Sarasota News Leader

10/5/12

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IN RECOVERY Even with a gazillion channels, TV can prove awfully boring after awhile. iStock photo HAVING TO DO NOTHING CAN BE HARD WORK By Harriet Cuthbert Contributing Writer I recently had minor surgery on the area be- low my right knee. The reason for the proce- dure was major, but the result looks fairly in- nocuous, almost like a large sore I could have gotten by falling from my bicycle (at the age of 8 or so). One large bandage covers everything. Upon reading the doctor's take-home patient sheet, I noticed that the first and most import- ant instruction on the wound care list was, "Limit activities for at least 24 hours." I was immediately thrilled to read those "or- ders," which I interpreted as no vacuuming, no cleaning, no gardening, no shopping and no cooking — but drinking red wine was still permitted. The second instruction on the list was to keep the wound area elevated. This was getting bet- ter all the time. The doctor was actually de- manding that I go right to bed, put my sore leg up on a pillow and enjoy my day off. I had a ticket to read and watch TV — in the daytime — and I didn't have to feel guilty about it. I kept thinking that once the drugs from the surgery wore off, I would be screaming in ag- ony and want more drugs; but I felt no pain at all. I started by piling up the books and magazines that I already had begun reading, and then I

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