| (no subject) |
[Oct. 2nd, 2006|09:26 pm] |
So, I've been working a while at a call center, answering questions about health insurance, occasionally solving problems. But sometimes there are problems I just can't solve.
No, this isn't a valid enrollment period. No, you can't make changes, including dropping that particular insurance plan, unless you have some special circumstances. Yes, that plan does have a deductible. Yes, it is rather high if you don't very often use this insurance; the more that you use it, the more negligible it becomes.
And NONE OF THIS WAS HIDDEN FROM YOU. It is quite easy to discover, and then to compare, the premium, co-payment, and estimated annual cost of each plan available to you. It does take a little time, and then a little bit more time to think about all of this. Damn, you might have to turn off the tv for fifteen-twenty minutes.
Or you could just make your decision during a commercial break and then just whinnnnnne later. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 30th, 2006|02:42 pm] |
Yesterday I worked my usual three-hour shift at the food bank. It's not open to clients; usually there's no one there but me, the crisis volunteer at the front of the building, occasional staff working overtime. Kind of restful and contemplative; I stock shelves (and spend a lot of time RE-stocking shelves, muttering about people who don't know how to use flats).
There were two black garbage bags in front of the food bank door. This is the weekend that nearly everyone's lease is up, so folks are moving all over this university town -- so, we got a donation. Of blankets and towels. Cause, y'know, there's nothing that satisfies hunger like blankets and towels.
The blankets and towels did seem clean and non-smelly, so props for that. But -- the student couldn't leave them RIGHT NEXT DOOR at the thrift shop run by Mennonites? |
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| Back and better |
[Apr. 26th, 2006|09:34 pm] |
Been a while since I updated here; I've moved some of my remarks to http://bionicvalkyrie.blogspot.com/ and I think that's where I'll blog from now on. The interface seems a bit handier to me. But I'll keep this LJ in case I want to move back here, and to make it easy for me to comment on family's LJs.
I managed to recover from my pulled muscle, and go on a two-week road trip; we put about 4000 miles on the car. The first day was difficult, but two days of rest and walking and gentle exercise helped. And that's the pattern we followed -- a long day's drive, then two or three days goofing off with friends and family. Made it easy for me to get in lots of walking. I need to keep that up now that we're home. |
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| Stumble-bummed |
[Mar. 7th, 2006|03:31 pm] |
After six weeks of all-positive progress after my hip replacement, I tripped myself up. Literally. Stepped with my right foot on an ice cube, started to trip, stepped down hard on my left foot and caught myself. May have twisted my torso a bit as well, I'm not sure. Ow! I put an icebag on it for 20-30 minutes as I lay in bed before going to sleep. This morning, my thigh hurt a lot when I moved it. Getting in and out of the car was a struggle.
I did manage to get out with S to breakfast, and then called my doctor's office. I told the nurse that I thought I had pulled a muscle, and she suggested alternate ice/heat and Tylenol, and okayed the pool and hot tub. Walking in the water and then lounging in the hot tub with Kris did make me feel a lot better. This afternoon I've been alternating ice bag and heating pad, and probably being a bit too inactive. I definitely need the cane to get around, and I had been managing without it around the house.
Oh well, as S says, this will make for a journal entry that's something other than pure straight progress. Rats. Hope it doesn't take too long for me to get back to where I was. |
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| More progress after hip replacement |
[Mar. 4th, 2006|11:44 am] |
Noticed another clump of snowdrops as I took laundry out to the line -- first time this year, and first time after my hip replacement. A laundry basket of jeans is pretty heavy, so I made several trips with a few jeans over my arms -- more walking, less burdened, is good.
I'm also using a stationary bike (on the lowest or next-to-lowest tension) at least once or twice a day.
The temp is near 40, feeling warmer when the sun is out. Maybe a stroll outside is in order. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 2nd, 2006|05:55 pm] |
Snowdrops! No, not snow -- the flower. So spring is on its way after all. Hooray!
And in hip news, I'm continuing to do well. I need to be sure to do the lying-down hip abduction exercises each day; I've done pretty well this week. I'm continuing to go to one of the city pools with Kris twice a week, and I feel better and better each time. I'm even starting to water jog and occasionally swim as a change from just walking.
I had my first post-hip-replacement dental exam this afternoon, and took antibiotics an hour before, just as I should. Good thing my dentist's office calls me the day before to remind me, or I would've had to reschedule. I asked them to call in the prescription and even remembered to pick it up later that day. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 28th, 2006|09:03 am] |
More progress. I can get into a car with very little difficulty. And I'm walking around the house without a cane quite a bit -- need to be somewhat careful that I do use a cane until I can walk without a limp, so that I don't mislearn how to walk and wind up walking funny.
Just before the hip operation, I felt like the secretary on the Ministry of Silly Walks skit -- those bad old days are gone for good. |
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| More progress |
[Feb. 22nd, 2006|01:29 pm] |
I can get both legs into bed now without having to haul in my left leg. And I have to assist only a little bit when I get in and out of the car.
I do need to find a set time to do the lying-down hip abduction exercises, so that I can get closer to walking without a cane and without a limp.
Putting the exercise bicycle in front of the tv was a good move; I can do something good for myself while I indulge my guilty pleasure of daytime tv. Yay Judge Hatchett and Judge Judy. |
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| More progress |
[Feb. 21st, 2006|07:27 pm] |
Swimming -- well, water-walking and even some jogging -- at Mercer with Kris. And then a soak in the hot tub, which is heaven.
I notice that I still have to help my left leg a bit when I get into a car, but much less. And I can lift my legs into bed now on their own power! |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 15th, 2006|03:05 pm] |
More progress -- I'm a toddler! I can walk several steps without the cane. Pretty soon I'll be chasing S around the house.
Yesterday I went to Mercer with Kris; she did laps while I walked and did hip exercises in the shallow end. And then we relaxed in the spa -- that felt so wonderful. Tomorrow I go see the doctor for the followup check -- I think he'll be impressed. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 10th, 2006|06:27 pm] |
Hurray, I've graduated to using a cane! Went out with Kris to get a V-day present for Steve, have coffee and cookie at the Cottage, browse around at Prairie Lights (question: will I wait for Fledgling to come out in paperback, or will I splurge on the hardback? I could justify it by saying that I'll pass it along to Kris, since we're both Butler fans).
Need to dig out a pedometer, and start step-counting so that I can further track my progress. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 5th, 2006|06:45 pm] |
Actually drove today. Just to HyVee and back (about a mile, maybe), but I had no problem. Still have to haul my leg into the car, but I can bend it up to about 90 degrees, and my thigh muscles aren't entirely useless.
I was reviewing some of the info available online -- when you go searching for info on total hip replacement, there's not very much from individuals. There's a lot from medical practices, official sites such as the Mayo Hospital, organization sites (such as American Arthritis Assoc), and manufacturers of hip replacement hardware. I did find a couple of forums, which I'll post when I figure out how to do a hyperlink in LJ. |
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| Exercise |
[Feb. 2nd, 2006|04:30 pm] |
I am continuing to do my set of three exercises (standing knee raises, standing hip abduction, standing hip extensions), 30 repetitions each, three times daily. You can see a diagram and description of these here: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/booklet/view_report.cfm?Thread_ID=20&topcategory=Hip
Today I also tried some stationary bicycling -- a couple sessions of about 10 minutes, very light tension. My thigh felt kind of tight afterwards, so I popped a couple of Tylenol. Other than that, I'm pretty much off painkillers.
And this afternoon Kris took me downtown to walk around -- mailed a card with a flipbook in it to one of my nephews, went to the library, checked out House of Aromas (great blended mocha drinks, lots of students with laptops), and the pet store with the many cats (most of them sleeping).
The temp was up to 50 or so -- I am so incredibly lucky to have such great weather, so that I can take my recover walks outside. Getting actual sun on my face, smelling fresh air -- makes the exercise a reward in itself. |
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| THR hospital tips |
[Jan. 22nd, 2006|07:56 pm] |
Don't overpack. Comb, moisturizer, fresh underwear, ok, but you probably don't need a change of outerwear from what you wore to the hospital.
Do bring magazines -- the last couple of New Yorkers you haven't gotten to, maybe, or a few new magazines that look intriguing. After you've read them, pass them on to the nurses for their pleasure and for the waiting rooms. |
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| Annoyances |
[Jan. 21st, 2006|02:43 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  thoughtful | ] |
Recovery is continuing well; I do need to remember to do my exercises three times a day so that I get in the habit. I'm continuing to put more weight on my left leg and feeling pretty good. In fact, I've pretty much switched to regular Tylenol (acetaminophen). Part of the reason for that is the first annoyance I'll mention:
1. Wednesday and Thursday I had difficulty sleeping. It had seemed to me that since I returned home from the hospital, the hydrocodone was not making me drowsy. Wednesday and Thursday evenings, I felt twitchy rather than sleepy -- so much so on Thursday that I finally got up and moved to the couch, staying awake nearly all night so that I wouldn't disturb Steve. At 6 a.m. I went back to bed and slept a few hours, and then called the doctor's office. Trying to explain the problem, I felt like a three-year-old having a meltdown (you know, nearly sobbing "I do-ho-ho-hon't WANNA go to sleeeeeep" except of course I did). The nurse didn't think that it was the same kind of "bounceback" that can happen with antihistamines, where they make you alert and twitchy rather than drowsy, but I still suspect it may have been something like that. Got a prescription, and had wonderful sleep last night. I feel a little like I'm taking a tour of the Wonderful World of Prescription Drugs.
2. The other annoyance -- more of an alarm, perhaps -- was that on the Sunday after I got home, I was sitting with feet on floor, or up and walking, quite a bit. In the evening, I noticed that my left foot felt tingly -- not quite as if it were asleep. Took off my sock, and yikes! there was a foot-shaped water balloon. I called Mercy and got a call back from the doctor on call, who said that it was quite normal, and that elevating my feet above my head would get my foot back to normal. And so it did. The next day I had my nice normal footsie back, just a little plumper than usual, with a fat ankle. The swelling lessened over the next few days as I kept my feet elevated whenever I was sitting. |
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| Let's get this thing rolling |
[Jan. 19th, 2006|06:23 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  cheerful | ] |
I've had two two-hour or so outings with Kris -- yesterday to have lunch at Bruegger's, get some fruit and snacks at Fareway, and stop in at Houseworks to show them I was alive and very well. Today, lunch at a different Bruegger's, then Pleasant Valley to buy flowers, then to Mercy Hospital to deliver those flowers to a friend, and, again, show off how well I'm doing. And then home, 'cause I was pooped.
Great conversation with Kris, as always, generating lots of ideas. Why not write the tips I wished I'd had before I went in? Or the little things that worked well for me, like taking in current magazines and then giving them to the nurses? Or the little inventions that might make life after THR easier or more interesting or more fun? And I can also keep track of my progress here. It's so easy to forget how much progress that you have really made on projects. Already I'm walking so much further and putting more weight on my left leg.
Oh yeah, for those who don't know me -- I had a THR (total hip replacement) of my left hip on Tuesday, January 10, 2006. I came home mid-day on Saturday, January 14. I feel so lucky that the weather has been unusually mild, so that I can have a daily adventure of my choosing, whether it's walking to the end of the driveway to get the mail or going out with Kris. |
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| New year, new hip |
[Jan. 15th, 2006|05:27 pm] |
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Deep thoughts soon to come; right now must elevate feet. |
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bionic_valkyrie's journal
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