The Danger Zone

I hope I an not starting a new routine of waking up around 1:00am, wide awake and unable to get back to sleep for a couple of hours later. Soon after waking up and seeing the reflection of the moon lighting up the bedroom the sound of coyotes filled the air. I wondered just how close they were because they sounded as if they were just on the other side of my fence. At that time of night you can get a lot of thinking done. There was nothing major on my mind but I did think of a few interesting topics.

I am what I consider in a danger zone now. I feel so good that more and more I am forgetting that I have a hip that is still healing and will not be finished for almost 50 more days. It's that kind of feeling where I might become complacent, not as focused on how I move my right leg which affects my hip. I still have to separate good pain and bad pain, although pain is almost a memory now. Soreness is more like it and I know I have a lot more ahead of me as I start an exercising program.

Saturday's morning sunshine is just peaking around the corner of the patio. It was a cool 48° and I may have looked strange wearing a sweatshirt and gym shorts, no shoes. Luckily I'm hidden when I am on my patio. It still beat the weather I would have felt this time last year with rain and temps in the 50s. Our day of course started like all the others only today is "Football Saturday", with games starting at 9:00am.

By the time I ground a bag of coffee and made myself a cup, the hounds were attempting for the second time today, getting their breakfast served. They did try as soon as we got up, a little past 5:30am but now was time. I grabbed "the grabber" and lowered their bowls of kibble to the floor.

Another sign that I am healing is that I can bend over probably more than I should and feel no pain or soreness. Yet I still put a hand on the wall to brace myself, lift my surgical side leg up so my hip stays at 180° as I bend over to pet Heidi or pick something off the floor. "The grabber" by the way can pick up a coffee bean off the floor, it's that good of a tool.

This is the mystery of the week. Every day or night when I see the blanket's corners folded like this, I straighten the blanket out flat. At first I thought the wind was whipping around the patio and making it turn up. Last night as I stood at the open window at 1:30am, there was zero wind and the whole SE Arizona area was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop on the desert floor.

I like thinking outside the box about stuff like this. It makes you wonder.

With a full stomach, Stella was ready to start another day. She wonders when we will be able to start walking again. I also have to do some testing myself to see if I can even walk a half mile. I have before but not that many times. I'll ask the doctor again on Tuesday when I can walk the bloodhound again. I can't wait to get back to that routine first thing in the morning ... things will seem more normal after we resume those walks.

Heidi spent a lot of time this morning exploring different parts of the yard. Yesterday she was laying in the sunshine on the patio with Stella. She is loving these lower temperatures and the high afternoon temps near 80s seems to agree with her.

All of these photos today are a mix between the iPhone 8+, the older Nikon D3200 and my new Nikon D3500.  I can tell the difference between cameras and my suspicion of years ago was true. It's only been a few hours but I am happy with my new purchase.

A thought I had last night at 1:00am ... does it do any good to take the Bayer Low Dose 81mg Aspirin? It was prescribed by the surgeon. I need to take it for 6 weeks after my surgery. With my AVS I am assuming I need to take it every day for the rest of my life. Yet, recently medical news was online stating they had found it didn't make that much difference for people with heart issues.

Which is it? A requirement or a take a chance and follow the most recent study?

Something else I was thinking about while I laid in bed wide awake ... a "plant based" diet. As you know I have tried different eating styles in the past five years and all of them making a positive difference for me. A friend in Bisbee changed to a plant based diet after his open heart surgery. I met another blogger last year that did the same thing, both people claiming it was the only diet to follow if you had heart issues.

While reading Facebook during this two hours of 'wide awakeness' I ran onto a blogger I use to follow that must do his writing on his Facebook page now. Years ago he was blogging about his dog Atticus. He was having some medical problem about the same time I stopped reading his blog. Well last night I see he is also on a plant based diet, taking less meds, seeing less doctors and has lost 140lbs.

Yet, just like the medical study on the benefits of taking low dose Bayer Aspirin, there are studies that says it makes no difference to the heart if you are eating plant based, Keto or Paleo. Most things I've read suggest the Mediterranean Diet and following 'moderation' when it comes to eating red meat or all that good fat ice cream.

So which is it? Follow your intuition, the latest medical study or the most consistent information?

After I made the big camera purchase last night, I wondered if I would have bought the new Apple Phone 11 Pro if I had the phone with me instead of leaving it home to take a video of Stella while I was gone. I will say that with my watch, my phone anymore is basically just a camera for low light conditions and close up, normal portrait type shots.

I can reply to text and email verbally on my watch. I can get the same GPS info on my watch and people tell me that the phone calls are more clearer than the phone, when using the watch. With the new Series 5 with the cellular feature, I usually leave my phone at home now when I am out and about.

I don't do it a lot because I don't trust myself, but I like the phone WITHOUT a case best of all. It's dangerous to do that because my cheap Speck case has saved my phone a few times when I dropped it on the title floor or on a concrete driveway or carport. It does happen for one reason or another, just not age related. Still, I like it without a case.

So as I operate this morning taking photos with the iPhone, adding what food I eat into the Cronometer app and checking mail ... the phone feels "new" without the case. The photos are sharp and clear ... all of this talks me out of going to Best Buy on Sunday (too much football to watch today) and trade the 8+ for the 11 Pro. No, I don't need it.

Such a change from 12 hours ago or a little more as Stella was seen on video trying to dig right though that door jam to get back inside the house. That is her normal position about every morning when I am out on the patio, just to let me know that she misses her walk.

No matter how much stuff she had damaged the past 4 years and 2 months, she is just a great hound. She has a unique personality that gives you a laugh a day and almost more than just one. She is laidback as long as I am home with her or she is with me in the car. She doesn't mind going to the vet, doesn't mind seeing new people or dogs in the neighborhood ... she is just a great bloodhound.

She catches up on her sleep when I spend the day watching football.

Heidi couldn't make up her mind this morning if she wanted to go back to bed on her dog bed or hang out with Stella and I. She made numerous trips to the bedroom, tried the computer room and numerous trips outside to stand and think. She likes the warm sunshine ... always has.

She is also a great hound. After 8 years I cannot remember one thing that she done that she shouldn't have. A perfect house dog. I still wonder what caused all the times she would be found in the animal shelter before GABR rescued her?

I have a neighbor a couple of houses down that is moving out. Stella was more than interested in all the different people pulling into his driveway or in front of his house. At first I thought he was having all of his friends stopping to help him move but found out later he and his wife were having a garage sale.

I've seen some serious yard sale buyers this morning. This people out west don't play around when they shop for the best deals. They are towing large trailers that show they have made other stops before here. Pickup trucks are packed and strapped down with more things than you can imagine. Just a little different than the yard sale buyers back in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

I told you that Heidi was moving around a lot this morning ... can't make up her mind where to finally lay down.

While the hounds enjoyed their day inside the confines of home today, I watched the IU game on my computer, taped the UW-Oregon game on tv to watch Sunday morning ... and was amazed that I am doing more activity than I have since my surgery. I drove downtown to pick up some center caps at Toyota for my new wheels ... no sign of soreness in my hip.

I'd like to drive or hike up to the live of the 'yellow'. That is something I could not capture standing on my patio until I tried the new 70-300mm lens.

I also took my longest walk yet this morning and did another at the halftime of the IU game. In total I had three walks that were longer than a half mile each time. I feel that I was more flexible today for the first time but still aware just how far I could bend over.

I even forgot to take my cane with me when I went to the Toyota Dealership. I took the cane with me on the three long walks but never needed to use it. I could feel my hip and upper thigh getting stronger with each walk. Still, in back of my mind I hear a little voice telling me to be careful and not blow this improvement by being too over confident.

With a stiff breeze throughout the day, the house stayed cool, and the hounds spent more time outside than they did inside. I was even able to walk to the mailbox and back where Stella never woke up and never knew that I was gone.

By late afternoon after seeing another one of those fantastic night photos taken by the new iPhone 11 Pro, my brain cells started scrambling and I was about to pull the trigger on purchasing the new phone. My 8+ is just a couple of months shy of being 2 years old. So this afternoon as I was walking laps around the inside of my yard between ballgames I took some photos with the 8+.

All of that vacant land is behind my fence and where I heard coyotes and the javalinas the other morning. I wonder how brown all of that will be during the winter months.

I took this while I was walking and didn't stop to take the photo. For some reason the Activity app on the phone was not synchronizing with my two different watches and wasn't recording all of my steps or walks today. So after a little searching on the internet I found I should get to a better location for GPS service. I carried the phone with me while I walked and eventually things started downloading.

I also noticed today while I did normal activity that my right leg was moving in a natural direction and sometime that included moving to the right at a sharper angle than it had since my surgery. What is mind boggling is just how good I feel compared to just a week ago when I was crawling into CVS to pick up the muscle relaxers.

I am anxious to see what the surgeon will suggest for my next phase of rehab. There will be some soreness involved but it will be the good kind as the muscles and tendons start getting stretch back to their normal positions. I'll be sore again as I get 'in shape' ...

It was really a good day in the 'hip department' today in the Wild West.

Stella's Anxiety & Hip Update

For the third day in a row I have had little to no soreness in the hip area. I felt so good yesterday I was doing so many things and went to a few places in town that I did not have time to blog. My hip and leg felt normal all day and at times I forgot what had happened 39 days ago. Today I felt the same way and I took a short drive to Best Buy. It was my first chance to tape a video on my phone of Stella in the backyard while I was gone. It was sad to watch and listen to her for the 26 minutes I was gone.

By 10:30am yesterday I had taken two different walks. One of five minutes doing laps around the backyard and then one ten minutes long where I walked to the mailbox and back, which is about .26 of a mile roundtrip. Every time I waited for my hip or leg  to show some sort of discomfort. They never did. I had not planned on it but I decide I'd check to see if I could get into the seat of my Toyota FJ using the same technique I use to get in bed. I also used the same technique to get in my friend's Jeep Cherokee on Wednesday night. It was the technique I was taught by the PT the day I left the hospital.

My only point of concern was, the right leg would have to be bent a little to swing into the floorboard area even with the seat back all the way and the back of the seat tilted back a little to keep my hip and waist of breaking the 90° rule. Where getting on or off the bed, both legs are kept straight during the side movement.

Again I sat there for a few minutes to see what kind of reaction I would get if any. Things felt normal and good enough I was pretty sure I could drive. If I could drive then I had something I needed done in town. Right before my accident I had ordered some Toyota black steel OEM wheels and rock rails. They arrived by FedEx the day I was in the hospital. Last week my friend that set up my bike also was nice enough to put the 5 boxes of wheels and 2 boxes of rock rails in the back of the FJ.

He recommended a good tire shop in town for swapping out my stock wheels for the steel wheels. I already knew the Toyota dealership would install the rock rails for me. Normally I would have done that simple task but I have no idea how long it will be before I am given the approval to get on the floor or the driveway, plus that would have been too much twisting and turning. I may not be able to do that type of stuff for at least a year.  It was easier just to have them do the hour job.

I was gone around three hours and when I walked in the bedroom Stella was asleep in her. large crate I bought for her due to severe separation anxiety. I cannot afford to keep buying vertical blinds that she had tore down before when I left her. Soon after I moved in I thought she would be okay if I left her in the house with the patio door open leading out to the yard ... but that is a whole different story.

Here she is hydrating herself before I decided to make a quick trip to the local Best Buy. I had finally decided on my strategy for cameras, lenses and the iPhone 11 Pro. Only today I was going to give her a break I thought, let her stay in the backyard while I was gone. She spends a lot of time out there on her own when I am here ... but that is the key words "when I am here".

While Stella was outside for her morning sunbathing session, Heidi thought it was the perfect time to ask for a dog treat. Could she sneak one in without Stella finding out?

As the rustling of the plastic bag of dog bones opened, Stella never moved a muscle and Heidi had her free treat in the morning. Now ... looking at that photo you would wonder how is it Stella would get so upset if I left her in the yard while I was gone for only 26 minutes ???? Believe me, I have asked that same question a million times.

If I was sure that a 26 minute video would not use all kinds of extra data you have by opening my blog or that video. I would learn how to post it but I don't want to take that chance. I remember how it was when I had to stretch 15Gb of data across the month. I didn't watch many videos with that much data to use.

I will say it was a sad 26 minutes listening to just how upset she was. She tried digging under the security screen door (steel) that I left locked to keep the nice breeze coming into the house. She did NOT try to dig under the fence gate like before since I had added short concrete blocks, surrounded them with the backyard rock to keep them in place. She did NOT try to dig through the window screen that sets so low in the wall. But she pacing and whining looking for any way possible to get out of the yard or into the house.

As I listened to the video while checking out my new Nikon D3500 camera, Heidi could not figure out why she was hearing all of Stella's whining and howling for the second time while Stella stood close to her.

As usual once I am home, Stella calms down and everything is back to normal for her. She didn't hesitate to follow me into the computer room, back to the kitchen and outside.

She finally curled up in the corner of the computer room and took a nap while I started this post.

I am losing my train of thought for this post. I just had a local realtor call me wanting to know if I wanted to sell the house I just moved into. LOL Investing in houses to rent out seems to be pretty popular in the town. A lot of the houses in my neighborhood are rentals.

She looks so innocent doesn't she?

They are preparing to watch the MLB Playoffs tonight. Their lunch has been served so they are pretty satisfied.

I have spent months researching cameras, or just lenses to add to my older D3200 or buying another point and shoot camera. The spot on the sensor inside the Canon G9 X kinda took any urge away for another point and shoot. Plus I have a iPhone that takes great photos within short range, but not so much when I zoom even 2x. When the new iPhone 11 Pro came out taking fantastic photos it was tempting to upgrade from my 8+ but that really wasn't what I was looking for.

I am happy with the 8+ photos.

So finally after more research I found what I wanted in stock at the local Best Buy. With my Cash Rewards from buying the watch recently and past purchases I was able to knock off about $75 more dollars off of the total price. I went back to that website I use that has a detailed comparison between any two cameras you are interested in.

Once I found out that in "image quality" both the D5600 and D3500 were rated equal with identical sensors, I was leaning toward the D3500. It was not only a few hundred dollars cheaper but it included the lens I have been wanting for almost a year after seeing the photos on Al's blog. The Nikon 70-300mm ... the special price today got me the camera, the 70-300mm lens and a 18-55mm lens for $200 less than it would have cost me to buy just the 70-300mm lens. I found out later it would not work with my D3200 even with the firmware update.

Why buy a new camera ???

I like taking landscape photos using a 200mm and now a 300mm lens.  My D3200 had been dropped a few times, once in the snow, once on the concrete and again when the wind blew it out of a chair onto the concrete floor of the carport then bouncing it across the gravel driveway. The Tamron lens I had been using was also used in a rough manner, just by taking photos every day as the hounds and I would hike through the field once or twice per day.

I thought when I bought the Canon G9 X last January that would be my everyday camera but it was not really good when the zoom was extended out to the maximum allowed. Then when the black spot showed up on the sensor and can only be cleaned by a professional, unless I attempt to take the camera apart ... I tired of that camera quickly.

So my phone camera will take the close up shots. The 70-300mm lens will be mounted full-time on the new camera and I will still use the D3200 with the old Tamron 18-200mm lens that has so much use, the rubber piece in the center of the lens for grip is worn and stretched out.

And the main reason ... for years I have always thought the picture quality of the D3200 was not nearly as good as it was when I first bought it. I am sure the times it hit the concrete or fell into the snow when I slipped and fell one day was not the best thing for good picture quality.

So now a short summary for the FJ story. Yes, the new 4Runner is gone. It was just too nice to off road in. All leather, great ride but reminded me too much of a "Family SUV" ... sure the hounds trashed it out with hound drool, dog hair and I helped by dropping a burrito one time  but I have ALWAYS loved the Toyota FJ. I've had Autotrader and Cars dot com bookmarked where I could look for FJ and Mini Cooper S 2-doors every day and night, even after getting rid of them.

By the end of August I bought this 2013 FJ at the Toyota Dealership downtown. It was a one owner and serviced as scheduled at Toyota since it was new. I still wanted to make it look like my 2007 Voodoo Blue with the rock rails and black wheels.

So that is what I did yesterday. D&M Tire swapped out the wheels and Toyota installed the OEM Rock Rails. I have the center caps arriving tomorrow so it will be completed by tomorrow. The only question is ... how does Stella get in the back???

I am not in shape nor have approval to lift the butt of a 90# bloodhound, helping her get up into the back. Her hips are also where she no longer jumps up in back like she and Sadie use to. I guess I'll need to get some collapsible ramps for her to use. Would she be able to get up the ramps or even want to?? That is pretty expensive to find out that she wants no part of walking up ramps to get inside.

Toyota quit making the FJ in 2014. It's my all-time favorite Toyota vehicle. What did I do with the 4Runner ... I found a Mini Cooper S, Arizona rust color at a Jeep Dealership in Tucson. They gave me more as a trade-in than what I paid for it because the TRD Off Road was a trim they could not keep in stock. They sold it within 2 days after putting it up for sale.

With the difference in trade in and sale price, plus license plates ... I made a little extra money after all the dust settled. That check from Jeep went right into my savings account.

I am still cautious when I get up out of a chair or car, or when I sit in one of those. I watch how I make turns when walking and I try not to move my right leg out to the right. That will happen later after the doctor gives me approval to start some exercises to get the hip stronger. I expect to get that approval this coming Tuesday. Again today, even in the store, I was walking on my own with my cane in hand in case there was an emergency where I needed support.

Busy times in the Wild West the past few days.

A Possible Breakthrough In The Healing Game

I went to bed Tuesday night very sore but not what I would call being in pain. I had spent too much time Tuesday sitting down in chairs. At the computer and then watching a couple of baseball games. During those games I will get up and walk around the house, or just stand between innings. Yet, I am finding out this past week that sitting is not a good thing ... but then what do I do all day if I am trying to rest and not do any 5-10 minute walks??? Lay in bed all day? Not going to happen.

I knew something was different when I woke up to Heidi's alarm (full body shake by the bed) and we headed to the back door so she could go outside at 2:30am. I stood up out of bed and didn't feel the normal soreness in my hip and upper thigh. I still used the walker though as we glided down the hallway, around the corner into the kitchen. By the time I got back to bed I still wasn't feeling any kind of soreness. I thought it might all be a dream.

We slept until 5:50am after telling Stella twice to "go back to sleep" and once again as I stood up out of bed, no pain, zero soreness in my upper thigh and waistline. Even the "rock" feeling in my hip joint was missing. I didn't jump up and down with excitement but I have to admit, I was really excited but also really cautious.

Sleeping with the windows open there are times we hear animals outside in that vacant land. Usually hearing coyotes but about 5:00 am I heard something fighting and the closest I could come to identifying the sound ... it had to be javelinas. The sound had a very slight pig grunting sound to it. Anyone know for sure if I am right on my guess that was when I was half asleep? Whomever it was, they were not happy animals.

Stella didn't hesitate to wake up when she heard the sound but I was just happy she didn't start howling. Instead she took off trotting for the kitchen no doubt to check the front and back doors just in case. I saw some fresh bloodhound nose prints on each plate by the door knobs this more, for each door.

So I don't trip or stumble over things, I have my patio chair backed up all the way to the wall now. These next three photos are the view I have when sitting in that chair. Not a bad way to start the day. It's even better with a hot cup of coffee.

That's Bisbee over by the sunshine.

Turning my whole body to the right so I can look over my shoulder, I found the full moon to be staring at me. I did the brand new macOS update this morning. It looks like they still need to work the bugs out because I tried 4 different times to duplicate this photo so I could crop it to a size of just the moon. It wouldn't duplicate the photo.

Heidi has turned into a profession food bigger. More than I can ever remember. Here she is asking for a dog treat and it's not even 8:00am and a little over an hour past the time she had breakfast.

It's was hard to resist a look like that but I did ... she wandered off to the living room to join Stella for an early morning nap.

By 9:00am I am still feeling good. I have walked around the inside of the house and still do not feel any soreness where it has been weeks of feeling some kind of soreness all the time. I have no idea why the complete change but I like it. I plan on taking another "day off" and not walking those 5-10 minute walks although it is very tempting just to take off walking down the sidewalk. I feel that good so far today.

A neighbor has offered to take me out for a drive around town after she is finished working. Maybe dinner or to the store if I need anything. Besides the one time I went to my two week followup appointment with the surgeon and the three times I have driven to CVS and the bike shops, I have not been able to leave the house or neighborhood since my surgery on September 8th. So I am looking forward to getting out later in the afternoon.

As I lay in bed flat on my back last night and noticing immediately that my hip felt so much better than just a few minutes prior, I reminded myself that for that hip socket to completely heal I am looking at 60-90 days. This morning I am at Day 38 post op. LOL ... no wonder that 'rock' feeling is still in my hip joint area. I am not even close to having that joint completely healed.

After my appointment on October 22nd, I've read where I should have followup appointments at 3 months, 6 months and then a year after surgery. I'll be interested to hear what he says after he sees me.

The longer the day went the better I felt. I tried to keep busy by not sitting in a chair and I combined that with laying flat on my back in bed, thinking. I remembered I had bought a spare tire cover and it was delivered FedEx the day I was in the hospital. It would be light enough for me to unpack and install it. The instructions stated it would be best to warm it up first since it will fit very tight over the tire.

The sun was definitely hot enough ... but I needed help.

Stella volunteered to supervise the heating project  while I moved the cardboard boxes collected in the past 38 days for my trip to recycling. She always does a great job supervising. I wonder if she will miss the raking of leaves this fall?

I would be interested in know what Heidi smells as she explores the yard. Are we having aliens fly into the backyard while we sleep and then escape right before sunrise? It's good to see her out on her own enjoying the stone yard.

I did one 5 minute walk today. I felt good the whole time and did not feel any kind of twinge or soreness. I would call the location "on top of my leg" but I know that's impossible, it's just where it felt like the past week. Right on top of the femur where the new hip now resides.

While Heidi roamed the backyard, Stella was trying to figure out which small dog was barking the most ... the one on the right or the left side of the fence. As long as there isn't any free food involved she isn't too interested in socializing with the neighborhood dogs.

For the past month or so, the weather has been so nice I have not had to turn on the AC during the day. Room temperature stays around 74° during the peak hours but today Stella was giving me her signal that she wanted the AC turned on. (tongue hanging out) I had a cool breeze coming through the house south to north and 74° just isn't that bad for inside temps since there isn't any humidity to speak of.

Before I could decide what to do, she was asleep within a minute ... out cold ... dreamland for the rest of the afternoon.

I cannot believe that I have gone almost 8 hours and have not felt any twinges of short pain or soreness. I haven't been all over the neighborhood or anything, nor doing laps in the backyard but just normal movement in the house. Before today movements as simple as that I felt soreness on the upper thigh and inside the hip. Occasionally in my groin area.

One reason I always mention that groin area ... I did not know it at the time of the  bike wreck but pain in that area was the #1 sign that I had a broken hip, not the hip area itself. Like I mentioned in a previous post when the people helping me on the side of the road handed me a bag of ice for the hip I placed it on top of my groin area because that was where the most pain was.

A couple of people kept asking me to move the bag of ice to the side of my hip where I made contact with the road ... but it literally didn't hurt there. So I have been concerned since that area was sore if it were possible I had broken something that was suppose to heal.

The doctors office told me if I could do certain things with my right foot and leg, then I was okay, it was just soreness that needed time to heal. My friend that is a PT said the same thing. "Quit walking around and just rest" ... were her last words. LOL

So with that update I am going to go ahead an post this early. It gives me a chance for a little afternoon siesta before getting out of the house later this afternoon or early evening. I never thought I'd get Cabin Fever in Arizona but then again ... I never thought I'd be holed up inside with a hip replacement.

It's been a beautiful day here in the Wild West.