Four out of five of the orchids on my window sill are in bloom. The tallest one has been blooming since late September and now it is January. It was a special gift brought to me in the hospital as soon as I was transferred from ICU. The second one went to bloom in November, the yellow one in December, and the tiny purple orchid started blooming yesterday.
That is kind of the way my recovery is going; every so often, a new ability blooms for me.
I have been having back spasms, but was afraid of getting a massage because my itty bitty therapist packs a lot of power in her tiny hands and I was year nervous that she might crack open my sternum. My surgeon has assured me that the sternum is completely healed, but still, I was uneasy about it. The spasms were relentless so I took the risk and made the appointment. I had the massage on Friday and it was probably the best massage of my life. She held nothing back and I have not had a spasm since. I look forward to getting my regular massages again.
I have to weigh myself and take my blood pressure every morning and every night. Weight fluctuations can indicate I am retaining water and so additional water pills are required in that situation. There have been no fluctuations. I have remained at 127 since December 15. If the top number of my blood pressure goes above 105 then I am supposed to take a blood pressure pill. I haven’t taken a blood pressure pill in over two weeks as that number stays between 90-104. So little by little, there are fewer pills for me to take.
I’m doing all the poses in my daily yoga classes, even push ups. I walk on my desk treadmill for at least two hours a day during the work day.
I am sleeping in my normal position without props and extra pillows. I am using no medicinal sleep aids.
I had a true Girls’ Night Out on Saturday and, aside from the brutal weather, it did not pose any problems for me.
In fact, the only serious challenge I seem to be facing at this point is the cold winter weather. A deep deep freeze with wind has settled over our area. With temperature readings of zero and windchills in the minus teens, going outside is still quite painful. But spring is on the way. I know it is because my whole life, spring has come after winter. I do suffer from a bit of winter melancholia (some people call is seasonal affective disorder or SAD). The best cure for this disorder is hunkering down at home with my beloved and our dogs in front of a roaring fire. That’s a win-win for me, because it is my favorite thing to do this time of year.
I plan to do something special to commemorate my six month mark in March. I’m not sure what it will be. A walk or a climb or something along those lines so my heart can show me what she can do.
I’m really looking forward to it.
Thanks for checking in.
