So this morning I woke up, as usual, because my drugs were starting to wear off. I very carefully pulled the covers off and gingerly lowered my legs over the edge of the bed so I could sit up. Making no quick motions, I leaned over to pull on my shorts. I have to lean in a strange, unnatural way to avoid bending my hip too much. Next was to pick up crutches, and use them to help me stand up slowly, in a way such that all my weight was on my right leg.
As I made my way slowly out of the bedroom, I used the crutches to keep no more than 10% of my weight from coming down on my left side. Moving this way is kind of glacial, but it's better than last week when I had to keep all weight off of it. That was awkward and jarring with each step, and took a lot of energy. The doctor yesterday told me I could start putting a little weight on the bum leg, and it's made life a lot easier.
In this fashion I slowly made it to the bathroom, took more Vicodin, and then to the kitchen. It's a bit awkward to carry things, but I managed to get a cold pack, some trail mix and a soda in my pockets; with just the baggie of trail mix to hang onto in one hand. That hand still controlled a crutch, but the baggie edge fit in there between the crutch handle and my fingers, so it was pretty secure. I was then ready to start out to my final destination: the recliner.
Taking tentative steps, I finally managed to finish this arduous journey; the total length of which, from bed to recliner, was perhaps 25 steps. It had taken me about 35 minutes to move about 35 feet. I was pleasantly pleased that this trek had made me only moderately tired. Because I can put 10% of my weight on the left hip, my crutching gait is much easier. Yesterday morning I reached the recliner totally exhausted. Now I'm just a bit tired.
Shooing a cat out of the seat, I set my things on the table, cautiously lowered my butt into the recliner, lay my crutches down within easy reach, put the cold pack on my hip, and picked up my laptop. There, at the top of my email list, was the most ironic message it would have been possible for me to receive at that moment:
"Subject: ****Registration for the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Opens February 1"
As I made my way slowly out of the bedroom, I used the crutches to keep no more than 10% of my weight from coming down on my left side. Moving this way is kind of glacial, but it's better than last week when I had to keep all weight off of it. That was awkward and jarring with each step, and took a lot of energy. The doctor yesterday told me I could start putting a little weight on the bum leg, and it's made life a lot easier.
In this fashion I slowly made it to the bathroom, took more Vicodin, and then to the kitchen. It's a bit awkward to carry things, but I managed to get a cold pack, some trail mix and a soda in my pockets; with just the baggie of trail mix to hang onto in one hand. That hand still controlled a crutch, but the baggie edge fit in there between the crutch handle and my fingers, so it was pretty secure. I was then ready to start out to my final destination: the recliner.
Taking tentative steps, I finally managed to finish this arduous journey; the total length of which, from bed to recliner, was perhaps 25 steps. It had taken me about 35 minutes to move about 35 feet. I was pleasantly pleased that this trek had made me only moderately tired. Because I can put 10% of my weight on the left hip, my crutching gait is much easier. Yesterday morning I reached the recliner totally exhausted. Now I'm just a bit tired.
Shooing a cat out of the seat, I set my things on the table, cautiously lowered my butt into the recliner, lay my crutches down within easy reach, put the cold pack on my hip, and picked up my laptop. There, at the top of my email list, was the most ironic message it would have been possible for me to receive at that moment:
"Subject: ****Registration for the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Opens February 1"
Posts
Do it. Aim for 6:30
ReplyDeleteHah. I think I'll shoot for 17520:00:00 instead.
ReplyDelete