I’m still standing (but not walking yet)

Today was a good day. My friend John took me outside in a wheelchair to the hospital’s outdoor cafe. We had proper coffees, which was a real treat compared to the awful instant coffee in my room. It was wonderful to get some fresh air and sunshine.

This morning, I tried to put on my prosthetic leg, but my stump was still too swollen. I couldn’t get the liner and sock on properly, which are necessary for a secure fit in the socket.

The physiotherapist contacted the amputation specialist, and he brought me a shrinker, a heavy-duty compression sock, to wear overnight and reduce the swelling.

They’re hoping I can try standing with the prosthesis tomorrow morning, with support, of course.

I did manage to stand and bear some weight earlier, which is encouraging, even though I couldn’t walk without the prosthesis.

They removed my catheter today, which was a relief. I was able to use a urinal bottle, and they’re monitoring my urine output to make sure everything’s working correctly. I have one more test to do later.

Since the operation, I’ve moved to a different room, which is quite noisy. Last night, I had to ask the nurse to address the noise at 11:30 PM. Two of my roommates were asleep (snoring quite loudly) with their televisions on loudly.

I’m used to some noise from my time in public wards, but it was excessive. I mentioned that the previous room had a 10 PM lights-out policy. I understand that people, especially older men, sometimes fall asleep with the TV on, but it’s disruptive in a shared room. Hopefully, tonight will be quieter.

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Hi James, I’m sorry to read you had a fall and broke your hip and some ribs. Painful! You write about it in such an upbeat way. Good on you. I’m glad you had a good day yesterday. I hope today goes well. My colleague alerted me to this news and I wanted you to know we’re thinking of you. All the best, Suzy

Hi Suzy, so wonderful to hear from you. I think I could be in a worse position, so it’s always good to remain upbeat, though not intentionally so.

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