Man. Today has been crash-day. I am absolutely regretting everything I did yesterday which, in retrospect, was way too much. What is wrong with me?
Did I REALLY need to change the sheets and do three loads of clothes and make up a sourdough loaf and go out to the garden and sweep a few floors and...oh god. I don't even know.
No. I did not need to do all of that.
And I paid for it today.
I spent the first half of the day in Mr. Moon's chair which brought back memories of last year when I broke my ribs and practically lived in it for six weeks. Maurice and I watched six episodes of a series on HBO called "The Family Tree" which May recommended to me and it was seriously good. And that chair is seriously comfortable.
Then I went to bed and read and slept for awhile. I think I must have been manic yesterday. Not in the clinical sense but in the I'm-not-in-pain-and-I-survived-surgery-woo-hoo! sense. I really did have a lot of energy.
Not today.
The only thing I've done is make a pot of vegetable soup. And I probably shouldn't have done that. I feel weepy and stupid and weak and pathetic. But I am not in pain. I do feel like maybe my body is rearranging itself around the absence of the appendix like a cat rearranging itself on a bed after a pillow has been removed. Does that make sense? It does in my mind.
Anyway, I've rested today and will rest again tomorrow. I am not, as I always say, SuperWoman. I am BarelyAdequateWoman. BarelyAdequateWoman whose organs are in disarray. Who went through a bit of a trauma. Whose family will help her in any way she needs. All she has to do is ask.
So you want to hear something that I found amusing? I was going through that list of instructions they give you when you leave the hospital after getting surgery. The nurse, a beautiful woman named Gladys May, went through them with me before I left, so I was just scanning them yesterday and they use the words "poop" and "pooping" instead of more proper and formal terms like "defecation" or "bowel movement." There are many, many references to this very human function because after surgery, especially if one was given or is taking narcotics, that function may be more difficult. I suppose that almost everyone is familiar with the words poop and pooping and in the scheme of things, they are more acceptable than, oh, say, shit and shitting.
I think that poop is a friendly word, don't you?
And NO! I am not still on drugs. Why do you ask?
Again- thank all of you for the very, very sweet comments. Despite my predictable sinking of energy today, I am really doing very well. I am looking forward to my soup and sourdough bread and then perhaps a shower and then going back to bed.
Love...Ms. Moon
Sorry to hear you took a nosedive, but I'm not surprised. When one has no pain, one feels invincible. It is difficult at best, to lay low and curtail....when one feels good. Bottom line.....we are not 18 anymore (sorry) and must be deliberately gentle with ourselves. Easier said than done. I'm not a wordsmith, but hope I convey my sympathies! Rest, TV, NO sweeping or pruning......rest, bake bread gently, make soup (gently).....and repeat about 6 times over the next 3 days
ReplyDeleteMuch love and hugs to you, Mr Moon and nurse Maurice
Susan M
Thanks, Susan. I know that everything you said is true. Especially the part about me not being 18 anymore!
DeleteI've taken it very easy today.
some of us need to be slapped upside the head and I count myself in that group. oh, no afib today, let's see how much I can get done! well, I'm glad you laid around all day today. do it again tomorrow and even the next day.
ReplyDeleteROFL Ellen!
DeleteSusan M
You are every bit as bad as me if NOT WORSE, Ellen! And that is one of the reasons I love you. But yes- I slowed it down.
DeleteDear Mrs. Moon, keep still and let your mind do the capering.
ReplyDeleteYou words are too precious to lose.
Elf- that was so sweet.
Deletesleeping is healing
ReplyDeleteIt is. It truly is.
DeleteMaggi- I deleted but I didn't want to. It was a very sweet comment and I understood it.
ReplyDeleteOh Mary l have asked you to delete another 2 above please. So Sorry. My eyes are rubbish and getting old is not for Sissies. Will try again because you didn't want to delete. I Was trying to say. Keep still woman. Changing beds indeed. You are kind of Superwoman in a Batshit Crazy. Batty Old Bint Brigade sort of way. Although scary you made me laugh and l adore you. There was more l can't recall. Will read with magnifying glass before posting. Sending love across the Pond. Maggi xxx
DeleteMaybe only only 1 to delete suspect l didn't publish 2nd one. Msaģgi the computer whizz kid xxx
DeleteMaggi nos Msaggi. So maybe 2 to delete or even 3. This is why l don't comment much x
DeleteThe body will tell you exactly what it needs from you, and you, wise woman, are listening. Maybe yesterday you needed to move. But today I'm glad you sat in that comfy chair and let things mostly be. Of course you did make soup. I do recall that when my husband was healing from his very serious surgery, chopping and slicing vegetables and making soup was a meditation for him. Just don't do too much. Your insides are busy knitting. Lovelovelove
ReplyDeleteYou and I may be the same person but your husband and I are the same in the kitchen! I love you.
DeleteYou can overdo, but can you overpoo? I doubt you will overdo twice, at least on the same appendicitis surgery.
ReplyDeleteYou got that right.
DeleteI'm so glad you're okay! It's hard to take it easy, I know. Enjoy that soup!
ReplyDeleteIt was very good soup. And I am taking it easy. Thanks, Lora!
DeletePoop is a pretty friendly word! Who could possibly be offended? We sometimes use “dookie”. Yes, please rest and take it easy on yourself. I hope nurse Maurice is still on the job.
ReplyDeleteXoxo
Barbara
I really just favor the word "shit." It's neither cute nor fey. It is what it is. But "poop" will do as a substitute. We all have our own language for body functions, don't we?
DeleteMaurice seems to think I am pretty much all well now. I am taking that as a good sign.
Soup, poop, sleep and Maurice ... today, tomorrow and, maybe, the next day, too! Your hubby is a treasure!
ReplyDeleteLet yourself heal!
Yep. The healing factors in my life!
DeleteAnd you're right. My man is a treasure in all ways.
I understood that wave of energy yesterday even while I was begging you not to use it. It's that omg nothing hurts, I'm ALIVE WHEEEE feeling after a sudden scary surgery. Followed by a big crash bang. Anyway, you're doing it better today! Take care.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, isn't it? And maybe some remnant of the drugs is hanging in there making us feel like super beings.
DeleteWhatever. Today has seemed far more like I think it should be feeling.
Please stop beating yourself up for being human. You felt good and did too much. Today you didn't feel good and took it easy. It's not good or bad, it just is. Why do we beat ourselves up so much? I do it too. I'm working on it though.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary Moon,
Please be kind to Mary Moon, she's had a rough week and needs your love and attention.
Sending love and hugs.
I think after sleeping, beating myself up is my favorite hobby. Ha!
DeleteThank you for the sweet reminder, dear lady.
Back in the late 80's I was a volunteer housemother at a group home with handicapped adults. After horrific pain similar to what you described I found myself having an emergency gall bladder removal. When I got out of the hospital 13 days later, I was somehow unable to sit around and rest in my house so I was moved to another house for recovery. I think I was caught doing laundry. Any way, the nurse was extremely upset to find me walking over to the other house carrying my stuff in a basket! LOL I haven't thought of that scenario in years..! You'll do just fine, Ms Moon! I'm sure of it.
ReplyDeleteSurgery before laparoscopy was a completely different beast, wasn't it? That's a great story!
DeleteThing is that it started a a laparoscopic procedure but the gall bladder was too inflamed. Most of my time in hospital was before the pocedure to have the gall bladder calm down Im assuming it just didn't want to!
DeleteI'm sure that even 'adequate woman' (no need for the barely) is still less a lot less than you deserve in describing yourself. 'Amply sufficient' is how my grandma used to describe her housework - remembering that makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteI am not a good housekeeper. I assure you of that. I keep things tidy and swept and counters cleaned but as to dusting and so forth- not so much. But I am good at other parts of being a homemaker. That much I will grudgingly admit to.
DeleteThe body does tell us when to stop and rest! Glad you are paying attention and taking care of yourself. Enjoy Mr. Moon's chair as much as you need to! :)
ReplyDeleteMr. Moon's chair should be prescribed for all post-surgical and post-injury periods. It is so lovely.
DeleteIt sounds like you're doing exactly what your body wants you to do, which is a good thing. I don't know that TV show -- I'll have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteSteve- I loved it. I was so sad that there was only one season.
Delete"Pooping" is probably what made you sit and pay attention to it. But no, I'm not surprised you crashed today. The surprise was probably that you did so well after 24 hours. Take care of yourself and let others help you too - that's what they want to do!
ReplyDeleteYou're right. And like I said- all I have to do is ask.
Delete