Sure is nice being vertical! I perhaps need a shave, though. It’s been another day with good progress.
I met with the doctor this morning at 8 am. That meant getting up at 6:30 and navigating down the steps into the car by 7:30. It all worked out pretty well, except sitting in the car is very uncomfortable! I was quite happy to get back home. The doctor is pleased with my progress. He took me off the continuous passive motion machine (“Do more walking,” he said). The nurses took out the seal strips and the incisions look very good. I’ll go back to visit with the doctor on November 19th.
Home health will continue this week. On Monday I’ll start with outpatient rehabilitation therapy up at Idaho State University.
Meanwhile, the World Series of Baseball has started. While I’m not invested in either team (the Detroit Tigers or the San Francisco Giants), I’m really enjoying tonight’s game. I think I’ll be able to watch most of the series while icing my knees….
We experienced several different seasons today … but mostly Fall. The finches and the wrens are camped out in the mulberry tree watching the snow flurries.
It’s been a pretty good day. Lots of walking which seems to be helping. Still quite painful, though. I’m getting stronger, but this is a rather slow process. Tomorrow morning I’ll visit with the Dr. and see what comes next. It’ll also be a day spent with the home health nurse and the physical therapist. I may even check out work email tomorrow!
I’ve got the radio on listening to the Idaho Highway Patrol. I’m always surprised at how many drunk driving arrests they make. It’s sometime scary how many drunks are on the Interstate. Well, I’m on some pretty powerful drugs and am definitely not out on the Interstate! I’ve got a designated driver!! And she’s a whole bunch more. Love you, babe!
No photo tonight. I’m pretty tired and my body is pretty sore! Home Health Nurse came this morning and checked me over. All vitals are in the right ranges. Physical Therapist came after the nurse and we had quite a workout. All in all it’s been a pretty good day. Nothing out of the ordinary, but sufficient pain to keep me squirming. Looking forward to the visit with the Dr. on Wednesday.
The political scene is fairly busy this evening with the final “debate”. More interesting to me is the SF Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals championship game (winner goes to the World Series and SF is currently well on top of the score). The Chicago Cubs are currently dominating the Detroit Lions in Monday Night Football, and finally Texas Tech is tied with TCU going into overtime. All of which is more interesting than the “debate” and keeping the remote control busy.
Today is (knock on wood) so far an up day. Yesterday definitely was not. Friday was not either, leading into the issues on Saturday. Let’s say it all just came down to improperly managing my body functions. Bowel movements are pretty important in the larger scheme of life. Thanks to the ride to the emergency room by the fire department at 3 am on Saturday morning followed by five hours of reasonably diligent work by the Portneuf Medical Center ER staff, but mostly to the work put in by Nina, functions have pretty much returned to “normal”.
I don’t take many ambulance rides. I think the last one I had was back in New Haven, Connecticut before Nina and I were married when I came down with mononucleosis. The memorable parts of Saturday morning’s ride were how cold the ambulance was, how narrow the gurney was, and how much everything lurched around as we went around the many corners and turns to get from the house to the hospital. The fellow riding with me in the back would hold onto me as we made right hand turns as it seemed the whole gurney would tip over! I’ll be quite OK if this is the last ambulance ride I have for many years to come.
But, this is a good day. I’m feeling pretty good, I’m ambulatory (meaning I can get up and move around), am getting stronger every day. Physical Therapy as well as the Home Health Nurse will be around tomorrow morning to check up on things. I have an appointment with Dr. Altenburg (the surgeon extraordinairre) on Wednesday morning. We may even talk about a potential return-to-work day.
I’ve been giving quite a lot of thought about what it means to have both knees done at the same time. Just about every medically-related person I run into says something about “how brave” or “how much a gluton for punishment” I am. Not necessarily so. There are all kinds of things that have to be in place in order for this to be a success. I’m not in hardly any pain. The biggest issue today will be restless leg syndrome. The one thing that has made this all possible is Nina … without her willingness to do everything necessary and go above and beyond … this would not be a pleasant experience at all. More about all of this on another post.
This has been my view for a part of the day. It’s been a pretty good day. Pain remains pretty much under control. I’ve been much more mobile. Sciatic nerve pain has not subsided enough. I did get some needed work done on my computer (the monthly postcard mailing for the Sons of Utah Pioneers). Was able to get some quality time doing my exercises and on the continuous passive motion machine.
So, a mixed-results day. Good beginning to the 2nd week of Knew Knees!!
I’m hurting in places that shouldn’t know anything about pain. It’s definitely a struggle to get into a pain-free position … and then the physical therapist shows up and introduces additional torture methodologies. I thought it’d be about my knees and the area associated with the knee surgery. So,why does my right heel have the sensation of walking through fire? My sciatic nerve on my right leg is complaining with a very loud voice. According to the therapist that pain can only be managed through exercise.
The calves on both feet are very painful and they’re both a bit swollen. The cure? Exercise followed by ice and lots of it. The therapist came yesterday morning at 8 am and again today at about 1:30 pm. It doesn’t really stand to reason, but doing some of the exercises did indeed help the pain. there’s probably some kind of a life lesson in all of this … but it hurts too much at the moment to try and reason it out. Nina’s gone to the drug store for a replenishment of what they do best: good drugs. She’s been quite the trooper!
It’s pretty hard to type one handed with all this stuff connected to me. Surgery went very well. The nurses are phenomenal. Some pain, but less than before the surgery. I’m writing this from my iPad and haven’t figured how to insert a picture.
The whole procedure went better than I had hoped. I don’t remember a thing after getting into the operating room. Next recollection was as they wheeled me into the recovery room at 3:25 pm. I was in my room by 4:25. All body parts seem to be in the right place and with the right orientation. Dr. Altenburg rocks!
I’m to arrive at the surgery center at the Portneuf Medical Center at 9:45 am tomorrow morning bringing a photo id and my insurance card. I think I can handle that. I suspect that means I’ll go to the operating room around 11:30 (judging from Nina’s experience last August). I should get out of the recovery room in the late afternoon.
Sure is nice being vertical! I perhaps need a shave, though. It’s been another day with good progress. 
