My last Coumadin pill!! Three days until I can eat unlimited broccoli & sushi & asparagus!!!

I'm enjoying the sunshine & my pearly white legs are getting much-needed vitamin D after a 6 week drought!

I know I owe a legitimate blog post but I wanted to quickly update that it's sweltering & I'm finally warm & since tonight is 6 weeks eve, I'm done with TEDs!

The ninja man at the Japanese steak house just told me I have a broken leg. Who am I to correct him?

I'm headed to a secret location for a birthday dinner, listening to my new Zune! Yay!

A birthday on crutches beats no birthday at all.

Ok, apparently it's "birthdaytime" as evident by the fact that Jayson is screaming (singing??) it at the top of his lungs... Wish me luck!

More errands

Jayson and I just ran some errands; I officially am a Wal*Mart shopper again, I think I'm sad about that. I have noticed that people and crutches are a funny combination. They either look at them and don't care and stand in your way regardless of an "excuse me," or jump about 15 feet out of the way like you have the plague. I don't understand it, probably never will.

As far as my TEDs go, I hadn't gotten around to washing my extra pair when I showered today, so I did wash with both pairs at once, leaving me with none. I went shopping without them, as I have done a few times before, and I don't like that five weeks of wearing them all day every day has made me so accustomed to them that my legs feel weird without them! I am looking forward to not wearing thigh-high socks, but I have a feeling it's going to take a while to get used to it!

I also made a quiche earlier today. It was incredibly difficult but I made it out of spite for not really being able to cook much of anything. That's what we're having for dinner, so it's off to the microwave...

Five weeks!

Today is my five week anniversary. Nothing really big to report, except as someone pointed out, I'm doing really well and this is the point when I'll start cheating, which I have found myself doing already. So, that's something I need to start paying attention to immediately. I've had some great days of visitors, and there are more on their way right now, which is good because I do well when I'm kept busy.

Side note, these 70 degree days are something I could get used to, Coumadin and all :)

After a long day, I just want to take a great snoozer. However, the Bruins are in sudden death overtime!!! Let's go boys!!

Graduation #1

Nicky graduated me yesterday!! I think the proper term would be "discharged" but I'm going to go with "graduated" because now I don't have to have visiting PT until my follow-up doctor appointment in 12 days. I did call my aunt Michele who is a PT to see if she could come down once or twice in the next two weeks until my appt. just so I have someone watching over me who knows what they're doing. If she can't come, it's not a big deal because Nicky says, as she's been saying all along, I am doing really well and I'll heal really well based on my progress so far. She was watching me walk and said I could "totally just drop those crutches to the ground and keep going" which gives me hope for when I see Dr. Smith that he'll tell me the same thing. I'll settle for going down to one crutch, but just walking out of the office without my crutches would be pretty sweet.

Also, tomorrow is five weeks. A lot of people have said, "wow, the hardest part is behind you!" And they are right as far as physically hard goes. I think the next two months will be much more mentally challenging. I had a lot to focus on physically (pain, trying to learn my PT) and was still bored for the first month, but now that I'm more mobile and still restricted, I can feel myself going more and more stir-crazy everyday. Friends that were visiting last night said Jayson and I should go to a party at their apartment this weekend. I still can't just go to an apartment, especially at a party where people would be drinking and could accidentally knock into me. It's just stressful with my 27th birthday coming up that I'm still feeling very confined to the house. Ok, I think I'm done complaining.Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

History became legend, legend became myth... I'm starting the Lord of the Rings trilogy, let's see how far I can get into this 12 hour set!

Phone Post 19

I should have posted these yesterday when they were more fresh, but these are the fresh lilacs Jays brought over from his house!

One month down, two to go.

The weekend was nice, I was able to spent a little bit of time sitting outside enjoying sunshine without TEDs yesterday. Don't worry, an hour won't kill me. I had a surplus of visitors on Saturday, which really wiped me out but was a ton of fun to see everyone. We ran some errands yesterday and picked up my Coumadin RX, and I only have 14 days left!! That leads me to believe I only have 14 days of the TEDs too, hahaha. I see the doctor in 15 days (not that I'm counting...) and I'm sure he'll be the judge of that.

I also got my Claim Summary for my four day hospitalization. I've been getting little statements here and there, but this one was for just under $41,000! My shiny new hip is worth more than $40K, which is pretty exciting, hahaah sucker health insurance company!

Ok, I've got more tacos and rice and beans leftover and two different Hodgie's cups to tackle for a late breakfast, have a great day everyone!

28 Days Later

I think there's a movie called 28 Days Later, I feel like it might be about zombies. Clearly, I have no idea what I'm talking about. Ok, I'm buckling down and forcing a legitimate post. I've been feeling out of sorts lately, which everyone says is normal. You go from being so immobile to somewhat mobile but still incredibly limited and it's really messing with my mind.

A few things to report:

-Jayson took me on a FANTASTIC date to Chili's last Friday. It could have been McDonald's for all I cared, but it felt excellent to go out and do something normal even though I had my trusty crutches right next to me... We met a boy our age who had been on crutches for 2 weeks because he rolled his ankle. I took no pity and showed him up without even really trying.

-I spoke with the PA in my doctor's office because I had several questions. She gave me a few answers that I wanted, and told me a few things that pissed me off, namely that I still have to wear TEDs for another 2.5 weeks. I'm also allowed to advance my weight bearing as tolerated, up to 100%. However, I have to still use both crutches until my follow-up appointment May 26th. I subsequently asked Nicky if she could teach me how to walk 100% WB on both sides, *with crutches*, and she laughed at me, because "that's stupid, it doesn't make any sense!" If your PHYSICAL THERAPIST says it is stupid, I think it's okay for the patient to think so, too. But, a bright side is that I'm (limitedly --is that a word?) allowed to use Advil instead of anything else to help with muscle soreness, so that actually made me pretty happy.

-My physical therapist had been bringing this stationary bike peddler similar to this:

I really like doing it because it feels like normal exercise and I'm into anything that makes me feel somewhat back to normal. It just sits on the floor and you sit on the chair and peddle off into the sunset! Well, I found one on Ebay for $28 so I bought one! Nicky then thought it would be a good idea to check with my doctor's office since it was something I'd be doing more often, and the secretary told her I wasn't allowed to. She called and asked for the PA, but the secretary said no. She's very nice, but she's the secretary!!! I've been doing it for 5 minutes a day during my visiting PT appointments already, and speak of the devil, it just showed up! Well, we'll see how good I am at following directions...

-My birthday is in a week and a half, and I was in no rush since I don't need my license as I can't drive and I can't drink, but I just tried to renew it and they wouldn't let me because someone in Tennessee has a similar name and birth date. I tried calling TN to yell at them, but no one answered. Let me explain this to you, jerks! I CAN'T JUST GO TO THE RVM BECAUSE YOU GUYS CAN'T DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE! (That "jerks" was for them, not you.) Anyway, that's an added frustration.

-I'm going to Jayson's mom's house tonight for Chinese food and the Bruins. I know I should be more excited, but going places just frustrates me because I have to make sure I'll be comfortable {in this case we'll be bringing an entire chair & cushions} and I try not to drink anything for hours before because I don't have my raised toilet seat and there is *no way* I'm making Jayson pack that into the back of the Explorer! It is good to get out of the house, it's just frustrating and annoying to be 26 years old and think "I'm not sure I can go to XYZ because I don't have my raised toilet seat." I know this is only temporary, but since I just sit around my house all day and think about it, it bums me out.

-Lastly, my incision is looking good. I stopped wearing ABD pads and gauze a while ago and I don't have to put anything on it when I shower. Most of the steri strips have come off on their own, or I've unknowingly pulled them off in the middle of the night since the scar goes right across my butt and I know pulling my underwear up and down 15 times a day to pee can't help keep them stick. I still have a section at the top of the new incision where 4 or 5 strips have held on. My old scar from 26 years ago is maybe 3" long, then the section where the strips still are is about 2" long, then there is maybe a 4" scar that is a combination of old and new scars, which is healing nicely. Nicky said that the section up top where the strips are still tight is probably because there is less blood flow to the area so it is just taking longer to heal. I don't know if that makes any sense, but Karen asked about my scar, and I KNOW YOU GUYS WANNA KNOW TOO!

Ok, I think I'm done. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Phone Post 18

Sorry. Despite my boredom, I can't bring myself to focus and write a legit blog post. Maybe tomorrow? I do have a lot to report, so I'll try, I promise!

Snoozy

I'm tired, but I don't want anyone to worry, I'm doing well. Maybe I'll write about my date and my day today, tomorrow. For now, I rest -- goodnight!

Date Night!

Today I went with Dad to the bank. Actually, I sat in the car while he went to the bank. Then we went to Market Basket to get some ice cream, and next door to the liquor store for beer. Then, again, I came home and took an hour and a half nap. It is crazy how quickly I get drained from doing the smallest things.

However, in super big news, I am going on a date tonight! Assuming I can manage to rest for 3 hours, Jayson and I are going to Chili's for dinner! I've got nothing else really to report, but I didn't write anything official except for two texts yesterday, so there is my full report for today. Have a good day everyone! :)

**UPDATE** I'm wearing jeans!! I feel like a real person -- this is the most exciting day EVER!!

Phone Post 17

I had a fun night watching the Bruins (win) with Alex, but as I try to go to sleep, my legs are tired. This usually only happens after workin a long day. Weird.

Phone Post 16

I'm sitting here with Grammy, she's knitting, I'm crotcheting. She had her knee done 10 months ago. I had my hip done 3 weeks ago. Have a good Friday everyone!