Am doing well, faithfully doing my p.t. exercises, walking, and activity as tolerated. Those were the instructions from physical therapy and from my surgeon. Lots of swelling, of course, but my hubby came up with a really slick way of putting ice on my upper leg. He freezes bottles of water, then wraps them in a zip-loc and light towel, puts a rubber band around that to keep it nice and secure. The bottle of frozen water stays frozen throughout the night and works alot better than the bags of frozen peas we used to use for ice packs.
The walker we rented from public health didn't fit through our doorways, so yesterday we took it back and got a different one. This one has wheels and tennis balls and works a whole lot better for me to get around. I can negotiate steps with the help of a strong arm. Of course, I'm only doing three steps to get in the house and out to the patio. I'm not attempting the upstairs steps, as we don't have railings for me to hold onto. That's a near-future project we'll be tending to. The therapist told me how to remember which leg to use first going up and down steps. Good takes you to heaven (up) and bad takes you to hell (down). So, I use my good leg first to go up stairs, and my bad leg first to go down stairs. Works slick.
Yesterday we took a drive and checked out a new Alco Store that has been built in a nearby town. My hubby pushed me around the store in a wheelchair so I could see what all they offered for sale. We bought some fall flowers to spruce up the front of the house. Guess it's about time I change my pansy wagon into an autumn wagon. Funny how each season calls for its own distinctive style of decor. Pansies in September just don't cut it.
My surgery has been a good lesson in adapting to whatever life deals out in its next shuffle. The older we get, the more we must swallow our pride and develop a sense of acceptance of what is at the moment. If we are fortunate enough to get to the sixties, one had best buck up, chin up, and suck up the daily annoyances, aches, pains, and bodily changes that will continue to sneak up on us. One of the reasons I opted for hip replacement surgery was my determination to be the best I can be and to get the most out of life I can get. I was more than willing to tolerate the surgery and healing period to restore my ability to take a walk or get in and out of our boat so I can out-fish my life partner here. (just couldn't resist that little jab)
So many people live in the past and keep dragging it along with them like a piece of toilet paper stuck onto the bottom of their shoe. I say, to hell with the past. It's gone, it's buried, it doesn't exist. The only way it exists is through our own silly thinking. Like listening to an old record over and over and over again. Only we drive ourselves crazy with "what was" and we ourselves deprive ourselves of "what is." I don't care if it's pain of the heart, pain of the body, or any other emotional pain. We're all big kids, and Our Creator gave us a brain to use and to adjust and adapt to each new deal of the cards. There ain't a day that one can't find something wonderful to oooh-and-aaah about. Just like the leaves that are starting to drop to the ground. Migod, the wonder of the seasons changing. The miracle of a syncchronized universe that repeats itself over and over again.
We have an evergreen tree beside our house that needs to be taken down because it's mostly dead. But, it has stayed in its place only because it's where we have our bird feeders, and we can watch our colorful winged friends fly in for their meals. To me, feeding the birds is more important than how the tree looks. Oh, it will eventually get replaced, but I'm just saying that it's how we perceive things and how we allow our lives to be shaped by society's silly ettiquettes. That tree is like me. Wearing out, yet has good branches to lend support as best it can. It still serves a purpose for the birds and the squirrels. Life isn't about looks. It's about value.
Gee, the coffee tastes good this morning. Am going to have some Cream of Wheat for breakfast to help get my strength back. One serving supplies half of the daily iron requirements. A few slices of banana adds a bit of potassium, too. Gotta tend to my nutritional intake in order to get back to the real me.