Getting There!

Without trying to sound big-headed, I am pretty pleased with myself, I am not yet five weeks after my hip surgery, and I have gone from the zimmer frame, to a walking stick and for the last week, no stick, as long as I am on a flat surface.

I have made a point of doing my exercises daily, and they have changed every two or three days, depending on my virtual Physio appointment. I have had a total of ten Physio sessions, eight virtual, and two face to face at the house. I had my last session yesterday, and that comprised of, telling me what I can, and can’t do until I see the Surgeon again at the end of March.

I can now bend, as long as I extend my operated hip behind me, I can sit in lower seats, as long as I do it in a certain manner. I can climb ladders and steps, as long as I ensure they are secured, but I do that anyway… well, most of the time! Surprisingly, I can use my Brushcutter, because I swing that side to side, I thought that would be a no,no, but apparently not.

Some things, like having to get on the floor to change my house water filters, I can do, it is going to take a lot more time to get down, and back up again, he showed me how to get down, and to have someone to help me, but it is doable, so that’s a job for this week sometime.

Hopefully this week, I will be able to drive again, but I will have to see how putting pressure on my operated leg, goes, when managing the pedals. Once that’s OK, I have to make an appointment to go for my Driving Licence Medical, it expires in May, after ten years, and because I am over 60, it now only lasts five years, until I am 80, then yearly. However I was talking with Marcela, we both agree that depending on my health, I will either hang up my keys at 74, or 79 years, I am not someone who thinks I have to keep driving until I drop dead, I rather bow out with a relatively clean driving record, than cause an accident, and believe it or not, Marcela isn’t a bad driver…for a Colombian, ha! ha!. I have already decided that this time, I am not applying to renew my motorcycle licence, I will not ride again, and risk my prosthetic hip.

I am over the moon at all the things, albeit small in nature, that I am now able to do again, because, that reduces the list of things Marcela has to do. I thought she would be happy about it, but initially she wasnt. I think she felt she was showing her worth, not that she needs to do that, I couldn’t manage without her, new hip or not, she is, and has always been my rock! As I reminded her, if I have a knee done later this year, she needs to make the most of the time, as this will all start again!

Our problem with Possums is starting again, I had erected temporary floodlights, which we switched on at night, and off in the morning, and that kept them off the house roof, but in a bid to cut costs, I bought some more solar security lamps, unfortunately they are not as powerful, and only stay on for 20 seconds, then reset, I think the possums worked this out, as a result they are back, waking us, and the dogs at 3am, running around on the roof.
This morning I had had enough, I went out at 3am, when they arrived, lit him or her up on the roof, and fired a shot from my pistol into the air, and it bolted… into the gutter, which as I suspected, they are using to get around the house. Nothing more was heard from them overnight.

This morning, I have removed the solar lights, and hardwired one of the ‘temporary’ floodlights into our patio light circuit, it means those lights have to stay on overnight, but it’s added security, so I’m not bothered, and the roof will be well lit nightly…job done!

Now to go and see what other jobs I can find to do.