Heard from her tonight by phone. (See Anybody Doing Owt topic). She’s in good spirits. 
Yes Mollie darlin’ - as I advised her earlier - Brandy!!!
nice to see you back Joe not been here in a while in to mutch pian
with my sternam going to docsthur to get stonger pian meds
would never have hear surgarry ever agean I no now I made the right chioce going with mecanacal the blood tests area pian but its a good trade of would never want to go through this ever agen
Pixie
Hello Pixie, nice to see you back
I’m sure in time you will regain full health pixie just hold on in there, it’s early days since such a big operation. Stay strong.
Good to hear from you Pixie Hopefully the stronger pain killers will help you be more comfortable. Take care of yourself and take it easy…
Good to see you here Pixie and hope that the stronger pain kiillers will help you, take care …
Nice to see you back Ann. Do hope the pain killer do the job, and help with the pain.
I’m glad she’s getting stronger pain killers because I know she’s been in agony, and can’t sit at a computer for more than a few minutes a day.
Jimmy, Ann can only sit at a computer for just a few minutes a day right now as she’s still in an awful lot of pain. She’s replied in the Update on Pixie thread though.
Ann darlin’ - tell your Doctors you want: (a) Oromorph (liquid morphine, (b) Co-codomol. These are the analgesics I take and they work!!!
Hi Pixie! Wow, you have been in the wars! The cold weather would not be helping with the pain you have either! I have read this post just now from beginning to current posts and you are a very stoic lady! Pig headed me, the docs have always stressed to take it easy after surgery, but to my stubborness, I have usually ignored their advice and suffered the consequences! I know it is bloody hard, when one is so fiercely independent to have to rely on others for the most menial tasks, but just do it! Your body needs the time to recover and rest is the best medicine! I was only allowed home after a total hysterectomy on the condition that I had home help, i.e. a lady to come in and clean. What did I do? I gingerly got down on my knees to clean the loo before she came, couldn’t have anyone doing that for me!! lol!! I took 20 minutes to peel some vegetables for dinner, longer to iron a shirt for the “boss”. Major surgery is so physically debilitating and the more rest the better the recovery time!
Try, and be a “lady of leisure” for a wee while! Don’t be a stubborn mule like me!!!
All the best!
Lorraine
Lorraine darlin’ - I know exactly how you feel. Had the Physio-terrorist here on Monday - got my ear seriously bent because my own coping strategies were contrary to the advice I’d been given about hip replacement. Yes I was bending down, yes I was twisting and carrying things from kitchen to lounge and back again, things which are a strict no,no but which living alone can’t be helped.
Uncle Joe, Ann is in no position to demand any kind of medication from her doctors. With the greatest respect, please don’t offer advice of alcohol either. She doesn’t drink any alcohol whatsoever, not even for medicinal purposes, not even the odd glass of wine, and the temperature over there right now is -27C, so drinking alcohol could be deadly for her.
Your operation was totally different from Ann’s. I know you mean well, but offering the advice of drinking alcohol to someone who doesn’t even drink shandy, is a bit of a waste of time. 
As an update, she’s told me in an email tonight that she’s going to the doctor tomorrow for stronger pain-killers, so we’ll see what’s prescribed.
Uncle Joe, a thought! Do you have access to long handled metal tongs? We call them bbq tongs over here, the handle part is about 30cm or more in length with the grip bits at the end of that. I ask, because after the last hernia op, when I was not to do anything for 6 weeks, they came in darn handy. I was able to pick the clothes out of the laundry basket, pick them out of the washing machine. As I was not allowed to stretch up or bend down, I got coat hangers and pegged all the socks and smalls to the hangers, then used the tongs to place the hanger on the clothes line. I did the same with the clothes, on hangers etc. Took a bloody long time, but I got the washing done and “obeyed” orders (sort of)!!! As I am very short, those tongs come in handy for reaching things in cupboards.
In the supermarket, I have been known to go to housewares and take a broom back to the aisle and use the (new) broom to manoeuvre the item gently to the edge and catch it! Of course, this is after unsuccessfully waiting for an invisible staff member to appear or a tall helpful person. I leave the broom there. Sooner or later, the penny might drop to have lower shelves, but I doubt it.
cheers!
Lorraine darlin’ - I have a special tool for picking things up - called a helping hand. Has a trigger grip and an articulated hand at t’other end. However, since hospital have given me a pair of elbow crutches - I don’t have a spare hand free unless I use only one crutch. Physio-terrorist wasn’t happy with me doing that as I’m supposed to be only partially weight-bearing on right leg.
They should be watching you properly Uncle Joe and giving you some practical advice which you are able to do. Why aren’t they?
Miki’s mum, I smiled at your antics in the supermarket. I might try the broom method. I still have to clamber up the shelves like a monkey, sometimes they break.
I know this is off topic…but I remember once asking a guy with a walking stick if I could borrow it to move something from the back of the shelf, and yes he obliged :-D:-D
I am sure your doctor will sort something out for you pixie, as you get more mobile it will be more painful for a while until your body gets used to it, and its still very early days.
I’m sorry, but at the risk of sounding prissy and again with respect, this thread is about Ann (Pixie) so it shouldn’t be hijacked. 
I’ve heard from her tonight and she’s been having severe pains in her sternum again so she’s been to the doctor who has prescribed stronger pain-killers for her, and who is pleased with the healing process of her stitches.
She hasn’t slept properly for 48 hours because of the pain, but is now allowed to sleep without a bra at long last which will aid her sleep and comfort.
She thanks Uncle Joe for his suggestions of brandy and whiskey which she doesn’t drink anyway but, as she’s taking Warfarin, which is a blood thinner, she can’t take any form of alcohol which in itself is also a blood thinner, and the doctors are monitoring her blood right now to make sure it doesn’t get too thin or too thick.