A long walk

Another typical day with two hours in the gym.

Food seems much better and I wonder if originally my taste buds were ultra sensitive due to meds. But my favourite meal is breakfast of porridge and toast.

Gail visited during the morning and brought me a jigsaw puzzle but unfortunately there is no table I can spread it on here.

Big effort was walking from the gym back to my room on my crutches with a wheelchair following just in case. Elaine arrived and followed too but detoured to get coffee for us.

At last my bodily functions are working well and I feel much more sane.

The gym boss is still pressuring me to go home tomorrow but I am refusing as I have no one at home to do simple tasks like putting on my pressure socks or putting washing in and out or driving me back here each day to rehab. I would like to stay here as long as it needs to iron out a few more issues  and getting a little less wobbly.

I had a good sleep and woke at my normal time.

Let's see what today brings.

A good night

Yesterday I ended up going for a walk around "the block" i.e. the corridor circuit with the physio instead of going down to the gym - their decision.

Linda visited again and Ellen came with dinner and stayed a few minutes.

Lots of reading and even started doing some of the typing I've brought along to keep me busy.

I had a good sleep overnight but typical me woke before 5 am and it is so long until breakfast that I'm going to go for another corridor promenade. There is even time for a shower before breakfast and application of all the lovely creams to help with the itching from the bedding. In hindsight the itching and rash could be a sensitivity to the palexia.

Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers.

First visit to the gym

I've just returned from the gym and was put through a few exercises that were simple in concept but tiring in practice. However, the training in the weeks before the op have paid off. Seeing others try to cope with the same exercises with great difficulty I realise the difference it has made going in relatively strong.


Back on the bed now for a well earned rest before my next session between 1 and 2 pm. The nurse has just rubbed wonderful cream on my back rash. Bliss.

A much better day yesterday

With the sorting of meds I coped much better yesterday.

Had lots of visitors and emails, phone messages and calls. Thank you all. Ellen brought some early home made dinner to share and Elaine has taken my washing.

Today I start at the rehab gym. I am still not sure if I am changing beds though. I ordered crutches online and they will be delivered today.

The food would actually be great if it was not so salty. I don't usually cook with salt so I am finding it unbearable sometimes.

Day 3 - Turning a corner

Yesterday was not easy. It took us all day to manage pain. After any operation there is a need to heal the wound (cut muscles, damaged bones), keep all other things working, and strengthening weakness. But all of that is impossible if pain rules. To manage this pain killers are required. But I was reacting to the meds (palexia) with nausea. After a shower and exercise did not help, at 5pm they put me on panadeine forte and cut out all the others except the ice pack that I cuddle. Eventually, once the old pain killer was out of my body, I felt like a new person. Hopefully today is onward and upward.

Hip Hop Days 1 & 2

Yesterday, after a sleepless night waiting for the 5 am alarm I was up at 4 am and in a taxi to arrive at hospital early for 6:10 am. I then waited around for hours as I was second on the list. Apparently they get 1 & 2 in early in case something happens to delay 1.

At 9 am I was wheeled in for anaesthetic (epidural) and then op.

By 12:25 pm I was in my room in the ward. Lots of hovering nurses and other staff for the rest of the day and every 15 minutes or so during the night to check drips and drains, temp, pulse and blood pressure. I only had one spell of dry reaching in the night

This morning I woke up very drowsy, and understandably so.

By 9 am all drips and drains had been removed and the physiotherapist had me up with a 4WD pair of crutches cum wheely walker and going for a walk out my door and back again. She came again later.

During all that I have eaten all meals. I alternate between bed and my chair. I was certainly pleased to get out of my bed this morning. Pain is being managed so now I've just got to be patient for healing of the wounds and strengthening of the muscles.

I've had a visit from my surgeon both days, my anaesthetist and the head of rehab, all of whom are lovely caring people. I have internet on my laptop with sudoku, ebooks and an audio book on my mobile. No other activities at the moment mainly due to being tired after the slightest exertion.

A bit of patchwork and other stuff

Over the last week or so I've been very busy finishing off a few things and experimenting with others.

First, I have finished 3 quilts but they are not yet photographed officially and labelled. That will come later.

Then I was inspired by a Leader and Ender project done by Bonnie at Quiltville. While hers was done with 1.5" squares entirely, mine is done with 2.5" squares (I have hundreds already cut) and 1.5" squares for the centre of each row.

These strips will be much longer and there will be something running down between each row. I am making batches of short rows (shown here) so that I can mix and match them later. Towards the end I'll cut the bottoms off level and sew them to the tops so that I get the straight top and bottom required.

And then there have been a few days cooking.

I found a recipe for slow cooker fruit paste online but mine had not even set after two days of cooking so I have declared that a failure and packaged it as thick fruit jam to have with cheese. It tastes quite OK.

The next cooking experiment was the Microwave Lemon Curd and it worked wonderfully. Set well in only 3 minutes and tastes fantastic. No fuss, no double boiler and I did not even strain it. Fantastic.

There was time spent with Ellen and Geoff and Jen and the girls, and of course the regular babysitting scattered in amongst all that.

A Sunny Day at Underhill

Last Saturday Ev, Greg and I drove down to Underhill for the day. We met up with Geoff, Jen and family in Marulen after enjoying a lovely morning tea.

We all spent time burning off, pruning and generally doing a winter tidy up.

The girls loved it, as per usual.

Greg and Geoff dug holes and planted new fruit trees in the centre orchard. Three trees in all, a cherry and two plums.

Then there was the ceremonial planting of the "Martyn Oak Tree". Geoff had some oak seedlings to plant and quite separately Greg and Ev were lamenting the fact that their childhood memories of a precious oak tree were now just memories as the oak tree was  removed for development of the old house. This meant that the planting of this oak was significant to all involved.

Greg, Ev and I headed back to Sydney avoiding a long delay due to an accident on the M31 (aka M5) by taking the Picton then Cataract Roads. It was a very pleasant drive home and much better than the car chaos that goes on at the junction of the M5 and M7.

Geoff was even able to do another few rows of bricks on the new stove construction after we left.

Geoff and family stayed overnight where temperatures plummeted to -5C. They all enjoyed the warmth of the pot belly in the shed and then played with the ice on the dams in the morning.

Thanks Greg and Ev for all your help and your photos too. Lots of jobs done!

Hip Replacement Delay

The hospital has moved my hip replacement to Friday 27 July. This has caused chaos in my calendar but I think I have it all sorted now. This post is really for those I have forgotten to notify individually. Sorry..

South Coast Adventure

Well not very far down the South Coast.

Yesterday I drove Kate, Kiran and Pete south to Bulli then back again. It was a great fine day for us although not for everyone it seems.

Stop 1
We had a look at the view and the road we'd be travelling from Sublime Point Lookout.

This was followed by a short bushwalk that even I could do with my gammy leg. Unfortunately the cafe is closed on Monday and Tuesday so no morning tea.

Stop 2 and 3
After a stroll on the beach at Austinmere we decided to double back to Thirroul to see what shops and things were there. Kate had noticed a lovely cinema building on the way through and thought her Dad might like a photo.

Stop 4
On north along the coast to the Scarborough Pub/Cafe where we had a fantastic lunch overlooking the ocean with whales frolicking beneath a beautiful rainbow display.

Stop 5
On over the SeaCliff Bridge to the Lawrence Hargrave Lookout where we were able to look back to the bridge but also out to another pod of whales and still the rainbows.

Anyone would think it was cold.

If you click on the photo above you'll see the splash of a whale.

We were even treated to the launch of a hang glider.

Stop 6
At Audley we enjoyed a cuppa for afternoon tea then headed home for dinner and a game of Take Two.

A great day with lots of sun and a cool breeze.