Day 28

Good Sunday PM-

There's 44 seconds left in the Cowboy game and the Cowboys, theoretically, could pull off a win against the NY Giants...

Let's see, the last update was Thursday evening.  That's because Friday sucked.  It started sucking from the moment I got out of bed.  I already knew laying in bed I was kind of sore but when I got up I found out I was really sore.  I mean everything on and in my left leg was tight.

PT did not go well.  My range of motion was limited and I had problems with the exercises. My therapist asked if I was getting sick, like the flu, because I looked pale.  I suggested it was the lighting but she didn't think so.  Awesome.

We talked about what I did Thursday and it appears that my lunch outing was too long for me.  I am not supposed to sit, with my legs underneath me (and bent) for an extended period of time.  She reminded me that this is why she told me to be careful because doing too much causes set backs.  I was sent home a bit early and told to ice up and take a pain pill and cancel my lunch outing for Friday.

Chuck and I still met Chris Jackson at Doc's for lunch...but we sat at the tall tables so I could stand up off and on.  It wasn't crowded so we got our food fast.  Oh, and I took a pain pill because Chuck drove.  Awesome!

The Cowboys lost in case you didn't already know that.  <sigh>

Today I had to euthanize our Betta fish, Monsieur.  He had been laying around the bottom of the tank for the last few weeks and the medication I'd been putting in the tank stopped working for him.  He quit eating this past week.  I Googled "how to euthanize your fish" and found that the most humane way to put a fish to sleep is to use clove oil.  Who knew?

I bought a small bottle for about $6.  The deed took about 30 minutes.  He went pretty painlessly.  No swimming about frantically he just went belly up.  I read a couple of things that said the fish could revive after being put to sleep so just to make sure he didn't wake up I took him out and observed that his gills were not moving then he was transferred to the freezer.  Another method said to submerge them into Vodka to ensure death but that seemed like a waste of liquor.

So long Monsieur.

Today I walked 6 blocks, rode my stationary bike and did a bunch of the exercises, including the one I hate.  Here's the hated exercise:

This is called "Stretch Knee Ext Supine" and that stands for "S&^t, this hurts!".  It doesn't seem like a hard exercise.  This picture doesn't show it but be sure to tighten only your knee muscles (not butt or thigh muscles) and then press toward the floor.  If you're feeling really rambunctious add a one or two pound weight on your knee!  I hate all 45 reps of this.

I didn't wake up at 2:00 a.m. and take the base-line pain pills this morning.  I'm thinking sleep is better.  Today was the first day that I didn't take a nap!  It's not because I didn't want to but because I made myself stay awake.  I'm on my way back to the grind.

One last thing.  I love our hot tub.  

Have a good week-
debie@TbedB

Day 25

Good Thursday Evening-

Today has been a different day. 

I had another doctor appointment today and it was at 8:00 a.m.!  Yesterday was the earliest I've had to get up and be somewhere.  Today beat yesterday by an hour.  Oh, and I drove myself to the doctor's office during the morning rush!  Ah, nothing gets you on your game than everyone trying to merge at 360 and Lamar!

If you've been keeping up then you'll remember that I visited the doctor last week for my first post-op visit.  Well, I didn't take my list of questions and I was almost out of pain medication.

Here's a brief run down of my visit:

• I can use their heated pool for therapy
• I can get in our hot tub
• I can get a pedicure
• I can wear a brace on my right knee while I'm walking
• I got my return to work note
• I got my pain meds
• The puffy spot under my left knee is normal because most of the work occurred in that area
• I got pictures of the post-op x-rays for you to look at!!

Front View

Side View

There it is folks!  That's my bionical knee!  I will set off some of the airport screens but not any that have the full body scanners.  I'm supposed to get a card so I still need to check into that.  I'll be a card carrying TKR person.  

I met my co-workers at Texas Land and Cattle today.  I also drove myself to the restaurant!  It was great to see everyone.  They also bought my lunch!  How awesome is that?  We had another reason to celebrate.  One of my co-workers has been working on getting his green card for  about 11-10 years.  We started working on getting him into a different queue about 1.5 years ago and everything fell into place and he finally got his green card this week!  I would tell the story but it would take too long.  I'm happy for Khatir and his family and that this project is complete!

Nancy asked that I text her when I got home.  She's a mom!  So, I went home, texted Nancy and took a nap.  <sigh>  It's who I am and what I do.

I'm putting off a PT session by claiming to be blogging.  I need to go bend my bionic knee.  

TGIF-

debie@TbedB

Day 24

HHD!  (Happy Hump Day!)

I started going to out-patient PT Monday.  Monday consisted of measuring and discussion of pain levels, etc., so it wasn't too intense.

I had an appointment at 9:00 a.m. today which meant I had to set my alarm!  Not so much to wake me up but to remind me I have somewhere to be.  I'm getting faster at getting ready.  I have longer intervals of getting ready and shorter intervals of resting.

Today the therapist measured my flection before and after the session.  The first measurement was 95 degrees. The measurement after the session was 105 degrees.  According to MeMe, my physical therapist, she said that this measurement was normally achieved at the end of PT and not after the second session.  Cool, huh?

My therapist also said that I needed to be careful not to push my knee too hard because I do not want more swelling.  Anymore swelling will hold back my recovery.  I'm working on more but shorter PT sessions at home.  I'm trying to make it fun but it still hurts and I hate the exercise I have to do the most of.  Grrrr.

We stopped by Starbucks on the way home and I had a delicious coffee.  As soon as I finished it I took a nap.  Go figure.

Bottom Line: more frequent but shorter PT sessions and naps still required.

Onward-
debie@TbedB

Day 21

Good Sunday Evening-

I haven't had much to say for the past few days because there hasn't been much to say.

Except for Saturday there was the usual round of physical therapy and walking.  The only difference is that I'm adding 10 minutes of stationary bike to the end of the PT sessions.

There were a few highlights during the past few days...

Friday my little tiny baby, Max, came over.  We hung out for a bit then Max drove me to Macy's where we bought my sister a birthday present.  Then it was off to the bank for some cash then over to Central Market for some treats.  While we were at Central Market we ran into a couple of Max's buddies, Chris and Josh.  It was good seeing the boys which is what they'll always be to me.  Tree climbing boys.  It was nice hanging out with Max.  It's been a long time since we just passed time together.  This was the longest time I'd been out of the house since the surgery.

When we got back my sister called and wanted to hook up for dinner and offered to buy!  Chuck and I were good for that so we met her at Tres Amigo's on Slaughter Lane.  The meal was alright, but not as good as it usually is and our waiter wasn't very good.

As usual, there was someone there that knew my sister.  When we left we stopped by their table and the husband had his knee replaced about a year ago.  He bent both knees to his chest to show me his progress and what I had to look forward to.   He then he proceeded to pull up his pants leg to show me his scars.  I wonder if that's what all TKR patients do?  Show off their scars and their progress to those of us who are contemplating or have just had the procedure done.  Is it because their life is so much better now that they aren't in pain with every step?   Will I be like that?  I don't plan on pulling up my pants to show off my scars however if someone really, really wants to see it then maybe.

Saturday I never got out of bed.  I started feeling bad Friday evening and it just got worse.  It was some kind of stomach yuckiness and it lasted about 24 hours.  It was over a little after midnight Sunday morning before I felt better.  Probably some germ got me while I was out.

Got up today and did the PT routine, showered and hung out.  Then I did the most exciting thing.  I drove myself to the Starbucks for a coffee!  That's right I DROVE myself!  Freedom!!

Today is also my sister's birthday so we hooked up at the Longhorn Steak House for a birthday dinner.  Max and his girlfriend, Kathryn joined us and then everyone came over to our house for ice cream cake and a round of Farkle.  As fate would have it Gail won.  We figured it was right since it was her birthday.  It was a nice evening.

This is all that's been going on at the South Austin Rehab House.

Tomorrow I start out-patient PT.  We'll see...

Have a good Monday-
debie@TbedB

Day 17

Happy Humpday-

On this day in 2011, Marieta Hutchinson had her knee replaced.  A couple of weeks ago she stopped by with her new boots with 2 inch heels on.  She looked great!  Congratulations Marieta!!  You've been an inspiration.  Thanks for helping me to go for it!!

Other news:  I went to find another pair of VSC (Victoria Secret Compression) stockings.  There was good news and bad news.  The good news is the place where these are at is at the Southwood Mall so it's convenient.

Here's a bit of Austin trivia.  In 1966, Southwood Mall was the first indoor mall in Austin.  The only other malls that in town were Capital Plaza and Hancock Center.  Does anyone remember any other malls at that time?  Is anyone old enough to remember this time?

Southwood Mall was awesome!! It had a Handy Andy, Sears, Slax (a men's store), Yaring's (the best women's wear store in Austin, EVER), Woolworth's (with a soda fountain), Sears, a hair salon, a barber shop, a library and Winn's five and dime.  There was an insurance office that was a loft that you got to via a wrought iron circular staircase.  There was also a fountain.  It was very groovy in the late 60's and early 70's.

The ceilings were blown in, probably with asbestos.  It was fun to get a super ball from Winn's and bounce it into the ceiling because if you bounced it hard enough it would stick!  The ceilings had many colorful circles in the middle of the mall.  We would wait until there was no one around and bounce the balls as hard as possible.  Sometimes they'd stick, most of the time they wouldn't.  Can you imagine being in Barton Creek Mall with no one around?    

Now Southwood is ugly and nasty.  I think the problem with this mall was that it was too small.  It couldn't compete with Westgate or Highland Mall.  It just finally imploded.  It's no longer a mall and it looks like a strip center. 

We went into Med Express and found out that getting another pair of stockings was going to cost $160.00.  We decided that one pair will do! 

To sum it up; medical stuff is expensive and it's Marieta's one year anniversary of TKR!

Happy Thursday-

debie@TbedB

Day 16

Good Tuesday Afternoon-

A notable anniversaries for today: 

• Marie Antoinette lost her head on this day in 1793
• In 1962 John F. Kennedy was informed of the Soviet nuclear missel silos in Cuba 
• Jessica McClure was rescued from a Texas well in 1987 after spending 58 hours trapped

Today was my first visit with the doctor since the surgery.  Doctor Savage gave me an excellent report!  He said that I was above the curve on recovery that my flexion awesome.  He said that he would normally expect this level of progress at 3-4 weeks of recovery, not at 2!!  He said when I start going to PT next week to carry some of his business cards because there will be people there that had surgery at the same time that are not doing as well as I am.  

The steri-strips were removed and I can now use the lotion that Marieta gave me to massage my scar.  It's vitamin E lotion and the doctor said to massage the scar about three times a day for a few minutes at a time.  I'm suppose to massage in small circles.  As I understand it I'm trying to keep the top layer of skin from sticking to the lower layers, or something like that. 

I have to wear the Victoria Secret Compression Stockings for another 3 weeks.  I asked if I needed to wear them on the right leg (the leg that still has the original knee) and he said that I did.  He said that half the time blood clots occur in the limb that didn't have surgery.  He gave me a script for another pair and I'm hoping they come in black or fishnet!

I forgot to ask about the pool and hot tub.  Can you believe it?  I'll be in next week so I'll ask...

The elbow nose is bursitis.  The doctor said it was probably caused by my leaning too much on my elbow.  Chuck reminded me that I lean on it when I'm in the chair and I caught myself this afternoon leaning on it while in bed.  He offered a steroid shot and something else or I could just quit using it and it'd go away.  I opted for the quit using it.  I've had enough shots for a while. 

I told him that I don't have any stamina and he said that is because of the anemia from blood loss and that my body is focusing on repairing the knee.  He said it was to be expected for a couple more weeks.   He asked how my sleeping was going and I said that I wake up every few hours and he said that was normal, as well.  He said I'll get eight hours of sleep just not all at once.  He said taking naps during the day is okay.

The doctor said his part was done and now the rest is totally up to me.  However,  if I keep on the same pace I should be ready for knee two in no time!

Since I got such a good report Chuck and I went into the Starbucks and hung out for a bit.   Then we went to the Petsmart and I roamed around the store.  We made our purchases and when we started to leave in walked Betsey and Cathy, from work.  I should have asked if they were there to fill up the snack shack.  :)  

They were surprised to see me and said I looked great.  I really appreciated the compliment.  I didn't feel like I looked great but I feel alright.

A mention about riding in the truck.  It's uncomfortable.  I pushed the seat all the way forward and put my feet on the floor that angled up.  That helped.  Chuck thinks a pillow will help so tomorrow we're going to give that a go.

Today was the most I've walked since the operation.  After we got home I crashed and woke up around 2.  Just in time for Terri, the PT, to come in.  

She was excited to hear the good news from the doctor.  In her opinion, she thinks the physical therapy and the home nursing staff (Chuck) are the reason I'm doing so good.  I think she may be right!  This was Terri's last visit.  I'm going to miss her and I appreciate all the work she did with me.

Onward-

debie@TbedB

PS(Did anyone catch the last half of the Denver game last night?  What a come back!  Take that Phillip Rivers!)

Day 15

Happy Monday Evening-

I'm watching baseball because DWTS is over and Phillip Rivers makes me want to yak.

Not much to report since my last post.  My last couple of days consist of sleeping, PT, having a snack...lather, rinse and repeat.  

There has been one unusual thing and that is with my elbow.  Yup, my left elbow.  It was grown a big old bulbous knob on the end.  It's not bone.  It feels kind of like a nose.  It doesn't hurt but I can't quit squeezing it which sort of creeps out Chuck. Any ideas out there?  Our camera is malfunctioning so I took a pic using my iTouch:

Weird, huh?  I see the doctor tomorrow so I'll ask him about it.

Oh, another new addition to my repertoire of exercises. I can ride the stationary bike now!  It starts off hard because my left knee/leg is so tight.  The longer I go the looser it gets.  It's a good thing.

That's it for now. I'm hoping for an excellent report tomorrow, removal of steri-strips and the approval to hit the pool and hot tub!  I'd like to be able to stop wearing the Victoria Secret Compression Stockings but I don't think that's going to be happening for another few weeks.  That'll make Chuck happy...

Have a good Tuesday-
debie@TbedB

Day 13

Today is another milestone day!  I gave myself the last shot of Lovanox!  Yipee!  My belly has got 10 little bruises where it's been stabbed every day for the last 10 days.  Now I move to one enteric coasted aspirin every day for the next 30 days.  All of this is being done to prevent blood clots.

Do you know what enteric aspirin is?  One definition of enteric aspirin is "Aspirin that is treated to pass through the stomach unaltered and to dissolve in the intestines".  The theory is is that aspirin is a good pain reliever but it tears up your belly.  Enter coated aspirin.  However, there are studies that indicate coated aspirin is no better than non-coated aspirin for heart related issues.  Interestingly enough, all of the studies use a much lower dose than I'll be taking.  My dosage is 325MG.  Since I'm only taking it for 30 days only I'm going to quit "reserching" it and move on.  I really only wanted to know what enteric meant...

I tried a something a little different today.  I got up around 6:30 a.m.  I had a cup of coffee some water and then did one full round of PT.  

Physical Therapy hurts.  It really does.  I'm surprised at how much it hurts.  I make weird noises while I'm performing physical therapy.  It's not so much noise as loud breathing. I breath for the counts.  That means if I need to hold a stretch for 5 seconds I'm exhaling 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 then 2, 2, 3, 4, 5...etc.  It sounds like I'm a pregnant Vador.  I squish my eyes closed and try not to yell.  I have to say this makes it hard to get excited about PT.  I knew this going in but perhaps I didn't quite estimate the pain level correctly.  Chuck tells me to keep powering through.  He assures me it's all for the best and I know it is.  However, let me refer you to the first sentence in this paragraph.

I took a shower and laid down and woke up around 2 p.m.  This was good because UT slept through the OU game, too.  I'm sorry that UT got their asses whooped but OU still sucks.

For round two of PT I chose walking.  We added another block to the route so I'm up to 3 blocks!!  At least I count them as blocks.  I went out wearing black shorts, white compression stockings, a grey t-shirt and tennis shoes.  Pretty.  There were a couple of folks who slowed down when they drove by.  I waved at them.  I may have known them but since I couldn't see that far I assumed they were checking me out.    That's right, I was rocking the compression stockings!

For dinner tonight we decided to do take out.  The take out I picked was the "Savage" deep dish pizza from Conan's.  When was the last time any of you Austinites hit up Conans?  I forgot just how yummy and filling their deep dish pizza is.  We have enough pizza for breakfast and lunch tomorrow!  Long ago Conan's turned me on to black olives.  It was the first time I had them on a pizza and in a salad.  I still love olives.  Green and black!

To recap:  No more shots, 1 enteric aspirin a day, OU still sucks and PT hurts.

Have a good weekend-
debie@TbedB

Day 11

Howdy-

It's 10/11/12 today!!

Non knee stuff.  I watched the Giants vs Reds baseball game.  First there were a lot of people at this Thursday noon game.  I suppose that could be because it was a playoff game, huh?  I noticed that in the seats behind home plate there was a lady that kept her back to the game and was talking to the people in the first and second rows.  I thought maybe she was a waitress or perhaps a translater?  Did anyone else watch the game and see her?  I know the Reds were making a comeback in the 9th but I don't think they were successful.  I believe the Giants won and I was watching baseball because there's really nothing else on and on pain meds baseball is interesting!

ACL is this weekend.  Have fun to everyone who's going.  I talked to my buddy Kathy and we both rather happy to not be attending with the high humidity.  However, to anyone who is reading this and going to ACL please go see The Roots.  They're the reason I bought tickets.  I enjoy them on Late Night with Jimmy Fallen and their last CD was pretty good.  ?uestlove is awesome and I wonder what he's like live.  If you get close enough tell them I said hey!  I'll be looking for a feed on the internet.

Speaking of ACL they said they'll have a solar charging station so you could charge your phone and keep taking pictures and tweeting.  I remember having my camera battery run down at the end of the night but I also remember having issues getting connections on my phone.  I'll be interested to hear how that works out.

Knee news.  Another round of PT and my biggest problem is with my hammy's.  I walked like a cowboy for so long that I have a lot of work to get them stretched back to normal.  I've gotten a new stretch today whereby I stand with my heels, rear-end and shoulders touching a wall then I try to press my knees to the wall.  Yeouch!  I'm kind of wondering if  I should stick with the cowboy walk.  

I made another 2 block walk and my knee felt better after the walk. Yippee!

TGIF-
debie@TbedB

Day 10

It's hump day!

Today started out with my left leg having an assortment of painful jolts.  Jolts is the best way I can describe it. They were almost electrical like.  I took my base-line pain meds and iced up but that didn't seem to stop the pain.  This is interesting since I haven't really felt this type of pain to date.  What does this mean?  Probably that I had major surgery on my leg and it hurts, huh?  I guess I've been so fortunate in recovery that I don't expect any unknown pain to occur.  I took a break-through pain pill and then dozed off until noon.

I felt bad about sleeping the day away but Chuck is happy when I'm sleeping.  Maybe he's tired of listening to me.  That can't be it because a side affect of surgery and pain meds is that I don't talk very much. Sorry co-workers, this side affect should be worn off by the time I get back to work!
Chuck's opinion is that sleep is a good thing and it helps with the healing.  I'm going to pick he's right and just not worry about it!

Chuck let me ride to Starbucks and see all the peeps as well as grab a coffee.  We took the dogs and made an outing of it. It was nice to see the neighborhood.

Terri, the PT, came much later today but that didn't stop her from working me harder than before.  She added an additional 5 reps to everything so I'm up to 20 reps per exercise.  Whew.  So, once we finished the table dance (anyone reading this?) then we did the "kitchen" exercises.  These exercises all consist of me holding on to the counter and performing an assortment of fun stuff.  One of my favorite ones is called "I love a parade" which is true.  I totally love a parade!

For the finale, Terri had me put on my tennis shoes and we went outside!  I walked to the end of the street and back.  I think that's about 2 blocks.  I felt like I accomplished something today!  I only used a cane and I walked pretty good.  Chuck said there wasn't any waddling.

It's the end of day 10 and it's been good.  I'm finishing the day off in bed and I'm running a low grade fever.  That's a drag because I thought that was over, too.

Today's lessons.  Keep working on PT (more than once a day!!!), don't get alarmed by pain and the low grade fever may be around for awhile.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday-
debie@TbedB

Day 8

It's been 8 days since I started becoming robotic. A couple of milestones were met today.

• I took the bandage off and took a shower letting soapy warm water run down my left knee.  It felt good. I patted it dry and there you are!  For a leg that was bonked about last week it looks OK.  

• I was transferred from a walker to a CANE!!  How about that?  I've also been told to take a walk in the morning or evening.  I'm to go up to the end of the street and back.  I still need to walker for nighttime bathroom visits.  One reason is to make sure I'm stable.  The second reason is to part the dogs when I come by.  

The PT is impressed with my progress but the exercises still hurt like hell.  We discussed where the pain is and I understand why it hurts but it doesn't make it any easier when it's time to do them. I keep reminding myself no pain no gain and then I tell myself to shut up.  I'd like to put this off on someone else but this is all up to me so I can argue with myself all I want but I still get my behind up on that table.

The PT also said that my support system, AKA Chuck, is a great help with my recovery.  I agree.  Chuck has been right with me the whole time and he is happy how things are turning out.  It makes it easier to get moving when you have someone who loves you cheering you on.

That's it for today kids.  I'm fixing to go prance up and down the sidewalk in my shorts and Victoria Secret Stockings.  That should give the neighbors something to talk about!

Have a good evening-

debie@TbedB

Day 7

Two steps forward, one step back.  That was one of the last things Dr. Savage told me before I was released from the hospital.  He also said "Don't let that get you down.".

Day 6 was one step back.  I felt like I was getting sick.  Sick like the flu or a virus.  I was achy, had a headache and a low grade fever.  I pretty much stayed in bed all day with a body buddy.  I finally took oxycoden and slept through the rest of it.  Are you wondering what a body buddy is?  It's a sock filled with wood chips, pellets or something that can be microwaved and is used like a heating pad but with less chance of burning your skin off.

Chuck said that it seemed like I ran out of gas.

Today I woke up and felt much better thank you.  I took a shower and washed my hair.  Let me just say that of all the basic needs I think that being clean is right there at the top.  I felt like I had something to do and a reason to wake up.  I actually kind of fixed my hair and put a little makeup on.

Chris Jackson came by Friday, after work, and dropped off a delicious meal prepared by his family.  Amy Jackson took time out of her busy schedule to prepare us Mac and Cheese Lasagne.  She also included  a salad and Rice Krispie treats which her daughter Abby helped prepare.  It was delicious and comforting.  Very noodley, cheesey and warm and who doesn't love a Rice Krispie treat with sprinkles?  How nice is it to have full meal delivered to your home that was prepared by friends?

My home health care physical therapist also came by Friday and oh my, she got right to business!  She loved the PT table that Chuck built me.  Did I tell you about my cool table?  Before the surgery I was trying PT, again, and was having a hard time getting up and down off the floor so Chuck built me a therapy table.  It's nice to not have to get down on the floor and it's a very cool design.

Terri, the PT, has a husky voice and owns a Boston Terrier so she loved Minnie and Moochie.  I can imagine having a drink with her at a local pub.  She seems like good people.  She walked in, introduced herself, took a look at the PT table and before I knew it she started getting me in position and pushing my knee down.  I sounded a whole lot like a pregnant woman giving birth!  Chuck always complains that I don't breath right while exercising but not last Friday.  I think the hardest exercise was the one that had me sitting in a chair with my leg bent and foot flat on the floor. Then I move forward in my chair keeping my foot on the floor and knee bent until I can't stand it.  It's rough but I have to get these muscles, ligaments and whatnot stretched out. Terri is going to make sure I'm doing them.  When we were done, she allowed herself a few minutes to play with the dogs before she took off.

I ran through the same set of exercises and stretches this morning and it was still as tough as it was on Friday. That's ok. It'll get easier.

A word about home health care.  I'm working with a firm called Interim Health Care. This firm has done a lot of work with Dr. Savage.   The prices are under $150 per visit.  Seems expensive but if you look at what a 5-10 minute office visit with a doctor costs then the price is a bargin not to mention there are less chances to fall or get the wound infected.  Everyone is a registered PT or nurse and I've had three different people visit me.  Terri will be my PT for the next two weeks.   I asked two of the three people why they chose home health care and both of them liked the flexibility of the job.  They all seemed happy.  I am happy, too.  Win-Win.

Tomorrow is a big day.  The bandage comes off my knee and it begins the air-drying phase.  I'm hoping that I can take off the Victoria Secret stockings but Chuck is kind of digging them..?

Here' what the back of my leg looks like.  Not too bad.  You can't see the bruise on my ankle but I think for a very pale girl I have very little bruising.  There is bruising in the front.  You'll have to wait until tomorrow for that.

Have a good Monday-
debie@TbedB

Day 5

TGIF!

It's day 5 and a schedule is slowly starting to form.  The first home issue has been with the dogs.  Minnie and Moochie have been sharing our bed since they were little pups.  Now we're telling them to stay out of the bed and they're a bit confused by this.  During the day Chuck will keep the bedroom door closed and since they usually follow Chuck around like he's the pied piper everything is ok.  

At night Chuck closed the bedroom door and they are not happy about this at all.  There's lots of barking and growling and scratching on the door.  Once the barking starts Riff-Raff starts talking.  Riff-Raff is a gift from our neighbor, Tina.  He's a bobble head butler who says scary things and is sound activated.  

The first night of dog banishment I got up around 4 a.m. and went into the living room until around 7 and then went back to bed.  

At 2 a.m. this morning the alarm went off for me to take meds.  After taking the meds, I was laying there listening to dogs barking and growling and Riff-Raff talking about dirt naps when I finally had enough.  I opened the door and let the dogs in.  Once the bedroom and bathroom were properly surveyed Moochie made a move toward the bed and I made him get down.  Minnie went under the bed and stayed there.  Moochie made several more attempts to get into the bed and each time I made him get down.  Then he went to Chuck's side of the bed and started digging on my NEW pillow sham!  This is the point in time when I realized I'm going to be ok. I got up, with my walker, went to the other side of the bed and grabbed the pillow sham and hit Moochie with it.  Then I got one of the dog beds and threw it in the corner.  Moochie slunk over to it and got in and we didn't hear another sound from him.  The troll dog, Minnie, finally tried to get into the bed. Chuck got up and got her a dog bed.  She got in it and stayed there.  The bonus from knee surgery may be that the dogs learn to sleep on the floor!

I have to take a lot of medications.  Besides the pain meds the only other interesting one is the Enoxaparin.  This medication is to prevent blood clots and is given subcutaneously.  That means I give my self a shot in the belly!  Amazingly enough it's no big deal.  I suppose that's because I have a lot of belly to shoot up.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to do it but I can.  Fortunately I only have to do this once a day for 10 days. 

Chuck called Nancy and she made a surprise visit for lunch! She brought me a beautiful orchid, which I'll probably kill and she Chuck a bottle of wine.  It was a nice visit.  She thought I was doing well enough to come back next week...HA!

The PT showed up and we did some different exercises and stretches.  I just took a couple of the break through pain killers and I'm feeling much better now.  

Action Jackson is coming by with some delicious food that Amy made!  I'll have a report on that tomorrow!

I just received a wonderful bouquet of Incredible Edibles from the Unix team.  

I understand that chocolate is a natural blood thinner so maybe I can stop taking shots!  The card said "Take as much time as you need!!". 

Knee replacement is not all bad!

Later-

debie@TbedB

Day 4

Hello!

How's everyone doing?  I got home yesterday around 6 p.m. and it was a bit hectic.  The dogs were going crazy, Chuck was going crazy and I was just loopy!  I think Chuck would have appreciated it if I stayed at the hospital one more day.  He's very worried about me and I wish there was something I could do to make him feel better.

Max came by and went to the drugstore to pick up a prescription and Tylenol.  I'm an Advil fan but I figured it would be easier to stick with the prescribed meds.  Max called me and said there wasn't any Tylenol in the CVS.?? I asked him to talk to the pharmacists and they told Max that there had been a recall of Tylenol.  Has anyone heard about this?  Do a search of Tylenol recall and see how many years pop up.   There have been problems withTylenol since 2008.  Johnson and Johnson has said these are voluntary recalls and that should make you feel better.  All of these recalls are the reason they are low on product.  I read most of this story but here it is if you want to know more:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/06/05/2115157/tylenol-recalls-leave-drugstores.html

On another rant about prescription insurance; they hate when doctors order high dollar prescriptions.  That must really cut into their profit margin.  My doctor called in  Celebrex and Express Scripts had a cow.  I don't know how much more Celebrex costs but I'm pretty sure I've paid more in insurance premiums than that.  CVS had to replace it with Mobic which I lovingly call Moby Dick.

The home health care lady came by.  Her name is Joyce and we ran through all the exercises I knew and then a few more.  She also noted that I had a low grade fever but I've always been hot.  And I don't mean Lisa Lampanelli hot!

I also learned that the doctor and crew wore suits with helmets while operating on my leg.  He said it was to be as sterile as possible.  I don't know why that thought crossed my mind but it could be because I just took 1 oxycodene.  They gave me 2 in the hospital but I'm trying 1 to see if the pain is relieved without passing out.

I'm zoning out quick so taking only 1 pain pill doesn't stop the need to sleep.  I'll check in later.  My sister is coming over this evening and she's going to help me wash my hair!!  Hooray!

zzzzz-
debie@TbedB

Day 3 Continued

Wohoo! Dr. Savage came in and asked if I was ready to go home. I said YES I AM!  So, what's next?

He took off the bandage and this is what was underneath:

Looks good!!  My knee has been re-bandaged and I have my lovely stocking back on.

I'm very happy to be going home but I know there's a bunch of hard work left to do.

Stay tuned-
debie@TbedB

Day 3

Good Morning!

The doctor and the physical therapist both said that day 2 after surgery would be the toughest.  What it's meant to me is that I can't keep my eyes open.  I think the reason I can't keep my eyes open is because I haven't had my daily fix of Starbucks!

I've taken some interesting medications.  Ultram, Tylenol, Celbrex, hydroxyzine, lovanox, and oxycodene for immediate pain relief.   Don't mistake this for oxycontin.  Rush and I do not have anything in common!!  According to Nurse Rose the Ultram, Tylenol and Celbrex are called the "Savage Cocktail".  She said this is Dr. Savage's protocol and all of his patients do great.

Last night was rather uneventful.  The usual rounds of waking up every couple of hours to get something done.  Again, I didn't have any problems going back to sleep.  Perhaps this is the drug combo.

I have to inhale using a thing called a Voldyne 5000.  Sounds cool doesn't it?  The description is "Incentive Deep Breathing Exerciser for Maintaining and Improving Inspiratory Volume and Respiratory Fitness".  Sounds pretty impressive.  Here's what it looks like:

I bring this up because on day one this little device was presented to me.  It's to help prevent pneumonia.  You do a suck on the hose in a controlled fashion.  I had a low grade fever this morning and they insisted I suck on this...but I had been good and whenever I woke up (or was awakened) I sucked on this doodad.  Comments anyone?

Evelyn, the physical therapist, is a tiny girl but she is tough!  She came by today and I held off on taking pain meds unti she got here.  We did all the exercises and then I walked up and down the hallway!  I wore a cowboy hat just because my hair is a greasy mess!  Speaking of this, they should really come up with a way to let someone get cleaned up. I think that would help with the healing process.  Right now I'm really skanky.

I would like to mention how fabulous the staff has been.  Nurses Rose, Cynthia, Megan, Mrytle and Nurse Nice Ponytail.  She was my first nurse and she had the prettiest ponytail. I wish I could remember her name.  Techs Robin, Sally and Tabby did all the heavy lifting.  The vampires were nice, too.  They slid in drew blood and slipped out quietly.  There was a very nice gentleman who brought my food and even the lady who cleaned my room was professional and courteous.  I felt very important.  

The final word this afternoon (yes it is afternoon now, remember I have that little problem keeping my eyes open) is that the only other feeling that I can describe is nauseous.  I've downed a lot of graham crackers...

Word on the street is that because I'm doing good with physical therapy and pain control that I may get to come home tonight!  How awesome would that be?  Keep your fingers crossed.

Later-
debie@TbedB

Day 2 Continued

AlrightAlrightAlright.  It's about 11 p.m. and I just took a couple more pain pills.  Yipee!  I was also given some Metamucil and you know why.

Physical Therapy today was a bit of a let down after this morning.  Everything hurt and I mean everything.  I didn't seem to walk very well and Evelyn was calling Nurse Cynthia to get the pain meds ready while we were walking back.   My problem was that it felt like the pressure stocking, which I lovingly refer to as my Victoria Secrets attire, was on too tight and it felt like it was on wonky.

I found it interesting that my doctor hadn't been by.  I started getting antsy about 7 p.m. because i didn't want to go the whole night like this.

My doctor had a heck of a day.  He saw patients until 12:30 p.m. then surgery until after 5 p.m.  However, i didn't care. Then we started talking about my leg and how it felt.  I suggested that if he removed the stocking that the pain would ease up.  We went back and fourth and he got a bit angry with me.  His exact words were who are you going to trust, the guy who had done hundreds of these operations or me...I said me since I was the one with the pain that would be me. So he reached down and removed the stocking and what a relief that was.  I actually laid back on the pillows and sighed.  I think I might have had an orgasm!  I think that changed his attitude.  Then he removed the ace bandage and re-bandaged it up and put the stocking back on.  I thanked him many many times.  This doctor still had a couple of hours of work left to finish tonight.

What was also fun was watching the nurses stand back while we were discussing my issues and their smile when he removed the bandages.

However, he would not remove all the bandages so I could get a picture of the scar.  My doctor is very conscientious about infection.  I like that about him.

I actually like everything about my doctor. He has the respect of everyone in this hospital.  My sister said what would they say about him other than compliments. I think if they don't like you then they don't say anything.

We finished off with a fist bump and he told me that tomorrow would be very difficult for PT. Yipee!

I'm starting to doze off so I'll sign off.  I didn't proof read this so I apologize in advance...

debie@TbedB

Day 2

Hello Austin Texas! where ever you are1

Since my last post a lot has happened!  Here's the rundown:

Got to the hospital yesterday at 5:30 a.m.

Got walked back to the pre-surgical area at 6:00 a.m. It was chilly.  Nurse Rachael grabbed a blanket and we headed to room 13. Let's break this down, we're in a spooky month, starting off in room 13 and my doctors name is Savage.  It seemed like everything was in place for me.  Chuck was allowed to come back and hang out for awhile.

Doctor Hewitt, the anesthesiologist came in,   For those of you keeping score my maiden name is Huitt and pronounced the same as Hewitt.  More signs that all was going to be good!

A note for anyone considering a hospital procedure.  You get asked the same questions over and over.  What's your name, what's your birthday and what are you in for.  When Dr. Hewitt asked what I was in for I replied "A full knee replacement with navigation".  He was impressed but deducted 2 points because I said full instead of total.  :)

I had a nerve block applied to my leg which amounts to 2 shots in my leg.  Chuck was out of there at this point!

I forgot to mention the other nurses that wandered in.  Nurse Randy was the surgical nurse and Nurse Vicky was the anesthesiologist nurse. Their questions were the same as all others.  A note about Dr. Randy.  He looked very strong and more like a mechanic but he made me feel comfortable and more at ease.

After the nerve block I was wheeled into the surgical room and I waved to everyone I passed.  It was much colder in there.  Moving to the surgery table is the last thing I remember...

Surgery stats: started at 8:00 a.m. and ended at 10:20 a.m.  I woke up in recovery around noon.  At least that's the first time I can recall.  I didn't get to a room until 2:30-3:00 p.m.  Pam, the recovery room nurse said I was really out of it.  I wasn't sure what that meant.

I was hungry when I got to my room and at South Austin Hospital there's room service!  I ordered a cheese burger.  It was good but then the PT tech, Evelyn showed up.  I had taken a couple of bites and when I sat up I felt like I was going to be sick.  I didn't yak but I declined the rest of the burger.  Suggestion, eat something lighter than a burger after surgery!

I slept great!  I woke up when anyone came in then passed back out after they left.  Around midnight Nurse Megan offered me some peanut butter crackers and I said sure.  When she came in around 1:00ish I was asleep still holding them.  She laughed and opened them for me. When she came in around 2:30 I was asleep holding the crackers.  She got a good laugh at that and I put them down.  I finally ate those crackers around 4:00 a.m. which was about the time the effects of the anesthesia wore off.

Evelyn, the PT, came in and we commenced doing exercices in the bed but the big excitement today was I walked down the hall!!  Chuck got here just in time to see me go.  It was painful but it was more of a tight achey pain than a sharp pain.  I'm on the road!!  I know that there's much more to go but I'm ready.

Here's a pic of me hauling a%$!

debie@TbedB

PS(all written under the influence!)

Day 1

It's 4:30 a.m. we're up because we need to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m.

I've taken the second prescribed shower with the dog soap and am kind of itchy again. I can't have anything to eat or drink so if anyone out there is contemplating getting this done I think the earlier the surgery is scheduled the better.  I'm still thirsty and really want a cup of coffee.

It's almost 5 a.m. now and we'll need to take off in a few. If there's time before I go under I'll let you know what's happening.

debie@TbedB

PS(Ice chips aren't all bad!)