Posted in Colombia, Colombian healthcare, exercise, expat life, Healthcare in Colombia, hiking, hip surgery, Journal of surgery for hips, strength, Uncategorized, Waiting

Countdown to Surgery


Habits of a lifetime are part of our make up as a person. As my surgery is getting closer I find myself worrying about the outcome. I can’t imagine not being able to hike anymore, or ride my bike, do Yoga and exercise like I have all of my adult life. So I have been reading a lot about the procedure and it seems that I should feel a reduction in pain immediately after my surgery. Reading this group study has helped but I am still very worried about everything, including that I will be the same as I always was before when the surgery and rehabilitation are completed. I am writing questions down as I think of them for my meeting with the surgeon this week. This blog is part serious and part funny. One of my questions is can I bring cute pajamas to wear and not those horrible hospital robes where the naked butt shows?After reading the above article I am not certain if I will be put to sleep or just have my hips numbed. I will ask this of the doctors  because  I also will see an anesthesiologist who will evaluate my health. I am not sure why I have to stay in the hospital three days, because it would probably be outpatient in the USA. However, when I asked at my first meeting with my surgeon he did say I am having both hips done, and they remove a bony obstruction on both sides. He is very famous for this procedure and when I visit his office I see many people with crutches. They all look healthy and happy so I am just trying to accept my situation. Hopefully, when I am the person in the waiting room, I will look happy too.

Part of this situation is that there is not one pill that relieves the pain I feel. Nothing works. I am just living in pain. I have found one solution for the night. I have said many times that cannabis is legal here in the home. I can even grow up to 20 plants if wanted to. I don’t want to. Cannabis is so inexpensive and I have found that all pharmaceuticals I have taken for my various back and neck problems from being a flight attendant are no longer needed. I started using cannabis oil  under my tongue a few days ago. It is strong, and it works for the night pain. However, I would not consider it for daytime, except when I am on bed rest for ten days. Then maybe I will use it.  I do smoke a little weed at around 6 pm in a pipe. I have done this for a little while for pain also, but not much and only if I am not going anywhere.

Now on to the funniest part of this admission about the use of weed for pain management. Yesterday I bought the weed oil for the outside of the body to rub on my hips from the natural medicine store. It smells like Vicks Vaporub ointment. I have used it three times today and I have noticed my pain is better. The smell to me is awful. My mother used Vicks when she was old for everything! I don’t like the smell, and it reminds me of nursing homes.

So I am not going to get any mosquito bites before my surgery, I am going to be able to breathe very well at night because you know that Vicks is great for respiration, and hopefully I will get a bit more relief from the pain.


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I'm an American woman who took a leap of faith and moved to Colombia 15 years ago after the devastating loss of my daughter. What began as a journey to find peace and heal a broken heart became an entirely new chapter of my life. Fifteen years later, Colombia isn't just where I live. It's my home, and a place that has taught me more about life, love, and myself than I ever could have imagined. I bought a villa in the mountains, renovated it, and created my own little piece of paradise, Villa Migelita Ecolodge. Along the way, I've embraced a new culture, learned Spanish (still a work in progress!), made wonderful friendships, and discovered that life has a funny way of surprising us when we least expect it. My life here is filled with hummingbirds, breathtaking mountain views, unexpected adventures, occasional chaos, and plenty of stories that sometimes seem too unbelievable to be true! Hummings from Paradise is my way of sharing it all. The beautiful moments, the challenges, the laughter, the tears, and the lessons I've learned along the way. I believe life is a book filled with chapters, and I'm still writing mine. Some chapters are heartbreaking, others are hilarious, but every one has helped shape the woman I am today. I hope you'll follow along as I continue discovering not only this beautiful country I've come to call home, but also a little more about myself. And believe me, there's never a dull moment in paradise!

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