Warrior's Drink...

I don't care how many stool softeners they give you. Warm prune juice. That is all. And as to the image, IYKYK...

This is wayyyyyyyyyyy too much TMI, but if you've ever been under general anaesthesia, you know it can wreak havoc with your stomach and your other systems. So not only are you foggy-brained, but you can't pee or poop for a while. 

So I had my hip replaced on Friday, June 23. I was truly pain-free for the first 24 hours post-surgery. There was no 16-penny nail hammering into my hip, there was no knee pain, nothing. Except my back hurt because I don't sleep on my back and I had to. The hospital bed allowed me to tilt my head up and I was able to bend my knees a bit by raising the base of the bed, so it wasn't miserable. And they were in and out all night checking on me, so there was that. 

I really liked the "leg massage devices" they used on my legs, and I wish I'd have had the option to take them home. The nurses said a lot of people object, but it's like -- it's to prevent a life-threatening clot. What's to object? 

I also came home with a "wound vac" which I wasn't expecting. It occasionally growls at me. But nothing is coming out, which is apparently a good thing. 

Thankfully, I had pooped (see, TMI) the morning before my surgery - one of the blessings of not having to be up at "rooster o'clock" for the procedure. Because I knew I would have all kinds of meds, I knew there would be some stool softeners. And - pain meds kill my appetite. They honestly don't do much for pain, and they make me want to vomit, which seems beside the point - so while I'm doing the minimum so I don't get caught up in the pain, I have been having the "I really don't want to eat" thing. And of course: nothing in, nothing out. 

Funny story: Part 1 -- I was up and walking with assistance 2 hours after I was out of recovery. They do not mess around. 

Part 2 -- I hadn't had any pain meds, and the nurse said "just take it, you will wish you had" and so I did. Anyway, I was up and going to the bathroom. They turned the sink on - that trick apparently works for potty-training kids, and adults with sleepy bladders. I peed, they said, "nope, there's more. Try again." So I did. And there was. I've never had my bladder take this long to wake up. 

Part 3 -- I was getting ready to be discharged (which did take forever, the only bad part) and not only did ALL MY PAIN RECEPTORS WAKE UP but so did my bladder. So it's "ouch, pee, ouch, pee, ouch, pee..." Luckily, I made it to the toilet in good time. 

Still no poop. I'd been faithfully taking my stool softeners, but like I said, not eating too much. I was feeling really queasy and was about to send Hubby out to get a laxative (which is what the home health nurse recommended, because you have to wake up your system). Instead, I had him warm up about 1 cup of prune juice. I prefer it warmed for the purpose I was planning. 

And...in the middle of his conference call, I stood up, and I said, "You need to help me" because we have a dog gate and he lifts the walker over it. He looked at me and said, "You're moving with a purpose." Yep. I was. 

Success. That is all. 

The Knitting...

Petty Harbour #1 is done. I finished it Thursday night and started #2. I'm at the ribbing already. I want to plow through, then frog Long Sands. And then start that one. And finish the other blue singleton. 

I'm still very much loving the yarn and I think that, while I've seen this pattern done in a variegated yarn, for me - a solid is the way to go. But also - nothing too dark. I find that the older I get, the less I like knitting with black or dark navy. Hard to see the stitches. 

This sock fits really well. I was a bit worried because it's smaller than I would usually knit. But when I tried it on, it was not too snug, and it had plenty of room in both the toes and the heel. 

I'm not even too bummed about the short leg. I think it's definitely the softness of the yarn, so I'm also hoping that it wears as well as it feels. 

It's always nice to see that your initial instinct for a colorway and pattern work out so well. I wasn't quite sure about this khaki color, but it has worked out just fine and I could see this in maybe a medium blue, or -- finally -- a purple, seeing as it's my favorite color and I have ZERO socks in that color. 

And I have a life-hack for you, my knitterly friends! You know Kitchener Stitch and that set-up row? Well. Eliminate the set-up row. Start right in with Row #1 and you won't get "ears" on your sock. Who knew?? 

I like Kitchener, though I know some folks don't. I prefer a star toe, though, because it does fit my feet better. I just massively dislike the ears I used to get on the Kitchener bind off. And I think a 3-needle bindoff for a sock is one step too fiddly. And for a sock knitter to worry about "fiddly" is saying something!

I think that #2 will work up pretty quickly. The pattern repeats on the leg are easily memorized and once you get the hang of it, the whole sock just kind of flows. And of course, it's the shorter leg. 

One of the other things I want to do is to try to do an "arch support" on the bottom of the instep. That's a pattern for another day, though. 

Random Picture...

This is Prairie Blazing Star. It should be blooming in my garden right about now, but since we had what we can kindly call a weird spring, and we're in a drought, I've got greens but no blossoms. Soon enough, I expect. Hubby said he saw a Monarch Butterfly on the milkweed, so I know that the native plants are making an impact. 

My Brown-Eyed Susans are also behind, as is the Bee Balm. I think Mother Nature is just taking her own time, as she should. I will have flowers eventually. 

What's growing in your garden this summer? Inquiring minds want to know!