On Friday I’m scheduled to be leaving the post-surgical orthopedic rehab facility as I enter the next phase of my return to normalcy. I will be transitioning from inpatient physical and occupational therapy sessions to at home sessions. My primary care givers will no longer be doctors and nurses, but my wife. She will also be my primary meal preparer and housekeeper. She will also assume a huge burden of physically and emotionally caring for me as a result of my stupidity that caused me to fracture my hip. And I couldn’t be more grateful for her presence in my life.
I’m still in a serious amount of pain at the site of the surgery (my left hip) and my left leg feels almost like dead weight, unable to follow the simple instructions my brain is sending it. My energy level, particularly after going through rigorous physical/occupational therapy sessions, is drained. I know it’s going to take a lot of time, effort, and patience before I will be back on my own two feet, literally.
So, on to the point of this post. I have been able to keep my daily FOWC with Fandango prompt going because I usually have a few weeks worth of those daily posts scheduled in advance. And I think, even while focusing on my physical recovery, I will be able to keep them going. I’ll probably be able to keep my Flashback Friday posts going, as that mostly involves reblogging a previous post. But I have other prompt posts that might not fare so well in the near term:
- Monday’s Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge (#FFFC)
- Tuesday’s Fandango’s Story Starter (#FSS)
- Wednesday’s Fandango’s Provocative Question (#FPQ)
- Sunday’s (sometimes) Fandango’s Who Won the Week (#FWWTW)
These posts will have to go on hiatus until I get my mojo back. I just don’t have the energy or motivation right now to keep them going. If any of you would be interested in temporarily (or possibly permanently) taking over any of these challenges, please let me know. Otherwise, these four aforementioned posts will be off the radar for a while.
While I’ve been trying as best I can to read and respond to your comments on my way fewer posts these past nine days, I have not done as well keeping up with your posts. I hope, as the weeks go by and my recovery proceeds, to resume reading your posts more regularly and to be able to respond to the prompts and challenges many of you post.
And again, thank you for your well wishes since my fall.
This, That, and the Other 
I have enough on my plate for now and I know that I owe you for taking over Song Lyric Sunday when I took a two-week vacation last summer, so I am willing to help out for a couple of weeks if you can’t find anyone else. I think that your Tuesday’s Fandango’s Story Starter (#FSS) would work best for me, as that seems like the easiest one to host.
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Hey Jim, thanks for the offer, but you don’t owe me. I enjoyed it. It’s no biggie if a few (or all) go on hiatus. I don’t want anyone to feel burdened.
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It is not a burden and I want to help, unless you can find somebody else.
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Thanks, Jim. Normally I would post my Story Starter prompt at 3:00 am PT/ 6:00 am ET on Tuesdays. No one else has yet volunteered for that one yet, so if you want to step up, it’s yours. But since it’s already late on Monday afternoon, you can skip tonight’s and start next week if you prefer. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Remember that AI story that you posted, and I said that one line in it would make a great story starter, if you can remember that I will use it.
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“There, amidst a clearing in the dark woods, stood … “
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I have been refraining from commenting so that’s one less bit of stuff to contend with.
Have you heard about the bloke in the hospital whose leg was too far gone and when the doctor came in to see him he said “I have some good news and some bad news.”
The bloke said “Give me the bad news first Doc.”
The Doctor said ” I’m afraid we can’t fix your leg and we will have to amputate”
The bloke was beside himself “Amputate! That’s terrible news. How can you have good news after that!”
The Doctor said “The bloke in the next bed wants to buy your slippers.”
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🤣
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I would be happy to host FFFC for a while on Mondays. Let me know!
Rest up and take care 💕
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Thanks, Paula. It’s all yours. I normally post the prompt at 3:00 am PT on Monday mornings. So you have a nearly whole week to scour the internet to find a perfectly irresistible photo or image. Let me know if you have any questions. 🙏
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Sweet! I’ll make it happen 😀
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I know you will. Thanks.
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Your light load reads like me on a very busy day. I’m glad you’re going home. Take your time – recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. 💖
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Yes, I’m discovering that. The marathon reality has shattered my sprint expectations almost as much as my fall shattered my hip. Thank you.
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I’d have no idea of how to help, but I’d like to say that you have been an important part of experience on WP for the past three years. and just saying that I appreciate all that you do seems inadequate. It only seems reasonable that you pull back until hour energies are restored.
I have to admit to being amazed with all that you have done since your injury. automation and planning are all very well, but I know that you’ve really worked hard through the lack of energy and the pain. Take some time and recuperate. I’d like to say we’d throw you a party, but it would have to be via Zoom or Skype!
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Hey, Lou, thank you for your very kind words. That really means a lot to me. I was honestly surprised by how much this injury, the surgery, and the recuperating so far, has taken out of me, but I really do feel quite drained and feel I have no choice but to take it down a notch or two. Thanks for being so supportive.
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I’m glad two of the prompts are take care of by Jim and Paula. As advised by others, it will be slow going but you’ll get there eventually. Take care and stick to Physio. The first three weeks are tough. After that it starts to get better.
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Yes, I’m already doing things that last Monday I honestly wondered if I’d ever be able to do again.
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Keep up the spirit!
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Just do what you feel up to doing … we’re not going anywhere and we’ll be right here waiting for you when your mojo finds its way back!
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Thanks, Jill. The one side benefit to all of this is that I haven’t been following the news closely (except for the two mass shootings in California over the past two days). And even though my physical health is being challenged, mentally I feel almost blissfully unaware. And as sad as that is, it’s kind of a relief.
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The same thing happened to me … at the end of 2021 I was in the hospital for 11 days due to my heart issues, and for about 3 weeks after I got home I was just too exhausted to write or read about the news. Like you say, I was almost blissfully unaware. Enjoy it while it lasts, for soon enough you’ll be back in the saddle!
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Good news/bad news! 😉
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We’ll all be here when you feel up to it. The important thing is for you get well, and I’ve no doubt you will, Fandango.
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Thanks. I’ve no doubt I will as well.
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The road to recovery may be long one but don’t you worry, we’ll be right here.
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They said to me at the hospital “Don, no-one over 60 should be climbing ladders”. I follow their advice. Like a good boy…….
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I wish I had gotten that advice, although I probably wouldn’t have listened. I’m Superman. Or so I thought. 😖
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Some things you need to still climb a ladder for regardless. However, I’m a lot more selective and certain things I won’t do now like cleaning gutters. ………
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I’d be happy to help out with any if you want. Just let me know 😊
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Glad to hear your recovery is going as well as can be expected, and I bet you’re looking forward to getting home again 🙂
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I definitely am looking forward to going home.
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Hey buddy I’m sure I could come up with a fffc. Wrfiting them all is a different matter!
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Thanks, Pete. Paula Light has volunteered to pinch hit for FFFC, and Jim Adams for FSS, but if you want to jump in for one of those, touch base with them. Maybe you can guest post for one of them.
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We’re not going anywhere =D
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Wish you well. Take care and hang in there. 🙂
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Thank you, Terveen.
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Don’t worry about anyone forgetting about you! Just recover then come back full steam! I had a full left hip replacement. Did they go in from the front or the side? The side version takes a lot longer to recover from since they have to cut some muscle. I still walk with a wobble sometimes and its been about six years!
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From the side.
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Ugh…sorry you have to go through this!
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It is what it is.
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We’ll be right here when you are feeling better, my friend! I will send you some healing energy over! I won’t be able to take on any posts, but we definitely could not forget about Fandango. Feel better!
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Thanks, Amy.
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You’re welcome. Sorry that I am just now realizing that you have been healing. It’s already been a very full semester, and we are just in week 2.
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No apologies necessary, Amy. We all have lo live in the real world upon occasion.
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I’m glad that everyone has your back. We are an awesome community of people.
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Awesome indeed!
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Home is the best place for recovery. We’ll be here when you feel up to it.
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I’m feeling better and I’m even feeling optimistic that I will get through this.
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You WILL get through it. TLC in familiar surroundings is better than most therapies,and there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed with your own pillows and duvet, not to mention your own loo and not having to share with other patients!
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I totally understand. We’ve been in a medical mess for weeks. Today I woke up already tired and I’ve got another infusion tomorrow and Garry’s got another eye test the day after — and three MORE appointments next week. Sometimes, life really does get in your way. Take care of YOU and we will all be glad for your return.
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Thanks, Marilyn. It’s strange (for me) anyway. I get these very brief spurts of energy while lying in bed (which is what I do most days when I’m not going through my four hours of PT/OT daily), and I’ll want to read posts, comments, write responses, etc. But after these 30-45 minute spurts of energy, I am once again feeling totally drained, can’t focus, and all I can do is close my eyes and dose. And watching TV, or trying to, also saps me of energy. So I don’t bother watching any.
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You’re heading in the right direction and sometimes that’s enough. You’re a tough cookie, Fandango. You’ll be up and dancing alongside Travolta in no time. Take care, buddy!
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I got the moves like Jagger!
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Start You Up!
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