1. Surgery and its aftermath are exhausting. Plan for this.
2. It is much more relaxing to be laid-up when you are retired. (Makes No. 1 above easier to deal with)
3. My husband is a great caregiver. (Thank you, Bill!)
4. Pain sucks. Taking narcotics for a few days will not make you part of the opioid crisis.
5. Everything is easier with two legs.
6. The recliner is a brilliant invention.
7. The inventor of the knee scooter is a god.
8. A hat can be repurposed as a toe warmer.
9. My friends are great cooks. Thank you all.
10. Mandatory downtime can be a nice opportunity for reading and reflection. (A reflection: Awkwardness in getting from here to there for a few weeks is not that big a deal in the scheme of things, especially if No. 2 above applies. I have a warm home, food, hot running water, and I WILL be back on my feet.)
11. It is not advisable to knit while on narcotics, unless you want to spend three days knitting and ripping out the same 10 rows.
12. Your doctor won't tell you everything. For instance, telling me that if I had to go upstairs, I should do it on my bottom was good advice. Neglecting to mention that I would need someone at the top of the stairs to help me get from the floor to the knee scooter would have been a dangerous omission if I lived alone.
13. Balance matters. So glad I did all those yoga balance poses over the years.
14. Take nothing for granted. When you get out of bed in the morning, check to see that everything is working. If yes, thank your arms and legs and brain for doing their jobs. If you can get into the shower without assistance, be grateful for that too.
Blessings to all everywhere who are now, have ever been, or ever will be, temporarily or permanently without the use of one or more limbs.
