up straight and walking with no back pain. I’ll enjoy every day of that and hope it continues.
Today I overdid it a bit. Christina Brodie was bringing dinner for me tonight, and then we decided to have the salad portion of dinner for lunch and catch up on happenings. I had a little break after our lunch and then I went to my Exploring Public Policy meeting from 3:00 to 5:00. For the next few weeks, I will limit my days to one activity. But when I got home from the meeting, Heather was at my house with Shadow. She wanted to play fetch with him, but at her house, he tends to run around the neighborhood. That is a no-no, so she came here. When I saw him, I knew it was time for him to come home. So, tonight we are together again. He has been lying at my feet all evening, rolled up in a little ball.
I can’t tell if he is happy to be home, but I am so happy to have him back. I just have to make sure he is not going to pull on the leash when we walk. Heather or Jed will still come walk him in the morning, and someone is coming tonight. But I am hoping I can do everything but the morning walk and soon I will add him.
Today, due to the snow and messy conditions out on the road, I walked my quarter mile by walking up and down the driveway six times.
That is just a guess, but I think that was close to the distance from the house to the end of the block and back. And I know that is close to a quarter mile. I will also try to play fetch with Shadow tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow is a test day to see if this reunion can stick. And I think we can do it.
by Judy Handley | Jan 23, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 23: On the Road to Recovery and Independence
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Warmer; Light Rain Late; High Temp 40, Low 31 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth MA
Nurse Jane certified this morning that I can put on and take off my own compression stockings with the help of the device made just for that chore. This was the one thing she wasn’t sure I could do. With that accomplishment, and the fact that I will be off most medications by tomorrow, only Tylenol for pain, I will have my first night alone tonight. I was able to walk to the end of the block and back, about a quarter of a mile, by myself today, with the help of a cane for safety. So, if I don’t do something stupid to screw things up, I feel safe in saying that I am well on the road to independence and recovery. A few weeks ago, living independently with never being able to bend, twist, or pick up heavy weights seemed almost impossible. But I bought things to help with chores and it is working so far. The recovery has been helped along by friends who have been cooking dinners for me so I don’t have to stand for long periods in the kitchen preparing food. That will end this Friday and then I will be totally independent.
Tonight’s dish for dinner was Slow-Cooker Kung Pao Chickpeas with brown rice and arugula. Best way yet for fixing chickpeas. It was delicious. Thanks to Claudia Needham for that. Claudia and I are co-chairs of the Exploring Public Policy group that is meeting tomorrow. She is going to pick me up and I am going to attend the meeting, I can’t stand for any period of time, but I can sit in the meeting as long as I put my feet up on another chair. It will look a little weird, but I will get to participate.
by Judy Handley | Jan 22, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 22: Continuing the Recovery
Date: Monday, January 22, 2024
Weather: Sunny, Finally Above Freezing; High Temp 37, Low 32 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth MA
My struggles these days are small ones, still challenging. Remembering to never bend or twist is a challenge. And remembering to always have my feet up when sitting, have them raised above my heart level when lying down, and constantly changing to a new cold pad on my back can also be challenging. I have not found a way to sit at my computer and have my feet elevated, thus the delayed logs. But we are working on these things and it’s beginning to feel like a full-time job! But I have plenty of help. Jane took me to the grocery store to pick up a few items but mostly to walk this morning before she left. Then Heather stopped by to take me for my first walk outside. We did a quarter of a mile and it felt good. Then she fixed lunch for me. She returned on her way home from work with the intention to go with me on another walk. But instead, she worked on the new medication list. I then went home with her as it was almost time to go to the movie. Last night I invited Sam and his brothers to go see The Boys in the Boat and tonight was the only night with nothing scheduled. But when I got there, Sam was deep into homework. We will try again on the weekend. Dinner was delivered by a book group member and tonight Jane is back to spend one more night to make sure I can get the compression stockings off and on. Another day in the life.
by Judy Handley | Jan 21, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 21: Happy Birthday, Sam!
Date: Sunday, January 21, 2024
Weather: Sunny and Cold; High Temp 26, Low 19 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth MA
Midge and I got up and had a leisurely morning. We had Lynda’s spinach pie for breakfast but decided not to wrestle with putting compression stockings on. Yesterday, after noticing some swelling in my feet, Heather helped me put on a pair of compression stockings I had from my knee surgery. Last night, after Midge went to bed, I went to take off the compression stockings and was shocked at the amount of swelling. It was enough to really scare me, so I decided I would call the doctor in the morning as swelling of the legs is not something that is expected with this surgery.
But it was actually early afternoon before I called the doctor. I got a call back very quickly from the doctor on call and he said I needed to go to the ER. He explained that we needed to eliminate a blood clot as the cause, so there was no arguing the point. I spent the afternoon in the ER and all is well, no apparent cause for the swelling. But this adds yet another medicine to the list, Lasix to remove the fluid. Sam picked me up from the hospital, so I got my first chance at wishing him a happy birthday. We went to the drug store and then once home, I took a quick nap. Forty-five minutes later Sam returned to take me to the Goldstone’s for dinner. Sam had requested smoked ribs,
coleslaw, and angel food cake, and that is what he got. He REALLY enjoyed the ribs and coleslaw, and then the angel food cake.
Happy 17th to Sam!
by Judy Handley | Jan 20, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 20: Shift Changes and Food Deliveries
Date: Saturday, January 20, 2024
Weather: Overcast; High Temp 23, Low 15 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth MA
When I read the title I gave to this log, it sounds like we are setting up a business here. And it kind of feels like it, too. Heather has been on full time duty here since Wednesday, the day of my surgery, and was relieved by Midge Frieswyk this afternoon. So that was the shift change. The food deliveries began at noon with vegetable soup from one friend and brownies from another. Then for dinner a friend arrived with chicken soup and raspberries brownies minus the chocolate, spinach bread, and flowers. Then there was a delivery from my wine group. It was wine and chocolate. I am not going to starve, but I might gain a few pounds! Midge and I spent the evening watching Nyad. It was my second time to watch it, but I was glad to watch it a second time. The message of the movie is to never give up. As I go through this recovery, I will hear that mantra ringing in my ears.
I can’t tell if he is happy to be home, but I am so happy to have him back. I just have to make sure he is not going to pull on the leash when we walk. Heather or Jed will still come walk him in the morning, and someone is coming tonight. But I am hoping I can do everything but the morning walk and soon I will add him. 
That is just a guess, but I think that was close to the distance from the house to the end of the block and back. And I know that is close to a quarter mile. I will also try to play fetch with Shadow tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow is a test day to see if this reunion can stick. And I think we can do it.
