I am competent!

Celebrating the fact that my nerve block pump went off today and the last dribble of medicine meant I was able to take out the catheter, and even I, the weenie non-medical person with an issue for such things managed to do so (I was going to have Mr. CNA do it, but he's exhausted and asleep from a combination of taking care of me, doing chores he's not used to, cooking Sabbath dinner, and doing services for a holiday that is currently going on which commemorates a 25-hour period of mourning in the Jewish calendar, and involves fasting, so he wasn't going to get up to study over Zoom with a friend, so I'm leaving him alone and letting him sleep, and I handled it all on my own.) I boxed everything to send the pump back This means, of course, that I can take a shower, as long as I put a little cling wrap or a bag around the incision bandage (it's actually waterproof, but still). I will not do that until he's up because I'd rather he put the shower chair in and be up in case I have trouble getting in and out of the shower. I'm bending pretty well, though, which is good, because we have a glass-enclosed tub/shower.

I'm actually able to walk around the house without a cane for the most part, although I'm taking it around mostly for safety. I can kind a 'cruise' like a one-year old as needed and use walls. I've been off the walker inside since the second night here. But I'd probably still use the walker out in the world because there's just too much going on and especially the cane with the stairs. If I feel the walker gets in the way, I'll switch to the cane. Actually, I have my friend Glen to thank for the fact I have a cane--I left mine behind at PT because I walked with the walker straight over to checkout and went right out; he went back and got it, remembering after getting me into the car. At least we hadn't left. The one thing I seem to be missing from being at the hospital is a pair of sleep/headband earphones. I called Baptist's lost and found (security) and they didn't see them. So I may just have misplaced them. And I thought I had them here the first day here. Go figure. They're replaceable. It's all worth it. In the exercise programme, it's not the left I'm having trouble with, it's the untreated right. Ouch. 🙂

Anywhere, here's a before and after. Avert your eyes if necessary. Should have probably said that up front...sorry.