Back Out on the Trail Again

Decided to go out and get some fresh air yesterday, so I headed to one of our county parks.  Farbach Warner is a small park with a short (.6 mile) trail that is mostly paved but has a short portion that goes into the woods.  You can bypass the wooded portion, but I decided to see if I could manage on my new knee.  Here is the downhill I had to navigate.  I didn't have any problems at all.

A little bridge and then up the hill.

Back up and along the paved trail I saw a few interesting trees.  This first one is one that toppled over,and I thought it was pretty interesting looking.

I love the twists and turns of this tree from it's roots up to it's branches.

And, of course, I'm always on the lookout for critters.  I took a picture of a bluebird, which I don't get to see very often, but it was taken at a distance and not very clear.  I wanted to share it, but the quality was not good.

I love these squirrel pictures.  I love the expression on the squirrel's face as he peeked out at me.

If I had hiked this trail last year, I wouldn't have even walked out of my way to take pictures of these flowers.  My knee would have been hurting so bad, all I would have wanted to do was get to my car and sit down.  This year, I stopped to smell the flowers and take pictures of them too!  I felt I could have walked all day...but didn't...too early in the healing process yet.

I went to the surgeon today and had another checkup.  All is good and I go back again in 6 weeks.  Also, had physical therapy....7 sessions down, 5 to go!

Look at my knee now!!  I can even cross my legs again!

Boredom and It's the Little Things

Shhh!  Don't tell anyone, but I've been driving even though I haven't been officially "cleared" to drive.  Anyone who knows me, knows I usually follow the rules to a tee.  I always do what I am told. 

However, I am moving around so well and have stopped taking any medication that I know I am good to drive on my own. The surgery was on the left knee, so it's not even used during driving.  I drove to McDonald's with Herb last Sunday just as a test drive and I did fine.  So, I've since driven twice to outpatient therapy with no issues whatsoever.

I'm using a cane, but only when I go outside.  Indoors I'm moving around on my own.  I'm still sleeping in the recliner, it seems the best place to get the most rest.  I'll try the bed again in a few days.  Macey, our 4 year old cat, still sleeps next to me every night.  Once in awhile, Sedona, one of our other cats stops by around 2 am and pats my arm looking for some petting.  I give in to her for awhile, but then I gently shoo her away.

I caught Finn sleeping in an old chair across from me one night.  This is the first time I've seen him in this chair.  This used to be the chair where 3 of our dogs would snuggle together years ago:  Pretzel, Bandit and Willow.

Our air conditioner went out last week, so we had installers here all day this Wednesday.  While I went to therapy Herb was home with the installers.  When I got home, then Herb had to go to work.  My biggest issue was making sure Misty, our brave cat, wouldn't slip out the front door with them going in and out so much.  I was glad when they finally left at 6:30.  I was worn out.  However, they will have to return some time next week to finish installing the heating element etc.  They are a bit back logged with other customers having cooling problems.  They said their work next week should only be a half a day...I hope so.

My big accomplishment for today?  Cutting my big toenail on my left foot!  I have long legs, so my foot is pretty far from my eyes.  It's hard enough to bend over and get to the toe, but when you need new glasses and can't see what you're doing, that's a whole different issue.  However, I got it done without cutting off my toe!!  Woohoo!  It's the little things that count!

One last thought, I would like to thank the Gilmore Girls of Stars Hollow, Frazier Crane of Seattle, and Andy, Opie & Barney of Mayberry for keeping me entertained!  Boredom has been the worst part of being cooped up in the house.  I find myself dozing off all the time, and I hate it!!  It's not the medication because I'm not taking it anymore, it's just plain boredom.  Looking forward to going to church this weekend and who knows what else!

Post Op - End of Week 2

Saw my surgeon yesterday morning, 13 days post op total left knee replacement. He felt I was 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule and was very happy with my progress. My range of motion was 115/-5. Very glad all this hard work is paying off.

My physical therapist came in the afternoon to give me additional exercises and to start me using the cane.  I'm lucky I can manage moving two legs at the proper time, now I have to think about when to move the cane with which leg! Haha!  Don't be surprised if you hear me counting 1-2, 1-2 as I walk. I'm such a dork!

Next Monday I start outpatient therapy.

The pain has lessened quite a bit and I'm spreading my medication out to every 8 hours.  Soon, I may try alternating with Aleve. 

 My biggest issue? Still finding a comfortable way to sleep. Still in the recliner as we have cats and a dog who likes to sleep in with us and of course, they like to snuggle up against me! Can't kick them out, so will deal with the recliner a bit longer I guess.

Also, get tired of just sitting whether in the recliner or in an upright chair.  My back and butt gets tired and I get a bit antsy just sitting around.  Last night, I decided to stretch out in bed, lay on my side, and see if I could stretch some of the kinks out.

Here is a picture of why I can't spend the night in bed.  Misty on my exercise pillow, Macey and Finn taking up even more space.  Herb's supposed to fit in there someplace too.

I did manage to get a good night's sleep in last night though.  Only woke up once to go to the bathroom.  I have also found a mug of chamomile tea helps me sleep better.  I have to admit though, I miss my glass of chardonnay.  Looking forward to chardonnay being in my future.

Post Op - Week 1

Well, it's almost been a week since I've had left total knee replacement.  All went very well and now I'm in the midst of the hard part...physical therapy!  So far, I'm doing pretty well, pushing myself through the pain and trying to make progress.

I got home from the hospital last Thursday afternoon, and have been trying to adjust my house and my routine to something manageable.  Herb took off several days, but is now back to work.  So, I am home alone part of the time.  It hasn't been bad though, Herb has made my salads etc ahead of time, so I can just grab them and walk myself over to the chair or recliner.

The hardest part is sleeping at night.  So far, I've been sleeping in the recliner.  Finn, who usually sleeps in the bed with us, spent the first night sleeping next to me on the recliner (it's a love seat recliner).  That dog is so smart and sweet!

The next night, two of the cats slept next to me...they're usually in the bed too.  It's like they all know and understand!

I tried sleeping in the bed last night, but that lasted about 90 minutes.  Between all the pillows I had to protect my knee from an animal walking on it, I just couldn't get comfy.

Two physical therapists came today to see how I was doing and they said it was OK to lay on my side, just put a pillow between my knees.  I'm a side sleeper, so we'll see how long that lasts tonight.  The recliner just isn't comfortable any more.

Here are a couple of pictures of Finn while I was laying in bed.  He never lays this way in bed.  It's just so cute he's protecting my knee.

My blood pressure was up a bit today.  Ugh.  The therapists said they will keep an eye on it and if they feel it's necessary they will give my PCP a call.  About 6 years ago I had high blood pressure, but after I lost a lot of weight, it got under control.  Hopefully, I won't need to go back on medication, but if I do, I guess that's what I'll have to do. 

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!