Take your time to heal – everyone is different!

Day 15

This is the last week my husband will be home with me. I have been very lucky that he was able to take 3 weeks off work to look after me but it is time for independence!!

Throughout the night when I needed the bathroom I did not wake my husband up “just in case” and everything is going well.

I managed to elevate my legs by myself with the use of my leg lifter which was one of my thrift store finds.

I have settled into a normal sleep pattern and have started waking up at 6am which, for me, is a normal time. Had I been able to sleep other than on my back I would have been able to turn over and sleep for a while longer. However, I am only allowed to sleep on my back at this stage so rather than lie awake and drive myself insane, I have taken to listening to music or podcasts on my phone.

Today was the first time I picked up my Kindle to read because I have not had enough patience to sit and read. If you know me you will know how much of an avid reader I am so it took me 2 weeks to start to feel like I was getting back to being myself, albeit a slower self.

Day 16

Laptop table to the left. Executive office chair with wheels removed. Small side table for drinks and remotes. Extension cord and chargers looped around the dining chair and the reacher is hooked there also.

 

I am still swollen in both legs and feet and my right (operated) leg is still numb and this bothers me more at this stage than my hip. That thought alone is totally crazy. I tried a warm foot bath with Epsom salts but it did not make my foot any more comfortable.

I am able to get snacks and drinks. I worked out that I can wheel my laptop table across the kitchen and wheel it back to my chair to eat. We have a small living area next to the kitchen which is my home for a while because the basement is out of bounds. Thanks to travel cups I can transport liquids across the kitchen.

Day 17/18

My legs and feet did not seem quite as swollen. I made sure I kept hydrated and made sure to keep going for small walks along the kitchen and down the hallway. Little and often is the key.

Exercising diligently and going upstairs at least once in the day to elevate legs and do lying down exercises, not forgetting the standing exercises as well.

Day 19

Woke up feeling numb and swollen but also a little stiff today. My foot was bothering me a great deal this morning and I had realised that I was sore underneath the arch of my foot. It was achy and was going into spasms. It had woken me up during the night as well. I tried putting my foot onto an ice pack (covered) and when that didn’t help I tried a heat pack. That did not help either.

At this stage I realised when doing the standing exercises and standing on tip toes that it was aggravating my arch. I decided I would STOP this exercise to see if that improved things. The instruction on the exercise sheet clearly states that if you experience pain when exercising and it continues for more than 5-10 minutes afterwards that you STOP exercising. I am keeping up with all the other exercises.

Still being independent today and getting my own lunch. My husband is still keeping me supplied with tea, apple juice, water, home-made iced tea and breakfast and dinner. I have just been getting my own lunch and the occasional drink top up. He has ventured out to get shopping and I have been fine. I just make sure that I take my cell phone with me to the kettle, the fridge or the bathroom so it’s on my person if a need arises.

Day 20

Foot still sore and numb but possibly not quite as sore as it was yesterday. My left leg is not as swollen as my right (operated) leg this morning. I am elevating my legs on a long pi;;ow for 30 minutes every morning. I am also elevating my legs at least once during the day and twice some days depending on how I’m feeling.

I had a thought today about getting a pedicure until I would be able to reach my own toes again. I 2as a little worried about infections and after researching online realised it would be better to see a chiropodist/podiatrist rather than trusting the local nail salon. It is more out of necessity rather than vanity.

Day 21

Today is Easter Sunday and I knew before surgery I would not feel like a houseful of people nor able to or wanting to visit elsewhere. There is so much equipment needed that at this stage it is not easy to visit elsewhere. My two sons ame to visit and my husband cooked dinner.

My foot was a little sore but has dramatically calmed down pain wise from when I stopped the tip-toes exercise.

I had a hard time sleeping last night and was experiencing muscle spasms in both legs. I tried a wooden foot massager very gently but was not really sure if it helped or not.