"He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.”Sun Tzu, ‘The Art of War’
At the
theoretical half way point of recovery from lung surgery, the word itself
remains somewhat alien after decades of spouse caregiving for Multiple
Sclerosis.
Me feeling
a little better each day is strange, almost guilty, contrasted to decades of MS
caregiving where ‘progress’ is measured in slowing decline.
Though after
three weeks not every lesson learned is a quandary. Foolishly trying to be ‘muy
macho’ I kept the pain meds in the bottle - until the first time I coughed or
accidently rolled over on my surgical side while sleeping, then I grabbed that
Oxycontin like a baby grabs its bottle. … Though unlike a chronic illness, hour
by hour it does get better. Yesterday, I only took two (2) ibuprofen.
For me, mainly it’s my ribs that were retracted for surgery that
ache and ribs take time.
Essentially
recovery is about not stressing my incisions. I have lifting restrictions. My
surgeon’s anecdotes of repairing lung hernias for those who do not listen were deterrent
enough for me. Not lifting more than 5 lbs - also means no pulling, no pushing,
no sliding, etc of anything over 5 lbs for six weeks.
While I
do not need assistance with my activities of daily living, our adult daughter
has been a godsend for grocery shopping, lawn mowing, etc. even things I never
foresaw such as lifting the weights weekly on our grandfather clock.
Exercising
and strengthening lungs ... When I
woke up after surgery I was handed my very own Voldyne 5000! Actually it’s
rather fun once you get the hang of it, inhaling steadily to try and keep the
bobber suspended in the “best” range.
Walking is unrestricted. I’ve currently built up walking to a mile
twice daily, stretching it each day. Pre-surgery I walked two miles most days
of the week.
I must confess that in our parallel universe I have found it
helpful in my healing that Patti’s outings from her care facility, now made
possible by our daughter, have only fallen off about one day a week during my
recovery.
related entries:
when caregivers get sick - lung cancer Mar 24
Patrick Leer
BLOGS:
Caregivingly Yours, MS Caregiver @ http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/
Lung Cancer Odyssey @ http://lung-cancer-survivor.blogspot.com/
You're looking great Patrick. But you are wise to really listen to the surgeon's advice and restrictions and to follow them; temporary restrictions are better than permanent impairments if we don't allow our bodies the time to heal. It is good that your daughter is able to step in temporarily during this time to help out too; definitely a godsend indeed!!
ReplyDeletebetty
Learning patience! Who says you cannot teach an old dog new tricks :)
DeleteGood to hear you are recovering well. Yet, remember to follow your dr's recommendations. You have been blessed with a wonderful daughter!
ReplyDeleteDoris
There were moments in the teenage years the word 'blessed' and daughter might not have come out of my mouth at the same time. However now days I am in awe.
DeletePatrick, It's good to know you're healing -- even if the course is slow. Continue to get well, and follow doctors' orders. Happy Easter to you and your family!
ReplyDeletePeace,
Muff
Thank you and happiest of holiday wishes to you and yours.
DeleteGlad to see you are continuing to improve with each day. Hope all of you had a Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteI count my blessings with each day
DeleteHi Patrick... you know my postings are only sporadic of late, but I did post yesterday, and while on my blog, I looked to see who I could visit, saw your posting was recent and clicked. That's when I discovered that you had had lung surgery to remove a cancer. I read on through previous postings to catch up... and glad to hear that you are getting better each day. This kind of healing takes time (my mother had lung surgery many years ago, and my husband had major lung surgery about 20 years ago). The pain does ease up... take something for the pain as needed. You are doing exceptionally well, and your attitude is inspiring. My prayers are for your continued recovery. Bless your daughter for picking up the care of her mother during this time (with outings and such). Get well... you are looking fabulous in that photo. Take care, Patrick!
ReplyDeleteHi Bea! Great to hear from you. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm coming down the home stretch of recovery.
DeleteI really appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for this!
ReplyDelete