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Saturday, February 15, 2014

Recovery...

It's been quite a week. I had shoulder surgery on Monday, and then I tried to get started on my "active recovery" on Tuesday.

Shyla and I went out for a morning hike on Tuesday. When I say "hike", most people can insert the word "walk". Where we live, there are no sidewalks or safe places to walk near roads. However, there are many trails, which are literally outside our back door. So, we have short loops that we can hike just by stepping out our door.
I've always been one to push the limits after a surgery. I know that's not necessarily a good thing but I feel almost incapable of sitting around at home all the time during a recovery. My greatest challenge this time has been fatigue. I am bone-tired, capable of a nap almost anytime, which I'm guessing is an after-effect of the anaesthesia. This is the most fatigue I ever remember having after surgery.
Surprisingly, although my shoulder looks horrible with a humongous technicolor bruise, the pain of this surgery pales by comparison to my spine surgeries. It hurts but I can deal with it.

For that reason, I am capable of smiling and laughing as I watch Shyla's joyful play.
I love having Shyla to hike with during this recovery - she gets me outside even when I feel like I'd rather stay curled up inside my house. She can be off-leash, which is great, since I am afraid of holding a leash right now. I have the feeling that a hard pull on the leash would be very painful. Unfortunately, R is required to be "on-leash" due to his surgery so I haven't been able to hike with him unless the Runner is present.

This morning, Shyla and I did our longest hike yet, heading out to check a trail camera that I pointed at a mountain lion kill a few weeks ago. Previously, I showed you a photo from this camera, when a group of coyotes was feeding on the elk carcass.

Today, I discovered that the lion came back to the carcass a couple of weeks ago and had his photo taken many times. I still need to go through all the photos but here's one of the big cat with the snow-covered carcass.
Today, there was almost nothing left of the carcass so I brought the camera home, awaiting the next big event in our forest.

Amazingly, this carcass was not terribly far from houses yet I don't think that any residents were aware of it. Mountain lions are masters of moving in the shadows, unnoticed by people. Perhaps only the most secretive mountain lions survived back when they had bounties on their heads, leaving us with a population of mountain lions that is almost invisible to us.

The trip to that trail camera was enough excitement for one day. I am ready for another nap...

26 comments:

  1. I always love the cat pictures!
    Please be as careful with the pace of your own recovery as you would require the pups to be, if it was happening to them. I think if you look at it in those terms, you will certainly be taking the very best possible care of yourself! :)

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  2. i am glad you have shyla as your constant companion - for joy but for alerts, too.

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  3. Glad you are doing well but don't push it. Love Shyla in the snow. And the mountain lion. There are so many wild animals among us and we have no idea how close they are. Proof that they have little interest in us unless we threaten them.

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  4. Hope your recovery goes well! What a beautiful cat.
    Nola

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  5. I hope you've been drinking a lot of water and tea to wash that stuff out of your body. Shyla is a great physical therapist!!

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  6. I think you are in for. better week coming up!

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  7. One day at a time but don't push your recovery..'kay?

    Woofs and Licks,
    Maggie Mae and Max

    PeeS as always we LUVS da fotos!

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  8. Pace yourself, girl - all in due time. Nice to be able to get out, but don't go too far - yep, the Mom in me is talking:) Take care.

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  9. I am glad your recovery is going so well. I cannot believe you were out hiking the day after shoulder surgery. That really is a feat! Love the leaping photo of Shyla!

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  10. Love Love the photo of Shyla with her paw over her nose. Happy to hear the recovery seems to be going well. And you have the perfect helper to get you through.
    Blessings,
    Goose

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  11. Cool photos! Don't move to fast and set yourself back. I am the same way post surgery. I once had a Dr. tell me to sit my ass down, they had just cut me open and ripped out an organ. It's hard to recover, but harder to start over.

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  12. Getting out for walks is probably great rehabilitation.

    Love the picture of the Mountain Lion.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  13. You doing great KB,, don't push yourself to hard- flow a little,, and soon your will be soaring!
    You are amazing us!
    Cool photo of the Mountain lion that was on your camera,,
    what a world you have!
    Good job Shyla- for supporting your mom!
    love
    tweedles

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  14. Advice from Moms: Take it all, its such good stuff!

    HAppy Valentine's Day (especially to the Handsome Prince R!)

    Cheers and hugs,

    Jo

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  15. Be carfeul so you dont fell outside while Walking. Great Pictures.
    The lions are Always interesting to see.
    Have a great day!
    Majsan/

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  16. I hope you are feeling better each day. Shyla's pictures are just amazing...she is beautiful!

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  17. We love the picture of you scaling the fallen tree, Shyla! We hope your recovery time moves along quickly for you, KB!

    Love ya lots♥
    Mitch and Molly

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  18. Beautiful pictures as always. Hope the recovery goes quickly and thoroughly.

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  19. I'd love to have a conversation with about mountain lion behavior. We have one that has been hanging around my Mom's house that I don't think is acting right - it follows horses and I see it a lot during the day. Game and Fish won't come out and do anything to relocate it, and we are afraid someone will not notice him and get hurt. He or she has come up to twenty feet of me when I was walking to my car. I don't know if it is sick or if someone has been feeding it, but I see an accident happening with its behavior.

    Monty and Harlow

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  20. We suggest napping when the mood strikes! Nothing better than a nice hike then a nap. Sending wishes for a speedy recovery!

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  21. I can certainly understand your feeling so drained after your surgery -- I know that the older I am, the harder it is to bounce back from it. But these days they also believe in getting you up and moving almost instantly -- they had me up and walking and doing PT less than 12 hours after a total knee replacement, for example!

    Just be very, very, VERY careful when out walking. The last thing you want to do is fall and undo any of your surgeon's good work! /Mom Lecture

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  22. I knew you'd be pushing the recovery envelope, KB! It's so much safer walking on the trails than on the road - I also go right out my back door. Your wildlife photos here and in the last post are amazing. I often wonder if I'm being observed unknowingly as I ski the trails.

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  23. The Spypoint took a great night pic. I've really been disappointed with the night pics on my new Covert camera. Hope your recovery continues to go well.

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  24. My health issues pale in comparison to surgery but this passed month has knocked me off my feet and kilter with falling after blacking out. My back and chest are so sore that it's hard to breath along with an asthma return. Sophie understands and cuddles but I know she would rather be outside. The ice, so much ice is so difficult to maneuver.
    I just mentioned to Jim this a.m. that this year I would be so careful with winter ice after falling last year, but ironically I fell in the house.
    Oh my, time to rest and heal.
    Take care KB!!
    Ron

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  25. Hi Y'all,

    Love your wildlife trail camera photos.

    Y'all come by now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

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