Hip-hop anonymous - a PAO journal

Tonight, a celebration of epic proportions. Well, maybe not epic, but pretty big, especially for someone who hasn't gotten out much in almost three weeks after reconstructive hip surgery. The cause for celebration was actually much bigger than the celebration itself, but who's counting? Anyway. The cause: finishing all 14 of my Fragmin anti-blood clotting stomach injections and one full day of no painkillers whatsoever. Not even Tylenol. The celebration: Dinner out with the folks, an old friend, a Crown and coke, and a glass of red wine. Good times, indeed. I probably could have taken a Tylenol today, but I wanted to see what my baseline pain was. It's still there, I've discovered, but manageable, even without painkillers.

Today was my last Fragmin injection, which is a relief because my poor tummy is dotted with little, sore, round bruises. To celebrate, I decided to partake in an adult beverage this evening, my first since before the surgery. I had three glasses of wine and decided I better stop. Nobody wants to see a drunk girl on crutches. Or a drunk girl on crutches fall down. My crutches fall down enough as it is. Speaking of which, why doesn't somebody invent some kind of kickstand so the darn things don't tip over so much?

My least favorite part of the day is midmorning, when I have to give myself a shot of Fragmin, a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. All my Hip Sisters know what a pain the butt ... er ... stomach they are. I'm not really scared to do it; I'm not afraid of needles or the sting they inflict. But it's just hard for me to push that thing into my belly. If I think about it too much, I simply cannot do it and end up with my hand in the ready position for minutes on end! Mom laughs at me, but always tells me how brave I am when it's over for the day. Six down, eight to go!