Home, home on the chair

3 February 2016

I am now at home and parked up on the lazyboy chair (as seen in the photo on yesterday's blog). 

I had a good sleep last night with a few breaks in the early hours sending Facebook messages, skulling pills and sneaking very quietly to the toilet (which is quite a challenge when you are using metal crutches on a wooden floor).

I have been enjoying being back in familiar surroundings with Peter and Lewis and the weather is perfect. Lewis is very careful around the crutches. He moves away with slow predictable movements. He is a little bit aloof - I probably smell hospitally - but still keen to have a stroke or scratch.

My "sausage" leg is still tight and blown up. There is sensational bruising in blackberry through to plum colours on the back of my calf. On the front of my leg, green and yellow bruises have appeared along with pinky red ooze seeping through the bandage. I haven't included a photo cos it might put you off eating for a few days.

This morning Peter went off to the supermarket and I went along for the ride as well for a wee walk down at Raumati beach. I managed to squeeze my leg into the car with the aid of a towel looped under my heel. I didn't think I could face the supermarket so I saved myself for our walk.

We moved at a glacial pace but it was great to be out in sunshine on a gorgeous summer morning. Dogs, cycles, babies in prams and older couples zoomed past me but I kept going with my stocatto walk for about 10 minutes. It was quite exhausting but a good way to start my home-based recovery journey. 

I have been doing more of my exercises (which are quite difficult because the swelling reduces the leg's flexibility) and also resting up on my bed. 

Showering is a two person job. We tried out the shower seat that we have hired from the hospital. It seemed to work quite well and  it is nice to feel refreshed.

I am looking forward to another lovely sunny day tomorrow and achieving more progress and flexibility with my right knee. I am hoping the bruising will start vanishing. Plus it is just slightly more than one week until I get the staples removed.