Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wednesday Workout Update

I may not be exercising, but I've certainly been getting my workouts in via crutches.  My gosh.  They looked like such fun - when I was a kid, we loved to pretend we had crutches (using brooms or stilts), or in the event some poor kid actually had a broken leg, we'd all line up for the chance to try out the crutches.  Well.  Lemme tell you.  I am OVER crutches.  My arms are tired, my palms are tender and sore, the sides of my ribcage are bruised - this has been not nearly as entertaining as my childhood fantasy.  (I know, some girls dream of ponies but I was the weird one...)

Later this morning, I'm going to the doctor for my first post-op visit, where I'm hoping he'll remove the bandages and show me a perfectly-healed ankle.  What, another fantasy?  LOL  What I'm guessing will happen with the great unveiling is bandage removal, much oohing and aahing, stitches also removed, and then ???  It's a mystery.  I honestly don't know what I'll be allowed to do, or if I'll be able to ditch this boot and the crutches (based on the pain I'm still feeling, I'm guessing not), or if I can start swimming.  Ah, who am I kidding.  Taking a shower wears me out.  I'm not up to doing a whole heck of a lot yet.  I went into this surgery a fit, healthy, able-bodied person and the recovery has been a challenge.  I cannot imagine what this would have been like had I not lost weight.  So there's that.

The other thing that messed me up was the combination of anesthesia and pain medicine - I stopped taking the pain meds early Saturday morning, but still feel goofy.  And that's why I stopped them - I was tired of feeling dizzy and woozy and just not right in the head...I didn't even think about how much that would affect me as well.  Hopefully by Friday's post I'll be much more lucid and able to write something coherent (Monday's post was written in advance, if you were wondering).

17 comments:

  1. you make such a great point about how different this would have been were you not healthy.
    I think that a lot, still, in myriad situations.

    xo xo

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  2. They sure give you heavy pain killers if they effected you so much the couple of days. Don't really like the idea of that to be honest. Wonder if a lower doses would have done the "trick" too.

    I hate crutches. I was one of those kids at 11 years old who had to use them for 6 weeks and it was terrible.

    No worries about your fitness condition: because you are so healthy now you will get back to where you were before the operation very soon.

    I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good news at the doctor later this morning. Good luck!

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  3. Shelley - it takes a LONG time for all that pain medication/anesthesia to get out of your system, so try not to beat yourself up about your energy levels. Before you know it, you'll be up and at 'em. Looking forward to hearing what the doc says.

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  4. I hope you get some good news at the doctor's, but the most important thing now is taking time to heal. Even if that means having to keep the boot and crutches for a little longer. :)

    I'm glad you mentioned that you can't imagine what this would have been like had you not lost weight - because that's something to keep in mind. :)

    I hope you feel better soon! :)

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  5. You're doing perfectly fine you know. I speak from surgery experience. Sorry that the crutches are beating you up but I predict not long before you can beat them back! Hang in there baby.

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  6. Oh, so not right in the head is b/c of the meds? What's my excuse?
    What about a pony on crutches? How's that for a fancy fantasy?
    Looking forward to hearing what the doc said.

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  7. You're doing great :)

    I wonder if your crutches are sized properly, if they're causing bruising...you don't have them right up under your armpits, right?

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  8. I hope you get a great report today Shelly! Hang in there and take it easy!

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  9. Hope you have a speedy recovery Shelley - I'll think of you when Hannah and I go swimming tonight! :D

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  10. Oh I had the same fantasy too! I wanted a cast and braces too... and a pony LOL.

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  11. This reminds me of my post today.....on the bright side.....You have an easier recovery and likely easier healing now that you've lost weight. AND hopefully this fixed your ankle issue so no matter how hard the recover, in the end it will be perfect. Here's to hoping you can get off those crutches soon. There is nothing fun about them.

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  12. Patience, grasshopper ;-) Expect rehab to happen slowly and hopefully under the supervision of a good PT. I do wish that you get off those crutches. I had a broken ankle during one of my fat phases - ouch, my arms hurt more than my ankle did.

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  13. I LOVE "get well" stories!
    Glad you are on the mend!

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  14. Crutches suck. When I was on them last year, my wrists hurt, my arm pits hurt and my shoulders were tired.

    My guess is that this visit will probably be stitches out and then a new brace/boot. Here's hoping they let you do a little weightbearing!

    I say ditch the crutches and hire a rickshaw.

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  15. I totally feel sorry for you.

    When I had seen people on crutches I thought no big deal. Until I needed them I mean. I fell and had a plate and screws put in. I never realized how bad my upper arm strength was. I could go a few feet and then was tired.

    I have a whole new feeling about them. I make sure to help anyone I see on them. Never realized how hard it was to go in and out of places either.

    I had a cast for 7 weeks and thought when the dr. took off the cast I would walk right out of the office. Man did I get a rude awakening. Two weeks before I got off the crutches after that.

    I totally feel for you, and hope your healing is going fast and amazingly.

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  16. First - speedy recovery. I went back in time to see what brought you to crutchville. Yuck. Ah well - childhood dream realized!

    I broke my foot a number of years ago - a lisfranc fracture and a jones fracture on the same foot. I too was a kid who wanted crutches (and braces) - We are weird. AND when I did it I was heavy. Not my heaviest, but crutching along was a miserable experience. Big hug for how cranky it will make you.

    I had a hard cast at first. A blessing when that nasty thing came off (for me - the rest of the house declared a need for fumigation).

    You know you are feeling better when you start grumbling about the crutches! ; )

    Be well. Mind the doc.

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  17. A little late in reading this, but I know what you mean about crutches! I once broke & dislocated my ankle, had to have 2 surgeries, and spent 6 months on crutches! It was pretty miserable. But you'll get through it, hang in there!

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