Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Duckfarmerpa1]

That sounds like something my Chris would say. One minute talking about how old he is, the next how he still looks at my legs...silly men. But we love them. . No worries Jan...you’ll feel so good, the scar will melt away from your mind! I highly recommend using Palmers cocoa butter cream on it once it’s healed. It will help reduce the scar, etc. and, it does wonders on my hands too now! . So, how are feeling today? Anything new and exciting to report? Any good gossip? Keep up the great work!!

 

[farmerjan]

Seems like the staff is working hard to keep things under control.

I understand the issue with the lack of cell service in the rooms and being stuck using the lobby but I'm not so sure about assuming someone on a cell phone is having a "private conversation". Nowadays people talk on their phones while walking down the street, even while grocery shopping using hands free ear/microphone things. Kinda weird looking at items on the shelves and having someone talking to "themselves" right next to you.

I get what you are saying @Bruce, but @ 8 p.m. at night, no one else in the whole lobby which is in 2 "sections" , with the wide walkway area between, with my back towards them, and 5 other couch/coffee table chair grouping areas that can handle seating a good number of people, it was just rude to come up to me and then to sit on the couch closest to me when the caregiver told her that I was on the phone. I get the whole thing about seeing people who are "seemingly talking to themselves", been next to them in the store and such. But there was no excuse and it was just a rude invasion of my privacy. Done and over. Sadly, that is what is wrong with some of the modern world. There is no consideration for others in public. Manners don't seem to get taught, and with everyone always texting and messaging, people don't even learn common courtesy in day to day - FACE TO FACE - interaction with people.

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday afternoon. It has been cold here compared to last week. 20's the last 2 nights, 30's yesterday and today. Then temps back up to the 50's and 60's. and some rain again this coming week.

I was really psyched after getting the boot. Figured that the first time with PT I could get a feel for using it, and get used to the different feel and all. So on Friday, I got up at 6:45 and decided to get dressed before breakfast, instead of after eating, because sometimes breakfast is there at 7:30 and sometimes not til well after 8:00. One of the part-time PT people came in right at 8:00 a.m. Had her once last week but it was after breakfast, she likes to get started early I was told. She has me doing the different "bed exercises" to contract shoulder and back and butt muscles and all is good. Then she decides that we are going to the "gym". So we go and she puts me on the sitting bicycling/arm machine. Up to now, the head PT lady, whom I found common ground with on some of the farming/gardening stuff, and who is tough but I do like, has had my left foot off to the side so there is no pressure on the foot/cast. I have been doing 10 or 15 minutes on it all according to how my right knee is feeling. But the left leg is supported up on a stool. This one decides that the booted foot can go on the other peddle. I was a little hesitant, since I had only had the boot on for 2-3 hours the day before coming back from the dr's office. But who am I to question the experts????? So I did 5 min and it was starting to ache, and so I took it off the peddle, and left it down and did another 5 min and quit. She was in the office doing some computer stuff. I told her when she came back out that it had started to ache and I took it off. Then we did some standing on the right foot, leg lifts with the left and such. Then decided that I needed to address the step since I had one at home. She also had me stand with the booted foot on the scale to try to get an idea of what 25 lbs pressure was. Since I don't have alot of feeling it seems a little absurd. I get that they don't want me to put too much weight on it. I am not going to put "my weight" on it. I am trying to get a feel for it but it is hard to tell how much pressure is 25 lbs. It seems that what I can feel is closer to the 40 lbs. But not wanting to do too much, I also am trying to go easy. So anyway, she has a walker and wants me to step up on the "step" and basically use my arms and to practically "hop" up with the right leg. I told her point blank at this point, that I can maneuver steps alot better with the crutches than I can with a walker. The walker just does not feel as steady to me, Plus since I am only supposed to put 25 lbs., on the left, I am basically having to do "hops" and the right knee doesn't like that. She was pretty iffy but gave in and let me use the crutches. I showed her how I have done it with crutches in the past and she had to admit that I could do it pretty good that way. I finally sat in the wheelchair and said that's it. She said that I did okay and brought me back to the room.
The OT came by right as I got there and said that I could get a shower if I wanted. So we wrap the leg and I get in the shower and it felt good but my leg is starting to really ache from being down so I cut it short and got dried off. The bandage got a little damp, not real wet, but I took the sock off that helps to protect the bandage/leg from the boot so it can dry out and finally got my breakfast at 9:30. I was hurting and the although they reheated the food, it wasn't very good. I tried laying down and elevating the foot, and it continued to hurt more so finally called for the Jason the nurse, for a pain pill. Gave me the oxy as he said it would work faster and to give it about a half an hour and then if it wasn't alot better he could give me the tramadol that the drs office had prescribed on Thursday. It is less likely to be addictive and I had told them that I wasn't having any acute pain but just some real achey pain some days. Well 45 hours later, he came by and it had backed off a little but was still throbbing a bit so I took the tramadol. Guess that was not the best for my stomach. Got very lightheaded, and queasy and was quite sick with nausea the rest of the day on top of it just hurting. I dozed off & on all afternoon, ate about half of my lunch because did not want my stomach to be empty and sick. I refused to take any more pain meds to upset the stomach more. It was not a very good first day of my boot. I was pretty uptight and did not sleep good. But finally this morning my stomach was feeling better, and my ankle/leg wasn't throbbing - hurting so much.
Although gun shy of taking another pain pill, both the night nurse, Lisa, who I like, and Jason the day nurse, agree that I need to get some of the pain med in me before the PT sessions, because once it starts to ache, it gets ahead of me and then I have a hard time backing it down. I wasn't too keen on taking anything this morning, but was afraid that if they came early to get me for PT again, which they do on the weekends too, that I would get to where I was yesterday. So I took the Tramadol, and was really worried about the nausea. Luckily, I haven't had any problems and they probably aren't going to do any PT now. Figures......I hate not having a basic schedule. But today, I feel better so I just keep telling myself that it's only a few more days.

I ate some breakfast and lunch but it was back to being lukewarm. I think I am going to put on the boot, and take a ride in the chair down to get some ice cream. There's an "ice cream bar'" available as well as a "coffee bar" for residents and their families. I think some ice cream sounds good about now. I have had the foot up all morning except to sit on the side of the bed for about 20 min at breakfast and lunch. Need to move around a bit again, anyway.

3 more days til Tuesday. I know that the PT, Divine, that I have been working with will be in on Sunday, she told me Thursday morning that she was off Fri and Sat and that she would come look for me on Sunday, cuz I had no idea what the dr was going to say and what my going home schedule was going to be. I'll work with her on Sun and Mon I guess. They don't do any on the day of discharge. Hope I can get in to get my hair washed Tuesday morning so that won't be a pressing issue for a few days. I really am looking forward to some solitude. The support people here, nurses, cna's, and all are pretty nice. The food, mediocre. But I will be glad to have no one within sight/sound for a day or two. And I have several 1/2 gallons ( or whatever they are now) of ice cream in the freezer at home...... plus lots of soup and stuff so will get some HOT meals.

 

[Mini Horses]

Hospitals are the pits! Then, we have to pay them for it. Like you say, only 3 more days!!

The snow you had was part of a storm front that came my way and met with another front from up North of us. The two collided and I had 5" of snow Thurs. 50s today, so melting nicely. Thrilled for it to be gone.

No doubt you will be glad to have "alone" time. Be sure you have some pain relief at home because you will be moving around and with the foot down, you know throbs & aches will be there! It probably isn't as much the actual discomfort as the not being able to get it to stop, right? I know, for me, I can endure but not for extended time. It gets OLD fast. At home, you can pace yourself.


How's DS coming along with the hip? I think he's been released for "normal" use now -- of course some things he does aren't "normal" but, that can be controlled till Spring and better weather. Yep, both of you should be healed about the same time. LOL

 

[Ridgetop]

When the doctors release you for "normal activities" be sure to tell them what is actually normal for YOU! LOL

When DS3 was only about 9 or 10 he fell off his skate board and hurt his thumb. After he screamed when I "massaged" it to make it better, I took him to the ER. Ooops! He had broken his navicular bone. After x-rays and a cast, the doctor said he could go back to his regular activities. When he heard me telling DS3 that he would only have to feed and that DS2 would do all the milking, the doctor inquired into their "regular" activities. He was shocked to hear that their regular activities did not consist of video games and TV. LOL It wa kidding season too. DS3 showed his goats wearing his cast. Luckily the first show was a winter one and the kids were not required to shave their goats due to the weather. DS2 took over all the milking (12-18 dairy does am and pm) and accused DS3 of deliberately breaking his thumb just to get out of his chores! LOL Ever since, it has become a family joke when some gets hurt to tell them that "Mommy will rub it and make it better".

 

[farmerjan]

Haven't heard results of the scan yet on his hip. He was supposed to get those heifers moved early today; then the 2 services. He was referred to some PT for the hip but has not been released yet for work. He said that he expects to be back to work by mid-March with some PT still. Guess that is something else we will be discussing on the way home from here on Tuesday.
I do know that the friend, Jason, is rebuilding the 2nd engine for the car. We are not getting any satisfaction from the company, and they said that there is some "fine print" in the purchase contract because the engine was not installed within a certain time frame. Believe me, this company will have a name of mud when we get done with it. We did all that they said, then they wouldn't answer the texts and phone calls after the 2nd engine was bad, until the time ran out. Jason said that he thinks both engines can rebuilt, and that he might be able to use the other one. So we will see.

 

[Bruce]

So anyway, she has a walker and wants me to step up on the "step" and basically use my arms and to practically "hop" up with the right leg.

Somehow a walker in conjunction with even one step sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, @Bruce , I am not at all impressed with her method or thoughts. I realize that learning to negotiate one step is important, and necessary. And that it can be done using a walker and for some is necessary. But to do it just 12 hours or so after getting the boot when I am just trying to "try it on for size" is just not my idea of the way to do things. Plus, the light weight bearing of 25 lbs is for a week, then 50 then 75. The total non-weight bearing before also had to do with the 3 staples in the tendon that were on the bottom of the heel and foot. After the next 3 week checkup, if the rest of the stitches come out, it looks like I will be just walking in it, in the boot as the joint becomes more functional. Plus the foot fits into the boot and the heel is flat down for the weight. I was told to step down on it square, just not hard. And this boot doesn't allow for non-heel or toe only touching/walking/weight bearing. I think that they expected me to be putting weight on it and so the limits are so that I will be more careful and I respect that. Part of it is so that I don't push it as she wasn't going to put the weight limits on it, as she first said to not put all my weight on it right off; to take it easy at first, then decided that maybe being more limiting would keep me from overdoing it. I am TOTALLY determined NOT TO CAUSE ANY problems so that there is no reason for it to not heal right the first time. So I am going to humor them so that I don't screw it up. But, I am also not going to do this "stepping" up a step with the walker when I can do it, with the crutches, without putting more than just a balancing on the left foot. I could definitely feel the step but could pick my foot up completely off the step as soon as I positioned the crutches and that is when she conceded that it wasn't a bad way of doing it. I'm no expert, but I have been on crutches more than once in my life.

 

[Baymule]

This has been an experience, for sure. Rehab. That word doesn't sound bad until you get there and realize that you are in a semi looney word. I bet you can't wait for knee replacement...….rehab?

Peace. Quiet. Yup, you sure need a double helping of that.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, well, well -- tomorrow is RELEASE day!!

Bet you will want to stop for a HOT meal, ASAP. Yeppers, stop at a restaurant for good, hot, enjoyable meal. It will make the ride home far more pleasant.