1st and foremost - T-rex arms are a nuisance but they CAN be accommodated! (I may or may not have walked around growling like a T-rex and waving my forearms maniacally, as my elbows were initially held close in to my rib cage due to lack of range of motion.) So here are tips that will make round 2 much easier!
1. Move the coffee cups down to the bottom shelf - or even the counter top! Coffee is muy importante - for me and those around me.
2. Keep a small, light weight stool in the kitchen. I kept a small one around and just kicked/slid it throughout the condo so that my tinyarms could grab things that were just out of reach.
3. My rocking chair became my best friend. It is fairly shallow so I didn't have to lean back so far. (sitting on the deeper couch and trying to lean back seemed/was impossible for at least a week.)
4. Keep the ground coffee where you can reach it! (see #1)
5. Comfy button front shirts are crucial! Make sure they are long and baggy so they cover the ugly drains that you'll be toting around for a couple of weeks.
6. I will have my honey shower with me before bed each night next time. Showers wear you out - just like when you have the flu. And no matter which fabulous relative agrees to help you shower - it's still awkward. So M. gets the job this time. And I'll be able to slip into bed and sleep as soon as my hair is dry.
7. My motorized bed is magical and was worth every penny - no changes there, I'm just thankful I know I'll get decent sleep without having to resort to sleeping in a recliner as I've heard others are forced to do.
8. It ALL passes. The weird tingling that you get when your nerves grow back DOES go away. As do all of the other odd pains and sensations. In fact, immediately after surgery I was having improvements daily. After a couple of weeks my improvements were more likely to be weekly. And now I notice improvements every couple of weeks. In fact, 4 months out, I think I'm almost normal. I still don't have full nerve sensation in the general region of the incision - but I'll be having another surgery anyway, which will jack up the nerves all over again. At least now I know they'll eventually heal, for the most part... :)
9. Drains suck. And while they seem to last forever - they really are gone in a couple of weeks or so. You may not want to hear that they are horrible, but they are. And then they're gone.
10. Take your pain meds - the sleep is crucial to healing your body! I tried to get off of them too quickly - and when I went back to taking them before bed, I noticed another big jump in my recovery.
11. Get massages! They will be awkward - so find someone you know. I still can't lie on my stomach, but massage therapists (even the ones that were strangers) are happy to work around it. Just explain what you can't do - and they will do everything they can to accommodate.
I have a feeling this list will get updates...
I like this! I feel very pleasantly informed on the matter.
ReplyDeleteRawwwwr! *waves tiny T rex arms in appreciation for your kind comment*
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