Daily Life

[freddiefraggles]

I promised to write about what I get up to nowadays so here we go. On average, during the night, I get up to go to the bathroom twice (midnight-ish and 5am-ish) and at some point I'll have tablets. I'm now able to get in and out of bed by myself with the aid of a cheap pashmina scarf so Mum doesn't have to come downstairs to help lift anymore. That's a pretty awesome achievement so far. Anyway, I'll wake up again at about 6 or 7-ish and have some of the stronger painkillers (I'm prescribed for dihydracodeine and tramadol at the moment) then have a bit of a doze with the BBC news on before Mum comes with breakfast (apple juice, bran flakes with dried apricots and a vitamin tablet). After breakfast I sometimes have another bit of a doze because the painkillers make me sleepy, especially the tramadol, but then I get chivvied out of bed to get washed. Until this morning that was a flannel wash with Mum handing me bits and bobs but Mr Calder said I can start to shower now, he was happy that the wound had healed enough, so today I had a shower for the first time since the day of the operation (four weeks today!) and it was lovely. No more washing hair in the kitchen sink at home! After ablutions and generous application of talc I get dressed. Mum brings clothes over from the drawers for me, including the awesomely modified popping pants and trousers. They have poppers all the way up the right hand seam to I don't have to try and negotiate getting the frame through the leg hole! Typically I'll then sit back on the bed with my leg up while applying lotions and potions to try to keep my skin from drying out. Then a bit of daytime TV, reading of a book or doing a puzzle or ten because my bedroom has the best light in the morning. Mum occasionally goes out to the supermarket or whatever around this point, more so now that I can get in and out of bed by myself.

Around noon I like to go up (there are five stairs to negotiate) to the lounge and turn my laptop on. Mum turns the screws and I have a bit of lunch and watch TV and poke the internet to distract myself from the distractions. I find I can take my mind off it more effectively when I have the internet to play on. I've been doing some cross-stitch and I've a couple other sewing projects in the pipeline to keep me busy. My sister comes over most afternoons with my 2 year old niece and Mum has a regular babysitting slot for my 1 year old nephew on Tuesday afternoons too so they come up to the lounge to play with the toys and watch Cbeebies. We have dinner sometime between 6pm and 7pm depending on whether Mum or Dad is cooking and I try to stay in the lounge till around half 8 or 9 o'clock to give my food chance to go down. Then it's off downstairs to get into my nightie (not quite figured out pyjamas yet unfortunately) and try to wind down with a book or a game of cards with Dad. Sleep doesn't usually happen till between 10 and 10.30pm and then I wake up around 12am or 1am to go to the loo and the whole cycle starts again.

So now you know. The pattern changes when it's a clinic day and now I have my own wheelchair we can go to Tesco and up into town to look around the market so I'm getting some fresh air finally. I'm hoping to take a trip to see lots of friends in Manchester next weekend, I reckon I could manage it, it's just convincing Mum and Dad!

Comments

knitting

[ladybirdintheuk.livejournal.com]

Have you tried knitting? It is strangely addictive.

And I'm glad you're getting out and about now, that will make a big difference to you :)

Re: knitting

[freddiefraggles]

I've been taught how to knit before but completely forgotten. Mum got me a "How To Knit" dvd for Christmas last year but it was rubbish! I might ask my godmother to teach me, but I'd like to have a go at quilting first. I love doing cross-stitch though and I've got a few of them to be getting on with!

Sarah here

[(Anonymous)]

Hope you can get through the night without waking up soon :-)

Re: Sarah here

[freddiefraggles]

Yes, that would be lovely!!