Wednesday, June 08, 2011

State of the household entry

Before the home therapist stopped coming, he asked me, "Do you plan to have your other knee done?"  
"Not unless it gets worse than it is right now," I answered.  
"Well, if you ever do, don't expect it to go this smoothly."  
It seems I've done everything ahead of schedule, starting with my getting out of the hospital after only two nights.  
At this point twenty-three days after surgery, I don't have much pain.  I haven't taken a hydrocodone for two days, and don't plan to take another until a couple hours before I go to therapy on Friday.  Then I'll take two, because those therapists are brutal.  
Now that I'm much more active, muscles all over my body are starting to wake up and squawk; they all thought I retired them three weeks ago.  For that muscle pain, I take ordinary, over-the-counter, generic Tylenol.    
Up until yesterday I couldn't become enthusiastic about fixing meals.  I searched for any and every excuse to either eat out or have sandwiches, and I wasn't all that excited about eating, either.  Oh, I cooked, but it was a half-hearted effort.  Poor Cliff didn't complain.  I developed a craving for peanut-butter-on-whole-wheat-bread sandwiches over the past couple of weeks, and that was a frequent supper for me.  
Yesterday afternoon something stirred in me that headed me back to a more normal state of mind.  I went out and pounded four steel fence-posts in the ground for some tomato cages; I walked back on the point to see if the river bottom was flooded (it isn't... crops are growing there).  I made some Jello for Cliff (I'm not a fan of Jello), and put some pinto beans to soak overnight.  Today we had corn bread and beans for dinner.  
Yes, folks, I do believe I'm back... it's really me!  I still tire easily; there's still swelling in my knee.  But my walking speed has picked up until it's almost normal.  I even slept pretty well last night.  


Cliff, meanwhile, is anxiously awaiting retirement.  After this week, he has four weeks left to work.  We've had temperatures in the mid-nineties, and his place of employment isn't air-conditioned.  Not only that, there are ovens going that super-heat the building even more.  When Cliff had open-heart surgery, the doctors told him he wasn't to expose himself to temperatures over eighty-five degrees, but he really had no choice if he was going to work.  It will be so great for him not to have to go into that fierce heat again during the summer.  
I've been checking and double-checking our budget; we finally got the official word that Cliff will receive his first Social Security check in July, and I will get an increase in mine at that time.  Several people have told Cliff that the hardest part of living on Social Security is getting used to one payday a month.  Since I'm already using the envelope system for groceries, clothing, pet expenses and prescriptions, I don't see that anything will change that much.  When the envelope is empty, I don't buy any more until the next month.  Of course, the doctor-and-prescription envelope might have to have some help in emergencies, but we have a fund for that.  
Before my surgery, I debated whether I should ride the motorcycle again; my doctor, of course, is against it.  I've almost decided now that I probably will ride again.  When old folks buy a motorcycle, they're taking a risk every time they get on the thing, so what's one more risk?  A busted knee replacement would probably be the least of my worries.  That's where I stand on the situation today; who knows how I'll feel tomorrow.  

7 comments:

  1. Glad that you knee is still improving and that you are getting to feeling more back to normal.
    Helen

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  2. When Cliff retires we should have a party. I pick your place.

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  3. I couldn't see anything as simple as a knee replacement slowing you down for long, anyway.

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  4. I'm so glad to hear that you are doing so well there. I think you are a very strong person and once you've made your mind up to something, you do it. Most anyone who rides a motorcycle takes a risk these days. I like it when I see groups riding together as there are a lot of bikers on the roads to the camper. The backroads are a very popular place for them. Anyone working in this heat needs to take care and drink lots of water. My SIL used to work in a foundry and they'd give him frequent rest breaks because it was so hot there. Glad Cliff will soon retire and hope your Thursday is a wonderful one.

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  5. Glad that new knee is finally settling in and that you are feeling more like your old self. Retirement will be an adventure. And the two of you will discover it together.

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  6. My sister Sylvia and her husband - both 73 are still riding their wonderful Goldwing even after a bad accident 16 months ago. As you have, she healed well from her shattered leg, broken ribs and collarbone. You go for it Donna! The Lord is watching over you. Blessings, Penny

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  7. I'm 3 weeks post op today. It's still painful and frustrating but I know I'll get there in the end, not as quickly as you but everything in it's time...and in HIS time. I'm glad you did so well!!!! Thanks for sharing.

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