Home from the hospital all in one piece (sort of)

[Kathryn]

Well, I'm home and in one piece, even though the pieces are held together with stitches, gauze, plaster, bandages and crutches!

The Achilles tendon surgery went very well, but anything they gave me in the hospital for pain has definitely worn off - and I hate to be a big baby, but frankly this hurts like hell. I'm popping Vicodin at regular intervals, which helps kick the pain back some, but on a scale of 1-10 even at best it's about a 5.

And crutches SUCK! So...I'm pretty much confined to the sofa, surrounded by pillows and electronic gadgets - laptop, cell phone, Kindle, flashdrives, etc. I dropped my camera last week and broke the hell out of it, so my husband is being dispatched to get another one - any suggestions in the $200 - $300 range?

Speaking of husbands, I don't know who I feel sorrier for - me or him. Things reached a sort of awkward crescendo last night, when I tried to take a shower (epic fail!).

I clean up pretty good, but there's nothing remotely attractive about a 48 year old woman in a huge cast with a trash bag over it and a pink shower cap on her head, nekkid as a jaybird, on crutches, trying to scoot backwards into the shower and lower nekkid self onto a shower stool! This was a low point for me - I have not often felt as dejected as I did, sitting there with the water pounding down on my head with my monkey foot stuck out the door, trying to figure out how to reach my under yonder while sitting on a wet stool.

Did I mention the humiliation level? ABYSMAL! I absolutely refuse to do this again - I gotta figure out another plan. Any suggestions? The idea of going without a shower for two weeks is unbearable, but maybe I can manage scooting into the bathtub...

Anyway, in my boredom, I've started my first blog - so if you know anyone who's having any sort of foot or leg surgery, they may want to check this out - I'm compiling resources and suggestions, so feel free to add yours:

Achilles Tendon Drama

Don't bother suggesting mixing Vicodin with alcohol - that's already on my To Do list.

See ya 'round! I'll definitely be posting more - it's not like I have anything else to do...

AUGH!:help:

 

[Tiapan]

Good to hear your wit is on a path to recovery. From my point of view i always consider some one else is in a worse situation and therefore I am good.

My wife was fine 8 weeks ago but in that time she has had a kidney removed chemotherapy a heart attack and seizures but I consider I am lucky because there are those who have it worse.

Cheers

 

[sandandfoam]

Hope you feel better soon.
Enjoy the drugs

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Glad to hear the surgery was a success. I know it might not feel that way with the pain and inconvenience right now in your recovery. :hug:

I am lucky to have never had an Achilles injury, but I've had friends who have. From what I remember from their stories, that first week is hell. The pain and the adjustment to crutches is what's so awful. It gets a bit easier to navigate with the cast after a week or so, and then slowly it becomes a mere nuisance. The good thing is knowing at some point it'll end.

I don't have any suggestions for a camera (sorry). Getting in and out of the shower at a certain point will get to where you could execute a pretty cool pivot-on-one-crutch-pole-vault maneuver. But then I always worried about causing another injury with the more adventurous.

Hope you feel better soon. Good to know you have somebody who will take care of you completely while you recover. :foryou:

 

[Revoltingest]

I clean up pretty good, but there's nothing remotely attractive about a 48 year old woman in a huge cast with a trash bag over it and a pink shower cap on her head, nekkid as a jaybird, on crutches, trying to scoot backwards into the shower and lower nekkid self onto a shower stool! This was a low point for me - I have not often felt as dejected as I did, sitting there with the water pounding down on my head with my monkey foot stuck out the door, trying to figure out how to reach my under yonder while sitting on a wet stool.

I searched youtube, but I couldn't find the videos...do you have a link?
Inquiring minds demand to see! Posted pix would suffice too.

 

[linwood]

It won`t take long and you`ll be up and around again Kathryn.
I can`t imagine anything keeping you down for long.,

Try to actually enjoy the sedentary life while it lasts.
being pampered and waited on isn`t all bad.

 

[Kathryn]

Good to hear your wit is on a path to recovery. From my point of view i always consider some one else is in a worse situation and therefore I am good.

My wife was fine 8 weeks ago but in that time she has had a kidney removed chemotherapy a heart attack and seizures but I consider I am lucky because there are those who have it worse.

Cheers

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry that you and your wife have been going through such hard times! Is she going to be OK? Has she turned the corner yet?

 

[Kathryn]

I searched youtube, but I couldn't find the videos...do you have a link?
Inquiring minds demand to see! Posted pix would suffice too.

Trust me - there are some things better left unseen.

 

[Kathryn]

Glad to hear the surgery was a success. I know it might not feel that way with the pain and inconvenience right now in your recovery. :hug:

I am lucky to have never had an Achilles injury, but I've had friends who have. From what I remember from their stories, that first week is hell. The pain and the adjustment to crutches is what's so awful. It gets a bit easier to navigate with the cast after a week or so, and then slowly it becomes a mere nuisance. The good thing is knowing at some point it'll end.

I don't have any suggestions for a camera (sorry). Getting in and out of the shower at a certain point will get to where you could execute a pretty cool pivot-on-one-crutch-pole-vault maneuver. But then I always worried about causing another injury with the more adventurous.

Hope you feel better soon. Good to know you have somebody who will take care of you completely while you recover. :foryou:

Thanks for the encouragement. Apparently your friends are right - I'm on day 2 and so far, yep, it's pretty hellish. I mean, I'm not SICK - so I don't really feel bad, other than from my left knee down. I'm sitting in front of a big window looking out at a beautiful crisp autumn day and wishing I could just jump up and go outside and play. And about the time I think of that, my leg spasms up and reminds me that I'm not going ANYWHERE anytime soon!

I'm gonna keep working on that bath/shower thing. I have some ideas. I did one smart thing before all this - I took a luxurious, long jacuzzi bath! Oh, and gave myself a nice little pedicure too. If you're going to stare at your toes for weeks, they may as well look cute, right? Of course, the left toes look fatter and redder than the right ones...

 

[ninerbuff]

Well, I'm home and in one piece, even though the pieces are held together with stitches, gauze, plaster, bandages and crutches!

The Achilles tendon surgery went very well, but anything they gave me in the hospital for pain has definitely worn off - and I hate to be a big baby, but frankly this hurts like hell. I'm popping Vicodin at regular intervals, which helps kick the pain back some, but on a scale of 1-10 even at best it's about a 5.

And crutches SUCK! So...I'm pretty much confined to the sofa, surrounded by pillows and electronic gadgets - laptop, cell phone, Kindle, flashdrives, etc. I dropped my camera last week and broke the hell out of it, so my husband is being dispatched to get another one - any suggestions in the $200 - $300 range?

Speaking of husbands, I don't know who I feel sorrier for - me or him. Things reached a sort of awkward crescendo last night, when I tried to take a shower (epic fail!).

I clean up pretty good, but there's nothing remotely attractive about a 48 year old woman in a huge cast with a trash bag over it and a pink shower cap on her head, nekkid as a jaybird, on crutches, trying to scoot backwards into the shower and lower nekkid self onto a shower stool! This was a low point for me - I have not often felt as dejected as I did, sitting there with the water pounding down on my head with my monkey foot stuck out the door, trying to figure out how to reach my under yonder while sitting on a wet stool.

Did I mention the humiliation level? ABYSMAL! I absolutely refuse to do this again - I gotta figure out another plan. Any suggestions? The idea of going without a shower for two weeks is unbearable, but maybe I can manage scooting into the bathtub...

Anyway, in my boredom, I've started my first blog - so if you know anyone who's having any sort of foot or leg surgery, they may want to check this out - I'm compiling resources and suggestions, so feel free to add yours:

Achilles Tendon Drama

Don't bother suggesting mixing Vicodin with alcohol - that's already on my To Do list.

See ya 'round! I'll definitely be posting more - it's not like I have anything else to do...

AUGH!:help:

I guess praying for no pain ain't gonna work here, but now would be a great time to learn how to walk on your hands. All joking aside, it'll be at least 2 weeks of no physical movement, then once the cast is off it will be about dorsal flexion and extension. Sorry for you injury and hope the rehab goes well. Once you're on your feet again I can give you strengthening info (I'm a Personal Trainer).

 

[Revoltingest]

Trust me - there are some things better left unseen.

Oh, well...on to the practical. I've spent months on crutches, & found
that you can get very used to them. Adjust'm well, & be careful on stairs.

 

[Kathryn]

I guess praying for no pain ain't gonna work here, but now would be a great time to learn how to walk on your hands. All joking aside, it'll be at least 2 weeks of no physical movement, then once the cast is off it will be about dorsal flexion and extension. Sorry for you injury and hope the rehab goes well. Once you're on your feet again I can give you strengthening info (I'm a Personal Trainer).

Thanks, Niner, and I will definitely take you up on that. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

 

[croak]

You're alive, you made it!

Personally, I've never had a broken leg, but a broken wing... no fun at all.

Bathtub's probably a much better idea. I'm guessing you don't have a, what's it... head spraying thing of some sort in it? I suppose you could get a small bucket and pour water over your head for a shower.

Remember that, on the plus side, this will all be over soon and you'll be able to frolic in the daisies. Just a matter of waiting, which is probably in a way more difficult to tolerate than the pain.

As for the camera, I don't know: are you looking for a small digital one or more a DSLR? Personally I have a waterproof digital camera, which is quite cool, but the pictures do tend to end up grainy. The brand name is escaping me.... aha, it's a Pentax Optio W60. Last I checked, there was a W70 out. If you're looking for a camera to take pictures anywhere without worrying about it getting wet or damaged (to a certain extent), one of the cameras in this series might be an idea. I had a Canon DIGITAL IXUS 75 (thank my computer for remembering for me) a few years back, which was also pretty great until it got stolen. Then again, that's the limit of my knowledge. Don't know if that helped any.

These might help a bit: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camera-buying-guide/ and http://reviews.cnet.com/dslr-buying-guide/

Maybe invest in a pair of binoculars? You can see all the stuff too far away to hop to.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

 

[DallasApple]

YOU are going to be FINE!!! As usual!

 

[Kathryn]

Grrrrrrrr, I'm four days out from surgery and I've only gotten up my nerve to get in the shower one time. Of course, I've sort of swatted at myself with a washcloth, and it's not like I've been out wallowing in the dirt, but...I gotta figure out a way to actually allow water to pour over me instead of patting it on myself.

This whole world of disability is amazing to me -it's a subculture of inconvenience and frustration.

I swear, the next house I own is going to be handicap friendly. You really never know what life holds.

 

[dawny0826]

Glad you're home Kathryn and wish you a speedy recovery. Hope the ouchies aren't overwhelming. (((hug)))

 

[DallasApple]

Grrrrrrrr, I'm four days out from surgery and I've only gotten up my nerve to get in the shower one time. Of course, I've sort of swatted at myself with a washcloth, and it's not like I've been out wallowing in the dirt, but...I gotta figure out a way to actually allow water to pour over me instead of patting it on myself.

This whole world of disability is amazing to me -it's a subculture of inconvenience and frustration.

I swear, the next house I own is going to be handicap friendly. You really never know what life holds.

Well HECK...what is wrong with swatting at it anyway???Come ON!!! (as my grandbaby says)..

Have someone help wash your hair for you(every other day)..Then sponge bath the rest(every day)..And brush your teeth and wash your face and you are probably cleaner than most that take a full on shower everday and then run around like a little piggy sweating all day.:flirt:

Scrub a dub dub!!!

Love

Dallas

 

[Revoltingest]

Here is a helpful personal hygiene video:
[youtube]jSJQEl5vcAo[/youtube]
YouTube - Rag on a Stick

 

[Magic Man]

I'm glad to hear everything went all right, and that you're on the road to recovery. I hope the pain and inconvenience doesn't last long for you.

 

[stillsearching]

I have had numerous surgeries on both knees at the same time so I know EXACTLY what you are describing about with the shower.
My hubby made me this fantastic contraption (think 2x10 board with carpet on it) that is long enough it reaches either side of the tub (with extra room so I don't slip it into the tub on accident ). It makes me higher than a regular shower stool thing and it allows me to pivot a little more gracefully biglaugh: like there is such a thing right after surgery).

Glad you got your toes done. That would have been one of my suggestions because cute toes make you feel a little better while the rest of you looks not so great.

I checked out your blog and so far it has been great! Keep it up and get well soon. :hug: