Post-Op Recovery Milestones

[notbatman]

I've had at least a half-dozen posts in various stages of "in the works" before being deleted documenting my post-surgery. Having a few scattered notes hither and yon from last time was almost helpful (but not quite) and I've got one more disc that's compromised and could (potentially) do the same thing, so I'd like to have more to look back on

Comments

[furzicle]

I'm actually enjoying your postings from post-op. It's a little like reading the journals of the trials of some polar explorer in his last days. The difference is that I'm assuming that it will all turn out much, much better and hopefully you won't have to eat your dogs!

I think you will be happy that you have recorded all these details. It's amazing how well we forget all these small achievements once they are past.

Best wishes for a continued amazing recovery!

[notbatman]

Dear Diary,
Day 21: Today the cramp in my leg returned. I was forced to eat the cats. If ever I am rescued from this fate, I know well that polite society may well judge these actions harshly.

But polite society didn't have to smell the litterboxes, either.
--NotBatman

Yeah, my memory box has been leaking for a long time. It's a big part of why I keep a journal in the first place. Things get forgotten or exaggerated or minimized and it's just nice to be able to look back and get a clearer picture of things.

[beeker121]

I think you need to continue to carry the cane until well after your back is healed, so it can be used for hitting people at your whim. Then you can put the cane back down and make an innocent face all "but I'm crippled I couldn't possibly have hit you".

I'm glad you're feeling better and improving.

[notbatman]

This is an idea with merit! It should be a fancy sword-cane, too!

And thanks. :)

random stranger has IMPORTANT WARNING

[anonymous]

A friend linked me to your hilarious comedic-resistance against your workplace's dress code post, and I've been skimming through your blog in search of other hilarity. For some reason this post caught my eye, and I noticed you mentioned that after you weaned yourself off opiates post-surgery, you went "back to ibuprofen and naproxen".

It wasn't clear whether you meant you used one some of the time and another at other times, but HOLY FUCK, MAN, hasn't a doctor or pharmacist EVER warned you NOT to mix different "NSAIDs" together?!Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin et al.) and naproxen sodium (Aleve, Naprosyn et al.) are two available in both over-the-counter and prescription-only dosages; aspirin was the first NSAID to be synthesized and sold commercially; there are a bunch of others that are available by prescription only. All NSAIDs have potential side-effects including gastrointestinal bleeding and ulceration, as well as circulatory-system issues like stroke and cardiac arrest. Mixing two different

Re: random stranger has IMPORTANT WARNING

[notbatman]

On the one hand, I've mentioned it to a few doctors/surgeons during the course of my medical adventures and while they weren't happy about mixing, they've never said it would result in anything catastrophic. (Or I didn't pay attention because, you know, the pain.)

On the other hand, you use a lot of very big words. Wait, that's basically the same hand... all those big words gives me an uneasy, distrustful feeling.

But on the actual other hand, you said nice things about me and make the case that you have my best interests at heart. I like both of these things.

Surely you can see my dilemma. I have three hands.

Perhaps if you have some candy somewhere in that windowless internet van you rolled up in we can sort things out rationally?

Which is to say, I rarely mix ibuprofen and naproxen during the course of my regular life and I will, in spite of how all the preceding retardedness may look, take your important candy with the seriousness it is presented with.

Thank you, Random Internet! :)