One step back

I'm waiting for springtime, when the weather is a little warmer, after I've had a couple of months to be at closer to full strength, to celebrate, and I will celebrate, believe me.

I had a clinic visit this morning, so I could get more Percocet and have my abdomen poked at. I was wearing a black dress and Dr. Piper was wearing a dark suit. I said that at least we looked like we were going to the same funeral.

He says that all looks well, and that the edema on the right could be caused by blood clots associated with the transplant. I'll buy that explanation. Dr. Piper is pretty good at explaining things, which I appreciate.

Later in the afternoon I had a call telling me I'm dehydrated. I accept how it is possible for me to be retaining water in my cells, but for my blood to be somewhat less fluid than it should be, but I don't have to like it. So I am not allowed to take off another 10 kilo in water weight this week. Oh well. I will go slowly. They've cut my Lasix back to 30 mg per day, and I have to go back for more labs on Thursday, which would have been my first day off the clinic schedule since coming home.

My creatinine was up to 1.9 from 1.2, and that's how they know I'm dehydrated. So I'll drink.

I still feel all right, and I have to remind myself that I am less than two weeks out of surgery. I am considering trying to change the sheets and make my bed tonight, and I am considering doing a load or two of laundry tomorrow. Those seem like good goals to me.

I celebrated today by driving for the first time since surgery. It's only about a week early, and I hadn't taken any pain killers, so I don't feel too bad. I went to a shopping mall to walk around because the wind outside was fierce. While there I bought a few things at the L'Occitane sale, mostly in the Linden fragrance. I'll still be able to get a similar product from Fresh, but it will be more expensive. I may go back and get a few more things this weekend. I also bought full sizes of a few of the Dr. Hauschka products I had been testing, namely the cleansing cream, which is fantastic. It has ground almond and rose petals, and it works very gently. When I remarked to a counter person about a year ago that I wanted a line that hadn't been engineered, this is what I meant. I also got the small size of the day moisturizer and the rose day cream. Both very nice. As a treat, I got rose body oil to try and help the skin on my legs. I have not yet tried it, but it said safe for sensitive skin. We'll see, I have been on the biggest rose kick lately.

I also bought a birthday lipstick, and I think I have my next lipstick purchase picked out. I got Laura Mercier Quartz, which is a plummy brown shimmer. It is a little different for me, and I wish it were a little more brown, but still, it's subtle, and I like that.

The one I didn't get today is Dior Rose Movie. It's a pale pink shimmer that reminds me a bit of one I wore in high school, only the shading is more subtle.

I think this means I'm generally on a pink kick. I guess that's healthy for a girly girl.

And make no mistake.... I may look and sound competent, like a completely normal person... I guess that makes me a stealth girl.

I like that.

before - after