Archives for April 2024

I went to bed too late again, seems I’m back to my old habits. Getting more sleep would be better for me but it seems that’s not possible. I haven’t set an alarm all week and have gotten up later than usual but I just can’t sleep in.

There was breakfast, and then the weekly phone call with my mother. The thing she was most concerned about was that the pain killers would be bad for my stomach so I got scolded for taking what the doctors told me to take. Never mind that my stomach is fine, I’m taking the ibuprofen after my meals and while I can feel that I still have gastritis it hasn’t gotten worse.

My husband made black salsify risotto for lunch:

It was actually very good. We bought the black salsify canned because they are such a pain to cook fresh.

After I ate one of the blueberry muffins we had made and frozen before:

 

I then went on to eat two more muffins which was at least two too many.

I spent the afternoon playing silly games, scrolling through social media and reading a bit. Then I planned the week ahead, thought a little about May but not much and watched the first lesson of the „Knitsonik Bullet Journal“-course. It looks really good but I’m still not sure if I want to buy wash tape and stickers. I’m also a bit undecided if I should try out the new monthly spread she suggests. I can see how it might work better than the one I usually do but I like the simplicity of my old one. On the other hand I never really look at the one I currently use and the new one might be better for catching the month at a glance. I could use that instead of going to my digital calendar. My laptop monitor is so small that the monthly view is a bit frustrating.

As I said, undecided.

I spoke to the boy briefly, he is trying to catch up on university stuff and so there would be no TV watching together.

I ate dinner, talked briefly to my husband, started writing this post, did the dishes and Duolingo, watched another episode of „Find Yourself“ and went to bed.

Today it’s back to teaching. Only three students, so not too taxing.

I was a little cranky in the morning because I was in pain, I think I might have forgotten my pain meds but wasn’t sure. It’s also hay fever season for me again.

I spent most of the day doing nothing but did do the breakfast dishes and helped a little with cooking. My husband is super busy because the warm, sunny weather means lots to do in the garden. He did have help from his friend, though, so he decided to – dig another bed. Because otherwise there would be no space for potatoes…

Lunch was planned around leftover hamburgers:

 

And mint still isn’t a good idea in burgers.

After lunch the boy and I went out to do the grocery shopping. He wanted to take the lead and I mostly let him. This time we went to the nearer supermarket which means the grocery list isn’t sorted properly (I made a form for the supermarket I mostly shop at) and we needed to hunt for things because we didn’t know where to find them.

We also came home with gummy bears and ice cream.

I played some more silly games and finished reading a novel. I liked it but there were one or two romance tropes in there that I really don’t need again. Then I contemplated starting a Margery Allingham novel because we’ll be reading them for the MKAL but decided to start reading „Death in the Spires“ by K.J. Charles instead. I’m only four chapters in but I really like it.

The boy and I ate dinner in front of TV while watching „Dead Boy Detectives“. It was fun and we’ll definitely see the rest of the season.

Then I watched two more episodes of „Find Yourself“, went on social media for an hour or so and went to bed too late again.

I keep thinking I’m all better and then I catch myself being mush-headed still. I guess my body needs a lot of energy for repairs.

Well, I went to bed at 12.30 and didn’t get enough sleep but that’s not what I mean. I’m starting to get my energy back and I’m also in less pain.

I did not write morning pages, though, because I was already late and ate breakfast. I am so happy to be back to my customary muesli with yogurt!

I talked briefly with my husband, spent a long time reading, did Duolingo and did the breakfast dishes when he was already back from running. I did also help with cutting veggies for salad.

Lunch was delicious and not only did we eat together as a family we also had a nice and peaceful conversation about food:

I washed both gauge swatches for the MKAL and hung up a load of laundry. I wanted to go grocery shopping with the boy but he didn’t have the time. I took a shower and finally managed to wash the worst of the pen marks off my throat. It still looks a little scary, there is the actual wound which is not that bad but it also has pen markings that make it look like barbed wire, the whole area is slightly swollen and looking yellow like an old bruise.

I pulled out all my old scarves that I haven’t worn in many years and tried them on.

Then I ate some yogurt and prepared for my monthly Zoom call. I prepared so thoroughly that I was late in the end. The call was really nice and I learned a lot as always.

After that I ate dinner, made the boy change the lightbulb in the bathroom that was broken for days, found out that my husband moved the fresh lightbulbs to a new place (I probably knew this already but had forgotten), procrastinated on social media, started writing this post, did Duolingo, watched some more C-drama (still the rewatch, I don’t have the headspace for something new right now) and went to bed.

Today there should be grocery shopping, probably not much more. Also knitting, reading and measuring gauge swatches. I know. It’s all so exciting!

Let’s see. I went to the hospital Monday morning super early, came in and didn’t even have time to unpack before I had to get ready for surgery. Which was all good, I really dislike waiting. Everybody at the clinic was super nice, and seemed competent, I felt well cared for.

I had full anesthesia and the next thing I know everything was already over. I shared a room with two other women, all of us in for thyroid surgery. I lay around in bed for a bit and in the afternoon I could already get up with the help of a nurse. There was only very limited pain and I felt a bit woozy, that was all.

I texted my family around 2 and by then it was clear that my voice was all good. A bit hoarse but that was to be expected.

On Tuesday I already spent some time outside bed, my husband came to visit me right before lunch and the boy came by in the afternoon after uni. I was very bored.

And on Wednesday I was already allowed back home. Everything is fine, I’m still taking pain meds and also am taking things slow but I am supposed to go for walks even. Right now I’m still making the boy do all my chores but yesterday I already folded laundry. And walked to the nearby supermarket for chocolate, as one does.

Food at the clinic was, um, not the best, and like always it is hard to rest at the hospital because there are always people in and out the room. So yes, I’m happy to be home. As always.

Here’s a pictures of yesterday’s lunch:

Much better than hospital food.

Oh, and the highlight of my Tuesday was a care package from a dear friend:

That was such a wonderful surprise and made me very happy.

Today there will be more doing nothing and maybe another little walk. A nifty side-effect of the pain meds is that my feet don’t hurt either. Duh.

And yes, I am aware that my brain is mush right now but I’ll get better soon.

Because I had to.

Quick reminder that I probably won’t be posting over the next few days because when you’re reading this I will be in the hospital already.

I had another day where I didn’t get quite enough sleep and skipped the whole morning routine. Oh, but I have a new theory what I maybe can do for less foot pain. Haven’t had time to try it yet, though. I was thinking it feels like stretching my feet and calves doesn’t really help but there is this one exercise for knee mobility that makes me feet sigh in relief. So I’m thinking I should also try the rather unpleasant stretching exercise that I used to do for my hip (or was it the knee? One of those or maybe both) because it targets the same muscles.

I had a long list yesterday because I still needed to finish cleaning, needed to pack and do the usual household stuff.

I called my mother on the phone and she drove me up the wall by insisting not only that I take a taxi back home from the clinic but also to get my health insurance to pay for it Because that is the most important thing of all, apparently.

Now, I don’t know how I’ll feel when I leave the hospital but I’m guessing that I can probably get home on public transit with my husband’s help. I know that I’m not supposed to carry heavy things which is why I want somebody to carry my backpack. The walk from the train station home is 850 meters Normally that is definitely not a problem for me. If I feel too weak for that, though, I can also get off the train a station earlier and catch a bus that stops 100 meters from home.

So that call resulted in me researching even more about thyroid surgery because I felt more anxious after. The thing I need to remember is that a) my mother probably mixes the two train stations near our house up. We used to always walk to the one that’s further away because that reduced the train fair by half. It takes more than fifteen minutes to walk there. And b) my mother is so frail these days that she couldn’t walk all the way to the nearer train station even on a good day, at least I think so.

My husband wanted to make hamburgers and baked potatoes but we also had green asparagus so we ended up with this lunch:

Not the best meal I’ve had. Asparagus doesn’t really mix well with the other ingredients. Also, I have to say I don’t really like mint in hamburgers. And – on a completely unrelated note – I might have ordered an asparagus peeler.

Lunch was pretty late so I did not take a long break but instead got going earlier than usual. I finally vacuumed the old part of the house, cleaned the washbasins and toilets, did the dishes, hung up a load of laundry, tried to show my husband how to listen to voicemail, changed my emergency contact on all forms to the boy’s cell, refilled all travel containers for shampoo and such and packed a small backpack and a purse. I decided to leave the bullet journal at home which feels weird and almost didn’t pack a towel.

I called the clinic and got told that I need to come in at 7.15 instead of 9 which makes quite the difference, talked with my husband a bit and with the boy over cheese toast (me) and grilled cheese (he has discovered how to make it in a pan and having real toast for it is a rare treat), finished packing, wrote this post, watched a bit of C-drama and went to bed early but not early enough.

Today will be an experience. If everything goes according to plan I’ll be back home on Wednesday, wish me luck!