I'm Back in the Garden

I ordered a garden kneeler online last week so now I can get back into the garden.

I don't actually need the kneeler part but I really need the arms that help me to get up again. I've even worked out a way to have my phone with me (in the sunglasses case). I should have the sunglasses on anyway. The chooks are loving the weeds they are now getting. It gives them something to think about.

I bought two new hens a few weeks ago and they are slowly integrating into the flock. Geoff found a home at Oatley that had some excess to requirements. He actually wants three silkies to help with the gardening and household scraps so he might get these two and another one of mine if we can't find three siblings.

I have been having a terrible time with vermin eating my produce in the vegie patch so now have netted lots of the beds with Arianne's help.

I also put out some rat bait. But yesterday I found out that my neighbour has a possum in her roof and a possum man is coming today to set a trap for it. I hope it is relocated a long long way away. It even started eating and digging out my asparagus and sweet potatoes! I had already netted my peas and have been getting good harvests from those.

When it started eating the tops out of my carrot crop I harvested them all and made a fabulous carrot cake courtesy of Ellen's friend Bee. I've just had some for my morning tea.

Mr Possum had also all but annihilated my passionfruit but so far the rest of my little orchard is doing well.

Ben came and gave the lemon tree a man prune so it now has a chance to produce some nice lemons that I can reach.

The Market Run

With my Woolies delivery last week of pantry essentials I am now stocked up.

Yesterday I made a large pot of minestrone from left over vegies from my last delivery from The Market Run. I froze some and Arianne and I enjoyed it for dinner last night. As I also have a crop of carrots that the possums are getting into so I harvested all those and they are prepared ready to make a carrot cake for the freezer tomorrow.

My next fortnighly order came yesterday and it is magnificent. I'll have to do more entertaining I think, although we have already eaten half the watermelon for dessert last night.

(Yes I will have to cut the strawberries up but as I usually do that anyway I am not too concerned.) The orange even has little marks on it that you would not find in a supermarket - real fruit! The apples and pear must be cold storage at this time of year but the girls and I have a cut apple as snacks when they are here. Everything else is so fresh it is incredible. I even have mushrooms again.

I have lettuce and peas in the garden at the moment so that augments the variety even more.

I am thrilled with The Market Run.

Hip Replacement - Six Weeks on

Yesterday I had my 6-week check up with the surgeon who replaced my hip with a brand new titanium/ceramic one. He was extremely pleased with my progress and gave me a gold star and of course I had to give him one too. He took some time explaining why he had done it the way he did it and what the prognosis for continued recovery should be. He also took some time demonstrating with actual bones and replacements what I am trying to avoid with the various hip precautions I still have. I am still not allowed to bend the hip to less than 90 degrees and I am not allowed to cross my legs either casually when sitting or in exercises like in some pilates moves. He will review that when I see him at 6 months. He did demonstrate how I can now kneel down to garden and pick up children and the restrictions I have around that sort of activity.

However, I can now walk as much as I like. My step count has been good some days since I left hospital but I need to get out and do some gardening or actually go for walks to improve my count.

I did a sit-stand fitness assessment at 6 weeks and achieved 10 in 20 seconds which is just 1 second more than I am supposed to be so a little more improvement needed there.

I am now allowed to drive so will be able to get out to activities and even to the train and shopping. Luckily Ben came last Friday to help with some pruning around the garden and asked if I had turned over the car. As I said no he suggested I did it while he was there. Dead! He used his starter gizmo to start it and then took it for a run around the block and we left it idling for a while so I hope it starts when I get out there. Perhaps I should take it down to the car wash today and see how I go. No! Car is dead again! New battery needed.

I have not been taking any pain killers for some weeks now, not even a panadol so that is a step in the right direction. No pain!

Last Sunday I was thrilled to be given a lift to and from Hymnfest in at St Stephens in the city. I was even able to do all the sits and stands that are a normal part of any choir event. What an amazing sound it was. I got home exhausted and had not done many steps but had had a lot of breathing exercises and sit-stands. So it looks as though I can get back to my singing and even visiting Mum on Sundays.

So in all - onward and upward from here. Thanks to all those people who supported me and made recovery just that bit easier and even enjoyable. I hope and pray I do not need to report on my hip or other joints for some years to come.

My Second Baby Box

This morning I figured "if you don't ask you don't get". I emailed The Market Run asking if they had such a thing as a Single Seniors Mini Box which might include some things babies might not be interested in and lo and behold this arrived this afternoon in my order...

I could not have been more delighted.

I just love the challenge of working out how I am going to include this produce in my diet from fruit and veg I may not have automatically chosen if I'd been shopping myself. I love it. Last time I made zucchini slice out of the zucchinis. I roasted a whole lot of the roasting veg and froze them for another day. Towards the end of the fortnight I made a chicken and vegetable soup from what was left, some of which is now in the freezer.

What a surprise! It is wonderful. Just like Christmas when I open the box.

I can add to this the silver beet, peas, lettuce and carrots I have in the garden at the moment and prepare a feast every day.

All of this for just on $20 and free delivery.

Two Big Days

I had a long day at rehab on Thursday when I was delivered 2 hours early by Arianne on her way south. I set myself up in the cafe with my computer and coffee and with a hospital wifi code I did lots of work digitising diaries and keeping up with email etc.

On Friday I had another long day with a trip to Rauri and Janice at Berry with Karen and Alastair. Not much walking involved as we sat chatting and eating and sipping tea all day. However, I did achieve 7000 steps, my second highest post op. count. It was certainly a lovely day together in the warm lounge room with their two tiny grand boys.

By far my biggest day was yesterday (at just over 10000 steps).

Ellen drove the boys and I to Underhill after her early morning run and then a physio appointment for her.

We arrived to find Geoff et al. already there and the kettle boiled. This is the first time Ellen and the boys have been down in many years so they were impressed by the new roof and the changes that have been made.

Luke's very first job was to annihilate a termite mound. Much energy was spent in the process.

Ivy was so hungry she had early lunch of rice dinner even before the tablecloths were on the table.

Alex's choice of activity was to make damper so he and Ivy had a wonderful time creating the dough. Geoff decided that it could be made in the targine and then cooked on the grill plate of the chimnea. This was a very successful venture and we all enjoyed a slice of damper with butter and golden syrup as soon as it was cooked. It was certainly a perfect damper! Thank you Alex.

Meanwhile Luke had a great time playing with Heather. The boys are both really great with the two little girls.

Luke's choice of activity was fishing but because it was so cold there were no active fish or yabbies so we "fished" for metal with the super magnet. All the kids got involved in this activity and a lot of metal bits and pieces were found in the fire ash we had dumped on the dam wall on an earlier visit. Thanks for finding so much Luke!

Then there was the birthday lunch for all three boys, Geoff, Alex and Luke.

Of course Ponyo did not miss out as she knows just who to watch.

 Ellen had made quiche and salad and a very sweet caramel cake topped with honeycomb and maltesers. I even remembered to take down candles but unfortunately it was so windy the birthday song had to be sung very quickly and they were all out by the time to blow them out came.

Nevertheless, the boys loved their birthday lunch and except for Geoff's cold it was a great get-together.

The trip home was uneventful. Both on the way down and the way back we listened to The Hobbit which brought back memories of long trips with Surrey and our kids years ago when I would read books to the family both in the car (on straight roads) and as we settled in for the night. The Hobbit was one such book.

Once back home we all met up at mine for a fish and chips dinner to top off the birthday. Arianne was back in Sydney too so was able to join in the celebration. What a fantastic but long day we had all had.

Happy Birthday boys!

Getting Stronger

It is now nearly 5 weeks post surgery and I am improving every day. The hydrotherapy and the gym sessions at the hospital are wonderful. These are supported by the hour of exercises I am doing in two sessions at home each day and any tiny walks or tours of the garden I am doing.

From day 3 post surgery I have been wearing my Fitbit because I wanted to see just how many steps I was doing and thought watching the graph go up would be interesting. Below is my graph for the first 4 weeks.

Prior to surgery, even on painful days I was usually doing 10000 steps each day so I am really pleased with my progress towards that goal now. I am even progressing on my sit-stand fitness measure. I can now do 10 in 22 seconds.

I think the 3xPs of rehab are worth keeping in mind... patience, persistence and patience. I will try.

I have not had any paracetamol this week but find the cold weather is really affecting my muscles and I get very stiff. I wear thermal long johns in front of TV as I am not allowed to bend down far enough to light the heater or turn it off again. I do have some small oil-filled heaters hidden away and tonight I might ask Arianne and Zoe to get them out for me so the front of the house is not quite so icy.

I am now only using a walking stick when I go out and even then it is usually folded in my bag. I really only need it there to tell others that I am slow and sometimes need extra time for moving. I'll probably carry it in my bag for a few weeks yet just in case.

As Arianne and Zoe are both staying tonight they are also on dinner duty so that will be a real treat.

Four weeks post op

Well I am feeling good and progressing well with fewer limitations. Yesterday was my 2nd torture session and today I feel reasonably strong and mobile. I do not use my walking stick much, at least around the house and yard although when I go out I use it to signal to those around me that I might be a bit slow and need help with some things.

I can reach the washing line because I have two hands free but have to be careful not to twist to the peg basket. And I can't pick up any pegs I drop as I still have all hip restrictions which means no bending my hip joint to less than 90 degrees. No picking up, no lighting the heater or oven and no gardening as I still can't kneel.

Thank goodness I ran out of asprin yesterday as last night I had quite a nosebleed that is a side affect of daily asprin (taken to prevent clots). It has been the first one so I should not complain. Today I have not even had any panadol yet so am doing OK on the meds front.

I still can't lift anything significant which means I can't pick up little Heather and have her on my lap or get down to play with Ivy and Heather but that will come soon I guess. Alex and Luke are old enough now to do the bending for me I hope.

Today I measured my fitness level using the sit-stand test that Mosley showed recently. Women over 55 should do 10 stands in less than 19 seconds. I've no idea what my score was prior to my op. but today at 4 weeks post op I was 27 seconds. I think that is quite good considering but I will be aiming to improve with all these strengthening exercises I'm doing. I'm scoring about 5000 steps a day which of course does not count my 2 hours of exercises each day either at home or at rehab gym and hydrotherapy. Again I am happy with this considering  where I am post op. I don't intend to intentionally increase that count for a while but just let it happen.

My outing aim is two daytrips in cars towards the end of next week and then all day in at St Stephens on 9 September to sing in the Service followed by Hymnfest in the afternoon. That will be a big one but will be 6 weeks post op. At least it is something to aim for so I am learning the music.

However, at the moment I am mostly at home catching up on my "broken leg projects".

Shopping online

Last week I had my usual Woolworths online shop delivered but as I do not like buying greengroceries from Woolworths I did a bit of searching for online options at least while I am not allowed to drive.

Most of the companies sell either couples boxes as the smallest or have a $50 minimum order. All too much for a single person, especially one with a vegetable garden.

I found The Market Run offers some mini boxes with no minimum order for delivery in Sydney only. I ordered a Baby Box. As Tuesday is the day for delivery to my area I received my box today.

My box included 2 corn, 1/4 watermelon, 1/4 pumpkin, 1 avo, 2 zucchini, 4 bananas, 2 red apples, 2 green apples, a bunch of 3 beetroot, 1 head of broccoli and 5 carrots. They are beautifully fresh and sourced from Australian farms. All of that for about $20 and free delivery.

I am thrilled and now have to figure out how often I need one of these or another type of box. They also sell other kitchen needs so I'll look into that next time too.

Torture session 1

Yesterday was my first afternoon at day rehab. The session started in the pool which was lovely and warm and floaty. I did all my exercises easily and had a lovely chat to others and the physios. I was able to clarify all sorts of things I should and should not do. However, getting out of the pool was a very slow process and the sense of extreme heaviness (having floated for around 3/4 hour) was slow to overcome. The wonderful thing is that there is help at every turn. Someone was next to me walking to the shower and then available to put my socks and shoes back on, and in fact anything else I needed.

Afternoon tea was followed by exercises in the gym much like the exercises I'd done while in hospital but this time with weights and heavier theraband. More chats about what I should and should not do. This time I found I was not to use my swivel chair in the study at my computer.

Thank goodness Geoff has set me up with a new laptop, which I was using in hospital. I am now sitting at the bench in the back room on a straight chair and my new Google platform echoes the one in the study and vice versa. I can still continue with my 'broken leg' projects that are computer based. Hooray!

Then late last night my wonderful Kim rang me. She was to come today to help me with all sorts of things I am not allowed to do. Unfortunately she is now stuck in hospital recovering from some brain issue. I can't even get there to visit her but Kim I send you all my prayers and thoughts for a swift recovery.

This morning I am aching all over as a result of yesterday's antics so hit the panadol (just one) first thing with my coffee. I have not been taking anything much until today since I left hospital. However, it is all just muscle aches but then of course the hip is not ever going to be painful again as it is metal!

Thanks to all those who keep up with my progress and continue with their best wishes and prayers for me. Now you can add Kim to your list as well.

Visit to Rehab Doctor

Wow! What a difference a day makes...

I am now an Uber rider and have had two great trips and one that just did not turn up.

I saw the rehab doctor who on looking at the before xray said "Ooo it was bad wasn't it" but the after xray just looks perfect. She asked me to stand on each foot with knee at right angles and count to 10 - I passed with flying colours. I have given up the crutch and use a walking stick outdoors only. Thank you Surrey for all the walking sticks.

The dressing has been removed and is all good and I don't have to keep wearing the compression socks. Hooray! She just laughed when I asked her to put them on for me.

I only have to go to day rehab twice a week so have chosen Monday and Thursday. I'll be doing that for 4 weeks.

The doctor said I am really progressing well and was amazed at the tiny amount of pain relief I am using.

Onward and upward from here.