THR joining the sore butt crowd

[okie408]

Last night had more ups and downs. The down was that a young lady died in a car accident. He vehicle had stalled and she was struck from behind by a tractor trailer going at least 45 mph. I feel for her family and for the nice man that had the horrable job of being a witness and trying to comfort the lady in her last minutes of life. He was very disturbed over the accident. He was seen praying over her as we arrived. He found a teddie bear that had been thrown from the wreckage and hugged it as he looked on. I have seen things like this many times in my career and have learned to some what disconnect myself from the situation. You have to to keep your sanity, But this poor man was just a passing motorist. He will be in my prayers. The lady's family is in Florida and one of the officers called the local police where her mother lives to pass along the bad news. The officer in Florida said he had just left that house because it had been burglarized and every thing they own had been stolen. I some times wonder why bad things come in bunches. They too will be in my prayers.

On a lighter note.......Later in the shift I stopped a car for an expired tag. To make a long story short, there were two ladies in the car. The driver had a suspended drivers license, no insurance on the car and was in possession of marijuana. The passenger had crack cocaine and a crack pipe. They both went to jail. I call this a lighter note because when we got to the police station I had them both get out of the car. While I was trying to get my key out for us to go inside the lady with the crack cocaine decided to try and run away. She only made it about 100 yards from the station. I was chacing her and was just about to tackle her when one of the jailers stepped in front of her and caught her. My fellow officers were laughing about how "RoboCop" ran her down. I told then that the fact that she was wearing flip flop shoes and was still wearing my handcuffs behind her back had nothing to do with the fact that I was "running her down". That was the first time that I have had to chace some one since my surgerys. Running did not hurt at all but my legs do not respond very fast yet. It seems like my brain can not tell the legs to come up fast enough. Kind of like the first time you walk after surgery where you have to consentrate to make you legs move. I am sure that it will get better with time.

Sorry we don't get to talk as much Sandy. The powers that be took the internet off of our car computers. Well not everything, we still get one web sit for looking up criminal history that we never use. Guess they couldn't actually let us enjoy our work. And yes Katie and I have finally started working on her truck. I have to get up early today and go to the salvage yard to look for parts. But for now it is bed time. Every one have a nice pain free hippie day.

 

[charlie cyborg]

Hi Okie,

Great post ... bitter sweet and we shouldn't laugh but the escapee incident is worthy of a Coen Brother's film.
It seems like my brain can not tell the legs to come up fast enough.
I also know that feeling, my legs feel "leaden", I think it's only the lack of exercise and muscles trying to wake up.

Charlie

 

[okie408]

Today has been a long one. Went to work at 8:30 pm last night and got off at 7:00 am this morning. I went home for a three hour nap and I am now at my second job. It is 10:15 pm. I should be out of here by midnight but have to be back at noon tomorrow. But, no pun intended, my hips are a non issue lately. My daughter even talked me into using the jump rope yesterday before work. I did not do it very long but the point is I can do it. I think I will start using the jump rope a few minutes every day and see what happens. I can not wait for June and show off my new hip abilities at summer camp. Last year was depressing watching the other adult volunteers that were much older than I participate in the activities with the kids.

 

[Poppet]

Hi okie, that is a long, long day... You will definitely need a ling, long nap when you get home...

That will be fabulous in June at the summer camp - these are the rewards in life.
p.s. John turns 60 today! We just had some friends from Western Australia ring and all sing Happy Birthday to him on speaker. Our friend even made a cake, put a candle on it and told John to make a wish as she blew the candle out... Outstanding considering they are 3000 K's away..

Hope to hear good news about the job soon... hugs Sandy

 

[okie408]

Hello everyone, nothing new here just work and family. We have all been very busy. The kids went to the prom last week. They are growing up too fast. The new hips are still a non issue. I do what I need to at work and at home. The only thing I have noticed is I do not have real good balance yet. Like standing on one foot or if I stumble I don't catch myself real quick. I haven't fallen but it looks like I am going to. I just try to be carefull. Three more weeks of work and it will be vacation time. The first week will be at summer camp and the second will hopefully be at home resting up. I did get a bad suprise at work. It seems that 3 years ago the city decided that if an employee takes off on an extended leave the do not build up vacation time. So during the 4 months that I was off not only did I burn $15,000 in sick time but they are not going to give the $2,000 of vacation time that I would have gottin. Bummer!!! Hopefully the new job will come through and I can get away.

 

[Poppet]

Okie, great to hear from you....

That is a shock about not accruing leave... I so wish that other job will come through soon.. Have you heard anything more about it?

How did your girl look in her dress for the Prom - gorgeous, I bet...

Yep, same ole same ole... Just seems like work, work and more work. We took a weeks leave to come down to the retirement house to do some construction work, just swapped a desk and PC for boots, overalls and aching muscles...

About the balance issue, I get that when I have been doing a fair bit physically, and my body and muscles are weary.. I suddenly feel unsteady, don't fall, but go to stumble. I find it I just stand still for a sec then I get my balance back.

Great to hear from you as always

 

[Jaycey]

Okie, I have had that balance problem since my op (2 years on Monday)! Physio says keep trying the balance on one foot exercise. I also have a balance mat. I know part of my problem is LLD but the body eventually adjusts.

Sorry about your holiday and sick leave money. I real bummer! Shame on them!

 

[okie408]

Hello again, it seems I don't keep up with the site as much as I use to. Life with teenagers is very busy. My son isn't home much because of work, football and a steady girlfriend. And my daughter has hit that some what anti-social stage where she comes home and stays in her room. So when they are around we try to have quality time. My son is having a 2 day football camp. He was working today so the rest of us sat up all three tents in the yard for him. They needed to air out some from being stored in the work shop. Last night I used the roto tiller and tilled rings around some new pear trees we planted this year. I was hoping the tilled soil would hold more moisture. The wife's garden is growing well beyound exspected. The squash plants are three feet tall and as big around. She has been babying them with all kinds of organic material and water. That roto tiller was pretty rough on me but I think it just loosened up some unused muscles. I was a little weak this morning but no soreness or pain. The little stinger pains that I have talked about in the past have almost disappeared. I even layed on my side on the hard wood floor for a while today. In my spare time, when I have any, my daughter and I have been fixing up an old pickup for her. She starts driving in a couple of months. She will not let me work on it if she is not around. She says that if I fix it and she doesn't help then she will not know how to do it on her own later.
Well last week I had a real trial of the new hips. We were going to a business burglary and i found to guys hiding in an old truck just down the road. They were the guys we were looking for. When I made contact with them they took off running in different directions. I shot at one of them with my taser but he was a little to far away. I took off running after the other one. I could not catch him but I was keeping up with him for about 200 yards. Then a k-9 officer pulled up and released his dog. Needless to say a 31 year old man can not out run a german shephard. After the dog caught him and pulled him to the ground I jumped on his back and cuffed him. When I stood him up he said "that dog made me poop my pants" only he didn't say poop. Maybe it is my warped sense of humor but I thought that was funny. The police dog found the other guy hiding under a truck about 30 minutes later. Some of the guys gave me a hard time and said that they thought "robo cop" was faster than that. But the k-9 officer that saw me running took up for me and told them that I was keeping up pretty good. After that I didn't have to get out of the car for an hour or so. But when I did I was starting to stiffen up some. Nothing a little Ibuprphen didn't fix. Summer camp starts next Sunday so there is a lot to do this week to get ready. Hope everyone is having a great summer. I'll check in later.

 

[Jamie]

Wow, Oakie.....what a STORY!!! You're amazing with that new hip!

It is a fact that people get busy with their real lives and usually don't post as much here on BoneSmart. But....we always appreciate it when one of the family stops by to update us on their life after surgery. Post any time!!!

 

[Jaycey]

Thanks for the update Okie. Sounds like that new hip is working out well! Great update. Please stop by once in awhile. Don't forget us!

 

[Poppet]

Hi okie,

I love to hear from you. I just read your post on your buddies thread. Sounds like you had a ball at the camp.. Hey carrying your daughter over your shoulder. - I am so impressed! @okie408:

 

[okie408]

Well, the fun times are over for now. Two weeks of vacation behind me and now I am back to work. The kids and I had a blast at summer camp. Camp photos are posted on a link from the Oklahoma Forestry web site. No hip pain at all in quite a while. I had to lay on the ground the other day to work on a golf cart and my side was sore for an hour or so but it was not in the joint it was sore around the scar. I was checking my chicken coop Saturday and found a 5 foot and a 6 foot black snake in one of the nest eating the eggs. One of them got away for a while. He took off into the woods and I had to climb the fence and chase him. I impressed myself with my climbing ability. LOL !!! My daugther has been on the computer since she got home from camp. Seems she may have her first boyfriend. :( It is a good thing he lives 2 1/2 hours away. I do not think I am going to be a good father of a teen age girl. The last night of camp the kids started their own dance in the parking lot. My daughter danced with a few boys but I think I scared a few off. I tried any way. My balance is getting better every week and find that I can do more all the time. Getting up from being on the ground is a little slow. Well getting up and down is a little slow but once I have my legs under me I do fine. The Lt. is giving me the look over the computer so I guess that means I need to get back to my car. Catch everone later.

 

[Poppet]

Hi okie, I can so imagine you as the 'policeman' scaring off the boyfriends... I had such a chuckle when I read that

What has happened with the other job - any news?

 

[debkakes]

Hey, fellow Okie! What part of the state are you? Admittedly, I left the area as soon as I could after HS, but I still have many friends there and try to visit from time to time. And it's true that you can the girl out of Oklahoma, but Oklahoma always stays in the girl. I lived up in NE OK, Rogers County. My brother was a cop in Tulsa, OK quite some years ago, so I enjoyed reading a couple of your adventures. And I love hearing how new hips are working out for folks, since I just got mine done. Take care! oh and PS: I love that you were working on fixing up a pick-up truck with your daughter! I remember my dad teaching my to drive our "3 on the tree" and giving it to me when I went off to collegee (all the way over in Arkansas!) You sound like a great dad!

 

[Jamie]

I don't envy you fathering a teen girl!!! I remember what a challenge I was! You might want to keep your cane handy. Even if you don't need it to walk, it can be a great thing to swing menacingly at those teenage boys when they come around!!!

 

[okie408]

Just checking in real quick. Boy am I glad the 4th of July is over. This town looked like it turned into one of those post war movies that you see where people are chasing each other down. My shift only had 9 officers for a town of 40,000. we each took about 20 calls for service that night. Tonight I get called by a man who says someone just broke into his car. He says he thinks he knows where the guy stays. So we go over there and after a few minutes I find the guy that broke into his car. The guy is crying and screaming about it wasn't him and he would not do a thing like that. Then I find his cell phone in the other guys car. And it has his picture on the screen when you open it up. Kind of hard to deny that he was in the car now. Any way back to work and I will check in some other time. Hope everyone is having a pain free holiday.

 

[Poppet]

okie408;

Hi Okie, so thrilled to get an update from you... Gosh some people are just plain stupid I think.

I am sure you have seen it all buddy

Is the rebuild of Katie's truck finished?

How is your son going, still with the same girlfriend?... I am thinking wedding bells sometime, but then maybe he wants to travel????

 

[Josephine]

Hey Okie, your story reminds me of those television programmes about stupid burglars! Couldn't credit some of them,, could you? Brains? they have none!

Good to hear from you though!

 

[okie408]

Well I am at my part time job today. Not much going on here. The hips are still doing well and my balance is getting better. It has been almost 10 months since the first surgery and I have no complaints. Last week I even had to climb a 7 foot chain link fence. Not that big of a deal I guess, but I could not have done it a year ago. Some times I don't think about the fact that I had surgery on both hips last year and forget to be careful while lifting or working in the yard. Then later that day I will feel a little sore. But that goes away over night and I get the "I told you to be careful" speech from my wife.

The the next day I am ready to get to work and forget again. Some things don't change. I have to stop and thank God at times for the abilities that he has given doctors. I can not picture myself living with the misery of the pain I had before. It is good to have my life back. On a different note it is too hot here to do much in the day time. It has been over 100 for the last week or so and the forecast does not look like it is going to change soon.

Sandy, you asked about the kids. Well things are changing for my son. I think his almost two year relationship with his girlfriend may have ended last night. She is a sweet girl and we love having her around but her insecurity is starting to be a bit much. They had a big argument a couple of weeks ago and things haven't been the same since. Then last night she she gave his ring back during an argument and he put it in his pocket and walked away. He has talked to her once since then but I don't know the final out come. The way he was talking at home last night I believe it is over. I feel bad for both of them.

On the brighter side....We took my daughter to Oklahoma City Monday to meet her "male" friend. She has now changed her facebook page to show that she is "in a relationship". This is her first boy friend. Her truck is coming along and and we have it drive-able now. I am still waiting for a couple of parts to fix the turn signals and break lights. She passed her drivers test last week and now she is legal so stay off the side walks. We stay inside during the day time to avoid the heat and my wife and I spend the evenings watering the flowers and the garden so they don't completely burn up. Life is good!!! Even with matching scars on both sides of your bottom.

 

[okie408]

Hello everyone. Not much new to add just wanted to say hello. I'm still doing good on the new hips and have very little trouble getting around. I still do not have the strength like I use to but mainly when standing up from a sitting position. Nothing very noticable though. Here is an update for you Sandy. I finally had the interview for the new job I was wanting. The head guy said I did a good job and I should know something in the next three or four days. Keep your fingers crossed for me.