ONE WEEK WITH NEW KNEES

This was drafted 2 weeks ago today ....


At this moment a week ago, I was maneuvering myself into a car to be taken home after getting both knees replaced.  My surgery began at about 1:30 pm on Wednesday , January 10, and was completed with nerve blocking catheters in each knee by 4 pm. I was wheeled into a large private room, given the once over, some food and a couple of aids hauled me to my feet.  I got dizzy and threw up the food and was put back to bed!

Day 2

In typical hospital fashion - not much time went by during the night without a check-in or new medication interrupting the possibility of sleep. My darling future daughter in law stayed with me in the room and kept me company through the night, including assisting the duty nurse help me with a personal issue which I will not chronicle.

The morning brought another try from the PT department.  I shuffled a few steps and got dizzy again - upon hearing I had not eaten in over 36 hours they determined that was needed and scheduled to come back after lunch.  If they brought me breakfast, I don't recall, but a few bites of a chicken sandwich and some tea and I managed to get up, walk with the walker and go up and down a step and was set for discharge.

By mid-afternoon I was tucked into my bed - family standing by to help with my every need - let the healing begin.

20 DAYS - 2 NEW KNEES

When I first met my surgeon,  I was hoping that there were some alternatives to try to keep me active and avoid replacement for a few years more.  All of the alt medicine things I had read about and had not already tried were discussed and it was clear that there are no new therapies to swap in at this point.

My question as to whether he would do both knees at once was answered with an immediate yes - that my history and level of fitness made me a candidate.  I spent some time researching and thinking about it. I really did not want to go through it twice, but also didn't want to aim too high if it was going to be much more difficult - why set myself up for failure?  The majority of the literature, both medical and anecdotal, suggests that the first weeks are harder,  but the recovery period then levels out and is the same for two knees as it is for 1.  The therapies and the time invested is
not that different.  So why go through the cost, time and pain twice?  I was in for 2.

Turns out there are not that many of us who do this - at least according to  my little post-surgery circle.  The hospital staff, the nurses,  in home and clinic PT techs all say the same thing - they have only seen 1 or 2 others.

I have no way of knowing if my first couple of weeks was more difficult than it was for others.  I had

It took a village!

excellent care from my family, no excessive pain, seemed to get around just fine and kept being told how well I was doing.  Now, I have a bit of comparing I can do in my PT class and I seem to be doing better than some in my group but only by degrees - which they measure all the time to check our progress toward flexible joints.

The one person who was suffering loudly was a man who had 1 knee done in May 2017 and the other one a few weeks ago - he was miserable. Glad I did it my way.

NINETEEN DAYS IN - REGAINING MY BRAIN

It looks like this account is going to be one which moves back and forth in time.  Meds, discomfort and lagging energy keep me from  being able to manage a keyboard  or concentrate long enough to complete a post, so I have a few lines down covering the past 19 days.

Today I had my first physical therapy gym class - a sort of circuit class with others in various stages of recovery from knee replacements.  I am the only bi-lateral total knee replacement in the group - going for 2 is a rarity according to the PT staff I have met. My flexibility is very good, got my knee flat back which is a goal and still working hard on the rest of the of the bendy stuff.

Ice machines strapped on - feels so good!

What people mean when they talk about the pain of knee replacement is the achy/stiff feeling of the knee and surrounding tissues..  There is occasionally sharper pain, but the constant ache and stiffness is what causes sleeplessness and for me at least, around the clock restlessness - the need to stretch, bend and move to relieve the ache. I have been reducing the use pain meds - Percoset - down to just a few a day. And use my ice machines 4-6 times a day.

But I managed to comlete this whole post - so fewer pain meds are ging me my brain back!

HOME PREPPED

I think I finally checked off the last items on my per-op prep list.  The runners are off the floor to make way for the walker which was delivered this week.  I also installed a couple of raised toilet seats - with handles - very fancy.  Tom said he was going to trick out the walker with decals and a bell, but that hasn't happened yet.

I hope to be rid of it a week or so after surgery anyway.

The house is clean - the laundry done.  Lots of comfy clothes up front in the closet for the long recuperation.

The freezer can't hold a single additional item, the pantry is stocked and a list of about 20 meals is written out with ingredients in house. There is even chocolate chip cookie dough for Tom.

 I am very fortunate that my son and his fiancee are coming for the first 10 days to take care of me - she is a nurse about to embark on a doctoral program, so I was lucky to catch her during this particular week.  She has already been giving me advice and lots of lovely gifts of comfy and practical post-op goodies.  As the doctor said to me during my pre-op exam - my son chose well...Not that he's not a fabulous caretaker, himself. 
My youngest daughter is going to take over after the kids return to Reno around the 19th.  She will be with me for about a week - then my husband is up to bat.  Hoping I will be pretty self sufficient by then...He is accustomed to being taken care of by me - this is the first time the tables will be turned.

I find I really, really miss my Advil - didn't realize how much my knees and feet hurt without  anti-inflammatory meds.  It has been hard to sleep with the pain and mounting anxiety. Having my prep done will help my monkey brain settle, I hope!

I have two more days at work and should hear from the surgery scheduler tomorrow about my time on Wednesday. So this is happening.

HAPPY NEW KNEES 2018!

I have been away from blogging for a long time - a combination of tired of hearing my own voice and just plain tired after full time work with commute.

However, I am embarking on a huge challenge in a few days and thought it might be a good time to

December bike outing to Monterey with Tom & Maggie. Can't
really see the bow legs that well in this photo...
I have learned to turn from the camera!

get back on the internet to share my story.  I am going to have both of my knees replaced - yes, at the same time.  Many think this is fool hardy, but I feel up to the challenge.  I have not been able to find much out there about undergoing this surgery and recovery - so I am taking the opportunity to get back into writing with my story.

As my long time "internet friends" know - I had bariatric surgery 5 years ago - I lost 130 pounds and have changed my life in many ways large and small.  I have maintained the weight loss - gotten very into cycling and my doc said I am someone he would allow to do bi-lateral total knee replacement for.  Others in my required "joint class" were jealous, but I explained the circumstances and my hard work to get into shape for this and they were understanding of his decision.

I was also called "young" by an x-ray tech - which blew me away - at 64 I guess I am on the young side for this surgery, but my knees have been bone on bone for about 10 years - I have the bow legs to show for it!!  I hope that I will re-gain the height I have lost when my legs are straight again! See how I am standing on a rock in the photo?

So watch this space - unless I am completely out of my mind with pain and regret I will start posting sometime after  my January 10 surgery date...

SPRING SURPRISE

During a warm week in late March, I was doing some garden cleanup, weeding and such.  I was rummaging around my little potting bench looking for the nasturtium seeds I had harvested in the fall when I moved a plastic bag which had been shoved to the back of a shelf.  Out burst a little bird squawking at me.

 I was startled, then curious.  Why was there a little bird hiding in a plastic bag?
 Apparently it made a nice nesting spot because there were 5 jelly bean sized eggs in a tiny nest inside the bag.  I pushed it back as best I could to it's original spot and vowed to leave it alone.

Yeah, right.  I was peeking in every few days to see if the mommy bird had returned and then to see the progress.  I was alerted to the baby birds by the most adorable peeping comping from the bag - that time I did not peek.  But a week later I couldn't help myself and took a look at the ugly little things (Wiki calls them naked and helpless) squirming around in the nest.  Then I kept my vow for another week or so.

Last Sunday I was working in the yard and saw the mommy bird fly out and took another peek.  I startled one of the babies which caused it to hop out of the nest and flutter and hop into the nearby bushes.  I felt terrible.  Had I doomed this little bird which obviously could not fly back home?

I fretted all afternoon until I noticed that the adult birds were hopping and flying around in the bushes and soon there were several (I couldn't count how many) little birds hopping and trying to fly around in the bushes.  They were all peeping and the sound was just so joyful.  They all seem to have made their way back to the nest and I SWEAR I will not interfere again.

I determined that they are House Wrens and that they babies should be leaving the nest within the week, and they did.  So glad my curiosity didn't do any damage, though I miss them!

JUMPING BACK IN THE BLOGGING POOL

Hard to say if this will stick, but I have been itching to start writing again.

 Maybe it took a year or so to build up stuff to say!

Just the little stuff of our days.  Like trying to find a Mother's Day card that is either funny or fits my relationship with my mom.

 My parents have not had kids in their home for over 35 years - so all those "take the day off" cards don't work.  I am not the sloppy sentimental type, nor am I one for the hyperbole "best mom on the planet" characterizations.  We are way past the "you taught me everything I know" phase.  Something a little poignant or funny is more the tone for my maternal relationship.

I am big on sending store bought cards.  They cost a lot of money these days, but I get a lot of pleasure in looking for just the right card.  I have a box of cards at the ready for pretty much any occasion because I buy cards that I like and figure I will eventually have the right person to send them to.  I send cards to my kids for even the most minor holidays or just because.  Who doesn't love getting mail that isn't a political flyer or a bill? I mention this because I troll the card aisles all the time.

What I have found this pre-Mother's Day season is a mystery to me.  There are more cards for wives, for grandma, for aunts, from the cat, from the dog, for someone like a mom and for stepmoms than there are for just plain old mom.

I thought it was just the selection at CVS until I dropped by a few other card aisles and found the same mix everywhere.  The few cards for just plain old mom  range from  drippy to  glitter bombed. They are double wrapped in plastic to protect little scrapbooking elements which are glued on and leave me wondering how they must look after a week in the postal system. The same old humorous cards involving mixers and potty training are still there. And don't even get me started on the musical ones.  There are always the booze oriented cards but I have sent those a few years in a row now...too predicable.

Anyway - I finally found a card.  It probably won't win the family contest for the best card (an unofficial competition at which I tend to excel.)  It is those little things.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We are not having the home tour this year, but I took a few photos of my decorations since a few people asked about how I was going to decorate the new place.

I have to admit a lack of enthusiasm for decorating this year.  Mostly due to just moving in - finally getting art on the walls, boxes emptied, shelves organized, etc.  Plus - a whole lot more rooms and space to decorate!  I will need to start thinking well in advance next for year and really make this place special for the holidays.

We have a pretty red door.

We have two fireplace mantles to decorate.

This one is in the living room and we hung the stocking there - minus Zac's since is is staying in Portland for the holidays.

This one is in the family room.  My newest member of my collection is the penguin wearing a little scarf...

We are still using our skinny tree from the smaller house - might upgrade next year!

The most important thing is that the girls are coming in the next couple of days - we will have some great  time together.  Especially excited because we are going to Yosemite for a couple of days to see the sights and play in the snow.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

A LITTLE CATCH UP

I keep thinking I should formally close down this blog since I have been neglecting it.  I also worry that when I do post it is all me, me, me and not the variety of topics I used to write about.  I keep thinking life will settle a bit and allow me time to do more, write more - so I keep it up just in case.

In the meantime, we have settled in fairly well to our new place.  Most of the boxes are finally unpacked and some pictures have been hung on the walls.  Mostly we have been out enjoying the glorious fall weather.

Contra Costa Canal Trail.

 There are miles and miles of new trails to explore on our bikes and many, many bars to enjoy happy hour cocktails.  My favorite is a neighborhood place with a barrel of peanuts in the shell to munch!

We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary - we didn't make it to Paris as we had hoped... but had a fine meal in a fancy place. A week later Tom had surgery for a "massive" kidney stone.  They sent a laser up his stuff and blasted the thing - it was quite an event and slowed him down for a week, which he did not expect being such a tough guy and all.

I have acquired a wonderful new bike.  Much research and test riding of all kinds of brands and styles led me to my Electra.  Fabulously light and lovely to look at.  We had a great day riding around in San Francisco and I am excited to get out and about on it again this week which has caused it to start raining...if I had known I could avert the drought by buying a new bike I would have done it last Spring!!

I have added a low basket and canvas bag to the rack and am looking for the perfect bell for the handlebars....

And now the holidays are taking over.  If I don't manage to post again in the next week or so - Happy Thanksgiving!!

MORE ON THE MOVE

Thanks for all the well wishes on our move.  I have been so exhausted and stressed  - but this is really one of those First World Problems and I know it!

We spent way too much time cleaning and grooming the place we were leaving, but the owners of that property were thrilled, so there is satisfaction in that.  They are planning to do all kinds of things to fix it up now that we have moved out.  Isn't that nice...

One of the features of our new home is a sparkling pool in the yard - really, it is a lovely backyard and while

we have never taken care of a pool before and are surprised by all the work involved, it makes us feel a bit like we once again have a water view property!  Plus it holds a great attraction for our daughter Ally who loves to swim and  is descending upon us with her 3 roommates to enjoy this weekend in the 'burbs.  We are having what is likely our last heat wave this weekend and they want to take advantage.

I am sitting in the dining room which is full of boxes and our art which we have not hung up.  Tom has set up my computer here until he has time to move all my stuff to his old laptop since I don't have a dedicated desk space anymore.  The main rooms are in pretty good order and I will make my way through the additional boxes when time allows.  This weekend I hope we can get out on the bikes, enjoy the college kids and get a little relaxation in.  Don't think it has all been drudgery - we went out and found a couple of great Happy Hour spots last Friday evening!

I really did spend months getting ready for this move.  I went through closets and cabinets and got rid of so much stuff. They were sick of seeing me at the Discovery Shop and every time there was one of those pick up postcards, I left a pile on the curb!   In the end it is still a whole lot of work and I still wonder how it is we have so much stuff!  We kept referring to the brilliant, classic George Carlin bit about Stuff - if you have never seen it, take the time to click the link!