How did we do it?

Yesterday (except for a tiny walk - more on that later) I spent ensconced on the living room sofa, 'working' on my laptop and watching shows on the DVR. I also spent time on Facebook, reading the news, checking email, etc but I did get a lot of work done. Then it occurred to me, how did we cope with being sick without the internet and the DVR? The DVR is wonderful, if you doze off during a show, you can back it up and you don't have to annoy yourself watching commercials. Yes I remember life before the internet.

In my childhood, it was a special treat when we stayed home sick from school - we got ginger ale and could watch Romper Room! My father talks about in the 1930s waking up in the hospital post op ward full of crying children - who weren't given any pain meds post surgery. My grandmother told wonderful stories about the summer she spent camped out in the backyard with her sister and a nurse in quarantine for scarlet fever. Times have changed.

Now, we have the internet, telephones, DVRs, and the world at our fingertips in case of a touch of boredom while not feeling well. But what did everyone do without these on the days when you weren't feeling well enough to read a book, be artistic or creative, or do much of anything? In some ways its hard to imagine but then in other days, it would be nice to be 'unplugged' at times.

Yesterday I spent the day on the couch because I had so much fun on Thursday at the hospital. When I got up yesterday I could barely walk, never mind bend down and feed the cat - he was very upset with me. I started taking my pain meds, 1 pill three times a day, and decided I was experiencing the 'new pain in my hip and legs' that was listed on the discharge instructions as a reason to call the doctor. I left a message around 830. Then I spent the morning with my hip on an ice pack, but still not feeding the cat without pain. I took another pain pill around lunch time and was doing okay.

Then I made a mistake. I attempted to walk five minutes to the post office and back. I hobbled back in excruciating pain and called the doctor's office again. Magically I actually spoke to the doctor. He said some pain in my leg was normal and was radiating pain - my knee hurt... He did say I could up my pain meds to two pills four times a day and to continue the icing and not to do anything considered exercise. Like don't go for any walks. It is more manageable then. I also need to call the doctor's office on Monday to tell them how I am doing. That is a sign I am having more pain than I should...

This morning it was fine until I decided to get out of bed. I thought I could deal with only one pain pill but shortly I will hobble up stairs for a second one. My plans for the day consist of a duplicate of yesterday except less work and more play. I will even go get my hair cut today. Its across the street from the post office so maybe I'll walk - I get to sit down and rest for half an hour before walking home. There's never any parking and I feel stupid driving two blocks. Besides if I am on pain medication, can I drive?