Oh, nooo! I missed two weeks of blogging. I was so excited by my battle against the first week of surgery recovery, but then it demanded more of my attention when I thought it would need less after that.
Post-Op Update: I wasn’t bleeding much (or at all after the first couple days), so when I started bleeding around day 10, it freaked me out. Everything was fine. The doctor checked me out and said it was just the normal bleeding. My trip to the doctor was amusing. I took my Totoro pillow and kept it clamped to my belly even in the doctor’s office. A lady passing by saw and said the sight was “very sweet.” I know I said I’d write about my recovery kit and setup, but my mind is scrambling and unfocused. I will get to it and include photos!
I kept detailed notes of my recovery for the first two weeks of recovery (I’m at about 3.5 now), taking note of firsts (first BM, first venture down the stairs, first time I was ready to have a visitor, etc.). My doctor just gave me the go-ahead to start gentle exercises (kegels and easy movements – think postpartum exercises), so I’m starting all that today. The strange thing about the pain at this point is that it isn’t pain immediately. I feel fine doing a task then slowly… nausea sets in. Nausea means I’ve done too much. Also, nausea means the pain is coming. It just typically takes a couple hours. That was a surprise. I’ve been trying to find the balance between too much and just enough because I have no interest in languishing. I had a little setback two days ago when I had an insane dream involving The Big Bang Theory cast and a butcher knife to the belly. I woke up with some interior burning behind one of my incisions. I can still feel it, but it’s not slowing me down too much. Clearly, I twisted some kind of way in my sleep.
Here are some ways I’ve been keeping myself entertained: I know I said this in my last entry, but they put entire episodes of Taskmaster on YouTube. I recommend starting with series 1, though all series so far have great lineups. I ran a couple characters through the Bastion storyline in World of Warcraft. You can play as many characters as you like up to level 20 for free. I really like the little battle pet minigame though, which is only available on the paid version. Bastion too. But still, it’s an entertaining and relatively easy game to play. I’ve also been playing through the King’s Quest series, which I’ve linked in every monthly post. The nostalgia and charm are comforting, especially on days when I don’t feel amazing. I even drew crude maps of all the settings. The Sandman is now on Netflix, so I’m slowly checking that out. I watched episodes 1-2. They’re really cramming in a lot, but it looks good so far. There was one change I didn’t like: Alex Burges’s fate. It was not correct. Lol. But the actors they cast and the shots recreated from the graphic novel are stunning. I’ve also been reading a ton and doing lots of writing exercises. I’ve nearly filled a composition notebook. Speaking of which, hit those back-to-school sales to restock your office supplies and buy up some items to give as gifts at the holidays. (I like to be finished with holiday shopping by the end of September because squeezing through people in packed shops is my personal Hell.)
Because I didn’t update for two Sundays relating to August, I think my monthly activities (listed below) will spill into September. That means losing a month of content, but I plan to revisiting some of this in 2023 anyway. Ultimately, nothing will be lost.
Still no word on my visa application. My doubled wait time extends through the end of this week. Hopefully, I will hear something.
Back to our regularly scheduled blog.
Here are this month’s suggestions for little ways to enrich your life:
- Reading for Fun: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. You can find it free online or on Amazon*, and here is a reading on YouTube.
- For a Challenge: “Endymion” by John Keats. Yes, poetry! You can find it free online or as part of an anthology on Amazon*, and here is a beautiful reading on YouTube.
- Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989). See above and below for examples of his work.
- Composer: Franz Liszt. Here is a sampling of his work.
- Movement: Fencing. Here is an instructional video on fencing fundamentals.
- Game: King’s Quest: The Silver Lining, a point-and-click adventure game by KQ fan company called Phoenix Online Studios (We don’t talk about the real KQ8). You can find the game here and see a playthrough of it here; while the game is free to download, it takes up a lot of space.
- Snacks: Lemon. Here are some nutritional facts about lemons. Try them sliced into a pitcher of icy water. If you’d like to try them preserved (so good to cook with!), here* are some on Amazon.
- Scent: Anise. I love cooking with it! You can buy star anise at your local grocery store, but it’s also a great part of Chinese Five Spice*.
- Meditation: Body scan. Here is a 20-minute body scan guided meditation.
- Journaling Theme: Doodle books. Happy little rectangles aren’t too touch to draw. Write some titles on the covers or spines to personalize them.
Try to incorporate as many of these into your day as possible for the remainder of August and over the course of September. Keep what you like. Nix what you don’t. By experimenting with these little samples, you just might discover something you love!
*These are Amazon Affiliate links.
How are you handling the heat?
Magical Musings 