One month and counting . . .

I have graduated from having "in home" Physical Therapy to doing outpatient PT.  We were lucky to get approval by Medicare to use the Seton Coastside hospital just a mile from our house.  Ron kindly took me for my first appointment with Katrina on Wednesday.  At least half of my hour appointment was taken up with various kinds of paperwork and diagnostic queries.  The amount of paperwork involved in even the most trivial of healthcare interventions staggers the mind.  Seton Coastside is an old fashioned hospital.  It does have a computer, a very old computer ( I've been going there for at least ten years for a cross section of services:  Emergency Room, Mammogram, X-rays, Physical Therapy . . . et al.) But this old computer doesn't recognize or remember me.  Sad really.

No matter how many times I arrive there I spend the first half hour signing forms and giving data to the nice lady who sits at an aging terminal typing in my personal information. They always make photocopies of my insurance and Medicare cards and my ID drivers license. I wonder where it all goes?  I've given it all literally dozens of times at this facility, but each new visit seems pristine in terms of data to be gathered.  Some day all of these data entries  will catch up with each other and will be put somewhere that is retrievable.

All reports are that I'm doing well.  I'm able to even walk around my house without a cane . . . 
 S  L  O  W  L  Y, mind you.  There is something quite wonderful about the kind of deliberateness required to move and do ordinary things.  And, on the other hand, it is also really frustrating not to have a full range of motion and to need a minute or two when I stand to get my legs under me properly.  I've been having a number of mini-meltdowns because I'm expecting all of this to go faster than it is.  Katrina, when asked, said that the full recovery from hip replacement surgery is really a full year's event.  Surely lots of progress will be made before 12 months has past, but the whole thing is a much longer process than I really had in mind.  And, sometimes it just aches.  It's not horrible, but it does get my attention.  Ron keeps reminding me that "I'm making progress . . . really I am."

We went to downtown Half Moon Bay for a walk and a Chai Latte.  After fifteen minutes walking I long to be sitting down.  Hmmmm . . . it's all part of the process, I guess.  I'm afraid this blog isn't very interesting.  But, my purpose is just to put it all down.  The good, the bad and the ordinary.

I have been doing some pleasing art.  I'll post something to add color to this otherwise dreary entry.