Did I mention that when I arrived in Winnipeg for my breast reconstruction surgery that there was absolutely no snow on the ground? It started snowing the morning of my surgery and basically it didn't stop for the rest of November.
After I left the hospital, all of the snow did not bode well for my exercise plan; as going outside for a walk seemed a bit too dangerous in case I slipped and fell. So my walking for the first ten days was inside the condominium. Did you know that according to Wikipedia 200 – 250 steps is considered a city block? Or at least that is what we decided as I tried to build my walking up to two or three blocks several times a day.
I must admit that my time in Winnipeg actually went by very quickly. Between Jo-Anne and Barb cooking meals, a couple of check ups with the Doctor;s office and visitors stopping by, the days actually seemed a little busy at times. Or maybe it was the fact that I was sleeping for most of the day. And although I did not really do much in the early days, I did follow the doctor's post surgery orders to stand straight or lay down, eat healthy and rest.
As a result of such good care from my friends everything went very smoothly at my follow up appointment with Dr Buchel on December 1st, and I received permission to fly home on December 8th. So Jo-Anne headed home as planned on December 2nd, and Barb returned to spend the last week with me.
And just as Jo-Anne expected, her flight had not even landed in Windsor before I convinced Barb that I was ready for a walk outside in Winnipeg's snowy weather. The doctor had said everything looked great and the recovery instructions said that I needed exercise so in a way, I was just following the doctor's orders. And I must admit that it felt really good to get some fresh air (even though it was very chilly in Winterpeg) and some exercise at the same time. We were very careful walking on the snow covered sidewalks and we did not go very far or very fast, but Barb and I decided to add a walk in the snow to our daily routine.
When I think back on our walks, they often had another goal, such as buying groceries, postage stamps or even some small Christmas presents. These errands provided not only purpose, but motivated me to see how far I could walk each day. I was thrilled if we stayed outside for an hour because it also helped with sleeping at night.
It was a few days before I felt well enough to lie on the couch, or perhaps more accurately well enough to actually get up off the couch without bending. However, once I mastered this, with some assistance of course, we started watching some very entertaining and classical movies. In the end, I decided that they all had a similar theme that closely resembled some of the books my friend Sylvia had sent me to read – boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall in love, they argue, and they make up and get married. Any resemblance to real life here?
As the day for our departure back to Windsor approached, I became quite nervous about the idea of actually sitting on the airplane to fly home. I didn't want to have any problems with my incisions, and I really hadn't sat down for more than a few minutes at a time. And truth be told, it wasn't actually anything close to real sitting. Try to imagine sitting on a 20 or 30 degree angle versus a 90 degree angle and see where your head and shoulder end up on the chair or couch!
Barb was quite a trouper and headed out on our last cold and snowy day to buy me a pillow to take with me when I flew home. I am sure that I was quite a site carrying my pillow and my stick for picking things up. We arrived early at the airport only to find our plane was delayed, so we found a row of chairs where I could lay down. Again, I am sure it was quite a site! In the end I was almost the last one to board the plane and luck was on our side with very little turbulence en route to Toronto so I was able to get up and walk around every ten minutes or so.
Unfortunately the seats in the Toronto airport didn’t provide the ability to lie down, so I walked around for an hour before we boarded the plane to Windsor. However once again I was able to get up and stretch out a couple times on the flight.
Over the past twenty years, I couldn’t actually tell you how many times I have flown into the Windsor airport, but I know this was probably one of the happiest landings I have ever had. It was a relief to know that I would finally be home in Amherstburg. And within an hour of landing I was back in my house where Terry helped me unpack, and heated up some turkey soup that Joe had made before they left. Although it felt a bit strange to be alone that evening, I was absolutely thrilled to be home!
Although I was determined to get back into a normal routine as quickly as possible, there does remain a major problem. I can’t leave my house unless someone ties my shoes, or helps with my boots or drives me around! So on the very first day I was home, Jo-Anne stopped by to help me put on my shoes so that I could walk into town for my standing manicure appointment. It truly was liberating to be able to take a walk alone and it may sound strange but I thrive on the simpler things in life now, and walking in the brisk weather is one of them. Unfortunately my shoes didn’t stay tied very well and since I couldn’t bend over to fix them I had to ask for help once I arrived at the salon. Everyone had a good laugh, including me, about my current predicament!
Just when I thought I was making great progress, the snow that I had left behind in Winnipeg caught up with me, making my recovery plan a bit more challenging. The first snowfall was very light, and melted away, but with slippery conditions everyone advised me against walks outside. My cousin Verna stopped by to help me out that first snow day and before we did a couple errands for some groceries and Xmas lights for my tree she even shoveled my driveway. Our shopping trip was quite an effort, and I laugh when I realize it took a couple hours to do something that would normally take about 30 minutes!
The really good news was that Terry and Joe had not only picked up my Christmas tree at Bondy’s farm up the road, they actually brought it in and set it up Saturday afternoon. And it was just in the nick of time, because the very next day we were walloped with a storm that raged all day. In the end I think there were only 10 or 12 cm of snow, but it was wet and icy, and it has never completely melted. In fact, my driveway still has some slippery patches a week later!
Call me crazy but on that snowy Sunday afternoon I convinced my sister Terry to take my mom and me to see a play at the Capitol Theatre called “The Snow Goose”. The son of a friend of mine was playing a role in the production and it was very enjoyable. The story line was about Christmas, but with a twist. It focused on a family that had a father serving in Afghanistan, and a great grandfather that had served in World War II. I was very impressed with the production and enjoyed the afternoon, even though I stood at the back through most of the performance! The title of the play was fitting, because when we exited the theatre, it was still snowing…..
So with the change in weather my daily outside walks came to quite a startling end. I went back to walking around my house and added some stairs to my daily routine as my laundry unit is in the basement of my house. Once again I was dependent on my family and friends to stop by and to take me with them on their shopping trips!
The good news about being trapped in my own house means that I should be able to get a few things done without any interruption or excuses! And I did manage to write a number of Christmas cards the first week that I was home as well as sort through a month’s worth of mail and catch up on some overdue office paperwork. I still have plans to accomplish a few more things while I recuperate, but I did not truly understand how difficult it was going to be to stand or lay flat when I put together my to do list. My stamina improves each day but it is not great if I stand still in one spot for more than 30 to 45 minutes so I have become creative by adding short walks to whatever task I am trying to accomplish.
My friends and family have continued to be a blessing throughout my recovery from surgery, and in addition to driving me around they also helped me put up my Christmas decorations! Sylvia and Jo-Anne did an absolutely wonderful job decorating my Christmas tree as I offered advice from my position on the couch! So wonderful that I am hoping they will return next year!
It is truly amazing how fast Christmas is coming, and I wonder if I will be prepared….Sylvia and I still have plans to do some shopping…I also have plans to do some baking, but that may just be wishful thinking if I don’t get my gifts wrapped soon! Whatever happens I am just going to take one day at a time, and listen to my body when it tells me that I need rest, eat as healthy as I possibly can and try to get some exercise in this snowy winter weather! Christmas is just around the corner….and I do plan to enjoy it!
