2.18.2011

Surgery Thread

This story will be told in installations, as I am too tired for long term computer use today.

Yesterday afternoon, I had my first real surgery, with IVs and anesthesia and whatnot. It was surgery to replace my ruptured ACL and to trim back torn pieces of my miniscus.
The process went very smoothly and all the nurses and doctors were funny and professional at the same time. I wasn't hungry all morning, since I had stuffed myself with pad thai the night before. When they took me into the surgery room, I lay down on the bed and they laid wonderfully warm blankets on me. The anesthesiologist (a very funny guy who also volunteers to help poor children in Guatemala) started applying sensors to my body and said something about me feeling a sensation when the anesthesia starting to enter my bloodstream, and then... nothing. I woke up from what seemed like a deep sleep (I think I even had weird dreams) in a strange room. Oh, yeah, I thought, I had surgery today. It was the recovery room, of course. I have to admit, it feels very weird to think of being unconscious and people doing thins to me and my body without my direct knowledge.
From what I hear, I was very pale coming out of surgery, but my color gradually returned as the time progressed. My mum was able to come in and sit with me both in pre-op and in the recovery room. Stacey also came by and helped by keeping my mum company and then helping us by leading the way back home. (Thank you, dear Stacey!)
So far, I've done a lot of sleeping and taking pain pills on a schedule. Mum made a yummy barley, mushroom, and parsnip soup and plying me with yummy eats like sauteed Portabella mushrooms on toast. I've been drinking water pretty constantly (I was going to the bathroom every 3 hours last night) and have been getting handier with the crutches.
So, every side effect but one have been minimized. I'm not nauseous and the pain is well managed, but I get tired very easily. In fact, I feel another nap coming on.

Later, a description of how I got the injury, what the surgeon did and how she fixed it.

Thank you, everyone, for your help and support!

2.15.2011

Double Take

Here's an interesting website for the graphic designers in my acquaintance:

Copycat Covers

Not only similar covers -- nearly identical ones! Tells me there are too many books being published or two many artists not being hired.

2.13.2011

The Approaching Cliff

I've been at work both days this weekend and have realized why I'm actually looking forward to my knee surgery. It's because for good or for bad, this pace of work will STOP. Granted, part of the reason for this pace of work is because of the impending surgery. There's a reason my house gets dirty and cluttered when I'm busy and this time, it can't. It can't because dirt and clutter that accumulates before the surgery will be there for weeks after it.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the change. I know it's not a vacation, but with the right preparation, it can be a welcome lull in my life.

2.08.2011

Shrinking or Just Wrong?

A couple decades ago, I would have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I was 5'-8". Then, a few years ago, Krissy and I were fooling around with measuring our heights and I discovered I was really 5'-7".  I have to admit that though I made the mental change and stated the more accurate height when asked, I didn't really believe it. Must be some kind of mistake! Yesterday, decided to check again. Yup, I am definitely only 5'-7" (less at the end of the day).
So, my question is... did I shrink already, or was I just wrong the whole time?
The things we ponder in the night.

2.07.2011

Tucked In Tight

The forcast is for snow, and lots of it.
With such forewarning, I was able to plan to bring some work home with me and to get done some things that needed to be done in the office (couldn't be done at home). That, of course, meant I stayed late at work (after going in early, too!), but when things need to get done, they need to get done.
Even though it was late-ish, I decided I could also get some shopping done. In less than one hour, I stopped at four stores, got exactly (or nearly so) what I wanted. First stop: Target - which did not have the footie pyjamas I wanted for my convalescence, but I ended up getting some pretty pyjama pants and some groceries, so "mission partially accomplished." Second stop: Costco - got in under the wire (8:24, closing at 8:30) and bought enough chicken for catfood for a couple months. Third stop: Home Depot - asked the guy bringing in the carts for directions and he pointed me directly towards the de-icing salt (not the ideal kind, but [shrug]). Fourth stop: Petsmart for dry catfood, not really needed right NOW, but will be in a week or so. I would have made a fifth stop - the ATM - within that hour timeframe, but there were orange cones in front of it, which I took to mean (from a distance) that it was out of order. Whirlwind shopping trip, but I felt incredibly accomplished after that.  :)

The chicken for catfood has been weighed, divided up, and put into the garage freezer for future use. The pyjama pants turned out to be the right size, even though I didn't try them on. (Whew!) Adult Footed Pajamas have been researched and purchased. I have food for days, my work with me, a "to read" pile as tall as I am and have buttoned up the house.

Snug as a bug in a little tiny rug...

:D

(I think the cats will be happy too.)

Postscript (6:30 the next morning) :  I am underwhelmed by the snow.  It looks like about 1/2" here.  I'll get some work done here and then go in.  :/

2.05.2011

It's Late

I'm going to reward myself for getting a ton of things done today in spite of heavy snow and heavy cats by going to bed now instead of doing my exercises for the next half hour.

Yup, I'm a slacker.

2.04.2011

Who's Coming to Dinner?

No, not literally. (Though I do hope to have a Spring Dinner Party this year...)

I was just telling my friend, belsum, how the gracious Tim Gunn would be on my list of celebrity dinner invitees, if I ever had the opportunity to have one. My celebrity dinner invitees would have to be thoughtful, intelligent, unique, and I would have to have diversity. No collection of famous architects. (Sorry, but [gag]!)
I don't have a comprehensive list, but here's the start:
Tim Gunn
Jodie Foster
Stephen Hawking
Elizabeth Moon
Jon Stewart (I think Stephen Colbert's fascinating too, but to invite them both would skew the dynamics at the table)
Condoleeza Rice (Damn, I'd love to invite Colin Powell too. Would that skew the dynamics?)
Brian Jennings (but he'd have to sit at the opposite end of the table from Jon Stewart or their hi-jinks would hi-jack the party.)
Jane Goodall
Dave Grohl

I'll stop there, since having too big of a dinner party (this would be a party of ten, including myself) would mean I wouldn't get to talk to all of them. It was interesting limiting things: keeping it to live celebrities and an equal number of men and women. I also love diversity. Some people got nixed (Michelle Obama, Neil Gaiman, Michelle Yeoh, etc.) because I already have someone who is too similar on the list. I have two scientists at the table, but they're really different sciences. I do not have an artist, an athlete, a doctor, or a chef on there yet. I'm considering Alton Brown or Michael Rhulman, but would need a lady invitee to fill out the other seat and I'm just drawing a blank at the moment. It has to be someone I have confidence would bring good conversational skills to the table in addition to wit and intelligence.

How about you? Who would you invite?

2.03.2011

An Inconvenient Cat

I'm trying to do the (painful, since my quads are full of lactic acid) wall squats and every time I am in the "sitting" position, Martin comes over and meows at me. When the 10 second interval is over, I stand up to pet him, he runs away. I think it's because the sitting position looks like it has a lap -- always a cat-friendly position, right? Err... no, Martin.

2.02.2011

Cold Reboot

Last June, I started a website to keep myself accountable for exercising and getting myself back in shape.  It had limited success, as work took over my life in mid-July, but the intention was there.  I tried to restart, but was waylaid by a few health problems, primarily a knee-injury from five years ago flaring up again after I re-injured it at the end of October.  Now, after visiting the doctor (yeah, I know, I *never* do that!), the diagnosis is "ruptured ACL and torn meniscus with bone bruising".  I'm scheduled to get surgery on Feb. 17th, and after that, I'll have extensive PT.  I've decided to use that accountability website to keep myself on track for that.  After some thought and some avoidance of pre-op exercise (to strengthen the muscles in anticipation of some loss of muscle as a result of the surgery), I'm also going to keep myself accountable for that as well. 

Hey, it worked today.  I did my exercises.

If you are curious about how I'm doing, the link (Active Accountability) is in the right-hand sidebar. >>>>

Co-incidents

I've been moving through some old and familiar ground over the past six (twelve?) months or so and today I ran across two articles that speak to the solution*.

What I've learned since 2007: Part 2 (Part of a series of a young woman relating the mental transformation she experienced while struggling with her weight.)

The road that led from there to here (Single Dad Laughing can be hyperbolic and dramatic in his prose, but as his aim is to speak to a large audience and promote thought, these are acceptable flaws.)

Both speak about learning to love yourself and the transformative effect it can have. I can't say I'm dramatically on one end of the scale or the other, but I have experienced the process, and from experience know that like an addiction, the potential for backsliding is always there.

Here's hoping I'm moving in the "right" direction.


* The word "solution" seems way too pat, but it gets the idea across.