Day 1 post surgery - lets walk with the walker. Gee that went pretty
well, lets try it with the crutches....gee you're doing great, want to
try the "step"? Step up, step down, step up, step down"

Day 2 post surgery - You did so well yesterday want to try the stairs?
Grab your crutches. Went half way down the stairs, and back up again.

Day 3 they were going to let me go home, but my hemoglobin dropped/BP
dropped to 80/40 and they gave me a pint of blood which brought
everything right back up. So I went home on Day 4 (Sunday)

My sweetie went back to work on Monday, only about five mintues away.
Mom came up to hang out and help me wash my hair in the sink which
fellt great at that point.

In my case, the bathroom is a mere few steps from the bedroom, and the
kitchen just past there. So I was pretty much all set in that way,
didn't have to worry about stairs etc. I was pretty much just using
one crutch when I came home. Yes it was slow going, there were pain
drugs etc. I just took it slow & easy. Since it was only one crutch I
could still carry a cup of coffee etc. Honey came home from work at
night and took care of the cooking/dishes etc. I was spoiled rotten.

Home health aid came in daily the first week or so, then cut back to
maybe twice a week, to help me exercise the leg etc. I can't remember
exactly how long she kept coming but it wasn't all that long, I was
doing fine and it just wasn't necessary.
One day after I had been home a week or so, the "occupation therapist"
called while she was there and she talked to her....told her it wasn't
necessary....You want to what, come over and teach me how to get in
and out of the bath, put on my shoes etc? Sorry honey, you're a week
late and a dollar short, I took my first shower a week ago!! DOH!

I DID stay out of work for about 10 weeks, but my job requires me to
sit at a computer for 8 hours a day, and that might have been
problematic....besides which everyone kept telling me that I had short
term disablity coverage good for three months and I should take
advantage of it and stay out of work as long as I could, and give
myself a change to heal really well.

After 10 weeks I was pretty much ding-batty and out of things to read!
haha! You'll be walking with "confidence" very quickly, but you'll be
moving slow for a while.....bottom line. The good news is that as
promised, when you wake up from the surgery, you'll realize
immediately that the pain is gone!!!