Up up and Away!

I can officially walk, without much of a limp even! Can walk down stairs slowly although it challenges my range of motion a bit...but all in all things are progressing faster than expected at this point.

Its great to be able bodied again. When all is healed and brace is removed I think I will be the most grateful outdoors girl known to all of Albuquerque! I will be biking, climbing, hiking, and nimbly hopping around the house with a shining happiness previously taken for granted.

Last night I went to see a Flamenco performance at the UNM campus with Eva. It was inspirational and amazing to see such a feat of grace, speed, and coordination! When all is healed I am signing up...those three characteristics are something I need to develop :)

Could a blog save my sanity?

So it has been five days since surgery, I am still in a locked Bledsoe brace, cryocuff ice pack, and on crutches. Starting to really have moments of extreme cabin fever. I have been off Percocet for two days, the pain has been very manageable with ibuprofen...needing one Percocet at night...the pain is mostly hamstring. I think of taking Percocet just to pass the time with a drug addled nap but it makes me nauseous so it's not without problems.

I am bored watching movies with Blue. I am jealous of my dog. He naps and is completely relaxed.

Movies I have watched so far:
Knocked up
Ice age
Iron man three to tango
Point break
Star trek movie
The first 3 episodes of Breaking bad (tv show)
Pushing daisies (tv show)

I think my favorite has been Breaking Bad a very good tv show filmed in Albuquerque which is neat. Alex and I watched iron man last night for our romantic valentines celebration. I want to see iron 2 again now.
Tomorrow I go to PT, my big outing...going to attempt to drive today in preparation for driving to pt tomorrow.

I'm going to make an espresso now. Read for awhile.

ACL goes kaboom .... The Long road to recovery

December 2nd after hitting a silly little kicker at Monarch mountain and landing just a bit wrong I managed to blow my knee. Shit.

From Colorado w Alex

MRI revealed a severed ACL, possible small tear to lateral meniscus, minor gastrocnemius strain and bilateral posterior tibial bone bruising. The bone bruising caused excruciating pain with ambulation for the first week and was therefore on crutches.

Two months later, after a fabulously refreshing two and a half week vacation in baja Mexico beach camping with my boyfriend Alex, I was back and ready for surgery. February 9th I had ACL reconstruction with hamstring replacement and 40% meniscus removal with regional nerve block and general anesthesia.

Gentle Leader

Today I broke down and finally bought the Gentle Leader head-collar walking system thingy for Blue. and he doesn't even look stupid wearing it.

Review: AMAZING!!!!!!!!

Example: Walking though the park, Blue spots a woman walking her dog about 50 yards away (obviously a major threat, one that he would ordinarily lunge for while barking like a rabid beast)...so he lunges and whippity skippidty before I can even say "No" the gentle leader has him swung around, sitting, and facing me with a verrry confused look on his face and not barking. and that was that!! Passed many other dogs and he didnt even look!

Warning: Blue does now have a bit of a socially awkward habit of rubbing his entire upper half of his body on any square of grass nearby in attempt to remove said device from his face. Must be rather frustrating like perma-headgear.

Long time no bloggy

Cant sleep. I want to be on a boat. Anybody got one to spare?

A little puppy love

Kate's New Job

I soon leave the calm quiet of the NICU for the loud chaos of the ER which is giving me a lot of anticipatory anxiety about what it is REALLY going to be like. I hope it is exciting, sometimes hilarious, sometimes intense, and overall satisfying. The things I have some anticipatory anxiety about are: smelliness, violence, being barfed on, being sneezed on directly by a smelly violent barfy alcoholic...that I suppose is pretty specific but from what I have heard not at all uncommon. oh boy.

I have started my ER education with a basic arrythmia online module which I am trying to get through a little at a time during down time at work...its a tad bit dry. hence my blogging for procrastinative pleasure. For my nursing friends, have a stab at the following strips:

Theo sings the Blues

A Cosby Show marathon while I was in the break room inspired a re-visit to my all time favorite Cosby Show episode. Here it is: