3/29/11 - 3/30/11

The first two days after surgery have been a study in patience and education.  The first half of Tuesday saw Chris, my mother and aunt running errands and getting everything in my apartment ready for me to fend for myself.  Chris made omelets for breakfast and then made a Starbucks run, my aunt picked up library books, and my mother did a few loads of laundry.  We made sure the shower bench was set up and ready for use (more on that next post), replaced a few lightbulbs, changed the sheets on the bed, and made sure that everything I needed was within easy reach.

It's a very odd experience to be waited on in your own home when you live alone, but at the same time I can't say how much I really appreciated all the support. I know I'll have to get used to asking my friends and neighbors for help over the next few months to do things that I previously wouldn't ever have even given a second thought, and that will be a tough transition.  Everybody left around 3 on Tuesday - Chris headed home to his family, and my family up to San Francisco for a few days.

So the patience I mentioned is all about learning to cope with the limitations imposed by the injury, and forcing myself not to push too hard, or as my surgeon put it: "Don't be a hero!".  The education is getting used to a new way of doing things.  Chief among those, and perhaps the most important part of the post-surgery setup was renting and learning to use a knee scooter.  This incredible little doohickey allows someone with a lower leg injury to cruise around on any flat surface without needing crutches.  You kneel down with the injured leg on the pad, and use the healthy leg to propel yourself along.  In the second picture you can see the hand brakes that work just like a bicycle.  And in the first picture, in the background out the door and down on the street you can just make out my car - which I sadly won't be able to drive for way too long.  :(

In case it's hard to picture just how the scooter works, I had Chris take a quick video with my phone.  And I've got to say that while at first I found it to be really awkward and a little embarrassing, that was very quickly replaced by the relief of not having to use crutches to get around my own apartment.  I'll eventually be able to take the scooter outside too, as it works perfectly well on sidewalks - so I'll be able to get myself to Starbucks, the convenience store, Quiznos and the library - essentially anything within a couple minutes and without needing to cross a major road.

There's other things I've had to learn, or relearn, as well.  Getting used to sleeping on my back with my leg elevated is one (I'm usually a side sleeper) and trying to find comfortable ways to do everything from sit at my desk, to showering, to cooking are all others.  I'll cover those in more detail over the coming days and weeks.