One More Step Closer

Well, I survived my pre-op tests and blood draws yesterday.  Blood pressure was good.  I always worry about that because I have a tendency to get anxious when I go to the doctor and I'm sure that affects the blood pressure.

The EKG was good as well.  All the blood testing came back in normal ranges, so I'm good to go!

Next week, on the 31st, we will go to our JET class and have a few more labs.  In the meantime, I keep reading the knee replacement group posts on facebook and get lots of tips on how to survive the hospital stay and recovery at home. 

Someone recently asked what to bring with them to the hospital.  One person wore men's exercise shorts for therapy and for sleep.  She said because they were silky, it made it easier to move around in bed and were very comfortable.  So, I headed to Kohl's today and bought two pair.  They are really much more comfortable than women's shorts.  They don't look bad either.  One is blue stripe, the other neon green (it doesn't show up in the picture).

We still need to get a walker, cane and other mobility stuff, but Herb wants to wait until we go to the JET class to get a better idea of what I'll need.  I'm sure that will be enough time to run around and get everything.

Herb has already scheduled about 6 or 7 days off to be home with me.  We have adult children nearby who I HOPE I can count on if I need them to fill in somewhere. Herb's work schedule varies anywhere from 5:30 am to 11:00 pm.  So, I think we are good with our plans.

I'm anxious to get this done and face the pain of healing.  It may be more intense but it will be a healing pain and will lessen over time instead of getting worse.

My goal is to be able to walk around the Columbus Ohio Horse Show next April.  We didn't go this year because I knew it was just too much walking and too much pain.  It's the first time I've missed the show in quite a number of years.

Waiting for Time to Pass

As we grow older we begin to notice how fast time passes, unless of course you're waiting for your surgery date to get here!!

It's too early to give the house a good cleaning because it will just be a mess again in a short time.  I want to give my dog, Finn one more haircut before surgery, but I think it's too early for that too.

I did get my haircut yesterday and I had them cut it a little shorter than usual.  It looks really good, and I won't mind if it gets a little unruly before I can get out again to get it cut after surgery.  BUT, I can't stand it when Finn has hair in his eyes, so I'll probably give him a haircut next week.

In the meantime, I wait for time to pass.  Since my knee hurts now, I'm not up for anything too strenuous.  I have no need to go shopping, so here I sit.  I'm still alternating riding my stationery bike and rowing machine every day.  This is the view I have when I exercise.  Some of my bird feeders are in the center of the picture.  The others are off to the right.  Sorry for the glare in the picture, it's the late afternoon sun.

You can see how our yard slants, that's why I no longer cut the grass.  It really does a number on my knees.  We have a pretty big yard, and finally Herb bought a riding mower this week!!!  Yay!  He deserves one.  It's to be delivered next week.

I'm trying to get some things ready for after surgery...like making sure I have enough pillows so that my leg can be elevated.  Luckily, I remember all the stuff we buy even though we don't really need it at the time.  I located 3 brand new pillows stuffed in a bedroom closet...I have no idea how long they've been there but they're  still wrapped in plastic and ready for my leg.  Herb likes to buy in bulk...anything and everything....especially when it's on sale, whether we need it or not.  He's one of a kind!

I located some shoes that I think will be easy to get off and on after surgery for my travel home, so that's decided on.  I usually wear gym shoes as often as I can because they give me the best support for my flat feet, but I know those will be difficult to get on and off after surgery for awhile any way.

Monday is my pre-op testing at my PCP.  I don't like going to the doctor, but it'll be one step closer to surgery.  

With a dog and a cat or two in bed with us every night, it's getting harder and harder to get a decent night's sleep.  I keep tossing and turning because my knee hurts too.  It's going to be interesting to see how I do after surgery.  From what I've heard, it's not going to be easy....and then add animals to the mix...we'll just have to wait and see.  But, I guess I can handle more waiting.

Speaking of animals, here's my editor, Misty blocking the screen as I work on my blog.  I guess she wanted to make sure she would appear in today's entry one way or another.

Me vs the Honeysuckle

In preparation for my upcoming surgery, I'm trying to keep ahead of the honeysuckle that seems to sprout up and take off all over the place!

Three years ago, our neighbor decided to pull out all of his bushes that were next to his fence.  My little birds that visit my feeders would have nothing left to perch on as they waited their turn at the feeders.  So, I bought three nice little bushes (I can't recall what they are...it'll come to me eventually).  They flower and then have nice berries that the birds love.  However, he didn't pull out the bushes by the roots, so now we constantly have honeysuckle and other branches hanging over the fence to our side.  I certainly don't want the honeysuckle to strangle my pretty little bushes that are now filling out nicely.

Our neighbor is a nice guy, but he doesn't really bother much with his yard except to cut the grass, so I know he doesn't mind me hacking away at his remnants.  So one evening and yesterday morning, I proceeded out with gardening tools to neaten up the fence line.  There is a slight grade on our side of the fence which really doesn't look like much, but my knee really doesn't appreciate the pressure that it feels when I'm standing there.  So  I took a nice big ibuprofen for my knee and had at it!!

I know this picture isn't all that grand, but I do feel so accomplished at cleaning out the area, both his fence and our fence where the drainage tubes are sitting.  I filled up several bags of cuttings as you can see sitting on the other side of the fence.

I have about another month before surgery, so I'm sure I'll have to go out a few more times to keep ahead of the game.  I don't know about after surgery...I won't worry about it but hope it gets taken care of eventually.

Herb and I went to Natorp's Nursery Outlet on Sunday.  Herb is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to plants.  Unfortunately, he really doesn't have the time to keep up with his plants, so some die, some just barely get by.  And, of course, when I have my surgery, he'll be helping me and perhaps doing some extra stuff like laundry.  I try to remind him all the time about how busy he is because I hate to see plants die, but I can't convince him not to buy his plants.  This is a part of what he bought Sunday.  Two lettuce plants, ten tomato plants and some other little plants I didn't want to get too attached to...I said a little prayer for each of them.  Did I mention we have deer and other wildlife that like to visit our yard?

 Oh well.  We are definitely different types of gardeners.  I like to keep plants simple....he likes them scattered and messy!