Baby's First Steps

This surgery has sent me back about 39 years.  Although I wouldn't mind taking a few years off -- you know, some minor wrinkles or sagging bits -- I'm not sure I wanted to go back this far.  My mom even will only bring me a half of a glass of juice at a time so I won't spill.  And for some reason she also sings a little song when she puts on my "sockies".

This replacement has meant that I need to relearn very basic things -- like walking, getting out of bed, etc.  And a lot of the very basics are probably the most difficult -- going to the "potty" and all things associated with that, taking a shower and even sleeping.  I'm not sure that I've ever slept through an entire night sleeping on my back, and that's all I can do now.

However, going back that far also means that every time something gets better, my sense of accomplishment makes me feel that much better.  For example, I took a shower today!  This had many perks, not the least of which is that people (dogs, the cat) may want to get a little closer to me than they did yesterday.  But this shower had complications:  I can't get my incision wet, so that needs to be protected.  I can't stand up, so I need to use a shower bench.  And even while I sit, I can't do the following:

1. bend at the waist beyond 90 degrees (beyond a right angle)
2. let my left leg cross the center line of my body (can't cross my legs in any way)
3. let my left toe turn in toward my other foot

Due to the muscles that were cut around my hip joint, it is difficult to stop my toe from turning in, so it's a precaution I have to pay a lot of attention to.  

I have been working out a LOT lately.  I am going to be sooo buff.  Well...  My hip flexor maybe, and the front of my shins.  I have P.T. exercises that I have to do three times a day.  The more I do, the better I will continue to feel; so as much as it hurts to do them, I'm all over 'em.  I do all exercises lying on my back and they include things like raising my knee up, flexing my butt, flexing my quadriceps, and -- my nemesis -- swinging my leg out to the side and back, as if I was trying to make a snow angel.

I'm very much looking forward to how I'm going to feel in the coming week.  Today is officially day four.  I feel like I've made a lot of progress but I also feel sooooo limited in what I can do on my own.  But if I think about it, three days ago I freaked out at the idea of standing up.  If I continue to progress like this, I should be running the Portland Marathon later this year. :)