Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Neur what?

2 month visit went fine and dandy. Got my hug from the good looking Doc!!!

No more PT. I am on my own. Got something for swelling....swelling is normal and is called lymphdema...just the lymphs trying to find their way back to normal.

Also have a neuroma. Never heard of that. Thought it was my knee shooting off pain to the foot. It's a nerve pain caused by old age.

The 'c' button fell off my computer. Makes typing tough.

Orders are to keep moving and active: My mission...guess I better join a pool or gym. Not exactly the gym type. But guess I gotta do something.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Hanging in.....

Have my 10 week operating surgeon visit tomorrow (Monday). Guess I need to make a list of 'gripes'. Well, I guess I didn't realize recovery was going to be so 'long'. Or that I still would not be sleeping after 2 months, or my walking would barely be...not sure what I call 'my walk'. Well standing is tough too. And always having to 'stash' the good pain pills for an emergency such as sleeping. Oh well.

Now that this freaking health care bill is up for talk, I now recall 3 months ago, in joint replacement class, all the people SCARED this would happen...and it's now oh so close!

Anyway, hopefully my visit tomorrow will be good. He's a nice Dr. Guess the main thing to work out is PT, which insurance won't pay for. I need to get the list in my head on paper so I won't appear all over the place.

See ya later! : )

Friday, October 16, 2009

Another one at 5 weeks


5 weeks


Just stopping in....

Oops...it has been a while. So busy with PT and trying to get life back to near what it was.

I'm at 7 weeks now. Doing farily well, honestly, I think I would have been further along. But sobeit.

Trying really hard to get through the soft tissue and ROM issue...it's made things a little bit ouchie.

My next step is to get to a gym and move more....and I am not a big 'gym' person. I've done it before. It can get boring. But this time, I have got some work to do. I will try to post a pic or two meanwhile.

Take care my readers, those far and few between. Welcome Surfer! You are a real inspiration!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Monday, Monday...

Spouse is taking the car into the body shop as I type. Finally found a ride to follow him. A woman hit the Navigator in the hospital parking lot. Poor girl, she was nice enough to leave a note. Her husband was electrocuted and shattered his ankle. They haven't had enough money to pay for the car damages until now...and spouse was nice enought to wait.

PT going pretty slow. I had my first post op visit last Friday. Doctor wants me to do out patient PT now. So need to call and set up the visits. It's in Vinings so it's very close! Last week, home nurse called to say insurance required me to write a check for 75.00 per visit. So I guess that means money will start to fly out the door....so need to make the most of every visit!!!

Not much else going on. Getting a little bored, guess that's a good sign.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

2 weeks out! I'm back!

Wow. It's been 2 weeks. Boy, did I ever not think I'd get this far. And finally I am feeling like my old self. I can't walk yet, but I'm getting bored and that's a good sign!

Boy what a trip that hospital stay was. A couple of bumps in the road...with 2 units of blood, chest x-ray because I had fever, 2 leg dopplers checking for blood clots. And a confused nurse who took pricked my finger, thinking she was in another room with another patient! Mostly, the care was very good. Just a couple of dodo's to make things on edge. And when your blood is low, no bleeding from finger pricking is needed. Oh and I did pass out one time during therapy. It was a quick pass out though. I've never fainted before either. It was probably well deserved though! I scared a lot of people.

So I returned home Friday. I still have to learn to walk again. I lost my gait, walking to avoid pain. Waiting on insurance to go through to start up PT. Tomorrow is Wed. and hope to hear something soon. Got my staples out today! And had in-home OT.

Anyway, I will tune in and give a couple of thoughts on the situation at hand and some experiences at the hospital. There is light at the end of the tunnel today!!

I guess the most important thing I did learn from being in the physical rehab place, was health is so precious. So many younger people with strokes, MS, brain tumors, diabetes complicating so many with these afllictions too.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Today's the day!

In a couple of hours, daughter L, will be picking me up to go to the hospital! And I am just not going to complain this time around.

Obviously, I can't sleep!

Carpets got cleaned and look nice, still awfully wet though. Got a few things to round up in the morning. I will miss my dogs.

I guess that's about it.

Oh, I think I get the MJ drug to go to sleep. I hope my Anesthesiologist isn't Conrad! I hope I don't say anything stupid. Maybe I should practice saying something so that I do not totally humiliate myself.

Mommmmmmy

I'm having a "Mommy I don't want to go to school", day. I used to have them when I was 6.

My stomach hurts, and I don't want to get out of bed. I think the Mexican food upset my stomach. And I'm just a bit FREAKING scared.

Doing some laundry, waiting for carpet people.....and hanging out in the bed.

I did speak to a couple of friends I hung out with on Saturday, yesterday. They said they had fevers Sunday. Not sure if they really did or not. But I do kind of feel 'funny'. Oh well, I guess if I start to 'feel' funny, at least I will be in the hospital on drugs.

Maybe it was just the food and some allergies.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Uggh.

It's today. Well, I mean IT'S tomorrow.

Cleaning up the basement to prepare for Stanley Steamer to make this into a temp bedroom.

Not as anxious as I thought I'd be.

Trying, trying to be strong. Can't say I haven't shed a couple of tears.

Hoping I have strength later in this new day.

Take care.

Laundry, packing, friends, family....

Getting one stack for hospital, one for the nursing home (that has rehab in it), some old clothes I will simply have thrown away once I get to the hospital so no one has to fool with it.. Doing laundry. Throwing out trash.

Phone and IM's going on.....I think peeps realize, like I, that time's a tickin'.

Not feeling too anxious today. Am okay. I think.

Disc is showing no reaction at all. Bandaid is more irritating to the skin.

Sun is shining...feel fall coming on. I love fall. A new beginning arrives.

So all is well, and like my Cousin, I also feel blessed. She's cool. (Ok, I'm still mad at my knees)

I think my family is taking me out to dinner! I think I am going to pick something that won't be easy to get for the next few weeks. Mexican! OLE!

Friday, August 21, 2009

And back on it goes......

Dr's office called. The manufacturer's rep told them to tell me to keep my disc on until Monday. Oops. Well, it's back on now. Glad I did not throw it away. Now I don't know if I have a correct bandaid/covering to put back on.

I guess Piedmont will be calling me for money at anytime. Wait, they were supposed to call at 2pm. Maybe they are calling from India? Oops again, they are calling me as I type.

I need a secretary. And a cook. And a house cleaner. And a chauffer. And a million dollars.

I think I will go look for my dog and hide along beside him.

Still up!!

I passed my nickel allergy test. So I guess the engine's on. May God's love be with me and thee. I'm begging, not just kidding.

I phoned the SOS/ortho place. Phone was not working so well....and finally after about 50 rings, someone answered. I left a message that I had no rash. Hopefully message was transmitted.

Then, I will swear to you, hospital called and told me my health insurance would not go through. Monday, they scanned my health card. So Thursday, they run it? And call me and tell me I do not exist? Oh crapola, I have so much more to deal with right now than idiots that cannot do their jobs.

Told them to CALL me after they re-CONFIRMED my ID #.

Then I get a call, while I am out in my car, asking me to pay my 10k coPAY on spot. Um. Wait a second. Let me pull over and go to my ATM and I will pay BY PHONE AND GIVE YOU 10K dollars on a phone call?

I have no problem with American healthcare. And I have not been wronged, and luckily enough to have 10K(in increments) to pay plan. But, I hate idiots, And peeps that do not acknowledge what I have paid into it thus far. Tomorrow's homework, will put me back in my last minute plans. Really ired in that they are having me get into these issues at this point.

OHMIGOSH when Obama takes it over we will be Canada and England and it will just get worse.


Okay rant's over.

Take care my friends.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Ground control...

I feel like a space shuttle...got my hospital arm band, my nickel test disc strapped on, my RX's filled and time's ticking. Ugh.

Ground Control to Major TomGround Control to Major TomTake your protein pills and put your helmet onGround Control to Major TomCommencing countdown, engines onCheck ignition and may God's love be with youTen, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five,Four, Three, Two, One, LiftoffThis is Ground Control to Major TomYou've really made the gradeAnd the papers want to know whose shirts you wearNow it's time to leave the capsule if you dare"This is Major Tom to Ground ControlI'm stepping through the doorAnd I'm floating in a most peculiar wayAnd the stars look very different todayFor hereAm I sitting in a tin canFar above the worldPlanet Earth is blueAnd there's nothing I can doThough I'm past one hundred thousand milesI'm feeling very stillAnd I think my spaceship knows which way to goTell my wife I love her very much she knows"Ground Control to Major TomYour circuit's dead, there's something wrongCan you hear me, Major Tom?Can you hear me, Major Tom?Can you hear me, Major Tom?Can you...."Here am I floating round my tin canFar above the MoonPlanet Earth is blueAnd there's nothing I can do."

An uneventful day is a good day!

M. came over and we finally made a real dent into the basement! Just need to file some more papers and pack! And keep picking up things and putting them in the right place. She set up the wii for me today. We love to play bowling. We also ordered Brain Academy online.

Daughter L, and I ate dinner last night at Los Bravos. It was good to see her since the Bachelorette party in Florida.

Top Chef's on tonight!!! Yay! 3 Chefs from Atlanta! Way to go!

Still no nickel allergy. So it's looking like Tuesday is a 'go'. EEEEKKKKKKKK

PS........no pain pills today either!

We ordered Chinese for dinner. My fortune said...'Next week something green will come into your life'. My kid said, gangrene. I say it's the lottery. Don says it's the Doctor's scrubs.

An Ode to the Parentals

Well, when they were alive, Parents were not called Parentals.

But I gotta say, with what they went through, they now give me strength. If you knew them, you'd know. And I'll leave it like that. They were not perfect parents, nor am I, but they had a strength upon them that I cannot explain, but hope for.

Run Forrest Run!!!

It's the non-sleepy time again!!!

Traffic today in Atlanta was really horrid. M. took me to Piedmont to get my allergic disc. Think it's going to be okay. Okay, I kind of wish it wasn't okay, so I could run like Forrest!

After, we went to get a snack at Phipps. And then to a 2-story Target. I bought a couple of chrome bathroom pieces for the basement 'to match'. A trash can and a toilet roll holder. You would have to live in a 2000 plus home to know what the latter is.

I also picked up some things I 'think' will work for whatever/whenever/wherever I go, comfort, rehab-wise.

The Darvos are giving me some serious short-term memory. I can get the whole sentence out, but it comes out a bit jumbled.

Later, we hung out with some friends. People are so nice.

I gotta say, well to myself, I don't know if I can do this.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Coming along....

My trip to Piedmont went very well. The RN was absolutely fabulous. She was so thorough...she really covered more 'medically' stuff than the PA or Dr's office. She guided more towards what to plan, which I don't really even think that was her job.

I am picking up a nickel piece to attach to the surgery area tomorrow. It will stay on 2 days. I think it will be fine. But just don't want to fall into the small % that gets the reaction.

So, it was a very good day!

I am wearing a red hospital band around my arm. If I take it off, they have to redraw the red juice. So I will have to keep it on. I do notice people look. Well whatever. There's more to worry about in life!!!!!!! I'll just tell 'em I'm getting a lobotomy!

Glad it's Monday...

I don't really like weekends. I like the structure of a weekday!

Have a call into the MD to ask about the nickel allergy. I feel kind of silly. Just afraid I will be the 1 or 2 it happens to a year. Husband dropping me off at Piedmont to get my pre-surgery work done. I've had kind of an anxious weekend dealing with the pain pill I took the other day, the tummy disorders it creates, and the darn broken window at the condo. I hope I pass my EKG and BP tests!!!!

My kids move into their new apartment this weekend (getting away from a difficult situation a roommate has caused one of them). So that is a REAL good thing!!!!!!!!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

NIckel....????

Surfing the internet wayyyy too much. I watched a TKR @ Mercy Hospital. I think I may be allergic to nickel. Spouse wanted me to go with Smith and Nephew for some odd reason...there's is oxium. But I want the triathalon Stryker. Well the reason is because he has friends that do the legal work for SN.

Aftering being married to a lawyer fro ALMOST 29 years...I can tell you, that it may turn out to be a case of " I told you so"..... Guess I am either overthinking it or need to tell them tomorrow. Trying to find a dermatologist appt. in Atlanta is about as easy as not sitting in traffic everyday!

Standing, dancing, walking, and knees....

I pulled this from a messageboard....it didn't copy and paste well....amazing so many references to what is my post title.....


I can only imagine what it will be likeWhen I walk by your sideI can only imagine what my eyes will seeWhen your face is before meI can only imagine when that day comesAnd I find myself standing in the SonI can only imagine when all I will doIs forever, forever worship youI can only imagine, when all I will doIs forever, forever worship youSurrounded by your gloryWhat will my heart feel?Will I dance for you Jesus?Or in awe of you be still?Will I stand in your presence?Or to my knees will I fall?Will I sing hallelujah?Will I be able to speak at all?I can only imagineI can only imagine.

The bionic side isn't far away, which is why I can't sleep!!!!

My sweet daughter, M., took me to the mall today to once again try to find some items for physical therapy. Found some shoes and some lingerie type cotton shorts. I guess I'll try Target for some things as I'm not having much luck yet. We also went to eat at a CHAIN restaurant. Food was good. Not very hungry these days, which is a good thing really! If I could just sleep! I know the nerves are setting in because I am crunching down on my jaws. I can't have any dental work so I better watch it!

She was kind enough to help me out around the house. My pantry is now totally organized and labeled!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Pain pills

I don't know how anyone can stand taking these things if you don't NEED them. They really mess me up. If I take one, then I can't sleep, but then I can't drive, or read...little irritating things. I really need to get this basement done; make room for walking, get the carpet cleaned, clean out the fridge, cook some meals to freeze...weed walk-out area.

Actually, I think I'm getting into the panic stage. Spouse is getting ready to take me to Sports Authority so I can get some required shoes, loose shorts, and t-shirts. Then I think we'll treat ourselves to a nice dinner somewhere!!

Hoping everyone has a nice, safe weekend. (I guess that just means you cuz LOL)

Take care,

The Boze

Thursday, August 13, 2009

My first blog post!

12 days until surgery. I should be up at Piedmont getting my EKG and bloodwork done. But walking through the hospital and parking...well I would have to take a pain pill. And if I took a pain pill, I couldn't drive. Hence...I am on my computer.

This is my journey through something that is hard to explain. When your knees can't carry you any longer, you become a burden to yourself and those around you. All the things I love to do, walk on the beach, work retail, grocery shop, cook........I cannot do any longer.

So one day, I know, I am going to post that I am back to what I used to do. Having just had my first birthday past my 50th year......I have to get this 'thing' done and live this precious life God gave me.

I think this may sound like a pity post. Probably is. The box at my front door was huge, that said COMMODE on it. I am not sure how long it was sitting there either! Oh well. The real pitiful part is when people see me walk, limp, hold onto walls....and a little weeping. Or sometimes I forget, and I laugh a lot.

Okay, so I got this page set up. I will come back and lend a blog on how all this started. Thanks for reading.