Pill-free...and almost stocking free

Apart from half a pain pill last night before bed, I haven't had any in the last 2 days! I'm planning to take regular tylenol if I get pain in the day, and just take the hard stuff at night (if I need it). I will say that a pain med at night definitely helps with a good nights sleep, despite this now being the 4th week of sleeping on my back with my leg propped up! (ugh)

I am SO over sleeping on my back and waking up with a major bed-head everyday - and given it takes so much faffing and energy to wash my hair and dry it, I'm just going to apologize in advance for anybody coming to visit :)

Well, Fon & Alex (bro and sis-in-law) landed without any hitches on Wednesday night, the same night mom and dad went back, and we've been pretty 'active' since they arrived. We headed out to the Ferst Center on Friday night to see Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet... a great night, even though we were a little challenged with the wheelchair.

I had booked tickets online and saw no seating specifically for wheelchair access, so I chose 4 seats that were at the end of a row near the front...thinking it would be easy to just sit in the wheelchair at the end of the row. Well, that bit WAS easy, but getting down there - not so, since the way down was via flights of stairs... We had to wheel outside, go in through another door, and then I had to abandon the wheelchair and have Jim and Alex pretty much hold me up enough to dangle my leg down the stairs as we went step by step... Phew. We made it, but it was a bit of an adventure. Needless to say that when half time came around, I needed a bathroom break and one of the Ferst people who had seen us struggling before proceeded to inform us of the wheelchair friendly area. It was much further back from the stage, but in the center and with no stairs. So, that's where we spent the second half of the show.

Since I'm able to get myself in and out of the wheelchair easily, and can shuffle around pretty good with the walker, we've been trying to get out a little more. Yesterday was no exception with our trip to the annual Great Decatur Beer Festival. Weather was great and it was a nice atmosphere. We arrived around 12:30 and left about 4:30, so a good day out in the fresh air! I sampled a couple of the beverages on offer..but nothing crazy :)

Have to give a shout out to my bro for an awesome curry last night. He and Alex decided they were going to cook dinner after our day out and that we would have an evening in. Chicken Pathia (I think) with rice, naan - YUMMY. Needless to say, Jim and Fon polished off what was remaining, whilst Alex tucked into (but only a little) her indian desserts (sweets).

On a final note for this entry, I am now down to the final (and counting) 11 days of wearing these anti-clot stockings, and the LOVINOX injections! The injections are over and done with in seconds, but these blasted stockings - ugh! So, yesterday, before the beer festival we took on a little craft project. We CUT the stockings. Those that have worn them will know that they have an elastic band around the top to go around the thigh, however I've always just worn mine kinda folded over just above the knee...they're uncomfortable as it is let alone cutting off the blood around your thigh!

Anyhow, having taken my shower yesterday morning and being 'stocking free' for amost 2 hours, the dreaded time came where I had to put them back on. THIS is when we decided to take the scissors to them! We cut the band and about another 2-3 inches off the stop of the stocking...and so now the stocking just folders neatly back on itself, and they look more like knee-high socks. The compression area is still very much where it needs to be at the calve, but I just couldn't deal with all the rest of it any longer... What a difference!! now it just feels like I'm wearing long socks. Success! (and I think way more bearable for the next 11 days!)

That's about it for today...
-R