The Road to Recovery

This is day five since I broke my ribs. While the concept of endless days doing absolutely nothing may appeal to some, I'm finding it all a bit frustrating. I'd like to get on with my laundry, but it's beyond me to sort it all out and get it down to the laundry room. I want to work on various web sites and other projects (both work and hobby related), but my brain stubbornly refuses to design code or process any complex problem. At the same time, I cannot watch any more day-time television without seriously damaging my brain! And so I'm here journaling.

The first couple of nights were very difficult. The drugs keep the pain well controlled for about four hours, but after that, movement in my sleep wakes me up - time for another dose! And at the moment I cannot lay down on a regular bed - way too uncomfortable. So I'm sleeping in one of the Lazy Boy recliners. That has the advantage of fully supporting my back as I sit up, and I can use the mechanism in the chair to initiate this, without straining my ribs. Early attempts to get out of a regular bed would have been classed as high comedy if not for the intense pain involved, even with the drugs.

One thing I've discovered over the last few days - we use our ribs all the time for even the most trivial movements. It's only when they hurt that you become aware of them. I've started doing a lot of things one-handed, which makes me look like I'm paralyzed; but in fact, I'm just taking care not to inadvertently perform operations that stretch the ribs on that side. 

When training as a nurse, we were instructed to make the patients do everything they possibly could for themselves, without risking their safety. The key to starting the day is to give them analgesics first, let them rest for 20 minutes then make them work their butts off! I'm applying the same rule to myself. Self-care is required, even if washing and dressing has to be done VERY carefully, and takes three times as long as normal.

Bill is such a wonderful support to me- I think he's having a worse time than me! I know he doesn't like to see me in pain, and I know he'd rather dive in and do more for me, but the self-help thing is really important to a patient's recovery. Still, I also know that standing by watching while someone flounders around like a beached whale trying to do things that should just be trivial is very hard. I do ask for help when I really need it.

I am so grateful for his support - I love him to bits! (Hmm.. that could be a British-ism... I mean 'a lot' !!)  And when these ribs are better, I promise to demonstrate that! :-)