A Couch With A View

The "less is more" concept does not apply to Percocet. Well, not to Percocet and my knees after this latest surgery. See Vicadin makes me ill, unfortunately, so I don't get to experience the wonders of it in recovery. Well, it would make for a tough recovery. How do you keep your knee from swelling while sticking your head in the toilet? So I'm on Percocet. I'm not finding it terribly effective. I could probably write a tome on the different kinds of knee pains I'm experiencing, but frankly that would be a bit of a downer and nobody can really do anything about it so what would be the point. So a very nice friend of the Brain's who has had knee surgery before pointed out to me this morning when he called that perhaps I should take the 2 every 4 hours instead of just the 1 especially if I'm not really feeling any effects of the one. I should also point out the bottle says take one or two as needed every four to six hours. Well they're still not killing the pain, but this is definitely more fun.

So let me show you around my view from the couch...

This is my foot in the lovely sock that the hospital gave me that has rubber grippers on the bottom. They gave me two pairs because they happen to be really really nice people. My other foot and leg are somewhere in the pile of the wedding quilt that my mom made for me and the Brain. The big blue thing is an icy water pack. Thus the nozzle and the little towel to catch the leaks.

These are my bears standing guard because I am awake. If I were asleep they'd be down on the couch with me. The "white" one is Bear. I've had him since 1986 (I'm not telling how I old I was then, but it was probably too old to get a stuffed animal.) The brown one is Travel Bear. I got him from the Brain this Christmas, and I'm definitely too old to be getting a stuffed animal. But they are good bears and they stay out of trouble.

This is everything I need. Well with the exception of my mother in law and the Brain. I can safely say that I need them too. But everything else is on the coffee table and keeps me occupied, safe, relatively comfortable, and hydrated while I'm all by myself. Yep, there's the get well card I got this morning with the fluff magazine and some chocolate bars. I have to say that I think Jennifer Lopez is seriously beautiful. And I spent a frightening amount of time trying to decide which parent those twins look like more. (This was after following M's advice to up the amount of Percocet I'm taking.) Also on there is my cell phone with a new alarm set for when I can take more drugs and the home phone all charged up. There's also the empty soup bowl and Easter napkin from the homemade corn chowder I got to eat for lunch. My wonderful mother in law made it for me and the Brain came home and heated it up. ((It was really really good too!) There's also my glasses, Diet Coke, Sprite (in case I get nauseous), aspirin to prevent clotting, Percocet, a pen and paper (to write things down I want to remember), and my Life is Good water bottle. The beautiful yellow mums are from my friend the Queen Geek, and the pretty Hydrangea plant is from my sister in law. Oh yeah and there's the thermometer and the the Robitusson.

Now here's the area between the couch and the coffee table with the rest of the necessities. Here's my crutches, so I can move around if I have the energy to get off the couch. and a hair brush that I've pretty much given up on using. (I have no idea how pioneer people did it, but going 5 days without a shower is torture for me. I don't smell because I'm washclothing off every day, but boy do I feel gross.) Here's where my current selection of library books are too. As well as another fun magazine and a fleece in case I suddenly get shivery.

So why would I get shivery? And why wouldn't I have any energy to get off the couch? And why do I have a thermometer and Robitusson on the coffee table? Because I can never do anything small and managed to catch the flu. Yay me! I'm such an overacheiver. But at least we know I won't be pushing myself to do things I shouldn't be doing yet. Like walking.

And really I can't complain. I'm really blessed that although this is by far the most painfull knee surgery I've ever had, and I have the flu, and I'm completely dependent on other people, that I have wonderful and loving people taking care of me. I'm not alone. And I'm not living far far away from my family. These are things that make the whole thing a lot better. And I have you commenters who are expressing so much support. I'm really really blessed. Thank you.