We are finally having real summer weather in Spokane, with temperatures in the 90s. Being unable to go outside and enjoy the nice weather on my bike is making me stir crazy. I do still go for short walks around the neighborhood, but otherwise I'm pretty much in the house right now. I need a change of scenery in the worst way! Who wants to take a trip somewhere? Anywhere!

I did start riding my bike last Friday, beginning with 2 miles on the trainer to test it out. I've since worked my way outside, with my longest ride being 7 miles. Later today I'm hoping to do even a bit more. I have to stay flat, as it is not comfortable to get out of the saddle. Otherwise, I really feel pretty good on the bike. The worst thing is actually the small area directly around my incision, as I appear to be allergic to the adhesive that was used to seal my incision with Steri-Strips. I had my strips removed Thursday, and began to have a reaction Friday, which is still continuing. Bike shorts, sweat, and heat really tend to irritate it, making it itch and burn.

Ted leaves tomorrow for a 10-day trip to the Midwest, so this will be a real test for me. I am still not supposed to lift anything over 5 pounds. Let me tell you, a lot of things weigh more than 5 pounds! I was thinking of driving somewhere to ride my bike, but I can't lift my bike to get it out of/into the car! And grocery shopping? The bags are too heavy. Thankfully, Ted's going to stock me up with stuff today before he leaves.

I haven't walked Hitcher since surgery because he is so strong and pulls so much. I did buy one of these harnesses, with hopes that it'll be enough for me to comfortably walk him. The real test will come when he spots a squirrel. We may also start with the shock collar on, so I can buzz him if he really starts to pull on me. The yard is going to be fenced soon, but not until Ted returns from his trip, so I need to at least be able to walk Hitch out to the yard for bathroom breaks. If all else fails, I'll go to Mom and Dad's for a few days, where Hitch can run around the yard as much as he likes.

In the meantime, I'm applying for jobs left and right, but haven't had any nibbles so far. And, there is still that thesis to write... I think the coffee shop up the street will become my office this week.

A lovely pre-surgery shot.

I'm finally feeling well enough to sit at the laptop for a little while, so I thought I'd kill some time with a blog post. Mom and Dad came up to Spokane Tuesday night, and took Ted and me out for my last pre-surgery meal at the Downriver Grill. I was called Wednesday morning and told that my surgery had been postponed to 1:30 or 2, which meant that I could not eat or drink anything for most of Wednesday. I found myself looking at the dog's water bowl with envy.

I had an anesthesiologist who looked like the second-coming of Doogie Howser. I remember being wheeled into the OR, which was filled with lots of bright colors (Dad said maybe they gave me mushrooms by mistake), and that was all.

Apparently, I'm a slow "waker-upper" from anesthesia, as it took over 1.5 hours for me to wake up. I remember seeing that my heart rate was 42 and asking what pain medication I was receiving (Dilaudid).

Post-surgery, my left leg pain was immediately gone, but my back was severely hurting. I took hydrocodone for the first day, but I was incredibly queasy, and decided I'd rather have more pain than be unable to eat/drink, so I switched to Tylenol. I was finally able to stomach some snacks Thursday night, which were desperately needed since I was pretty weak.



Little walks have been a critical part of the recovery process. I started with a walk to the neighbor's yard, where I proceeded to dry heave on my knees in front of our nice neighbor and her granddaughters. I have since progressed to 25 minute, very slow walks... with no dry heaving.

Mom and Dad stayed with us until yesterday afternoon, which was a huge help. You can't ask for much better home care than a retired nurse and a retired doctor, especially when they are Mom and Dad. They shopped, cleaned, cooked, got me things, walked with me, helped me with wound care/changing clothes, and watched TV with me. It was great because Ted didn't have to take any more time off from work after losing all of his vacation time with his accident.

I'm desperately bored and may try to spin on the trainer for 1 or 2 miles in the next couple days (the doc said it's okay), but we'll see how I feel. Time to switch positions now - my back is telling me so.

Crisco, Panko, and Raisins

We are officially moved out of Pullman, as of June 30th, and trying to get things all settled/unpacked in Spokane.

This week was an interesting one for Hitcher. We came home Monday evening to discover that Hitcher had gotten in the garbage. He had also found a dietary supplement, eating 30 to 40 capsules. Off to the emergency vet we went, where they had to induce vomiting. He was a bit groggy that evening, but seemed normal Tuesday morning.

We did ride and had dinner Tuesday evening, and came home to find that Hitcher had again gotten into things. A stick of Crisco and a box of Panko bread crumbs were demolished. Upon closer examination, I saw that there was also an empty bag of Sun Maid raisins. I'm glad I noticed the tiny closure sticker on the bag because the dog had left the raisin box where he found it - in a big bag of kitchen things.

Years ago, my friend Tammie told me that raisins, and sometimes grapes, are toxic to dogs. I called the vet ER and they said we should bring him in again. I asked the vet how concerned I should be. She said it would probably be okay if the raisins had not yet left Hitch's stomach, but it would likely not be good if the raisins had already been digested. Ugh. Not what I wanted to hear. They again induced vomiting (8 cups!) and found the Crisco, Panko, and lots of raisins. Yay! We took the groggy guy home again, and he could barely keep his eyes open in the car. Thankfully, the rest of the week was free of any more episodes.

Hitch is a smart cookie. He has figured out how to get into the new step garbage can without turning it over. He has also discovered that he can open the dishwasher if we do not latch it all the way, so we sometimes find dirty utensils (licked clean!) on the kitchen floor.

I go under the knife Wednesday, so there is a lot to get done before then. I really just want to get the surgery over with now. It's an outpatient procedure, so I'll be able to recover at home. Mom and Dad are coming to stay for a day or two, so Ted shouldn't have to take more than the actual surgery day off from work.