Just because I am recovering from surgery, does not mean I am not cooking or creating new recipes. On the contrary, I am adding new crock pot recipes since crock pot cooking is the easiest anyway and especially now. I am still trying to incorporate as large a variety of whole foods as possible, thus playing with new ideas for recipes.
This was an idea from quite some time ago after successfully trying crock pot Alfredo. That success opened the door to all sorts of pasta recipes in the crock pot. I first tried the spaghetti before surgery and it was fine, but not really the way I wanted it. So, the second attempt was today and turned out much better.
I make my own spaghetti sauce and Italian sausage and used those for this recipe, thus am including these recipes as well.
Crock Pot Spaghetti
Spaghetti sauce (see recipe below)
1 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach
1 pound Italian sausage (see recipe below)
6 ounces additional water
~1/4 cup olive oil (I did not measure, but just poured)
~6 ounces Parmesan (I did not measure)
1 package (13.5 ounces, I think) whole wheat spaghetti
I did not make the sauce in advance, I just dumped all of the ingredients (except salt) in the crock pot, added a frozen block of spinach, frozen pre-cooked Italian sausage and let the frozen items thaw and cook and the sauce simmer to allow flavors to blend. I then added the olive oil, then the Parmesan and let that melt. When it was nearing time to eat, I added the spaghetti and let that cook until tender. For angel hair spaghetti it only took maybe 15 minutes to cook? I was not keeping track.
This was really, really good! The previous time I did not add cheese and I used chicken instead of Italian sausage. It was good, but not as full of flavors.
Spaghetti Sauce
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
3 cans water
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon)
Combine all ingredients and simmer ~30 minutes (either on the stove or in the microwave).
Italian Sausage
1 pound ground turkey
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt (try less)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/16 teaspoon cayenne
Mix all ingredients together, brown and drain.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Class, Challenges, Choices, Caution, and Curiosity (aka Week 4 Update)
I know the title probably sounds completely unrelated to recovery from surgery. However, it is very much related. I had class all of this past week. Class has been challenging for years as both sitting and standing bother me. I had talked with the surgeon and physical therapist and neither were optimistic that I'd be able to handle sitting through class this early after surgery. One suggestion was standing...but I have circulation issues on the operative leg whenever I stand very long--as in the leg turns purple and cold. I was as proactive as I knew how to be. I had ice packs with me, the pillow I had used to sit on before surgery, etc. But...I still ran into issues with increased swelling, plus getting sore and achy. I also encountered an unanticipated challenge: how utterly exhausting it was to get around campus on crutches. I was completely wiped out the first day.
Choices. I had to make choices on some hard things this week. I had to choose not to attend class one day in order to let my body have the rest it needed. I had to choose not to attend a picnic I had been looking forward to for the same reasons--my body was not up to going. Instead of class, I ended up with a doctor appointment to check the swelling and circulation issues. The swelling was down by then. However, the circulation issues were very evident without me even drawing attention to them--the leg was obviously purple and it was cold to touch. the conclusion was it needs weight on it and it should get better once it is weight bearing again.
Caution versus curiosity. These have been one of my challenges for years. I am a weird mix of super cautious--afraid to try things, with really curious--wondering what happens if I try and testing limits. The initial stage after surgery finds me super cautious and almost afraid to move. Thereafter, things start to shift and I start trying things partly to see what I can do, partly just to test what the actual limit is. I do not like limitations and restrictions. I have lived with them much of the past 14 years. I understand their purpose in some instances and am as compliant as I know how to be. But the more restrictions in place, the harder I start to fight for more independence--still complying as well as I can, but finding other ways to be as independent as possible.
I would say that overall, things are still going well. But, I also have to admit that this has been the most challenging week yet. Swelling returned with the sitting for class, the hip actually got sore and achy this week as well--suspected to be a combination of sitting, and adding weight onto it. My neck, back, shoulder, both hands, right hip are really, really tired and getting more uncomfortable with each day. It is hard to want to even move sometimes. Friday evening--the first time I was actually discouraged from surgery related issues other than being tired. Monday I almost cried myself to sleep from exhaustion. Friday was getting discouraged because things were tired, sore, achy. It was harder to want to move at all. I sort of felt as if things are going backward right now.
Exciting things: I was in the pool 4 days this week! I was able to drive myself to class. I accomplished things that I did not think I could yet. I also did some things that I probably should not have done yet. After another rough night and discouraging morning, I made a list of all of the positive things. That helped. I know that in the grand scheme, things are actually still going very well and I really do not have much to complain about. I do have much to be grateful for and I am choosing to focus on these.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Choices. I had to make choices on some hard things this week. I had to choose not to attend class one day in order to let my body have the rest it needed. I had to choose not to attend a picnic I had been looking forward to for the same reasons--my body was not up to going. Instead of class, I ended up with a doctor appointment to check the swelling and circulation issues. The swelling was down by then. However, the circulation issues were very evident without me even drawing attention to them--the leg was obviously purple and it was cold to touch. the conclusion was it needs weight on it and it should get better once it is weight bearing again.
Caution versus curiosity. These have been one of my challenges for years. I am a weird mix of super cautious--afraid to try things, with really curious--wondering what happens if I try and testing limits. The initial stage after surgery finds me super cautious and almost afraid to move. Thereafter, things start to shift and I start trying things partly to see what I can do, partly just to test what the actual limit is. I do not like limitations and restrictions. I have lived with them much of the past 14 years. I understand their purpose in some instances and am as compliant as I know how to be. But the more restrictions in place, the harder I start to fight for more independence--still complying as well as I can, but finding other ways to be as independent as possible.
I would say that overall, things are still going well. But, I also have to admit that this has been the most challenging week yet. Swelling returned with the sitting for class, the hip actually got sore and achy this week as well--suspected to be a combination of sitting, and adding weight onto it. My neck, back, shoulder, both hands, right hip are really, really tired and getting more uncomfortable with each day. It is hard to want to even move sometimes. Friday evening--the first time I was actually discouraged from surgery related issues other than being tired. Monday I almost cried myself to sleep from exhaustion. Friday was getting discouraged because things were tired, sore, achy. It was harder to want to move at all. I sort of felt as if things are going backward right now.
Exciting things: I was in the pool 4 days this week! I was able to drive myself to class. I accomplished things that I did not think I could yet. I also did some things that I probably should not have done yet. After another rough night and discouraging morning, I made a list of all of the positive things. That helped. I know that in the grand scheme, things are actually still going very well and I really do not have much to complain about. I do have much to be grateful for and I am choosing to focus on these.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Three Weeks!
Three weeks is an exciting "milestone" in that it means I get to start adding more weight onto surgical leg, which in turn means I am that much closer to being done with crutches!
Exciting news! I was cleared for the pool for real. (Before was only with strict warnings regarding keeping the incisions protected and dry.) So, of course I went to the pool and walked in the water!!! It felt really weird at first. It was strange trying to figure out how to tell my body to put weight on the leg it has been so carefully protecting for three weeks and that had hurt for so long even before that. Then, I just hung out in the deep water to unweight everything and give my tired neck, back, shoulder, and both hips a much needed break.
Crutches are challenging. Hence being so excited about being closer to being done with them. My left shoulder and right hip are really not happy with my left leg getting a free ride. My hands are not too happy about things either--sore and tender. It is hard to be feeling well enough to want to be up and doing more but have a body that is negating the idea with every try.
Other than the challenges with crutches, there have been a few other incidents that made this a more challenging week than the previous ones. I am still choosing to focus on the positive as much as possible, but have gotten a bit discouraged at times. This is not an easy recovery and I am not pretending it is. It still is much easier than I had thought it would be and I am grateful for that. I am grateful for a surgeon and his staff who respond to questions and concerns promptly.
I am still trying to find something new that I can do each day. In some cases, it is not a new thing, so much as gradually returning to normal ways of doing things, rather than the vastly modified versions I have figured out from necessity. In some ways having lived with so much pain for so long before surgery was a blessing in that I had already figured out various methods of getting things done and that has made recovery so much easier. I already had modified ways of getting dressed, getting into cars, cooking, etc. I am also working on seeing how much variety I can get with foods, especially vegetables--at least I am getting variety in something even if not so much with activity.
Physical therapy is going well and I am making rapid progress. I cannot always notice the progress on a daily basis, but when I look back at what I was doing a week ago, then it is obvious how far I have come. This week, we added back an exercise I used to do before surgery. Funny getting excited about something I used to do without thinking. Context and perspective make things appear so differently. I am grateful for a physical therapist who knows me, knows what I was capable of before surgery, knows my tendencies, then finds ways to keep me from getting bored, but also holds me back from hurting myself by trying to push forward too fast.
Overall, I am continuing to do well. I am so grateful to family and friends who have come alongside and helped me out so much the past few weeks! I am so grateful for a loving God who sustains and meets all needs!
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Exciting news! I was cleared for the pool for real. (Before was only with strict warnings regarding keeping the incisions protected and dry.) So, of course I went to the pool and walked in the water!!! It felt really weird at first. It was strange trying to figure out how to tell my body to put weight on the leg it has been so carefully protecting for three weeks and that had hurt for so long even before that. Then, I just hung out in the deep water to unweight everything and give my tired neck, back, shoulder, and both hips a much needed break.
Crutches are challenging. Hence being so excited about being closer to being done with them. My left shoulder and right hip are really not happy with my left leg getting a free ride. My hands are not too happy about things either--sore and tender. It is hard to be feeling well enough to want to be up and doing more but have a body that is negating the idea with every try.
Other than the challenges with crutches, there have been a few other incidents that made this a more challenging week than the previous ones. I am still choosing to focus on the positive as much as possible, but have gotten a bit discouraged at times. This is not an easy recovery and I am not pretending it is. It still is much easier than I had thought it would be and I am grateful for that. I am grateful for a surgeon and his staff who respond to questions and concerns promptly.
I am still trying to find something new that I can do each day. In some cases, it is not a new thing, so much as gradually returning to normal ways of doing things, rather than the vastly modified versions I have figured out from necessity. In some ways having lived with so much pain for so long before surgery was a blessing in that I had already figured out various methods of getting things done and that has made recovery so much easier. I already had modified ways of getting dressed, getting into cars, cooking, etc. I am also working on seeing how much variety I can get with foods, especially vegetables--at least I am getting variety in something even if not so much with activity.
Physical therapy is going well and I am making rapid progress. I cannot always notice the progress on a daily basis, but when I look back at what I was doing a week ago, then it is obvious how far I have come. This week, we added back an exercise I used to do before surgery. Funny getting excited about something I used to do without thinking. Context and perspective make things appear so differently. I am grateful for a physical therapist who knows me, knows what I was capable of before surgery, knows my tendencies, then finds ways to keep me from getting bored, but also holds me back from hurting myself by trying to push forward too fast.
Overall, I am continuing to do well. I am so grateful to family and friends who have come alongside and helped me out so much the past few weeks! I am so grateful for a loving God who sustains and meets all needs!
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Week Two Update
I am now two weeks out from the hip surgery and still doing really well! I keep thinking things will get worse at some point, but thus far it hasn't happened. Coming off crutches might change the story as currently, the repaired hip is getting a break from weight bearing and thus so is that entire leg and that side of low back, etc. For now, I am not worrying about what might (or might not) happen later, but rather choosing to enjoy each good moment as it comes. It is so weird and so nice not having the constant, nagging, annoying, often debilitating pain in my hip.
I can do a lot, but finding that just because I can does not mean I should. I am progressing in physical therapy ahead of schedule so we are sort of in a holding pattern until my body has had more time to heal before advancing to the next level of rehab. Although there is a lot I can do, there are still a lot of basics that I cannot do. I am choosing to focus on what I can do and not what I cannot. I am also trying to find at least one new thing each day that I can do. Some days it is more than one!
Some new challenges are surfacing, but these were largely anticipated. My right hip is getting tired and sore, but it has done that all along whenever the left hip was flared even before surgery, so with left being non-weight bearing, right is carrying full load. (At least I am small and do not weigh much!) Shoulder is also getting tired and sore, but since this has also happened in the past even without crutches, I am just amazed it has taken this long to happen. I should be half way through needing the crutches as long as things stay on track....
I am so grateful for all of the work invested before surgery into helping me go into this surgery as strong as possible in spite of the various limitations and restrictions. It has certainly helped the recovery to go smoothly and well thus far. I had the support of so many through the "pre-hab" stage.
I am also so grateful for all who have been praying for me prior to surgery, through surgery and now during recovery! I am also thankful to all who are assisting me with rides, help at home, etc. I am also grateful for all of those I have never met before who see me on crutches and open doors for me, or offer to carry things for me! And, yes I have made a solo trip out all by myself. I drove myself to the gym and got in the pool! It felt so good to be in water again!!! I was cleared for both driving and being in water--with strict precautions regarding submerging the incisions and protecting them. But, both had been discouraged...so, this was a one-time occurrence. However, I am hoping to get back to both driving and being in the pool regularly again soon. Anyway, the reason I went was partly just to see how it would go, partly because I really wanted to, partly because I needed the boost of confidence that I can get myself places if needed.
I am so grateful for God's faithfulness and provision in all things!
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
I can do a lot, but finding that just because I can does not mean I should. I am progressing in physical therapy ahead of schedule so we are sort of in a holding pattern until my body has had more time to heal before advancing to the next level of rehab. Although there is a lot I can do, there are still a lot of basics that I cannot do. I am choosing to focus on what I can do and not what I cannot. I am also trying to find at least one new thing each day that I can do. Some days it is more than one!
Some new challenges are surfacing, but these were largely anticipated. My right hip is getting tired and sore, but it has done that all along whenever the left hip was flared even before surgery, so with left being non-weight bearing, right is carrying full load. (At least I am small and do not weigh much!) Shoulder is also getting tired and sore, but since this has also happened in the past even without crutches, I am just amazed it has taken this long to happen. I should be half way through needing the crutches as long as things stay on track....
I am so grateful for all of the work invested before surgery into helping me go into this surgery as strong as possible in spite of the various limitations and restrictions. It has certainly helped the recovery to go smoothly and well thus far. I had the support of so many through the "pre-hab" stage.
I am also so grateful for all who have been praying for me prior to surgery, through surgery and now during recovery! I am also thankful to all who are assisting me with rides, help at home, etc. I am also grateful for all of those I have never met before who see me on crutches and open doors for me, or offer to carry things for me! And, yes I have made a solo trip out all by myself. I drove myself to the gym and got in the pool! It felt so good to be in water again!!! I was cleared for both driving and being in water--with strict precautions regarding submerging the incisions and protecting them. But, both had been discouraged...so, this was a one-time occurrence. However, I am hoping to get back to both driving and being in the pool regularly again soon. Anyway, the reason I went was partly just to see how it would go, partly because I really wanted to, partly because I needed the boost of confidence that I can get myself places if needed.
I am so grateful for God's faithfulness and provision in all things!
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 8, 2016
One Week
I am one week post-op from a hip scope (repair of a labral tear and shaving bone to correct femoral acetabular impingement, plus a couple of other things). This is the biggest surgery I have ever had and I was apprehensive beforehand. There is an entire story behind getting to the point of surgery, but suffice it to say, there was a lot of thought and other considerations put into the decision to proceed. While not easy, this recovery has thus far been much easier than I expected and I continue to be pleasantly surprised with how well things are going. This past week has held a lot of "firsts." First time for orthopedic surgery, first time on crutches, first travel after surgery, first PT since surgery, first time sleeping almost through the night since well before surgery, first time being this helpless since infancy, first time driving since surgery, first time successfully "stepping" up the stairs with crutches--after some hilarious previous attempts at managing stairs with crutches that ultimately ended up with me sitting down and scooting up the stairs--not elegant, but it worked. So far, no falls--trying to keep it this way. Three more weeks of crutches provided things continue to progress well.
Any surgery is traumatic and exhausting to the body. I slept the vast majority of this past week. Sort of seems as if my current existence is sleep/rest, physical therapy home exercises, eat, nap, and repeat. Showers are exhausting. Physical therapy appointments are exhausting. Just getting myself maneuvered out of bed takes thought and effort.
It may seem like there is much to be frustrated and discouraged over--and I will admit it can be frustrating and discouraging at times. However, the positive far outweighs the negative. Pain has been far more manageable than before surgery! This totally surprised me. I figured pain would be worse at first after surgery but thus far other than right away, there has been very little pain and really just a little uncomfortable at times. I am sleeping better than before surgery.
I was very grateful my sister could go with me for the surgery and stay with me so long afterward. It let me rest and recover those initial days without trying to rush to be as independent as possible. We knew I could do some things, but she did a lot and let me focus on rest and recovery. I am far more independent than I thought I would be at this point, but am still dependent for assistance with some things.
I pray this recovery continues as well as it has started. I pray I am willing to be patient and not try to rush things. I pray I learn to recognize what to push through and what to wait out. Full recovery will be a lengthy process and anticipated to be around a year. However, after 3 years of literally limping along with hip pain no matter what I tried, this surgery offers hope. Hope that now my efforts and the efforts of those helping me will actually yield long term results.
Overall, I am relieved and amazed at God's goodness and provision.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Any surgery is traumatic and exhausting to the body. I slept the vast majority of this past week. Sort of seems as if my current existence is sleep/rest, physical therapy home exercises, eat, nap, and repeat. Showers are exhausting. Physical therapy appointments are exhausting. Just getting myself maneuvered out of bed takes thought and effort.
It may seem like there is much to be frustrated and discouraged over--and I will admit it can be frustrating and discouraging at times. However, the positive far outweighs the negative. Pain has been far more manageable than before surgery! This totally surprised me. I figured pain would be worse at first after surgery but thus far other than right away, there has been very little pain and really just a little uncomfortable at times. I am sleeping better than before surgery.
I was very grateful my sister could go with me for the surgery and stay with me so long afterward. It let me rest and recover those initial days without trying to rush to be as independent as possible. We knew I could do some things, but she did a lot and let me focus on rest and recovery. I am far more independent than I thought I would be at this point, but am still dependent for assistance with some things.
I pray this recovery continues as well as it has started. I pray I am willing to be patient and not try to rush things. I pray I learn to recognize what to push through and what to wait out. Full recovery will be a lengthy process and anticipated to be around a year. However, after 3 years of literally limping along with hip pain no matter what I tried, this surgery offers hope. Hope that now my efforts and the efforts of those helping me will actually yield long term results.
Overall, I am relieved and amazed at God's goodness and provision.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
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