hip things

Day 6 post-op. I really miss walking.

Currently on the couch shackled to the cpm machine for the countless hour. Supposed to do 6 hours every day. It's a full-time job.

Texas Orthopedic Hospital was fantastic. From admitting to discharge, every single person was wonderful. I had a great care team. 

The procedure itself went fine. I was scheduled as the first procedure of the day, which was great since I didn't have to fast all day. They got me into preop, hooked me up, and gave me a nerve block. Don't remember much from there. I DO remember being in the OR and I asked them if they listened to music and they said, yes, and I asked what kind, and they said Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. LOL.

Y'all they do NOT mess around with drugs there. I had every drug under the sun. Tylenol, morphine, fentanyl, muscle relaxers, I don't even KNOW what else. I was SO HIGH. Not in pain, though.

One of my main concerns about the procedure was controlling the nausea. Last time I had a procedure, I battled it for days and wasn't able to get any drugs to help because it was over the weekend. 

So they gave me like 4 different anti-nausea drugs. I still felt sick, but as long as I remained motionless I was okay. It wasn't until they made me get up and use the bathroom that I felt really dizzy and got a wave of nausea. In a matter of seconds, I was given a barf bag, a cool towel on my neck, some water, and an alcohol pad was held under my nose. <--- now that's a great trick. Not that I would have been able to really puke because my stomach was empty except for water and pills, but it passed.

Once we got home, I was able to climb the stairs no problem. I'd been practicing for weeks and I'm SO glad because as loopy as I was, muscle memory was key there. The rest of the day was spent lying on the couch, trying (unsuccessfully) to eat something, and sleep. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to eat until the anesthesia was out of my system, so that wasn't a surprise. I went 36 hours without eating. Applesauce was the first thing I could get down.

The day after surgery, I had physical therapy. They want you to start moving right away. The exercises are very small right now. You gotta move, but in the right ways- no bending past 90 degrees, can't smush the grape (or put more than 20lbs of weight on that leg), and you can't sit still for more than 30 minutes at a time. Plus 6 hours on that machine and ice packs every 2 hours.

The meds: 4 different kinds of pain pills. I didn't have to take the narcotics, which is great for the nausea and constipation, but the NSAID is a pretty high dose. Even if the pain isn't bad you still gotta take it because it helps control abnormal bone growth. They give you omeprazole to help with the stomach upset, plus you're taking a low dose aspirin to help prevent blood clots. So many pills. But, surprisingly, no antibiotics. Apparently the guidelines changed in 2023 and I love that. The appetite comes and goes so I have to force myself to eat something when it's time to take meds so they don't tear up my stomach. Trying not to take the zofran because I don't want to add to the constipation.

One thing that I didn't expect: They gave me a scopolamine patch to help with the nausea, and damn that stuff is strong. I'm sure it helped, but they said to keep it on for 3 days and on the second day the side effects were so bad that I took it off early. It gave me horrible dry mouth (which probably helped keep me hydrated because I was drinking water like crazy), made me dizzy (which kind of counteracted the whole purpose and made it harder to use crutches), and blurred my vision (which was fucking weird). The dry mouth and dizziness lasted for a couple of days after removing the patch, and my vision is still a little blurred up close but it's improving. That drug is wild.

I figured out pretty quickly that using crutches is hard. You can't carry anything with you, so I busted out an old fanny pack and keep it strapped on all the time. Plus it takes a TON of energy. Fortunately my office chair has wheels so I've been scooting around the house on that most of the time. Still, energy levels get depleted surprisingly fast and everything takes way more effort. I made myself breakfast the other day and nearly passed out before I realized I was getting tired. I suppose when you think about it, your body is putting a lot of energy into healing so simple tasks like taking a shower are exhausting.

I'm trying to be as independent as possible, because that's just the way I am, but thank GOD for FH. There is no way that I could be alone and take care of myself right now. At this point I've figured out how to do basic things, but in the beginning I was useless and my energy level still tanks at random times and I need help. I hate having to depend on someone else to care for me, but that's the way it is right now. I feel very lucky.

Let's see what else. I'm sleeping in the brace because it prevents me from rolling over on that side. There are 4 little incisions stitched up on my leg. I have a stack of magazines and books saved up to keep me sane during the cpm sessions. I can get myself on the back porch for some fresh air, but FH won't let me go up or down the stairs by myself. I try to go down with him in the evenings to say hi to the chickens and get a change of scenery. FH is taking over chicken duties and he's not thrilled but we don't really have a choice haha. He's also been taking me to my appointments because obviously driving myself is not an option. We are having the maid come weekly for now, because damn the house gets dirty fast when you can't maintain.

I noticed my foot was turning blue, probably from not using that leg and keeping it elevated in the cpm machine 6 hours every day. Flexing/pointing wasn't really helping, so I added a resistance band and that seemed to help out a lot. 

The first week is probably the hardest, right? Uphill every day.

Things I'm loving lately

Things I'm loving lately:

Scented trash bags. For some reason I have always been AGAINST scented trash bags. Maybe because I thought they'd be like air freshener- which never works and only makes it smell like ocean breeze + farts or fish or whatever you're trying to cover up. But we accidentally bought a huge box and it turns out, scented trash bags are nice! You get a whiff of smell-good-ness every time it's opened, unless the trash is funky and then all you smell is funky trash can. I have officially switched teams and now I buy scented trash bags on purpose.

Supplements: Ginger first thing in the morning, Fish Oil daily for the eyes and heart, a thyroid blend and a hormone support blend just for now to boost those areas, twice a week, Vitamin D 3 times a week for the bones and respiratory system, a B12/Folate in the afternoon, maybe with a Nitric Oxide Booster if I'm feeling particularly sluggish (that will get you through a workout), and a Magnesium Glycinate at night. I've been throwing everything I have right now at my health and energy levels, but I've stopped everything for now until after surgery because surprisingly, some of those supplements can interfere with proper blood clotting and anesthesia. 

Hinge physical therapy app. My back and knee have been flaring up, probably because of the increased activity lately, and this popped up in my inbox for free as part of the benefits package from work. So, I signed up and learned a few exercises that target those areas to strengthen them. I've also gotten some resistance bands and some kind of electrotherapy device for free after completing a certain number of exercises. Pretty cool.

The bathtub. That's definitely one of the best ideas I've ever had. I love that thing. Have I blogged about the tub? I don't think so. Maybe one day.

Tractor Supply Pelletized Bedding (for Horses). After several days of rain, a generous sprinkling of those pellets transforms a muddy, smelly chicken run into something... less muddy and smelly. Those things are magic. The soggy chickens, however, remain soggy.

Veggie straws. Dude, what are chips? I haven't even wanted a chip in months. I don't know how but veggie straws have dominated my snack preferences.

These tiny little clips. I bought them for sewing and they're a pretty great replacement for pins, but they come in a pack of 100 and that's way too many so I've been using them as chip clips and other things and they're just so cute and handy.

pots and pans organizer

Look what I made! I'm so proud of myself. This thing is STURDY. 

The previous setup was not the worst situation, but it was not ideal. 

Things got cattywampus pretty quickly, pretty often. 

I believe that if you interact with something daily, it needs to function optimally. And if you need to make an investment to make that happen, it's worth it. For someone who cooks at least 2 meals every day, I needed something better.

So I started to research pots & pan organizers, and those flimsy wire contraptions were NOT going to cut it.

I remember that my grandma had some sort of custom built-in similar to this in her kitchen, and even as a child I thought that was really cool.

Since I couldn't find anything pre-made in the size, quality, or price that I wanted, that meant it's project time. 

I drew up the dimensions, pulled out some scrap plywood & leftover paint, and went to town. FH did a few drive bys to see how I was doing (I know it drove him nuts not to help). I had to have him show me how to use the nail gun, but otherwise I did it all by myself.

Look how good it is! Nothing is wobbly, everything has a place. *wolf whistle* Hubba hubba.

Plus apparently I have space to buy 2 more pans.

booty pellets

Well, put me in the hormone therapy club.

My hormone test results came in. I am not yet clinically in perimenopause but am still experiencing symptoms like I am. What fun.

The biggest struggle? Fatigue. I don't know how to describe this feeling. It's not normal tiredness. You know how you feel when you're coming down with something? It's that bone-deep weary heaviness, all day, most days. It makes it hard to function normally and I don't have the energy to do the things I want to do. My labs all came back fine for the normal culprits like iron, hemoglobin, vitamin levels, and thyroid.

Which led me to the hormones. In fact, the potential issue is not the one I expected; it's testosterone.

The way the doctor described it, testosterone levels drop in your 30s, and by your 40's they're half of what they used to be. Guess what? Lower testosterone levels lead to fatigue. Plus a bunch of other things.

So we're trying this and starting slow. I opted for the pellet in the booty (vs a daily cream on your inner thighs), which lasts 3-4 months and of course is not covered by insurance. If I was a dude, it would be. What fun.

The insertion was about what I expected- you get a numbing shot and they stick this little thing into your butt cheek, and then you go home and you can't take a bath or do intense booty exercises for a few days until the incision heals. Then you can take off the bandage and go about your normal life. 

I hope this works. I'd like to have normal energy levels again. Plus it might help with the brain fog and make it easier to build muscle. Which would be awesome.

The irregular periods and all that? I'm on my own for now. Honestly, that's okay. That part doesn't bother me much.

what was that

The other day, I woke up before dawn with the thought, "I should get up and drink my coffee on the porch and watch the sun rise."

...which is VERY off brand for me.

But I did. It was a cool morning and the sunrise was gorgeous and the mist coming off the river was very peaceful. The birds were chirping in the trees and we heard the chickens thump down off the roost as they woke up, one by one. By that point FH had joined me and we giggled at each thump.

That day, I had SO MUCH energy. I felt awesome all day. I never felt tired or sluggish, and nothing on my body hurt. 

I really can't explain it; I didn't do anything different the night before. I wish I know what it was because I'd do it every day!

I was hoping it would continue, but the next day I woke up feeling "normal:" hurty and fatigued. Merp.

Just thought I would document the random day I woke up with tons of energy and feeling awesome.

collection of random thoughts

I bought a she wee. They say to try it in the shower for the first time, and ew. I don't recommend that.  It's not that hard to use, try it outside or in the toilet to avoid pee splashes on your legs and a gross shower. No wonder men's rooms are so disgusting.

One of the chickens has egg drop syndrome. No wonder, since it's caught from waterfowl and we have plentiful options around here. There is an egret that likes to fish off our dock and crap in the yard, and I bet he's the source. We have had a gross and strange assortment of egg-like things in the coop lately. No doubt it will make its way around to the rest of the hens.

The hip. After years of intermittent pain, it's not going away anymore. Finally saw the doctor. Here's what's wrong. I figure because of that, this year I'll be meeting my insurance deductible, so there's that. I also saw the gyno to get my hormones checked and see if maybe that's the cause of this unrelenting fatigue.

Also lately I've been obsessed with veggie straws, grinding my own coffee, and ginger root supplements in the morning for the cranky belly (and whoa they do help).

Some things I've crocheted:

I have a whole bunch of flowers that I'm going to make into a garland.

This was supposed to be a heart. Fuck a magic circle.

Little bitty baskets to put things in. I played around with techniques to get a rounder basket vs a basket with a straight edge.

stepping stone refresh

Here's another craft that's been on the list for a while.

This past summer, right before the neighbors tore down the house next door, I dug up a random stepping stone that had been embedded in the ground between the houses that we kinda just mowed over and ignored. 

Then it sat propped up against a post for a few months. Then one day I scrubbed it with soap and water and it sat for another few weeks before I plopped it into the middle of the driveway and spray painted it white.
Then it sat in the driveway for a few more weeks. Then today I grabbed an amazon box, a razor blade, and a garden sign that I picked up at the dollar tree a long time ago and I made a stencil. 

Grabbed some spray paint and headed back outside.

I started with a teal color, but that looked a little flat so I went back with a navy on the tips and I really like how it turned out!

Not bad for something that I dug out of the neighbor's yard :)