Red is staring at me through the window. I took this sitting down at the casita table with my iphone, because my Nikon with the telephoto is too much for me to handle a few days after surgery.
Life is taking on a new rhythm post surgery last Friday. I feel like I’m in a time of waiting. Now that my pain is less and I have a knee scooter, I am pretty much self-sufficient. Except for going to the grocery store, cooking, doing laundry — all the things that fall under my jobs. Now my husband is taking on those tasks, along with work. To be fair, hubby often does those, but now it’s all on him.
Once I got the knee scooter, which came four days late from Amazon, I was able to do most little things myself. Before that, I had a walker the surgery center sent home with me. I had to hop on my left leg with right leg in the air. Talk about a work out! Also, that left no hands free to pick up or carry anything. I had to rely on my husband for everything, which after a few days, wasn’t easy for either one of us. My handy dandy knee scooter has a basket and I can zip around the house like a free bird.
I’m passing time watching my birds out the window, reading “Writing Down the Bones,” reading blogs and beginning a new manuscript. There are a few TV shows and movies I’m enjoying, too. I’m waiting for the momentous day of my first pre op appointment a week from Friday. Sometime after that, I’ll start PT. It’s a quiet time of waiting, but to be honest — “hey it’s not that bad!”
P.S. “Hey, it’s not that bad,” I’d tell my coach after my Masters swim practices in Palm Springs. My coach joked about what an endorsement that was for his program. He said that we should make t-shirts, which a friend and I did!
How would use spend a stretch of quiet time ahead of you? Keep in mind you couldn’t leave the house or be weight bearing?
I would miss my daily walks for sure! Your story has made me think back to when my youngest daughter was moving to CO. I don’t know if you and I were blogging friends then- about 5 years ago? She had a massive ankle fracture just about 1 week before moving (like 10+ pins to repair) and ended up living on my couch for an extra 2 months before being cleared to go. So thankful for you that yours wasn’t that bad. I remember when she got her scooter and we would take walks around the neighborhood. She hated being couped up.
Red made me laugh, looking like he can’t quite figure out why you aren’t outside with him!
I do remember your daughter’s surgery! I forgot about that. I’m thankful mine isn’t that bad, too. I have a rod up my fibula and a plate and screws between my fibula and tibia. I’m supposed to be up and around in four to six weeks. I made it off the sofa into a real bed the other night and wow do I feel like I finally slept! I do miss my daily walks, but am thankful to have a window looking out on nature. I think Red doesn’t understand why I’m not outside, too. My husband said he doesn’t feel like Red trusts him, yet.
I learned that ankles have so many working and moving parts. It seems that to fix them means lots of titanium hardware that folks get to carry for life! It also reminds me of why, before medicine understood all the complicated methods, so many people would be incapacitated if they had specific injuries. Keep up the positive healing EA!
Thanks for the healing thoughts! I didn’t know anything about ankle anatomy until last week! Now I know about the thin bone I fractured, how the talus was moving all around and the fibula was going to break in half if I didn’t get in immediately for surgery. I’ll have my first titanium. Does it affect going through airports? Does your daughter have trouble? Did her ankle heal well?
She’s never mentioned an issue at airports and I think (maybe) it’s only certain metals that set off alarms. Dental implants are made from titanium as well. Can you imagine how many people with dental work and reconstructed bones would be slowing down TSA if it was a problem 😉 As far as I know she’s been great since then and with her job she’s out in the mtns hiking in rugged areas plus they are rough campers as well so things have been fine. I do know that people are often more prone to issues with arthritis if they have had low fractures and crushing injuries like she had. The only thing she hasn’t done since that time is go back to rock climbing. It was a freak landing off the repel down that caused the injury.
Wow! She is so impressive. It’s so good to hear from you that she’s doing all those rugged outdoor sports. It makes me feel like I’ll be able to do my walks around the neighborhood and gentle hikes in the preserve. I do have arthritis from the injury I got at age 20 when I got hit as a pedestrian on the Bothell highway — all these years later. I think that happens with broken bones. My husband suffers from arthritis, too, because he played football. I’m actually thankful he got injured his senior year of high school because he was going to play in college where the injuries get worse.
She’s very outdoorsy! I don’t think that you’ll have any problem doing all the things you’re used to doing and arthritis is so common as we age anyway I think it’s more just remembering that that ankle may be a bit more bothersome.
Very outdoorsy to say the least! Yes, we all will have arthritis at one time or another. I can always wear ankle support for hikes.
Love your “hey it’s not that bad” mantra. Good one! Glad you’re doing well. Take care! 💕
Thanks! I always groaned out loud (not on purpose) when the coach would give me my main set of workout. Then I’d finish and say, “Hey, it’s not that bad!” It is a good mantra to use throughout the times we don’t want to face in life. 😊
Agree! Super good! Xo! 🥰
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Your phrase “a quiet time of waiting” is so powerful. I think I’d have a hard time if I felt like I couldn’t do my jobs. It’s hard to put that on other people! I hope you have a restful time that passes quickly!
Thank you. Fortunately, I enjoy quiet time reading and writing. I can’t imagine if I was the type of person that needed to be busy and social all the time. I’m happy each day that I can do more for myself and not rely on my husband for everything.
I went through all that when I had surgery on my left foot. It was the most difficult 6 weeks I have spent. I had a heavy cast on my left leg from heal to knee.
I’m sorry that you went through this too. I also have a cast where my toes can wiggle, then up to my knee. But it’s a soft cast, so it isn’t that heavy. How long did it take you to recover?
The cast came off at 6 weeks but since I had nails in my heal and ankle, it took a lot of time for me to walk without pain.
Ouch! That sounds so painful!
It was. That was one of the reasons that I got my stomach sleeve surgery done. To avoid having any more bone/ joint surgeries.
That’s a smart idea to work ahead. I’m have a Vitamin D3 blood test next week and a bone density test in September. That’s as soon as I could get int for the bone density test!
Take care and heal well. Lots of positive energy sending your way. Love your new DP.
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Glad you’re feeling better and are able to move about a bit.
That photo of your cardinal is perfect!
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Red does look at me through the window, wondering what’s up! I haven’t ventured outside the casita on my knee scooter because there’s a step I’m afraid to try. I’m staying in our casita because it’s small. It has a TV, kitchen, bath, etc. — everything I need just feet apart. I’m going to go out our living room sliders where it’s flat and sit outside for awhile and see if Red comes around.
“A quiet time of waiting” really hit me. Hang in there. And yes Red looks like he’s trying to figure out what’s going on. He’s waiting for his show to start! Ha, ha.
Thanks! I admit I’m enjoying my quiet time of waiting. My husband is doing his best with Red, but as you can see by the photo, Red misses me! Hubby isn’t taking Red’s picture 😅
Hubby knows his audience! He wants the real thing!
Yep! I wheeled myself outside for a few minutes when Red was singing, but I think the knee scooter scared him away. But he posed outside the window later.
It is good you have fine company and good help while you rest up Elizabeth
Red is fine company and my husband is good help!
Like you, reading and writing, research, a movie or two. Never enough time for those pleasures!
Yes, I’m enjoying my downtime as odd as that might seem!
so beautiful, Thank you, Love, nia
Thank you!
Enjoy your resting time. LOVE that picture of RED.
Thank you! I worry each day that Red and Mrs. will leave without my attention. But I keep reminding my husband to put the birdseed out and they are sticking around — although not hanging out as often.
Well, summer is coming, it’s getting hot. They will be there, but maybe hibernate a bit. Keeping food there is good.
Thanks! It is getting hot outside. I wheeled myself outside the other day to visit Red and I was shocked at how hot it was. Red and Mrs. stop by for a brief bite in the morning and around sunset — both times when it’s cooler.
Oh, yes, they will need water too. Hopefully, you have a water fountain. 😉 You’re in AZ. hot, hot, hot…
Good idea. I see neighbors on Next Door put out water and they get wildlife on their night time cameras of critters coming to drink. I’ll have to ask hubby to put out a basin of water for the birds. We do have a pool and I see birds jumping on the float to drink.
That’s cute!! We need a picture of the bird on the float now…
I have taken doves on the float, so I’ll post one on Monday!
Ok, that will be fun to see. It’s summer, so floating is what we do.
I just ordered a bird bath that arrives tomorrow! I told my husband he’s responsible for filling it until I’m back on my feet!
The birds will thank you. Well, and chipmunks and all the other animals.
I’m excited! More fun to watch out the window!
I’d guess that if I was at home all the time and with limited mobility but with a clear mind, I’d write more blog posts, leave more comments, read more books, and find a way to make my view out the windows more entertaining. It’s spring here now so there are lots of birds and critters scurrying around who I could feed or annoy whilst enjoying their antics from afar. Hang in there, okay?
Thanks! I like all your ideas and I’m following most of them. I ordered a bird bath from Amazon. Boy was my husband surprised! It’s now outside my casita window, but the birds haven’t used it yet. I started a manuscript that has been in my mind for years. I could consider it a rewrite of something I wrote 20 years ago, but I’m starting fresh with a new perspective.
I would proofread my second novel, try some poetry and try to cook a few new things. Read more, enjoy the husband and the Razz! and Iago, the older pug. Sit outside in the morning, call a few relatives I have not spoken to for awhile. PT, yep it will come soon enough.
All good ideas. I started a new manuscript. It’s exciting to start something new!
That is wonderful! I hope you do well and enjoy the process.
I have written five novels in the past 25 years. I get bogged down with editing and rewriting. Also, I’ve only submitted to traditional publishers which is very difficult to get published. I got two yes responses throughout the years. One I turned down because I thought the publisher was too small! Ugh. The other, the editor who liked my work, left the publisher and I never heard back from anyone. I am finally writing the story I’ve been wanted to write for years.
That is wonderful. I hope you are able to find some beta readers near your location and a writing group. This will help. Some writing groups are on Zoom, also, which is helpful. A hybrid publisher you have to pay for editing and other things but it might be worth it as they do a lot of the work getting the novel ready. Good luck!
Thanks for the advice! Times have changed with publishers since I started writing and submitted novels and stories. My DIL is a lit major and a poet. She edited an article I wrote for a magazine about a group of kids who swam for Team USA in the 1970s who got caught in the crossfire of the insurrection in Santiago, Chile. She made a lot of good corrections and editorial advice. I will start with her. There are writing groups in my area that I could look into, also.