Drugs Sure Make Time Fly

It is three weeks ago today that my knee was replaced, but it seems like last week. I think this is partly due to sleeping so much while on percocet. I lowered the dose from 2 to 1 1/2 tabs every 4 hours, and seem to tolerate it ok.

Tomorrow is my first meeting with the new PT guy.

Starting Wednesday, Retro Man is going to drive me to and from work. Thankfully I have a job where I sit down most of the time, so I'll try to get in 5 hours 3 days this week, and 5 hours 4 days next week.

Nothing like no pay to spur you into action.

Went on another walk along the water today.

First Real Shower In 17 Days

Our full bathrooms are on the second story, so even though I was cleared to take a shower a few days ago, I was reluctant to go up those stairs.  Today the shower actually called my name, and so I went.

O M G

It's impossible to believe that something so basic could give me so much pleasure. Simply amazing.

The stairs weren't bad at all. I had already figured out compensatory moves in the last few years to get up and down those stairs. 

I called the out-patient rehab facility - actually called the Sports Therapy Center. It makes me laugh to think a cryp such as I will be doing anything remotely related to sports.  Their first opening with the recommended guy won't be until Tuesday.

Every day is better than the day before and

I shouldn't have waited so long.......

Sans Staples

I got my 24 staples out yesterday, and only one hurt coming out. I had heard mixed reviews about this process, so was a little apprehensive. I took pictures, but only after the Doc put the steristrips on, so I'll spare you the cool picture until they fall off.

I graduated to a cane today. I will use the walker if I need it, but think I can put it away. I have only ever used crutches to do the stairs to get in and out of the house and on my walks and will continue this until I feel comfortable with a cane outside.

Pt boy came for the last time. I have 1 degree of extension where 0 is the goal, so I am really happy. My flexion is 120. I'm not sure what the goal for that is, but I know it's good because I always get a smile when it's measured.

City Girl is home for the holidays. It is so nice to be able to spend so much time with her. She doesn't have to go back until the 13th, so we'll have a lot of time to visit. If my improvement continues, maybe we'll even get to go shopping - something I haven't been able to do with her in years.

When I woke up this morning, my left knee hurt more than the right, so this is amazing progress.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. I know mine will be great!

Well I'm Pumped

It's been one week since parts of my leg were sawed off and I see a tiny bit of improvement every day.

Pt man came today. He didn't seem as rushed, and laughed when I asked if I was his last torture victim for the day.  He threw a few new things at me, but I never cried or wanted to. The key for me was taking 2 tylenol along with all my other meds an hour before he came. I now feel the sweet hurt sensation when a muscle stretches as it hasn't been able to for 4 years.

Reto Man and I tried to go shopping at a very popular eatery/grocery store here called Mazzaro's. It's definitely the place that New Yorkers come shopping with their best holiday attitude.  It's definitely no place for a cryp with a crutch, and I'll stay home next time.

I calculated the pain medicine I thought I'd need before getting the staples out on the 20th and called it in to the prescription hotline. However no one called it in to the pharmacy and no one called me. I'm a little confused, then, why the call it a hot line. I'm glad I don't need anything for a few days.

That's the update for today. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

6 Days Out

Yesterday was a good day despite pt guy trying to kill me. The pop in my knee doesn't seem to have produced any lasting damage. I got the crutches and went out the front of our house to the alley where our car is parked.  It took about 10 minutes. We got Chinese take out and some movies from the Pawn Shop and came back and ate lunch.

I didn't do pt yesterday, but promised myself I would do it this morning. It wasn't that bad and I will go for a longer walk today up and down the alley using the crutches. I seem to bend over more with the walker and need to concentrate on standing straight since I've been bent over for 4 years.

Kind of boring, but better than bad news.

They Said There'd Be Days Like This

I've been home since Wednesday and it's been so nice. I'm still trying to figure out the pain med thing so the pain isn't too bad, but at the same time I don't create more pain by falling over in a drugged up haze. Honestly sometimes (most of the time) I can't even focus my eyes when I'm on the percocet. I must look more retarded than normal.

The Home Health nurse came today and was able to get me an oral form of delauted. We'll see how that goes.

The PT guy came a few hours later. At one point I started crying and he angrilly said I shouldn't be crying. Oh really? I took the percocet 1 hour before he showed up. Did I forget to do a rain dance or something?  As he hurredly went through the exercises, my knee popped loudly and made my leg jump. Then I showed him what crying is really like. I was more scared and shocked than anything. It is so funny how much I've cried in the last few days. It's more than the last 15 years of my life. Must be a side effect of that damn percocet.

Anyways, Retro Man hooked me up to the cooler thingy that takes ice water and circulates it around the knee. I figured this would be a good idea since PT guy said he never heard a knee pop like that before.

Note to self: Get someone who actually graduated from PT school.

Retro Man and I believe everything happens for a reason. When I found out that I was too anemic to get both knees done at the same time, I wondered what the reason might be for that to be a good thing.  Truth be told, from a pain and balance perspective, one has definitely been enough.

But the phone rang today and it was the short term disability lady telling me that she was sending me some paperwork to fill out. There is a pre-existing clause for people who have been employed less than one year. I told her not to bother since I've been fighting these knees for 4 years.

So I am hoping to go back to work on January 3rd. I would not have had a chance of going back so soon with both knees replaced. Fate has helped me once again.

Retro Man and I are going for a walk at the park tomorrow. The weather is supppsed to be gorgeous.

Oh and City Girl comes home from College on the 19th!

I'll Be Going Home In An Hour

Absolutely amazing. Within the last 48 hours I have had two bones sawed off, a new joint cemented in, a few moments of pain enough to brings tears, and today I am in less pain than before I went in. My leg can straighten out more, and it is no more swollen than Monday morning.

It's a really good day!

It's Just A Little scar

WARNING!!!

Graphic images of my scar and new dressing.

OK I Cried A Little Bit

PT was too much for the percocet. That stuff is like water to me. I am asking to go back to the delauted. However I did walk to the door and back and between that and some other things I did, PT guy claimed he was impressed and gave me 3 stars. Once I get these meds right, I will be able to do more. The nurse said today is the hardest day.

I sure hope so.

The Home Health coordinator came and talked with me. They will start coming to the house the day after I get home which looks to be Thursday now.

The doctor must have been smokin crack when he said I'd go home after two days with a double.

My blood counts got too low so now I am getting both units that Retro Man donated for me. Thank goodness we are the same blood type. My hemaglobin was 8.1. His was 13. I will feel like a million bucks after I get it all.

That's all for now.

Sent from my Samsung smartphone on AT&T

The Drugs Are Great!

I haven't needed any pain meds yet, but the nurse said to just start anyway. So I'm getting delauted, or however you spell it, every 3 hours through the night.

I'm listening to Swinging Christmas on Pandora and singing along. What in the world was I so afraid of?

Well I may find out tonight.  My new knee has pillows under it and ice on top. Tonight I go to a straight leg. The nurse said that everyone is different, but that I will probably like it since I'm moving around so much.

PT starts tomorrow. It took too long for the spinal to wear off today to do anything. Probably due to the noob sticking me so many times. I am still very numb, but can move both legs a little and they just feel like they are asleep.

All in all I am very thankful right now.

And That Is That

Uneventful surgery. Unfortunately they would only do one knee because i am too anemic.  Hopefully will hear when I can do the other one when I see the doctor tomorrow.

Had a spinal, which I would highly recommend. Perfectly coherent (or so I think) as soon as you're in recovery.  Didn't get to recovery until1:30. It's 4:30 and I still can't move or feel my legs. I can tell it's wearing off though. That will be good because I am lying here like a sack of potatoes and would really like to move by myself.

One side effect of a spinal,however, is a slight chance for a wicked headache a few days later due to leaking spinal fluid. I am not too worried about this, however a resident poked me fifty times to do the spinal before the anesthitologist stepped to get 'er done. Hopefully so many more pokes will still seal and not cause any headaches.

City Girl recommended I download Pandora to my phone, which I did. I am listening to Swinging Christmas. It's great and very uplifting.

That's all for now. I so appreciate everyone praying for me and sending good thoughts my way. For now I couldn't be happier. I suspect having one knee done at a time will end up being a blessing.

Bye for now O:-)

Today Is The Day!

I am playing with the Android Blogger app.  

I don't have much to say except I feel very clean. I had to wash with this stuff for 10 minutes last night and this morning.  It is the soap that surgeons use before they do surgery.

T Minus 12

WARNING: Graphic images.  Don't look if you don't want to see one really fucked up person.

Despite the fact that I'm sure I'll never make it, I'm posting 'before' pictures anyway hoping I can post 'after' pictures.

I know - how dramatic.

I'm so scared.

It's like climbing up the high dive for the first time.  There's a line of kids behind you so you can't go back down.  And you don't know what's going to happen after you jump off the board.

And you HAVE to jump.

Anyways.  Here is a 'before' picture.  Please disregard the sagging breasts.  I breast fed my daughter and just turned 49 yesterday, so I have somewhat of an excuse.

This is me, really trying to stand straight.

Really. 

I've been on a crutch resisting this surgery for 4 years.  I finally gave up.

Tomorrow at 9:15 I will receive two new knees.  Each knee will take approximately 1/2 hour to replace.  This Doctor only does spinals, and I can be as awake as I want.  I'm taking the amnesia pill.

For all of you who truly know me, if you post a comment, please keep any personal information about me to yourself.  If I want my million blog fans to know something about me, I'd like to be the one to let it out.

Like the fact that I have saggy breasts, I'm 15 pounds over weight and can't stand straight.  I'm removing nearly every shred of dignity to help just one person out there who might be as terrified as me and waiting WAY TO LONG to get this done.

Wish me luck.  I hope to post soon.

All I Want For Christmas Is Two New Knees Please

Surgery is December 5th.  Yikes!

It won't be Tree stuff, but I will try to blog about my progress for my family and anyone else out there who may be contemplating the surgery and wondering what happens.

Warning - pictures will not be for the faint of heart!

A Shelter For Easter

It is fast getting hot in Florida, so on Wednesday Retro Man decided to head up alone to Tree Ring to finish the Shelter.  

For all of my new blog fans (I know you're out there), here are some links showing the progress of the Shelter.

2009/12: We Need A Shelter 
2010/01: Off to the Woods - Finally! 
2010/02: The Camper's Final Resting Place 
2010/03: Tree Ring Time! 
2010/05: Another Small Step To A Shelter
2010/06: The Shelter Gets Some Legs 
2010/06: It Must Just Be Me 
2010/10: The Shelter Gets A Head(er) 
2010/12: We Have A List. We Just Have To Check It. 

To give you some perspective, here is an aerial view of Tree Ring.  The red dot marks the spot where the shelter is located.

Retro Man arrived around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, unpacked everything, and then it hailstormed for 3 hours.

Typical.

Wednesday night was filled with Chuck-Will's-Widow calls until 2 in the morning.  Turn your speakers up and check it out.

Note to self:  Put earplugs on your Country checklist.

On Thursday morning, instead of getting started, everything had to be dried out first.

 

Thursday night, the coyotes were howling.  This also lasted into the wee hours of the morning.  Check out Coyote1 on this page.

Friday, the Purlins went up.

Friday night was blessedly quiet.  The Sheriff must have written tickets to the critters for violating the noise ordinance.

**SNORT**

Saturday, the roof went on, and this is our new Shelter.

Nice.

It's 20 degrees cooler under there.  Just like we wanted.  And it's nice and dry when it rains too.

Retro Man had expected to return yesterday, but because he lost a day drying stuff out, he just came back this morning.

Red as a lobster.

He put up the 3x18 foot roof sections all by himself.  Heck, he built the entire thing by himself.

He is so awesome!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter.  Mine was great in so many ways.

Why Would You Ever Need 3 Chainsaws?

When 2 get stuck in a tree.

And that, my friends, is why we call it Tree Ring Circus.

This happened two weeks ago.  The method we used to free them is another blog.

New Beginnings

As some of you may have noticed, it seems as though I've dropped off the end of the earth.  I've been occupied with life-changing events.

City Girl got accepted to Roanoke College, and will be starting there in 5 months.  She will have a brand new beginning in a beautiful town at a wonderful school just down the road from her grandparents.  

She turns 18 in June.  Unbelievable.

I decided 2011 was a good year to start anew as well.  I chose to leave my company after 24 years.  I gave my two weeks notice yesterday.

Sometimes things just really get stale.

Actually I was really stale.

Despite the crippled economy, I've been fortunate enough to find a different job with better pay and will be starting in two weeks.  It is a small company with less than 25 employees.  24 years ago I was employee 129 at a small company that, over the years, got acquired a few times until I was one of 65,000 employees.  I want to go back.  Smaller companies are more risky, but can be so much more rewarding to work for when people see and acknowledge the work you do.

Alongside all of this, I also chose to try a new therapy for my knees called prolotherapy, which appears to be helping quite a bit.  I have moved from a crutch to a cane and don't look quite so ridiculous any more.

With all of this change, I just haven't been able to concentrate on blogging.  It seemed like all I wanted to write about were things that couldn't be made public.  Hopefully, I won't be so preoccupied and will be able to concentrate on Tree Ring a little bit more.

In my next blog I hope to show you the progress Retro Man and I have made on our trail.  The path around the back 10 is complete, and now we are focusing on widening it.

The Last Sunset Of 2010

We have found a new tradition.  

Our very dear friends from Colorado visited us between Christmas and New Years.  On New Years eve, we all went to the beach to watch the last sunset of 2010. 

Even half way up in the sky it was beautiful.

All of us took pictures, including City Girl.

Looking back at the beach, the colors were striking.

The surf quietly lapped against the shore as we waited.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and wealthy year!!!