Thursday 3/5/26 I had SURGERY

 Hello random readers, it's been a while again. But I figured an update was due since I had surgery and am recovering. 

I can't remember if in my last post I mentioned that I tore my labrum in my right hip (and I'm too lazy to go and look at said post right now). So yeah. Six-ish months ago I managed to tear my labrum, probably by being to aggressive with yoga (possibly - who knows for sure). So I saw my doc, was given prescription NSAIDs, and told I had bursitis most likely. A month of taking NSAIDs goes by and my pain only increased. So I went back to my doc and asked for PT and an MRI. PT hurt, didn't help, possibly made things worse. MRI showed a torn labrum and CAM deformation (basically a spur of bone that most likely tore tha labrum). So I made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon who a coworker of mine recommended. Waited a month for that appointment (everything in this process has taken FOREVER it feels like). He recommended surgery. Scheduled that (another month out). In pretty horrible pain this whole time. But, you know, whatever.

But then, THEN I had surgery (finally) on February 9th to repair my torn labrum and resolve (ie shave down the bone) my CAM deformation. Surgery lasted about an hour and a half and I was in recovery for about two hours, and then went home. Recovery has been going smoothly. The most annoying thing is being on crutches for 4 weeks. Like, it's seriously annoying. But I'm getting by (I'm in my last week of crutches - come this Sunday I will be crutch free!). I've had very little pain. Like, none really. Showering is a pain and I have to have help from my hubby and use a shower chair (I'm not supposed to have my full weight on my right leg, hence the crutches). I've been prepping breakfasts and lunches for myself with the help of my hubby as trying to carry things while on crutches is . . . challenging. I'm using an old purse hung around my neck as a kind of kangaroo pouch to carry things. It works fairly well. My hubby has been doing practically everything as I, well, can't. There's no way I can carry laundry down 2 flights of stairs on crutches to do laundry, so he's been taking care of everything. cooking, cleaning, you name it, he's doing it. He's the most amazing man ever and I'm so thankful to have him. 

I had my 2 week check up 1.5 weeks ago and was told everything was going well and that I was moving better than most people at that point (go me!). I'm back in PT, have had 3 sessions thus far (I'll be going twice a week for the next 8 weeks). I have another check up in 2 weeks, and then my last check up is May 7th (after that I should be able to return to work). I'm off work a total of 12 weeks (which is crazy). 

I'm quite bored though. I have a very large book I've been reading on mindset change and getting physically fit (I need to lose weight and want to build muscle and strength). So I've been reading this massive book and going through the workbook. It's taken me a while. But yesterday I finished it. So now I'm like, what the hell do I do now? I can't start working out until next week and then I can only do upper body stuff and light walking. I'm going to draw and paint, obviously, but like, what else? I still have eight weeks of time to kill. No work. No obligations. I can only read so much. I'm not big into watching tv except at night with hubby. Ugh. 

Anyway, that's where I'm at. Just about 4 weeks post-op, doing well, and bored.  

Wednesday 1/14/26 Another Sporadic Post

 Well, Happy New Year! It's been about 2.5 months since my last post, quite a while. See, when things are going alright I don't post much - I don't really have anything interesting to talk about (depression makes me want to write, doing well makes me not want to write). And I've been doing well, for a long while now. Which is awesome. But makes me boring, I guess.

I do have some news though: I tore the labrum in my right hip and will be having surgery on February 9th to repair it. I'll be on crutches for 4 weeks (bummer) and out of work for 12 weeks (yay?). Weeks 5-12 will probably be okay, and may be a nice break from the chaos that is work. But the first 4 weeks . . . uh, probably not so fun. I can't do much while being on crutches. I won't be able to put full weight on my right leg during this time and have a bending restriction which will make doing even normal tasks difficult (like putting on socks and showering, or making my lunch). So this will be fun. Hubby is taking the day of surgery off and working from home that first week to be able to help me, but after that . . . well, I won't have a ton of help at home. My son will be back in classes (he's getting his CNA certification, among other classes, so will be gone much of the day as well). So this shall prove . . . interesting. I'm not going to shower every day and will do so in the evenings when hubby is home rahter than in the mornings when I'm by myself - too much of a hassel (even with a shower chair). I'll be relegated to the upstairs for a while, which sucks as my studio is downstairs (our house is a split level - so when you enter the front door you can either go up or down). So maybe no art from me for a few weeks after surgery. I'll probably read a lot (I just bought 4 new books so I've got reading material). I have a feeling I'm going to be bored. Not working for 12 weeks is crazy to me (I only took 6 weeks off after I had my son). So yeah. I'll have to enlist friends coming over to entertain me until I'm off crutches and can drive. Ugh. But, I've been in pain for many months and haven't been sleeping well because of said pain, so something needs to be done (physical therapy and NSAIDS do nothing). 

In other news, work is busy. Still. It's always busy now. It's dumb. Really dumb. I feel bad about being gone for 12 weeks - especially since we have 3 other nurses who will be out the same time on maternity leave. So that sucks for my manager. But I guess that's why she gets paid the big bucks, to sort this shit out (she is bringing in 3 travel nurses for 12 weeks, so that'll help). 

Hmm . . . what else? Honestly, nothing really. Just plugging along with life. Toodle loo!

Friday 1/10/20

Well. It's been a long time since I've blogged. Well over a month. Some things have happened, some things have changed.

My last post dealt with the dark cloud hanging over me. And, well, it's still there, but it's a lot smaller. It's not as impressive. It's not as overpowering. That's not to say that it doesn't get bad at times - it does - but it's much more manageable.

Probably the biggest thing that's happened is that I had surgery 2 days ago. In my last post I mentioned my extremely painful pilonidal cyst (a cyst on my tailbone). I saw my dermatologist who referred me to a general surgeon who decided it would be best for me to have surgery to remove it. The weeks leading up to surgery I was terrified and in denial about it. Because essentially, I was having surgery on my butt crack. Okay, literally I was having surgery on my butt crack. I didn't know what to expect of surgery or my recovery. I was scared and anxious. However, the surgery went well. I'm 2 days post op writing this and I'm not having any pain. I'm sore and tired for sure, but I'm not having any pain. I have a JP drain coming out of the surgical site that is draining excess blood and fluid that I get to empty several times a day (it looks like a rubber grenade attached to some tubing). I see my surgeon on Tuesday (14th) and will hopefully have the drain removed.

I have 2 commissions to complete over my time off from surgery (I have the next 3 weeks off). One is for 6 paintings! Six paintings that I really don't feel like doing. If I'm being honest. I still don't have inspiration or motivation to do things. That's one thing that hasn't changed since my last post. So these commissions are a daunting task.

So there you have it, short and sweet. An update since my last post. Goody gumdrops.