Yesterday I went on my first outing -- to the hair salon! Filthy, unwashed hair was really getting to me after realizing that I would not have a "real" shower for at least another week. Ick! Sisters, can you feel me here?
So off we went, with my helper Martina and my granny walker... my dear pal Donna who works at an Aveda salon 1/2 mile from our house did a lovely shampoo/ blow-out and I felt like a new woman. While there, I saw - wait - is that a nail salon next door? An hour later and my toes were scrubbed and glowing, nails had a fresh coat -- now I'm off to rule the world!
Of course, after arriving home from this "day of beauty" I promptly passed out on the couch for 2 hours. Ahhh... so THAT'S what they mean by beauty rest!
Today we enjoy a day-long parade of visitors and home cooked meals -- I'm even happier to be clean!
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My Support Crew
Jim, Nick, Madie & Liana
The Countdown Begins...
First blog, first major hip surgery, first chance to lay on the couch for weeks on end (well, in about 25 years, anyway...). Here we go!
Jim and I have spent the better part of the past week "laying down the runway" as we prepare for takeoff on Wednesday at the Hospital for Joint Disease at NYU in NYC where we will be greeted at dawn (it's always dawn for these things, is that so you too tired to change your mind?) by our rock star surgeon, Dr. David Feldman.
While Liana, Madie and Nick head off for school ( and hopefully just a little oblivion) I will get fully acquainted with the blue-ribbon anesthesia team who will set me up with an epidural and hopefully knock me out so well that I won't notice the piles of surgery tools (Home Depot sale, anyone?).
Three or four hours later I will wake up with a completely re-aligned hip socket (if you really want to know more, I have included links here in another box about osteotomy) and hopefully pain-oblivious through the wonders of epidural support. The last 3 times I ever had an epidural, they handed me a baby within about an hour. That would be a little unnerving here, but would make for a great story, right?
By the time I really figure out where I am, hopefully it will be in the new pediatric unit at HJD which is all-single rooms. Ahhhh... to be a kid again! This piece of good news is side perk of being cut up by the guy that runs the whole place. He mostly works on kids, and since I basically have the full-grown version of a kid birth defect, he is now cleared to use his power tools on me.
Then the makeup and styling team arrives.... or maybe just Jim, my wonderful Head Nurse who has seen me through 3 babies pretty darn well (he does a great post-op puppet show, just ask him!). He and I will get cozy and hopefully enjoy at least a day of epidural bliss (um, that would be just me).
Then there will be a few days of training and workshops -- How to be a One-Legged Mom for a whole bunch of weeks. Hopefully this will include lessons in How to Obey the Laws of Bedrest, because that is the class I could seriously fail in. Pretty sure these workshop days will include a bunch of narcotics, so this would be a good time to ask me for money.
So that's what's on my calendar this week.
Check back for more updates, and if there aren't any after surgery day (can you believe these hospitals without wi-fi! the nerve!), you can text Jim on his cell, because I am guessing he will be watching a lot of Oprah for a few days.
If you've read this far then please know that I can laugh a lot more than cry about this next big step because of friends and family like you -- who walk with me each step of the way, and who know that this is not a fatal illness, far from it, and that having love, laughter and support will mean that we can do jumping jacks together at Christmas. Because I have never done that, have you?
It really helps to do "normal" things, like getting your hair and nails done! I'm surprised you aren't allowed to shower though, I did at day 5 and thereafter with no problems ... I wasn't even told to keep my scar dry and it healed perfectly. Every surgeon has different protocols and you may have a different type of suture or closure. Keep up the healing and your positive attitude!
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