Thursday, or Thereabouts - June 23, 2016

On Track?












Six weeks post-op and I'm on track for the most part. There have been a few days when I've had to pull of into a siding and just watch the world go by.

Most of these forced stops have been the result of my going too far, too fast.

A normal recovery from major pelvic surgery, or as I've called it, "The Works" (if you really want to know you can search these terms: LAVH, BSO, anterior and posterior Colporrhaphy, TVT).










There has been one near derailment. I can say "near" now but four days ago it looked and felt imminent. This past Sunday some soreness developed at the one external incision site that had required stitches - my belly button. By Monday, signs of infection were oozing redness and pain. (What? You want pictures? I don't thinks so!)





I was devastated! Dammit! Just 2 days from the Six Week Check Up with the surgeon and something which had looked like a slam dunk thumbs up, gold star on my forehead kind of assessment was going pear-shaped. Worse than that, I had to go back to wearing my 3XX balloon pants because I couldn't tolerate any pressure around my waist.

I bathed the wound regularly, dressed it with gobs of Polysporin® - the triple antibiotic kind - and hoped that would do it. It didn't. By Tuesday morning things were worse, more pain, more yellow ooze and some blood. My worst imaginings ramped up to full potential. Good thing I was going to the doc, eh?

"Oh, that is pretty gooey," was the surgeon's comment. The culprit, a recalcitrant suture which refused to dissolve on schedule. It happens. The doc pronounced sentence, "I'm going to hit it hard with antibiotics."




Two days into the meds, and the swelling is down as are all the other signs of infection. I'm feeling much better about my world. The other pronouncements the surgeon offered now rise to the fore,

"The pathology report on the uterus, ovaries and cervix are unremarkable." (translation: no touble found)

"I'm pleased with your progress. Everything else looks okay." 

So what if it wasn't the all clear I wanted? The good days outnumber the mediocre and on my good days I feel better than I've felt in over a year. Score!

And I'm on track and on time!

©2016 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - June 9, 2016

It's a Beautiful Day in my Neighbourhood!




Bright, breezy, and cool-ish at 19C; a day good for whatever ails ya!

A great day for a brisk walk in the sunshine, a little putter in the garden and some light yardwork (translation: replenish the birdfeeders and note things that need doing, to be presented to the man as 'suggestions' for his ToDo list).

A great day to open wide the windows and let the fresh breezes blow away the dust and cobwebs. Dusting made easy, at least inside the confines of my being. The house, well that's another story, but as long as the sun doesn't shine a tractor beam across the living room, those irksome, omnipresent particles will remain out of sight. Good enough for me!

Back outside, the grass is thick with green thanks to a good rainfall and the gardens are looking good too.

It's been just over four weeks since my surgery. I'm coping with the fatigue, yielding to the afternoon nap more often than not. My protests against the restrictions and slow pace are easing, sort of, sometimes...maybe even most of the time. And this post has taken 4 hours because I keep getting up to go outside!

















    Life

           IS

               Beautiful!




















©2016 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - June 3, 2016

Or Thereabouts

Yesterday was one of those days hijacked by a migraine. I hadn't had one in six months and quite frankly was really enjoying the respite, even allowing myself to consider that finally at 63 years of age, I'd outgrown them. No such luck! Perhaps just another one of the "speed bumps" along the road to healing and recovery, a command to take a time out, rest and be still. And so I did just that.

But of course now it's Friday AFTERNOON and I'm battling against decades of cultural embeddedness which implore me to pick up the pace in order to make up for lost time; to have some visible, tangible accomplishments to hold up alongside the yardstick of a good day. Modern life is not a still life, not even for us who have crossed the 60 yard line.

Okay, so here's what I've got so far today:

I got up! (Always an important first step)
I drove myself (first time since surgery) to my massage appointment (first one in 6 weeks).
I went shopping all by myself (another first time since surgery); limited to total weight less than 2kg.
We went to the farm to pick up the first of the season weekly organic veggies. My love picked up, I drove.
I washed and put away the organic bounty.
And I wrote this blog!

So that's SIX notches up on the yardstick, including no less than FOUR Firsts!

I gotta go lie down.
And for the record, that will be another notch on my yardstick - because when going over 60, everything counts!

Have a great weekend.
Catch me if you can!

©2016 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - May 26, 2016

A Blue Day...

It's all part of the healing process I know, but still at two and bit weeks post surgery, cabin fever has me writhing as my mind makes dates and plans my body can't keep. I miss being able to get and go wherever I want, whenever I want.

I accept that my recovery will be slow but it would really help if it would be in a straight line!
Please?






None of this haphazard boogie - two steps forward, one back then three forward and two back followed by four forward and five back.

No setbacks!
No speedbumps!
No reversals!




.


So while I whine away to the music of the world's smallest violins playing at my so very "first world" pity party, how be you take in some of the better places I've been?

Enjoy!

Mykonos, Greece

China - where the Great Wall meets the sea

Galapagos

Tortola, BVI

Venice

Curacao beneath the waves

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Ephesus

Hawaii

Abu Dhabi

Muscat, Oman

Sydney, Australia

St. Petersburg, Russia

No worries - I'll be back soon enough and sunny side up!
Thank you all for your good wishes.

©2016 April Hoeller