I talked to Becca for an hour tonight. She was much more chipper than she has been all week. To tell you the truth, I think she sounded better than she has in the last few months. It could have been the goofball at the other end of the line, regaling her with ridiculous stories, but I'm pretty sure it's because she is seeing that this is going to get better.
She's had her "Buyers Remorse" day already. Her physiotherapist had her walk down the hall with her crutches (yesterday I think), then down the stairs. After the first flight, they had her go down more stairs without holding the railing. By the time they got her into the wheelchair there were tears. They wheeled her back to her bed where she took some time to "regret her purchase".
Some observations about being in the hospital from the girl with the really cool walker:
She hasn't completely recovered her appetite, and her tummy has been quite upset. She has declared that barfing into one of those tiny kidney pans makes it nearly impossible to avoid "spillage".
She has also declared that using a raised toilet seat, or commode, is, well, not pleasant. I'm just going to leave it at that. I am being polite for the company *waves to Becca's parents*.
Today the student nurse washed her hair for the first time since Monday morning. She said she felt like a new woman.
Being on the orthopedic wing, Becca is the youngest patient on the floor. She is the only patient under the age of 60. Every day I remind her that she is, despite her lack of makeup, the cutest patient in her wing. Then we laugh.
That's the latest.
She's young (33) to have this surgery (hip resurfacing) and while she is doing much better today, she's had some hard days. I can't imagine how elderly people ever recover from having total hip replacement.
Thank you, everyone, for your kind words of support for Becca. I've passed them on to her and it means alot to her.
She's had her "Buyers Remorse" day already. Her physiotherapist had her walk down the hall with her crutches (yesterday I think), then down the stairs. After the first flight, they had her go down more stairs without holding the railing. By the time they got her into the wheelchair there were tears. They wheeled her back to her bed where she took some time to "regret her purchase".
Some observations about being in the hospital from the girl with the really cool walker:
She hasn't completely recovered her appetite, and her tummy has been quite upset. She has declared that barfing into one of those tiny kidney pans makes it nearly impossible to avoid "spillage".
She has also declared that using a raised toilet seat, or commode, is, well, not pleasant. I'm just going to leave it at that. I am being polite for the company *waves to Becca's parents*.
Today the student nurse washed her hair for the first time since Monday morning. She said she felt like a new woman.
Being on the orthopedic wing, Becca is the youngest patient on the floor. She is the only patient under the age of 60. Every day I remind her that she is, despite her lack of makeup, the cutest patient in her wing. Then we laugh.
That's the latest.
She's young (33) to have this surgery (hip resurfacing) and while she is doing much better today, she's had some hard days. I can't imagine how elderly people ever recover from having total hip replacement.
Thank you, everyone, for your kind words of support for Becca. I've passed them on to her and it means alot to her.
All the best to Becca. It DOES get better - just ask my DH. (He would be one of the older ones on her ward if he was having joint work done right now.)
ReplyDeleteJaney
janeyknitting@yahoo.ca
Please can I ask here - not having any other way to contact you - if you know of any store in Nova Scotia that sells the Stitch 'n Bitch Page-A-Day Knitter's Calendar for 2007, by Debbie Stoller. Either in Halifax or the Valley.
ReplyDeleteAm desperate to find one to givce as a present.
Many thanks,
janeyknitting@yahoo.ca
P.S. Perhaps Becca would like one?
Hip stuff is painful because there is no way to numb pain in bones. My uncle needed a piece of his hip taken out to strengthen his neck (there was a tumour that needed taking out, involved taking apart vertebrae...it's a long story) and the hip took longer to heal than his neck. BUT it does get better. Good thing she has you to keep her smile on.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it's amazing what getting your hair washed will do for your state of mind.
Go Becca Go! It's all uphill from here! You can do it! *shakes pom-poms* *does high kick* *pulls hamstring*
ReplyDeleteAlmost a year ago, I got my new knee-I am in my 40s- and I was the youngest patient on the ward (long story short-rugby) and everyone called me "junior" or the "babe". But, at the ripe old age of 40, I was sitting in the maternity ward- having my first (and only) baby!(At that point, I was called the "oldest living mother in captivity"). Tell your friend Becca that it is all relative, and it is now clear sailing ahead!
ReplyDelete