One week + one day post-op.

Y’all. I might actually shower today.

FOUR doses of activated charcoal every two hours yesterday finally quelled the Mentos & Pepsi reaction in my guts, and completely soaking through my nightgown twice while getting that 15 hours of sleep on top of that got the rest out…

Today, I’ve so far kept down two “sports drinks,” two mugs of electrolyte-spiked bone broth, and about five saltines with a little hummus. I’m about to try the white rice and cod I couldn’t hold down yesterday.

Speaking of rice and cod bowls, my mom got on a single-serving meals in a small rice cooker video kick, so she bought a little rice cooker. Expect a series of rice cooker meals on my recipe blog!

Anyway, food on the stomach means I can get back on my meds schedule, hallelujah! Going off the pain meds at 5 days post major joint replacement was interesting. Not nearly as bad as when they hauled me out of bed two hours out of recovery to teach me how to do stairs, but definitely not not painful. But let me tell you, gas pain is 1000X more painful than sutures in your muscles. Not having the blood thinners for a couple of days was a bit worrying, too. My mom was worried I had a clot in my guts or something. I did not.

Dehydration + stress gave me a migraine with it, too, that I couldn’t medicate, so that wasn’t fun, either.

But, I’m already feeling a lot less shaky than I was this morning, and I think I’m at around six or eight full sweat-outs at this point since this time last week, so that shower is needed.

I’m also already a lot more mobile. My PT sent me home with literal “baby steps,” proto-step movements to practice, with the goal of a short stride by today. I’m actually already normal striding with my walker, and even stepping away a few steps here and there. I can also already get up from a low chair or toilet by myself, so I’m finally out in the recliner and not in my height-boosted bed. That’s doing a lot for my mood, not being so isolated from the rest of the family.

Penelope prefers me in bed, but she’s not too mad about it.