Lookin for ideas to counter bordem during recovery from surgery and practical ideas too

karasti

I'm having knee surgery on Monday the 28th. Afterwards I will be non-weight bearing on the injured leg for 4-6 weeks. Can't drive, can't even touch toes to the ground. After being laid up a month already, the boredom has more than set in, but at least now I can still take baths, still go shopping, go for short walks, etc. Beyond the weight bearing restrictions it is possible recovery to the point of full weight bearing walking will be closer to 16 weeks.

So, other than the typical movies, books, video games, puzzles, anyone have ideas to occupy me for that time? Having had surgery before, I recall very well thinking it was a great time to catch up on reading, only to find the last thing I wanted to to, was read. I will also have a 4 year old (and 2 other school aged kids) and a dog to manage once my nurse-husband returns to work. I can only watch so much tv. I do have a couple Professor Layton games to catch up on, those are fun, and I have some Kindle games to play too. But I suspect that will all get old fast and I'm a bit concerned on how on earth I will manage being stuck on my back so much.

Also, would love any tips for making getting around and managing life on crutches! We have ideas for the dog already, and I think we'll be fine there. Arranged car pooling for the kid who is in sports since I will be unable to drive. Will be rearranging some areas of the house to make getting around a bit easier. Will make some meals ahead (though hubby does like 95% of the cooking anyhow) and catch up laundry. But I'm sure there are others who have been on such restrictions who might have some brilliant suggestions on how to make things easier.

Bunks

Good luck @karasti! Doesn't sound like fun.

Thousands of hours of entertainment below........ :thumbsup:

http://www.dharmaseed.org/talks/

Jeffrey

Video games? If you get into it you can spend hours gaming.

karasti

We have quite a lot of games at our house, and I do play some of them but not often during the day since I have the 4 year old to look after. I suppose I could tackle all the battle pet achievements in WoW...We did get a new WiiU recently so we play that together, which he loves. The first week (and possibly longer depending) my hubby will be home, so I'm sure I'll spend much of that time laying in bed with my leg up, lol. Fun times!

Bunks, thanks for the link! You're right, I do have lots of time to study and listen, and my teacher has a ton of his teachings on the website, too, many of which I have not heard yet.

Vastmind

Do you do any crafts?
Good time to make things for Christmas gifts....
or make things for homeless or nursing homes.
Sew? Crochet? Knit? How about paint by numbers?
Those got me through some bad days, hahaha

Put some focus on other people, and it helps with
the mental tiredness of being laid up and always
thinking about how our body feels.

Jeffrey

I can attest to paint by numers I want to try to learn carving with my grandfathers old set.

lobster

Involuntary mindfulness. what a stroke of good luck.
Mantras and vajrayana should keep you on the path. Maybe a medicine Buddha practice? :clap:

Brian

See if you can find a group to come over and play boardgames or RPGs with you. Dungeons & Dragons is a fantastic way to keep your mind occupied, especially if you DM, and create worlds, stories, and characters for your players to engage with. It can be REALLY time consuming!

ZenBadger

When I was in hospital for a while I got a little bored but a friend brought me an MP3 player loaded with a French language course. In a week or two I learned enough to get around Brussels without using English. I also wrote copiously, short stories, poetry and riddles which sustained me on the "down" days coming off the anesthetic.

maarten

You could learn computer programming with this ebook
http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/

unless you already know, of course. Good luck!

mettanando

I am in the same boat karasti. Post surgical that is. I have used the time, which ends at the end of next week..to catch up on sleep and reading.
The UK is currently snowbound so I have thought of the period as a time of hibernation.
Like a bear.
Its actually been enjoyable. :om:

sndymorn

Ukulele playing is easy,cheap,and fun for all. I recommend a baritone if you ever had aspirations of playing the guitar. If not try a tenor or concert size uke you can get a starter for thirty bucks... The kids will love it.

footiam

Maybe looking at the rising and falling of your stomach would be interesting.