Opblog

So now all the drama is over, and I'm back at work ... What has this whole experience taught me? Well for the first time in my life I had to slow down - and I mean really slow down - and I noticed things I would never have noticed at speed: A family of starlings growing from stark grey with eye holes to squabbling adolescents, fighting over a plentiful supply of food A haggard blue tit, frantically collecting food for its young ones The glorious buzzing of my bee bush... Lying back with my head under it watching the bees collect pollen The smell of elderflower which caught my nostrils on a slow hobble round the woods The feel of the sun on my skin Complicated hybrid roses with many layers of petals The fact that other people's hydrangeas were also not blooming yet Pleasure in watching my bubble lamp bubble and my trellis lights come on every night Saving a bee from a butterfly feeder, and watching it go from almost drowned to cleaning itself, to eating some jam to f...

So... You know how a mobile phone behaves when the battery is on its last legs? This is how I feel at the moment. I charge up overnight, have the promise of a full battery sign, and then conk out mid-way through a call an hour later! I feel like I'm getting a bit of a taste of what my retirement is going to be like. I've been told by the physiotherapist that I need to have another 4 weeks off as if I go back to an active job too soon I'm in danger of wrecking all the work they've done...this came as a bit of a shock as I think I'd convinced myself I'd have a quick recovery and could make my incredibly active job more sedentary (it's basically impossible!) However, my amazing colleague has worked out ways for me to stay involved in a 'training my cover musicians' capacity at certain sessions and to do some work from home too. So... I just need to pace myself and recharge the rubbish battery by sleeping/watching TV every couple of hours. I did too mu...

I've just walked up the stairs, using both legs without crutches for the first time since Fri 25th May! I never thought that walking up the stairs would bring with it such a sense of achievement and euphoria... And it hasn't even been that long.... Some people aren't able to walk unaided for 6 weeks after this op... I was warned that if I was on 'protected recovery' it would all take a lot longer! So hurray. Hurray for working legs. Hurray for determination ... And hurray for this blog post which has allowed me to get my breath back and prepare for the next job.... Getting dressed :-)

My parents went home this afternoon :-( It has been amazing having them here all week, I genuinely don't know how I'd have managed without them looking after me... And ignoring my crazy mood swings! Hoping the anaesthetic is now out of my system completely and I'm over those!! So I was, as usual, incredibly sad when they left, and being consoled by a cuddle from Phil when my godson and wonderful friend arrived to do the puppet show that Tristan has been writing for at least 3 weeks as a predicted antidote to having surgery! Just look at this amazing home made stage : There was a two - page script that he narrated himself while Tracy did the puppets... It had drama, excitement, tension, humour and a skunk. Seriously, could it have been any better?! The stars of the show were fluppets that I collected as a child and as I said this has been a long time in the planning. I was touched and sincerely cheered by the whole experience :-) I'm going to try to post...

Momentous occasion - today I took my first steps unaided for a week!  It looked a little bit like this: Only I did it while there was no-one watching, in case they felt the urge to nudge me in the bottom  with their nose.  And then after a step or two I looked a bit more like this: Sadly I never progressed to galloping which probably these foals were doing after about 15 mins, but I was still impressed with myself. It was surprisingly scary attempting to put the weight fully on my left hip...and after the event I felt quite tearful and overwhelmed...but after a nice long nap I perked up again!  I have slept more this week than any week in my life I reckon...and in all sorts of positions. I am so grateful that I have always been a good sleeper...anyone who can fall asleep during take-off on a plane has a lot to be thankful for!  I am also incredibly grateful that I sorted out the super-steep staircase in my house last year, so that I am actually able t...

This evening I am knitting. Yes. Knitting. A friend of mine from school has sent me the means with which to knit ... In order to keep myself sane during this period of non-leaping. As you will know non-leaping is quite a struggle for me ... I like a good leap... From leaping out of bed to leaping onto the sofa, leaping on the dog when she tries to steal food (though I have to admit poking her with crutches is quite satisfying when she's stolen something and is hiding under the bed because she knows I can't reach her!) and my particular favourite - leaping into the kitchen at food time!  Anyway, so, back to knitting... I've just taught myself to cast on...not something I've ever been able to do even though I have some knitting experience. In the past I've always relied on someone else to start me off and sort out any tangles, but at this time in my life when I am relying on others to do my leaping for me, dammit I'm going to learn to knit. That felt profou...

Took my first foray into the real world today! We went on a little trip to Rowntrees Park cafe... Dad dropped me by the gates, but even so, the walk to the table was a substantial one so I've had some practise with my crutch technique now! It's interesting how people notice you more on crutches and stop their small children from mowing you down, and don't try to overtake you on flights of stairs! I have felt inexplicably and uncharacteristically angry today... I have to say the melee of emotions that this op has brought out has been astounding! So... It was nice to get outside of my own grumpiness and watch the pond at Rowntrees Park with coffee and a scone in my hand and my crutches stowed safely under the chair while I pretended to be normal for an hour... before the overwhelming urge to lie down overtook me and we headed home for a nice long nap :-)

It occurred to me in the middle of the night that I hadn't told you anything about the actual anaesthetic, which is a shame as I have a pretty good memory of it. I lay down on a bed outside the room I assume the operation happened in, so I never actually saw it. I assume had I seen it there would have been metal leg clamps and shiny instruments that maybe wouldn't have created the most calming environment... Pretty sure that my left leg was clasped and pulled out of the joint... I have mild bruises at the bottom of my leg... But I obviously don't remember that. I do remember lying on the bed then being asked to wriggle up because I have such a long body and my feet were dangling! Then they attached three sticky monitoring pads to my chest, and put a cannula in. The lovely anaesthetist who I had seen in the morning was just wonderful - so gentle and reassuring... She put a gas mask over my face with some oxygen, then said she would start to put the anaesthetic in through my ...

If only this one had been allowed to spend the night with me in hospital, I think I'd have made a much quicker recovery 😂 She's a very good sick bed dog. I really thought I wouldn't be able to lie on my side post-op, but it turns out with the right application of pillows between the knees it is the most comfortable position to sleep in... And spooning Lottie still completely possible! :-) They should definitely consider dogs on prescription ...

Great news... My three little wounds must be healing as they are itching like mad underneath the tegederm dressing! I've managed a shower today in my own house (meg's walk in one was easy but I thought I'd see what happened if I used the bath!) Actually showering on one leg without being able to adjust your position is quite hard - I recommend you try it... Just for the challenge! There's not much else to report except that this surgery has not affected my ability to eat fish and chips, and my discovery of the week is that gravy with it ISN'T actually as weird as I was expecting! Oh and I'm slowly getting used to being strapped into my sexy support stockings (see photo) I wonder if they are toning my calves at the same time as stopping me from getting a Deep Vein Thrombosis... In any case with the change in the weather, they have been keeping my legs warm. Realised this morning when my parents had gone into town that all my warm clothes were upstairs and I was...

I feel like I still haven't given you a proper update on everything ... So here goes... As far as anyone knows the operation went to plan, and I'm on the 'standard' recovery rather than 'protected' recovery - this is all good and means less time on crutches  and it's time off work.... Though they still say 6+ weeks off work for an active job, so I'm hoping that I can make my job into a sedentary one with a bit of careful planning...! At the moment the pain really isn't too bad... What I'm struggling with is being upright for any length of time... I can stand up, but if I stand or sit up straight for any length of time I start to feel sick and light headed .. This could be due to the crazy amount of painkillers zooming round my system or it could be because anaesthetics can take a week to leave your system completely, or it could just be that all my energy is going into healing my bones so there's none left for activity... Either way, it'...

Sorry to leave you hanging, I've not felt on top form since I left the hospital... But I must tell you about Chicken George. The morning after the night I spent in the hospital, there were several oldish men hiking up and down my corridor on their crutches. The nurses kept leaving my door open when they popped in to give me medication etc and so I was just finishing my breakfast when one of said men hailed me with a cheery 'good morning!' As he followed up with 'glad to see you are awake this morning, you were very sleepy yesterday, I was getting a bit worried about you' he hobbled straight into my room and up to my bed to continue the conversation... Just exactly how many times he had looked at me the day before I have no idea!! Ten mins later, he was still in full flow, but I suggested I might need to get up so that I could prove I was ready for going home at which point he introduced himself just before he left 'by the way I'm George! Chicken George they ...

Is there any better sound than the dawn chorus floating through your window, the morning after your first experience of surgery with general anaesthetic? So glad today has come...5 months can take a long time... Unless of course you're living in Rwanda - the 6 months there flew past! I expect the next 6 weeks could also go slowly as the consultant told me yesterday my to feel disheartened if I was a in a lot of pain when I came to see him in 6 weeks... And he also reminded me it could be 6 months till I'm pain free. The only thing I didn't spot was his reaper's scythe and underground ticket to the underworld... Ooh, there's an idea for a novel ... Wonder if anyone has ever made the underground /underground connection... Note to self... Tramadol is great stuff... I wonder if I can get some more to take home with me...

Due to feeling faint every time I sit up for more than 5 mins and filling (yes, filling!!) one of those hospital sick bowls (I am seriously impressed with myself, I was calling to mum mid-vomit to get a second one ready!!) with all the fluids I've been drinking I decided to stay in hospital overnight. Yesterday the thought of staying overnight filled me with dread, but now I'm here, and I have a view with trees, and can hear the birds singing through the open window (even at 9pm!) I actually don't mind. I have my own room, and it's peaceful. I have WiFi and Netflix on my phone, and hopefully once I've slept the anaesthetic off I'll be fine and dandy in the morning.... I need to get home to my dog! She won't be missing me though, as she has my parents dog, Maia, with her now!

Mission accomplished! I went down to theatre at 10ish and woke up again at 1.30pm and to my relief I still have two legs. A friend of mine has been trying to convince me that I should get a wheel or a spring attached to my hip instead of a leg as it would be useful for the future... I remain unconvinced about how much this would enhance my life, so I was happy to find I wasn't sharing my bed with a pogo spring! Tracy has been absolutely amazing all day  and has now gone home as my parents have arrived. I'm still planning to go home tonight but unfortunately I keep feeling light - headed when I sit up, which can just be a side effect of the anaesthetic.  So I'm about to try to sleep it off a bit more while mum and dad have gone to the Dormouse for some dinner. Also the surgeon wants to talk to me before I go, but no one knows what time he'll be back. I guess there's a possibility that he has fitted an internal spring, and that was what he wanted to tell me...

Turns out there won't be any going commando... Very disappointing... I have to wear these!! Tracy is highly relieved... I have yet to convince her that going commando is the way forward. Oh... And they have located my left hip. All good :-) I'm due to go down soon... Had better knicker-up!

So... Surprise of the day... I'm thirsty! I've drunk more in the last 12 hours than usual, and I never usually get thirsty... But just knowing you can't drink has a strange effect on your thirst buds! I mean it's 7.5 hours since I last ate, so I'm hungry too, but that was expected! I hope you're all looking forward to the hourly update on just how hungry I am... We're in the first waiting room - as you can see from the photo I'm allowing Tracy some magazine time before she gets stuck into her marking... She's said she might ask them if they can sedate me sooner rather than later so that she can crack on... Which made me think... The whole thing would be a lot easier if they just put us all under together and worked along the line... Why doesn't someone come up with a way to prevent people experiencing the waiting bit with drugs... It's a great idea!

So many questions...mainly, what does one wear to an operation?! Are sandals "sensible" given that it saves you putting socks on when you can't reach your feet?  Or will you get cold feet in the waiting room if its air conditioned?  And is it appropriate to go commando if you have two holes in your hip?  Surely if the dress/skirt is long enough...?  (apparently not, according to Tracy, who will be force-dressing me afterwards...just let her try!) The other burning question, is how late is too late to eat sticky toffee pudding?  I am allowed to eat up til 2am...but being awake at 2am doesn't seem like a terribly good plan as I was up at 5.50am this morning...so I'm thinking porridge before bed...in the hope that it keeps me going until tea time tomorrow!  I think probably that not eating is going to be the hardest part of tomorrow - apart from maybe waking up...but I am looking forward to the lovely two and a half hour sleep that I will get in the middle o...

There's something about impending operations which gives you the urge to 'get sorted', tidy, clean and generally feel prepared. I'm told that this is because once you get to the hospital you hand over control to a complete stranger while you have no awareness of what they're doing to the inside of your body and this is a way to talk your brain into thinking it has some control over the situation. Unfortunately at the same time that this 'clearing up' is happening I'm also waking up earlier and making more mess in the general day-to-day living situation of work survival... So in fact with the two forces in opposition the house is staying in its usual state. Just like this blog post, the premise is set for fascinating insight and the tidiest house ever, which comes full circle and arrives back where it started. Time for a shower I think...

So... Impending hip operation... Not something you might think about writing a blog about...and probably not something you would consider reading a blog about... But here we are doing both these things. If you know me well, you will know that I like a good blog and that finding the humour and a new perspective on a topic such as a hip operation is a challenge I can't resist. Plus, when I'm starving hungry and sitting in a waiting room for hours on end, nothing will give me greater pleasure than posting photos of the four walls around me so that you can join in the fun, dear reader! Today is Tuesday and so the countdown to Friday begins... When I shall be subjected to scraping, grinding, sewing and debriding in the hope that eventually I will be able to do the splits, take up trampolining and kick boxing and sit on a chair at a table for longer than 10 minutes pain - free. There are good times ahead people, this is not going to be a blog of doom and gloom!