On the Road Again

There is much that still is not right, but I think I'm really on the road to recovery now. Beginning to feel somewhat human at least part of the time!

I've been driving a little for a week. Have taken the dogs to an unused (for most of the year) corral in Marin for a greyhound play date last Sunday and today. The driving isn't too difficult, but once I'm home my knee starts screaming and I pay the price with pain that neither the Norco nor ice really gets rid of. It's worth it, but it does mean that I can't do anything else in a 24 hour period.

Last night I went to the ballet. A wonderful friend drove, and the theatre has lots of leg room so circumstances were as good as possible. My knee definitely hurt, but it wasn't awful until the ride home. I took the advice of my PT and brought an ice pack with me and asked the woman at the refreshment stand if she could put it in a freezer. No freezer, but she did bury it in ice. I got it at the intermission and sat on a bench with my pants leg pulled up and the ice on my knee! Not very classy, but it helped me get through the performance being able to concentrate on the dancing.

I'm going to give up my symphony ticket for next Friday. Can't manage BART and walking and sitting. I'll go to another ballet on Saturday, though. It's in Oakland and a friend will drive and we have seats with lots of leg room.

The surgeon and PT are concerned that I still have so much pain and swelling and so little flexibility, but I am improving, if not daily then certainly weekly. I can walk up the stairs fairly well. I can walk without the walker a bit although I have to concentrate on moving "normally" and not favoring the right leg.

The worst aspect is the lack of energy and the dizziness and nausea. I'm trying to take as few pain pills as possible. Every little activity wears me out. But, again, I'm improving bit by bit. Now I need to push myself more and not use the yucky feeling as an excuse to be totally lazy. Since I'm a slug by nature, this is a challenge! I'm so grateful for the hounds who rouse me occasionally but love me even when (especially when?) I'm lying on the couch and for all the friends who have done so much for me.

Love to all of you who are reading this,
Janet