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!