But I went from a chest ripping, rib cracking, choking cough that needed antibiotics and a steroid inhaler, to a nagging 'get that crap up and out' cough that leaves me just as exhausted.
On the 'silver lining' aspect: Wing and Alan are out of the house, having lunch with MiL. I'm having a bit of peace and quiet, and no helicoptering.
The worst of COVID-19 has passed in a week. The worst it got with me was an upper respiratory issue. I got a set of sore ribs, and sore abdomen from the coughing, but now, other than that first 'icky' cough in the morning, I'm feeling mostly well.
I get tired easily, and am noticeably short of breath, have a bit of 'brain fog', but well enough to be discharged from the WA Covid care nurse daily call. I'm still self-isolating, even from Alan and Wing.
I caught Covid, but because I was double vaxxed, and had boosters, it was no where as bad as it could be. I really feel sorry for people that didn't have them and got sick. I remember watching videos of anti-vaxxers begging their family and friends to get vaccinated after they caught it. I'm not one of them, and I am grateful and relieved.
I had my first appointment with Hayden The Horrible, physioterrorist. And as usual, I hurt more today than I did yesterday. He did find out, as Matt The Torturerer, and Simon The Sadist, I have a high tolerance for pain.
Got a new regimen of exercises, which I did expect. What I didn't expect was to be told to stop using any walking aids if I was walking somewhere I didn't have to worry about how fast I get from place A to place B. This kind of scares the bejeebus out of me, because we have this HUGE wide open area in the house, where there is nowhere for me to reach out should I start losing my balance, or if my left leg folds, or an ankle decides it wants to roll again.
I have ONE lace up ankle support, but there are issues. First off, I have two ankles. Secondly, if I wear it, my shoes don't fit. I do have some of those elastic type, but they aren't comfortable for a AA heel. Really digs in painfully after about 2 hours, maximum.
He had surgery on his hock/ankle. I had surgery on my knee. Two weeks later, he's walking around and the only evidence of surgery is the very short furred area that had to be shaved.
Me? 7 weeks on and I still have to use a cane around the house, and crutches.
Yes, there are some days I wish I was a cat.
And typing about Loki, I showed his histopathology report to someone. She said there were a lot of mights, maybes, could bes in it. IOWs they had no idea what the growth is. Just wait to see if it comes back.
Dr H refilled the slow release and quick release pain killers. Last night I took the quick one after dinner, and the slow release one before going to bed. That was the best nights' sleep I have had in a long time.. ok, in two weeks.
Got up late, after 8am, and for those who know me, that is very late. Bonus, I didn't need the Zimmer frame, was able to get around with just using the cane. Was also able to completely shower, including a shampooing and conditioner. Still had Wing waiting in the other room, just in case I got vertigo from leaning my head back under the shower head.
Only needed one quick release after breakfast. And when it took affect, I sat down in a chair and slid my left foot back until I felt tightness/discomfort. When the discomfort went away, or dropped to a tolerable level, I would move my foot back a little more. I don't have something to measure, but I'm pretty sure after doing that routine a few times, I was able to bend my knee to about 110 degrees.
I'm manipulating the incision scar. Moving it side to side, stretching it from top to bottom, in an effort to make it more pliable when the 'real' rehab starts in a few weeks.
And, I am back to sitting at my desk, with leg propped up on a footstool, rather than a medical chair with a hospital type rolling table. The only problem is Loki, the lovable, huge, moggie wants to climb up on my, via my left leg. He doesn't understand why he can't do this right now.
For the past several years, I seems to be in a constant state of 'recovering' from something or another. And I'm so tired of it. Recovered (and rehab) from a spinal fusion, recovery from gall bladder surgery, non- recovery from hyper extended knee, recovering from a mass removed from my back and the time it took for it close up, recovering from total knee replacement surgery, recovering from a car accident, recovering from pneumonia.
Sunday, a root canaled tooth sheered off, and I had to have the roots removed as it couldn't be repaired. Now recovering from tooth extraction, and look like a chipmunk on one side of my face and it hurts like hell.
Oh, not to mention the FND still throwing out the occasional seizure.
I'm tired. I'm tired of not being able to DO. I'm tired of being afraid to move as it could (and often did) trigger a seizure. I'm tired of the pain, but I can pretty much deal with that, but it's EVERYWHERE lately. And I'm tired of having to stay medicated to make some pretense at living.
Today, I washed, hung out, dried, folded three large loads of laundry. I also not only cooked dinner tonight, I cleaned up afterward.
Seeing as these simple tasks might not seem a big deal, but after total knee replacement, and then the following accident, these simple tasks are actually damned good thing.
My knee is a bit sore after all I've done today, but sore.. not painful.
Tired now.
7+ months total knee replacement post op, and 2 months after the car accident where my knees impacted on the dashboard. The swelling is just about gone, and pivoting or walking sideways, the left knee doesn't make me come to a screeching halt, gasping in pain.
I would say I'm back to where I was 6 months post op. Only taking the anti-inflammatory in the morning, and occasional OTC strength paracetamol/ibuprofen if needed (aka I over did it). Still have the prescription strength, but just going to shelve those.
Now, I just have to make sure that just because I feel better, that I don't over do it. I would rather take a bit of care now, and not have another setback.
I find it so shocking at how people in the U.S. are given pain management medication for just a few weeks, 4 if they're lucky. Why won't the doctors prescribe the kind that can't be used to get stoned? No withdrawal when I stopped taking them after 3 months.
