Three months and I hope I’m still improving. The thigh wound still has three superficial unhealed spots which are quite maddening. They scab, the scab comes off when I apply ointment or the wound catches on my clothes or gets wet. That leaves a raw red patch that scabs over again and the cycle continues. I think there were 4 patches a week or 2 ago so I guess it has improved slowly.
Apart from that the wound is good and the leg functional.
I can swallow pills with water now although those big Panadol tablets need pushing back with my fingers. This is big progress from no swallowing to swallowing Fortisip, to swallowing sparkling water well to swallowing still water well to swallowing my meds with Fortisip and now with water.
Food. I can be a bit more adventurous and can mush particles up better but no useful teeth means I can’t break bigger lumps up and I have had a one centimeter piece of peach stuck in my throat. Coughable fortunately.
Lymphoedema. Some swelling around the neck scar and under the chin. Looks awful from the side I’ve noticed. I’ve been trying to do the exercises but saw the physio in person on Thursday and she gave me a good massage which flattened my neck pouch for a while.
Teeth. Saw my prosthodontist and oral surgeon yesterday. The former had made mouthguard made that had teeth in it! Very yellow ones. Unfortunately one tooth had moved since the impression was made and it didn’t fit. He had also made me a flexible mouthguard without teeth which I am to wear all the time except when eating or cleaning it. It might push the rogue tooth back in position. We’ll see in about a month.
Coping with my saliva and no front teeth has been hard but I am philosophical about it. In the scheme of things it’s not as important as it once was because I came perilously close to losing my life altogether. I’m down to give a 3 minute talk on 4 February so wish me luck. I really have to get into a flow to talk coherently without sucking in saliva, wiping my mouth etc. Once I’m in that flow it’s easier but sitting here right now I feel my speech is difficult.
I have been surprisingly upbeat despite my brush with mortality. It’s not 100% fixed and at my age life is fragile anyway. Living alone is convenient but lonely at times. Below is a list of random gratitude items I wrote over a few days in early January and put in a jar. No cheating, honestly.
Sun on walkway
Started Station 11
Walk in Shakespear Park
Got car cleaned and scratch semi fixed
Close up with kereru
Made edible vege soup
Good letter from ADHB
Beautiful views past my pots
Mellow sun
Swallowed pills with Fortisip
Joe B’s Jan 6 speech
5 Jan: everything is open!
Understood The Lost Daughter
Cleaned main bedroom
Got Wordle out well
4 Jan walked 7220 steps
Got minicycle for knee for $35
Vacuumed deck
Weird, the superficial things that make me feel good. ALTHOUGH, I have just read an article about the dangers of relentless positivity. You can’t win.
