More ME

Big Big News.... today..... I did my physical therapy exercises...the leg lift ones...without help!!! (Mom was cheering me on, but did not help in any physical way!) Sweet Success!!! Now I need to work on keeping my leg a little straighter when I do it... I am bending at the knee a little...but Physial Therapist "P" says it is all muscle control. P comes back again tomorrow. I am going to see if maybe she can help me get into my truck... I am beginning to get a little stir crazy and want to at least go for a drive if I want to.

This is a painting of gladiolus that I found at http://www.onlinekompagniet.dk/images/malerier/gfx_olie_gladiolus_92.jpg I really like gladiolus. I have them in my flower garden every year. They are such a pretty flower...so colorful! I have been walking to my gladiolus each day...but forget my camera, so this painting will have to do!)

Ahhhh... Last night I slept... yup... dare I say.....WELL.... shhhh... I don't want to say it too loud because I might jinx myself into not sleeping well tonight. Today I felt more like myself than I have in a while. Yahoo! I felt pretty strong today and felt like being a little devious...that has to be a good sign. Right? Another great thing about last night was that I got to talk to Rico. I was very happy about that. We hadn't talked since surgery and it was nice to catch up. Rico... your dream kept me smiling today... hope it did the same for you!

The visiting nurse came today to take my blood for the last time! Yay! I will have to be on the blood medication through Tuesday, but no need for more tests. I am relieved about that. Which also means........ THE SOCKS can come OFF on Wednesday... IF...and only IF... I behave... do a lot of walking, watch for swelling, etc... if I notice swelling I am supposed to wear them again. So I am going to do what I need to do! While the nurse was here she looked at my incision...the one on the back of my leg... Mom has been a little concerned about it because part of it is opening up and seeping!!! EEEWWW... not pleasant...maybe more info than you need, but I have had to cover things up with sheets or towels so that the seepage doesn't stain anything important. (I know...gross...but I am giving my true account of things here people...a little seepage is normal, but is supposed to decrease... this was increasing a little.) I can't contort myself enough to get a good look at it, but the nurse says it is no big deal... that because of where the incision is, it will be harder to heal. She pulled/pushed my skin back together and added some extra bandages and thinks it will do the trick. Even though I won't be having blood drawn anymore the nurse will continue to come and check on me....which I gotta say is comforting, knowing that the incision is not healing as well as the one on the front, which is healing really well. (Knock on wood!)

Kris and Suellen came by tonight and brought dinner over for me and mom... how cool is that? (They are the ladies who pimped my walker with the flowers!) They brought over some cooked chicken, veggies, mashed potato and cranberry sauce... YUMMY... AND they brought ICE CREAM from Cold Stone Creamery! I have some pretty great people around here... (And some pretty great people who are not geographically close, but close to my heart!) While they were here Kris and I set a goal for me....for next week. The goal is to be able to be bendy enough by Friday...one week from tomorrow... to get into a vehicle...go to a salon...and get pedicures! My toes are unpainted right now... Yup...naked toes... and for those of you who know me...you know I ALWAYS have them painted...even in winter. I couldn't have polish on them for the surgery and if I tried to paint them myself right now... well...due to the inflexibility... I would do well to paint my toes...let alone the nails. So I need to think of a color. I think I want something BOLD. Why not?

My sister was supposed to be coming up with the boys this weekend but my oldest nephew, the one who was here for a few days... has strep throat... and it is really bad... he has hives because his body reacts so strongly to strep...not good. Sis decided it would be too much for him, plus, not knowing who else is carrying the strep, doesn't want to infect me. I GREATLY appreciate that! Our family is very cautious about strep... when I was in high school my grandmother got such a severe strep infection whe almost died. It was horrible.... the same thing that killed Jim Henson...Not good... so... I prefer to not risk being around strep right now....though I am sad to not see my sister and the boys.

This weekend I am supposed to go to a concert... I am not sure if I will be able to go or not. Sara and Phil got me a ticket a while ago. It is at a local bar...a very small venue... and it will be, I am sure, a good show. My cocerns are: This bar is located downstairs in the basement of a building...so that involves going down and coming up an entire flight of stairs...have not done that yet...I have to have my leg up when I am sitting down or it swells and gets painful... not sure at a concert I could find a footstool...and...I am sure it would be a later night than what I am used to these days...even if I did take a nap... Plus...Sara loves this guy's music and I don't want her to have to worry about me being okay or would not want to have to leave part way through because of pain or discomfort...so...we'll see. (And of course... the socks...are an issue... I don't want to wear pants because I need to let air get to the incisions to heal....and well... the socks with shorts... not a good look. ahhhhhh) Maybe I have a skirt somewhere that would kind of work...)

My dad is heading back down here tomorrow. I think he misses Mom... awwww...how sweet. He did go camping for a couple of nights solo, but said it wasn't the same. So he will be heading down mid day and I believe he is planning to stop and see his mom on his way through.

Wow... this has become a long blog... apparently I am feeling better!