For me the initial recovery seemed endless and was quite an adjustment, but to be honest, I long for that time now, considering how things progressed and how I feel now. As hard as it is, indulge yourself in this time to really rest and nurture yourself. Eat everything you want and drink tons of water. Watch light hearted comedies. NAP. Take your medications, stick to a routine (because I was afraid medications may effect my memory I made sure to jot down in the notes section of my phone when I had taken what steroid/med, what time my PT and appointments were, what time I ate (eat a lot!), when I was able to sleep (nap when you can!) The medication I was on made it very hard to sleep for more than an hour and a half or so at a time mostly. Nights were the worst for me, until about 4/5am, then I was able to sleep solidly for 4 hours usually. I know a lot of people say don't over-do it with a lot of exertion, but I found doing things like my laundry challenging but strengthening and rewarding, I practiced with my walker often, and I tried to make the effort to "do things by myself." -I was lucky enough to have friends who would come help me, and for things like showering or washing your hair, have someone close to you that you are comfortable with there to help you in and out of the bath/shower, slipping is the last thing you want and I wasn't as stable as I thought I was without my walker. So basically, I'm saying be cautious but try to be strong, and above all else, this is a rare moment of time where you are allowed to really nurture yourself. Eat, revel in the small improvements and victories, and try not to be impatient with yourself, be kind. And one last warning, that I wish my doctor had told me or I had known to expect: Decadron ( a common steroid to help swelling after surgery) causes irritation, angry outbursts, and in my case scary hallucinations, mostly when I'd been up for hours in the night unable to sleep and get comfortable. THAT IS THE MEDICATION, and when you ween off of it, those things go away. On the plus side, the steroid did give me more physical strength and drive, and I progressed very quickly with PT and didn't need the walker around my apartment after 5 or 6 days, just used it for long stretches of walking and in public. Be kind to yourself right now as best you can, it will help for later, and you will have plenty of hardships to overcome down the road and you won't have this peace and time to just nurture yourself as much later, as life needs to go on. My sincerest wishes.
