4 WEEK OLD HIPPI

4 weeks today and I can't believe my progress.

Last week I walked a total of 14600 metres, 14.5 kms

First it was 300m along the river, return. Then 500 and return.- 1km. the next day a two bridge walk - 2kms. Then last Wednesday for my 3rd birthday I made it to Cafe Dear Delicious return - 3kms.

Then I spent 2 days in bed reading The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Then on the Saturday I walked 5kms return to my favourite place - Coffee First.

Since then I've learned to climb the 93 Steps of Death behind my place and for the 3rd day in a row have climbed up and down those steps. Am having Coffee at Bar L'unico - maybe they're steps to Heaven afterall.

DRUGS
aside from the social addiction of coffee in cafes, I'm weaning myself off some of the others.

At Rehab I was on 5mg Targin. Last week I dropped it to 2.5mg. Now I've dropped the morning one and only taking it at night.

I dropped the panamax ages ago. I have 1 aspirin for blood thinning.

And anti constipation pills. Despite prunes and teas and fruit and tablets I'm still very rabbitish.

Rehab as an outpatient is excellent with very targeted exercises. What they cut through for the operation is the glutimus medias and this effects lateral movements of the hips. We are building up this gradually with sometimes quite challenging exercises.

working on getting a good gait.

LIVING WITH AIDS - washing and toileting

Not so sightly but highly functional. The throne - the elevated toilet, always ensuring your hips are higher than your knees. And my Landlord Tony installed a rail to help me get in and out of the shower.  Bathrooms are slippery dangerous places so good to have things to hold onto.

Flowers give Life

Thank you kind people

LIVING WITH AIDS - Sleep with Me

Knee Pillow keeps hips aligned without cross over. Can lie on back or side. Cotton Reel pillow elevates knee or calf to level of comfort.

LIVING WITH AIDS - Put Me Ons

Adaptation to mobile phone with hook and lanyard, magnetic extenable biro that hoods on, can pick up metal things from floor such as spoons, sock putter onner, extended shoe horn,

LIVING WITH AIDS - Pick Me Ups

Flowers bring Life

Thank you to Rosie, Nikki, Lou, Nadia, Gabi, Maria, Ariyani, Helen, Tilly, Marrickville West, Yarie, Liz, Jenny, Kate, Gillian, Sandy, Erica, Ivy, Anneli, Hien, Hang, Sylvia  and others for bringing life, love, goodies and  flowers to my bedside.

Moving on to Rehab

I can walk around the block with the frame. I can pivot around and move things. Metro Rehab will ensure a safe and strong recovery.

Just had my last 2 endone before the road. My bags are packed I'm ready to go.

Eileen on her way to pick me up. We might even have a coffee on the way.

My Goals:
Get stronger
Build balance
Improve coordination and flexibiity
Feel fit and energetic

So I can walk the hills again whether they be here, Vietnam or the Amalfi Coast.

Next Round

Enter Monday morning. A new energy blows in to the ward after a sleepy minimally staffed weekend.

Noise, excitement, bells, those who arrive with a weekend beyond these walls.

Soon the Monday Operations people will find themselves in a room up here while they await their procedure. They will be decked up in Hospital gear, a hair net, red if like me you have an allergy to penicillin. They will be given the most flattering undies/nappies. There will be visits from anaesthetists, doctors and nurses. The Dr will draw an arrow to the correct position on the operated limb, just to be sure.

They will wait in turn before going to pre-op room where they'll get that lovely warm blanket and the spinal block with morphine in the spine.

The operation will go ahead and they won't know a thing.  They'll wake up in the recovery room. And then they will be wheeled back to this ward.

But we will be gone.

Hip Hop Blues

The bell toll hour
The song does ring
The falling minor third
Hey you got that thing?

Call my wife
Get her on the phone
Get lost in here
Cos it ain't my home

All I know is da fear
Kind nurses they do keep near
Nurses are patient
Nurses are patient
Nurses are patient
Do you hear!

ROUGH NIGHT

Must have forgotten about what happens when the block wears off. My first attempts at walking yesterday sent me into a spin, with blood pressure dropping and nausea coming in. 

They took out the drip, blood bag, oxygen, leaving only the urinefoot. This morning that came out too, so I'm a free agent.

But I had a lot of pain in the night, on my right hip but also on my right  foot, which we cant explain. We started off with panadol but then upped the ante throughout the night.

This morning I'm having breakfast in the chair and feeling so much better.

RIGHT HIP DONE

went in to RPA for 2nd Hip Hop yesterday at 6.30am but waited until 12 noon for the warm blanket outside the operating theatre. Meantime  fastIng from evening before,

I had spinal block with morphine and i remember absolutely nothing. I came to in Recovery.

And later I found my lovely girls surrounding me in the single room I was returned to. A broke the fast in traditional hospital fashion with a cheese sandwich and a cup of tea.

My girls spoilt me with handcream and mags and their company.

Compared to Hip 1 I had a relatively peaceful night in my room. Last time I was in Observation with bleeping and interruptions all night.

My blood pressure was very low so there was extra hydrating going on. And I have a pain relief button, but am still under the influence of the block. Just starting to wear off now.

One total treat are these leg wraps, that massage your lower legs, purportedly to stop thrombosis but infact just feel great to get these periodic massages.

Soon off for xray, then first steps this arvo.

The Right Hip

Left Sydney with my sister to travel to Tasmania in my van, Frida. We took 12 days to do it, stopping along the coast in National Parks along the way. Every day we would go for walks along beaches and coastal tracks, exploring new scenery. And that's when I discovered my right hip couldn't do uphill and would ache at night.