The New Routine

Things have changed since the completion of my surgery. Post operative recovery requires exercise, therapy, good food and some good ole rest and relaxation. My day begins around 6:30 when Maggie makes her morning visit to check on me then returns upstairs to get Mary up and going. The random checks take place at various times through out the night, normally around midnight then again a 4am followed by the 6 am wake up call. Poor girl is still trying to figure why we are sleeping in two different rooms and on different levels.

I lie in bed until Mary takes care of the zoo. Then the focus is on me getting my bones out of bed and getting started. Ahhh how we take for granted the simple shower, It's sponge time for me until I am allowed to do stairs and have my eighty staples removed. Yes, eighty staples and a twenty-four inch incision. After getting cleaned up Mary gives me a back rub with lotion and changes my bandage to track any drainage. Everything is healing nicely and the staples should come out Thursday afternoon when the visiting nurse makes her stop.

Next is getting dressed with all my special tools, what strange stuff. A dressing stick, a grabber tool, extra long shoe horn (doubles as a back scratcher) and my favorite the sock donner. Dress code is long shorts and T shirt, comfortable and easy. Next up is my exercise routine that I have worked on since my hospital stay. Everything is geared to generating some quad control and building strength. Mary has to help me with two of the sets that help swing my legs in a inside/outside movement like making snow angels and while laying on my back perform a heel slide working to maximize the range of motion in my knee.

After some R&R we settle in for lunch then get back to another few rounds of exercises. I watch some TV, nap and surf the Internet to keep me occupied. If the wx is nice I get outside with my faithful walker and even get some seat time in my spiffy wheel chair. I eventually get settled in for dinner watching the news and enjoying the zoo while they interact. It sure is nice to eat Mary's cooking, I couldn't take the hospital food that I had to eat any longer. It's nice to eat dinner together as we sit and chat, watching the news and discussing my progress. It's going to be a long haul back to walking unassisted but I'm on track with a lot of support from my Bride, family and friends.