HOME SWEET HOME
(PART TWO)
June 2023 - October 2023
THE FIRST SIX MONTHS
I really couldn’t believe I was finally going home after an entire month. As my husband and I drove out of the parking lot of the skilled nursing facility he asked me what I’d like to have for lunch. My answer surprised him as I said, “Rubio’s fish tacos.” I hadn’t had any fish for a month and the thought of fish tacos made my mouth water. What can I say, I’m a Southern California gal!
I had a big smile on my face as we drove along. Everything outside looked beautiful to me. For 30 days my only views of outdoors were through the window in the hospital and Skilled Nursing Facility. When we pulled into the parking lot at Rubio’s I waited in the car while my husband went inside to order. We decided to have a car picnic. I wasn’t ready to go inside someplace to eat and the food would get cold if we took it home. Those were the best-tasting fish tacos I’ve ever had!
When we arrived home my husband got the walker for me and I made my way inside. As soon as I got inside the house I started crying tears of joy. I couldn’t believe I was finally home. I was completely overwhelmed. My husband had rented a hospital bed for me to sleep downstairs since all our bedrooms are upstairs. He had it all made up with one of the quilts I had made on the top. It looked so inviting.
The first few weeks home my husband slept on an airbed in the living room so he could be there to help me get my brace on and get the walker in front of me for my nighttime trips to the bathroom.
It wasn’t long before I got very used to putting on my brace by myself. I could also grab my walker and get to the bathroom without help. It was time for my husband to get a good night’s sleep by moving back upstairs to our bedroom.
During the first few weeks home I got exercise by using the walker just in our neighborhood, with my husband always by my side. It felt good to be outdoors moving my body. Indoors I started going upstairs doing it as I learned in the SNF where OT/PT had me practice on a small set of stairs in the gym. I faced the railing and always had both feet on each step as I slowly made my way up the seven steps to the landing. My husband had a chair waiting on the landing for me to sit down and rest. I couldn’t believe how tired I was. When I was ready I went up the last six steps from the landing to the upstairs rooms. After sitting down resting again I used my walker and I went from room to room. When I got to my sewing room the tears flowed as I entered my happy place as I always called it. It was absolutely great to be back home!
A short while after my husband started sleeping upstairs we had the hospital bed picked up by the rental company and I made the move upstairs too. It meant so much for me to be able to sleep in a really comfortable bed next to my husband again.
Little-by-little life began to fall back into place. The way we did things was altered somewhat due to my situation but we knew that would be the case. Five days a week we drove to a nearby park so I could take my walks. This park had a paved path all the way around it with an incline at the end. With my husband by my side, my walker and I slowly made it around the park. After one time around I was completely exhausted and needed to sit down to rest. I had one walker to use in the house that was easy to maneuver through doorways and I had a larger walker with a seat and a brake for the four wheels to use outdoors. It wasn’t long before my stamina improved enough so I could go around the park two times, resting after each full circuit. Eventually I was able to go around the park twice without ever resting. I was definitely improving!
I finally started venturing outdoors in my neighborhood with my trusty walker. It was a big deal for my husband not to accompany me on these short walks outside. I know he was worried about me but he also knew I wanted to be more independent. I wasn’t used to having him do so many things for me. I couldn’t even put on my socks and shoes myself.
After being home a few weeks we decided to go out to dinner at a restaurant. It felt good to put on some nice clothes and makeup and go eat somewhere other than home. On top of my clothes was my trusty brace that probably looked ominous to anyone who saw me. Little did they know what I had been through or that I had three lovely scars on my body. It was a most enjoyable return to real life again.
As July rolled around I still wasn’t driving anywhere. My orthopedic PA hadn’t said anything about whether I could or couldn’t drive. I just didn’t feel ready to do that yet.
I had a big decision to make the beginning of July also. I had already paid for the quilt retreat I always go to in July and March. There’s 15 of us that always attend and the fun we have is something I really look forward to. The July retreat was just two weeks away. I just wasn’t sure whether I could manage it on my own. My husband knew how much the retreat meant to me so we talked about what we could do to make it happen. I reached out to my friends to ask for help for certain things and they immediately offered their help. I was very excited knowing I was really going to the retreat!
My husband drove me, my trusty walker, my vintage 1950’s Singer Featherweight sewing machine, and all my other “stuff” out to the retreat in Temecula. He carried everything inside and got it all set up then we said goodby until four days later when he would pick me up. I’m quite sure he felt worried about me since it had only been two and a half months since my surgery. My friends were so great about helping me. I used my walker to navigate the path to and from the dining room three times a day. Inside someone always carried my food tray to the table for me. I wore only slip-on shoes so that was easy, and one of my friends put my compression socks on my feet and legs every morning. Those four days with my quilting girlfriends was great medicine for me!
I began physical therapy in July and that was just what I needed. My PT continued until the middle of November. We worked on my mobility issues and strengthening my right leg, as well as the drop foot problem.
I finally began driving at the end of July also, which gave me more independence. With each week that went by I could see improvement in every aspect of my recovery. A big milestone happened when my husband and I went to my August appointment with the Ortho PA. We were both shocked when he asked if I’d like to stop wearing my brace. I couldn’t believe that after three months I could finally take it off for good.
As the summer rolled to an end I began using a cane to get around and eventually began walking in my neighborhood for exercise 4 or 5 days a week, plus doing my PT exercises at home as well as in-person with the therapist.
My husband and I hadn’t taken a vacation in a very long time so we decided to take a driving trip up to the central California coastal town of Cambria, one of our favorite get-aways. It was now October and I was less than a month away from my six month post-op appointment. We had a great time and I was even able to go hiking on some very steep trails at the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. I had a hiking pole in each hand and I prayed with every step not to stumble and fall. It was totally exhilarating to be able to accomplish this! I enjoyed it so much we went back there the next day too and tackled a different trail. I was definitely getting stronger.
HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL QUILT SHOW AND THE REST OF THE STORY
PART THREE coming soon
