Stability

Things are getting better, I'm not so down these days. I am still tired, and it's not jetleg anymore. Turns out I am a little anemic....not a lot, but enough to make a difference in how I feel it seems. I did a blood test last week. I'm now taking iron, and homeopathy. It's from all the blood loss from the surgery, my doctor says it's normal, and I should be getting back to normal soon.

In the meantime, my oldest son Dov got engaged! He's also today at his first day of army service, so lots of transitions happening for him! I'm going to have a daughter-in-law. And be a mother-in-law....I hope I do that well. The girl is lovely and sweet, from a town called Ma'ale Adumim, near Jerusalem. For next year, although Dov will be in the army, their home base will be in Bet She'an, where Achinoam (that's her name- pronounced like Ah-chee-no-om) will be doing her national service, and where Dov's yeshiva is, although he won't be there next year. We don't yet know where they will "settle". The wedding will be after the high holidays, probably in November. So there's been a good deal of excitement around here!

And I am out of pain. It's 6 weeks after surgery now, and I don't have abdominal (or much other) pain. That is miraculous. I am still in bandages (binders on my abdomen), but no pain. Well, it hurts a little if I strain my belly, or sneeze, but not much. Normal post-op, I think. I actually feel like it's abnormal post-op. I remember when I got the mesh put in, at the six week mark after that surgery I was still in tremendous pain. It lasted for about a year, and then I went on the Fentanyl to take care of it. But this- this is incredible. The surgeon grafted muscles, moved muscles from one point to another, stretched skin to cover where the graft used to be, and I'm not in pain. My left leg feels a tugging with the muscle, I  think he pulled a leg muscle to be in gapey, but that isn't too bad.

I still have all these restrictions on me, like no driving- that has been hard. No swimming, no stressing the muscles at all. But it's only for another few weeks. I think at eight weeks I'll be able to drive again. I am in constant touch with the surgeon still. He requests pictures of the healing, and I send over there many questions that his assistant answers.

I still feel very weak, like my legs are jello when I am trying to stand for an extended period of time. It's not even that extended, I just seem to have lost a lot of strength. I'm not allowed to do any physical therapy or exercise of any sort, so it'll just build up gradually as I get stronger. It was massive, massive surgery six weeks ago. I am impressed that I am not in pain, and that I am even saying that what is holding me back from standing longer is stamina, not pain. It's really amazing. I take no pain killers at all. Amazing. Not that I was taking any with the abdominal pain over the past two years, but I was for the first two weeks after surgery. I was taking oxycodone, double dose-- it was hard and very painful in the beginning. Very, very painful to get out of bed and walk. But now, thank G-d, it's much easier! I have left over oxycodone which I never needed to use. That is just amazing to me.

I'm so glad to be home with my kids. It was a long time to be away- five weeks! My home in Israel is so special to me, the most special place in the world in my opinion. I'm blessed to live here. I still would like to downsize and move to a house with no stairs, but for now we'll stay here. I just feel that my future with stairs is shorter than we hope....I still have hip problems. But for now, things are good. Baruch Hashem.