Post-op Predicaments
Post-op recovery is quite the ordeal……who knew I would legitimately be spending several weeks at home recovering? I had no idea how much rest and down time was needed to recharge my body. I get that I’m not able to run a marathon or lift heavy objects, but all I wanted to do was bend over and pick up a sock.
During my first couple of days of recovery, I had to plan out most of my moves. My son and I thought doubling my steps each day would be a workable goal. Day one I was moving so slow that my Fitbit didn’t even register my steps and doubling that on day two was a cinch…..HA! Getting from the bed to the chair took effort, and I didn’t realize how much I normally do on auto-pilot, without a thought.
I think around day three I had an idea pop into my head, and was excited to pluck my eyebrows; a task I usually do on a daily basis. I shuffled to the bathroom to gather my mirror and my salmon-colored, Tweezerman eyebrow tool. On the return trip I get almost to my destination and the tweezers fell out of my grip. OH, NO! Disappointment filled my being……ARGH. Somehow, someway, I was determined to groom my brows. Think, girl……”I’ve got it!” I’ll use kitchen tongs to pick them up. The one thing I had going for me was I dropped the tweezers close to my only chair option, and was able to sit and retrieve them. Victory was mine! Those kitchen tongs came to my rescue on several occasions.
Another day I thought it would be smart to use paper plates when possible, I reached in the cabinet to pull out a plate when five to six, black and white polka dot paper napkins cascaded onto the floor; which is exactly where they stayed until my son came home. Or when I tried to sweep but couldn’t bend to finish the job by using the dustpan. The broom hiding the debris and dustpan stayed put until my sister-in-law unexpectedly came to visit. “Hey Pat, would you be able to sweep up the dirt for me, and while you’re at it put away these pans away I wasn’t able to reach?” Random objects ended up on the floor throughout the first two weeks, sort of like a bread crumb trail of my path.
Then there was the shower incident, which had me laughing out loud. As I was lathering up, the bar of soap slipped right out of my hands. Seriously….now what? After considering my options or lack thereof, I decided I could carefully, scoop the bar of soap on the top of my foot by using the side of the tub, raise it up, and place it on the ledge. Good in theory……but very slippery results….haha. After several attempts, I did manage to maneuver the soap on the ledge to carefully retrieve it.
If you’ve ever had an injury or surgery, I am guessing these post-op predicaments sound familiar to you. I didn’t realize I was taking natural movements for granted. I am grateful for all the daily tasks that come easy…..it’s been quite the adventure.
xoxox…..Sheryl