Solve, create, share and talk about jigsaw puzzles
Profile image

beyondwords

2023-24 Health NOTES (most current on top)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 23, 2024 For the second time in my life, have lost my appetite--first for junk, now for almost everything. But still eating superfoods--protein, fruits & veggies, fibre--& taking my supplements. Happy to be losing a little weight already.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 19, 2024 Will have major abdominal surgery 4-6 weeks from now, with several appts to get ready. Today had blood tests & ECG. They'll remove large mass discovered in last month's MRI of back/spine--plus ovaries, tubes, probably uterus. Good news: During surgery they'll send that mass to lab in the same hospital and will find out whether it's cancer. If it is, they'll check & maybe remove more, e.g., certain lymph glands, and plan treatment. So no suspense or worry about unknown. And I should lose a few pounds!

During recovery won't be allowed to lift more than 10 pounds. What about my gardening? Compost bin? My attentive partner isn't eager to take that over too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 18, 2024 Ate delicious supper downstairs. Cleaned up kitchen, washed dishes 1st time. Then slept during icing & elevation upstairs on bed.

3 medical appts today: hip & knee clinic (got staples removed from incision), physiotherapist (very pleasant treatment of back; discussed coming radiology treatments; practiced some exercises), chiropractor (treated me sitting--not lying on table; couldn't lessen SI pain).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 15, 2024 Sleeping too much, but still doing enough exercises & movement. Right leg a little stronger. Worst pain now is back/glute area. Partner okay leaving me alone 6 hours, but he can spy on me with several cheap cameras. I’m beginning to get used to having lost a lot of privacy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 14, 2024 Spent a few hours downstairs for the first time today. Surprised myself when I unconsciously started back up the stairs with my newly operated leg. I then came all the way up using both legs (hanging onto the rail) just as I had before the latest surgery.

Pain was getting better so I reduced dose of painkiller for a day. Pain came back, so I'm back to full dose. Dizziness/lightheadedness/poor balance comes & goes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 9, 2024 On a Saturday (case manager not available), because of concerns about wound draining and leg pain, I phoned the health line. They sent to my home a wonderful community paramedic who assessed me, bandaged my knee and tiny breaks in skin at my ankle, and phoned to report to her MD boss, who—to our surprise--sent me to Emergency. Over four hours later, a doctor told me the main concern was swelling but offered no ideas beyond the elevation & icing we’re already doing. A nurse then did a lousy job of bandaging my knee with huge gauze, which came off soon after returning home. My partner rebandaged my knee with bandages he had bought earlier in the day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 8, 2024 Surgery went well (as surgeon had promised because this one was straightforward). Stayed in hospital only one night and all following day.

Initial recovery is a challenge. Pain not well controlled. Getting up off raised chairs or raised toilet not easy, partly because left knee still not well rehabbed.

Sleeping lots, doing Stage One exercises, icing & elevating 3 times per day, puttering, mostly staying in bedroom. My partner, my caregiver, is a sweetie. Finally back on Jigidi, hoping to catch up on 100s of notifications. Probably won't be doing puzzles for a few days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 4, 2024 Rt knee replacement surgery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 3, 2024 Yet to come (& in progress):
- kyphoplasty of compression fracture at L2
- cortisone in hip bursae
- assessment & treatment of remaining back/glute pain
- investigation & treatment (removal?) of large ovarian cyst/mass discovered in MRI of spine
- assessment & treatment of urinary incontinence
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 3, 2024 Still too many issues, but after an average of 5 medical appts/week, some much better:
- Toe ulcer healed. Toe straightened via tenotomy so callous won’t develop. Pain free!
- Ablation done on right side spinal nerves L2 to S1. Still pain, but in smaller area. Can stand a bit straighter, do more.
- Ablation done on “new” left knee. Still painful & weak, but better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 12, 2024 Still multiple issues:
- a new knee last June that's not well rehabbed, still painful and weak, and the other knee to be replaced 3 weeks from now
- a toe ulcer that's not healing well inside; will get that toe straightened (tenotomy) this afternoon to take pressure off the end of the toe
- badly degenerated spine that causes severe pain in back, buttock, side; getting treatment from radiologists after assessment procedures--epidural a week ago, ablation of two nerves two days ago, ablation of two more this Friday
- probable bursitis in both hips; will have ultrasound and maybe cortisone, but time running out before knee replacement so may have to wait
- terrible posture & gait to work on after everything else rehabbed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 12, 2023 Total knee replacement--left knee
Surgeon reported it was a huge challenge because knee was in such bad shape. Stayed in hospital two nights because of dizziness & nausea. Lots of pain, but somewhat under control.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many thanks to Jigidi friends for good wishes & encouragement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My name is Patsy. I'm addicted to jigsaws, and now Jigidi. I'm amazed at the huge collection of puzzles here to choose from. And the way the whole site works. I enjoy being part of wonderful communities here. And Jigidi University, where I learn so much. Thank you everybody.

To see all my cat puzzles, go to Puzzles>Most Recent and type patsyscats in the search bar.
To see all my bargello puzzles, go to Puzzles>Most Recent and type patsysbargello in the search bar.

You'll also find lots of pictures of plants and flowers here. Many of those are from my wonderful sister: pcteacher.


I joined Jigidi on 22 October 2017 and was last seen on 28 March 2024. I've solved 22359 puzzles (9.5 daily) and put together 1679840 pieces (715.1 daily)

Puzzles created by this user:

-103+10
4 April 2022 - 19 September 2021
-103+10
Why this advertisement?