About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

ABC Wednesday - Round 4 A is for Aching Back

Oy vey! My aching back! I figured I might as well incorporate an update on my back surgery along with our new Round 4 (already!) of ABC Wednesday, hosted by the lovely Denise Nesbitt.

I've been home just one week and it's only been two weeks since the actual surgery. In some ways it seems longer and in some ways it seems like yesterday I was coming out of the anaesthetic with pain levels at 9+....now the pain seems to hover around 5 or 6 and if I'm really really lucky I can actually sleep for 5 or 6 hours without waking up craving pain meds. I'm still using the "granny walker" but did manage to do the stairs yesterday. I had no choice, since my surgeon was expecting me at 1:15 pm to remove all 28 staples. The incision has healed nicely, so they say, but it will be a lot longer for all the insides to heal up and be strong.

Inside me, I now have 7 screws and 3 fusions! Dr. McYummy showed me my post-op X-ray and I think I look a lot better on the inside than on the outside right now. hah Last night around 11:00 pm, just as I was settling for the night, excuciating pain began in my legs. Legs? Yes, my legs! I think I walked too far or too much or maybe it was doing the stairs, but.... all night long, my legs were screaming with pain resulting in no real sleep until around 4:00 pm this afternoon. Tomorrow I plan on going up and down the stairs once and then I'll stay upstairs for the rest of the day. Hopefully, I'll be okay.

So there you have it - A is for aching back. Hopefully, next week B will be for better. I'll try to visit you all, but please understand that as much as I love to visit, it's still really hard for me to sit up for very long at a time. Happy Wednesday, everyone, and let's hear it for Round 4.

34 comments:

EG CameraGirl said...

Get well soon, Leslie. Remember, B for Better. ;-)
My ABC offering is at http://moreofme24.blogspot.com

photowannabe said...

Oh Leslie I hope you can sleep and get some relief soon. That's a lot of extra stuff inside of you now.
Chin up and don't worry about commenting.

Alice (in BC Canada) said...

Hi Leslie. I sure hope things improve quickly, and that the end result is oh so much better than the pre-surgery problems were. Gee, maybe by the time we get to "O" it will be for "OOOOH so much better".

I have a brother that lives somewhere in Ladner/Delta area, though I don't have a clue where, lol.

Happy Healing.
Alice in BC Canada

Susan said...

Hi Leslie,
Sorry to have been away so long. I am glad the surgery went well and will be thinking of you as you recover.
Remember my sister had spinal fusion done 3 1/2 years ago. She was in a brace for 3 months. She went through agony for the first while but now is completely recoverd. There were many days when she didnt want to get up but the drawback of staying with a nurse is that I made her walk at least to the dining room a couple times a day. It hurts but moving is what strengthens you quicker.
Take care!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

yes B is for BETTER!! These things cannot be rushed, time is a healer, :-)

Reader Wil said...

Dear Leslie, what an ordeal you've gone through! I didn't know, otherwise I would have send you a well- wishing comment. I hope that you'll soon be a bit better. It's a slow process. Good luck!

Unknown said...

I will be praying for you! It is the WORST when you can't sleep! God bless this week!

sally in norfolk said...

hoping the pain goes soon... and more sleep comes soon thinking of you x x x

RiverPoet said...

OUCH! Oh, Leslie, I hope that your healing progresses rapidly and that the leg pain doesn't come back.

I have a friend who went through this a year ago, and she had similar issues. I'm happy to report now that she is doing very well.

Peace - D

Jane Hards Photography said...

Poor you. Let's hope next week it's b for better.

nancygrayce said...

Hey, Leslie! Don't worry about visiting right now, just get better! I'm praying for the pain to go away, far away!

Barbara said...

I hope the pain will subside soon, meanwhile take it easy and think of the end result.
Take Care
B xx

mrsnesbitt said...

Hugs honeybunch!
So touched you rallied your strength to post here.

Dxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rositta said...

Lots of B's for better coming your way. I know personally after my hip replacement the second week was the worst. It does get better though and I hope the same for you...ciao

Cedar said...

Leslie glad you are up and around and your staples are out, did you get to keep them?

Take it easy on the stairs and catch up on all that reading you have been wanting to do.

Feel better soon!! Risley

Liz Hinds said...

Oh dear, that sounds really horrid. I hope and pray that your recovery comes along in leaps and bounds now that you've had your staples out and your screws in.

Trubes said...

Hi Leslie,
Sorry to hear that you are in so much pain but I'm sure you will be feeeling so much better soon then C for comfortable.

Take care, thinking of you,

Di.xx

Anonymous said...

Oh, how I feel for you!!

I recently had rotator cuff surgery, and I can identify with waking up with the 9+ pain levels, and being grateful when it came down to 5-6, and then gradually lower. Your legs hurting is perfectly understandable - remember sciatica originates in the lower back but is usually felt mainly in the legs.

I remember my forearm, elbow and biceps aching at first, not so much my shoulder. Pain is often referred.

Many good thoughts to you! May you heal fast. Remember to do the physio!!

Dragonstar said...

Poor Leslie, that must be sooo painful - even if it's better now than it was, it must still hurt a lot! Don't spend too much time at the computer, just concentrate on getting well again. I hope things ease enough for you t get some decent sleep soon.
Ah, but you'll be better than ever by the time the good weather comes round again.

On behalf of the ABC team, thanks for joining the fun.

Anonymous said...

I am not sure how it happened leslie, but you had fallen off my radar . I got a shock last evening when D'star said you had been in hospital.
I have been a bit preoccupied but not so much that I should not have been aware of your situation.
Well, you are mending now and that's the important thing.
Apologies - take care.

Mickle in NZ said...

Dear Leslie - I so understand the leg pain not letting you sleep as have just been diagnosed with sciatica.

Let your lovely family and friends pamper and care for you, and also pamper yourself.

Am pleased you've retained your great sense of houmour. (Will the screws in metal detectors in airports?)

Sending love, gentle hugs and many healing thoughts, Michelle and my Zebbycat. xxx

Tumblewords: said...

Aching isn't such a good thing - hope you get better quickly!!

antigoni said...

I'm happy that some of your pain left and i hope the rest of it will leave very soon. The surgery you had is very difficult and you must be very patient.

Ruth W. said...

Hang in there and keep taking the pain pills to help with the pain.

Smalltown RN said...

I am glad you are home..and i a sorry you are experiencing so much pain...but i feel your pain...but good to yourself...breath....and do what gives you comfort...hugs...

Unknown said...

Oh SYMPATHY in bundles, I once had a trapped nerve for a week and OMG the pain, so I can only imagine. Hope it gets easier sooon.

meggie said...

W is for well wishing thoughts.
Cyber hugs!

Jo said...

LESLIE HAS ASKED ME TO LET EVERYONE KNOW, SHE HAS BEEN RE-ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF EXTREME PAIN AND OTHER COMPLICATIONS. SHE WILL BE THERE UNTIL SHE IS WELL ENOUGH TO GO HOME. SHE HAS ASKED ME TO SAY HELLO TO EVERYONE, AND TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR BEST WISHES!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Oh, poor Leslie! Let's hope that B really will be for "better" next week.

Ellee Seymour said...

Let's hope that B will be for "bouncing back". Take care.

Trubes said...

Poor Leslie, I do hope you will soon get some relief from your pain and will be up and about again. Love and warm wishes for a speedy recovery.

Di.xx

MedStudentWife said...

B is for BIG hugs and BETTER soon!!!

My thoughts are with you Leslie :D

Claire said...

Hi there!
You have much metal inside you now I guess it takes time for your body to adjust to it being there. Just concentrate on resting some more and sleeping at whatever time seems right.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi Dear LESLIE, I had to see my linklist to find you, how are you doing dear???

I know your bavk is hurting you, that you can sleep and the painlevel 9+? .... poor you!!! (a soft HUG!!!!) pfff yeh I know dear its hard, but keep on going SLOWLY you will recover, 28 straples??? OOf that a lot girl.

Take care!!!!
Sorry I was'nt on your blog, my mom was having a heartsurgery, I was busy with that for 6 weeks in a row.... excuse me .

Now its for YOU time to say "TAKE CARE "and I wish you a good recovery. Be carefull and HOLD ON!!

Happy weekend
joannwalraven.blogspot.com

Greetings JoAnn Holland