New Knee and Prague's Cobblestones!

[backbay38]

Well, guys --- on Tuesday I am off to test my new knee against the hills, trams, Metros and most of all the cobblestones of Prague, CZ. I will be - like last summer - teaching an introductory news and video course at a Czech university which uses English only. (Thank goodness as my Czech is extremely basic -- even after 20 years of visits). Also giving some presentation skills seminars and the like. I hope to test also Jamie's philosophy of recovery and strengthening while living :D; I will work out 2 or 3 times a week in a nearby gym but most of the time I'll just be walking and lugging groceries up the big, long hill to our apartment (no car) and doing the 3 and 4 flights of stairs up to my friends' apartments and mowing the (very uneven) grass at our friend's "chalupa" (old farmhouse) in a small village outside of Prague. (It seems Czechs all have some kind of little house for summers; they were allowed to have them even under Communism). In Prague there are also lots of old 5 story apartment buildings without elevators and big old houses made into apartments -- again no elevators. My knee has started aching just writing about them
I also hope to do some fairly strenuous hikes with some Czech friends; they have lots of small mountains and interesting natural areas I haven't been able to explore because of my now replaced knee.
I'm a little nervous about the 8 hour flight plus 2 or 3 hours waiting at JFK with my knee. If I'm lucky the flight won't be full and I can curl up and sleep a bit. Otherwise I guess I'll just walk alot; I'll never get my feet into my shoes when we land!!! And there's a lot of walking and lugging luggage at the Prague airport on landing too. Well -- it will be an interesting experiment.
I'll try to check in as often as I can to catch up and meet the newbies. And report on how my now 5 and a half month old knee is faring.
I bought a few pairs of jeans and slightly dressier mid calf pants. This is not the summer for shorts with a still rosy scar!!! Plus the sun won't be good for it. Lucky that the mid calf pants are really "in" this summer.
I hope everyone has a great summer; I'll be back in time to enjoy a little of our Northeastern summer -- with a few good classic car shows I hope ---although I'm missing my favorite -- the first weekend in August in Macungie, PA.
Thanks for all the encouragement to get me this far!!! I hope all the knees do well with the warmer weather (except for Australia & NZ where it's now winter, isn't it? But still tolerable I believe.)
Stephani

 

[Texas]

Hi Stephani, Sounds so interesting to go to Prague. All the work you do. I hope you can maybe show us some pics when you can. I would love to see. That is probably the only time I would be able to see Prague. lol . I am sure your knee will be fine. You seem to be doing so well. Have a great time. Just be careful at those apts. We will be looking for your posts..........

 

[Jamie]

Steph, just like you see on television where the "traveling gnome" is photographed all over the place, I think you need to take photos of your knee as it makes it's way through your summer travels. You'll be fine and this is better than any twelve PT programs you might be able to enroll in. Can't wait to start hearing about it all!!!

 

[Josephine]

Stephani - time to get those TEDs out!

 

[skigirl]

Stephani,

I am with Josephine--I would wear the TEDs on the plane--and don't sleep too much. My daughter went to China, took a sleeping pill and slept the entire way there--and then back. When she landed in San /Francisco, they took her right to the hospital where she had a PE!!

So ted hose it is on the plane. Also, I know that Crocs look stupid, but I sometimes wear them on flights because they are loose and I can still get my foot in them. Be sure to pump your feet lots of times on the plane--Crocs are easy to get on and off. Plus, they are soft and squishy when you have to walk a lot on hard floors.

Yesterday I went to the mall searching for Capri pants myself---I have lost almost 12 pounds since the surgery and all of my pants were hanging on me---I am three weeks out--but have 125 flex, so thought it would be fine.

Today, I am stiff and sore---I should have taken a singel crutch with me---when I realized that I was limping, I did go home, but it took a while to leave the mall and I was in pain when I finally got to my car.

Maybe you should really think about your shoes for this summer---by the way, I am totally jealous!!! I would love to see some of the glassworks there--I have lots of beads from Prague. I have finally decided that I have to do something this summer with my brain since it is obvious I have a way to go before I am hiking. So, I am going this afternoon to sign up for Creative Writing and Sign Language for the Stage at our community college. After all, some parts of me are still working!! Kelly

 

[Josephine]

Of course, you could always get those compression knee highs they sell in the high street shops for long haul flights. I believe you can get them in airports as well. They'd do just as well as TEDs.

 

[backbay38]

Jo --- do I REALLY have to wear the TEDS? Iguess a knee hi might be more uncomfortable though - tight around the knee area??
Kelly -- Your daughter's China flights are a good object lesson; I guess I should listen to you and Jo. And you - shopping --- well, you don't realize it but traipsing around a mall and trying on clothes is pretty intensive!!! The summer course sounds interesting --- As for the Crocs -- I always thought they are hard, not soft. Maybe I should look again. I wear running shoes everywhere --they are both cushioned and have extra stability support for flat feet. Not great for airport security checks though Sandals only when i have to wear something decent. You should see my incredibly ugly feet!!!! Fixing at least one of them may be next -- ugh!

 

[Josephine]

Just on the flight, honey. Helps keep the swelling down which is always worse when you're in the air (apparently!).

 

[backbay38]

OK Jo. The master's voice will be heeded

 

[backbay38]

Haven';t been here since Tuesday - the day I left for Prague. Had very limited (read "slooow") internet until I finally got a cable modem installed in the apartment last night and I am connected to the world again! Amazing; the local cable company came just as they said they would and the tech even called ahead to tell me he was coming!!
So far my new knee is negotiating the cobblestones, hills, trams and multiple stairs just fine. Went to the gym for the first time since Monday today; it was a joy to just fade into the background -- no one staring at me as I limped around as I did last summer with my brace.
I thought of Jamie today when I schlepped my balcony furniture up from the cellar to my apartment (via elevator but the table and chairs had to be dragged out of the bowels of the building where people store things behind 3 double and triple locked doors.) I put the table together tonight; it's not balanced properly and I'll have to look at it again in daylight; it's raining off and on here anyhow and it's cold. The table's only plastic but it's awkward to carry as are the piled up chairs and I did just fine! Jamie's mantra is already working. Had a workout on the cobblestones of the old city when I went up to the university where I'm teaching to get organized. I was late and I was rushing and everything felt completely normal. As we talk always about little victories --- this was one of those. Doing something everyone around me simply takes for granted.
Well - that's the news for now. Oh - planted a few flowers in my 2 small flower boxes on the balcony and thought of all of you with the beautiful gardens. My friend had thrown out last year's soil and brought the boxes in for the winter so had to do the whole thing - again - from scratch. Then it got very windy and I had to go out and make sure the poor little things were safely battened down in wet dirt.
No time yet for photos but I promise there will be some....
It's cool - now I am just one hour ahead of Jo and Stives and all. 6 hours ahead of the US east coast.
Over and out--
Stephani

 

[Judles]

Love Prague.....Steph! Please watch all those "charming" cobblesones! Hope you enjoy your time there! Have a drink across front of the clocktower to good health! Enjoy!!!

 

[Jamie]

Steph, I am SO VERY proud of you for getting all that done at your apartment. It was a LOT of work, but it sounds like you managed just fine. Slow and steady works. Listen to your body...it will tell you when its had enough. But I know it makes you feel better to have that balcony set up so you can enjoy it. I can't wait for the photos.

 

[stives]

Hi Stephani

Glad the flight obviously went off alright and you are now safely in Prague. You sound to have been very busy, but as I have said before, as have others, it seems to me that just doing everyday things is as good for the knee recovery as going to a gym. You certainly seem to have given your whole body quite a work-out getting the apartment organised.

Whereabouts in Prague are you? We spent a few days there a few years ago. Such an interesting place. However, one of our friends had his wallet nicked by a pickpocket on the famous bridge, which was not good news. We also visited several very old spa towns - the buildings were really beautiful although rather run-down when we were there.

 

[backbay38]

Val our apartment is in a new buidling in Hostivar - Prague 10. I call it the Queens of Prague - Queens being the outlying and oh-so-NOT-cool borough of NYC. But I love it here. We're halfway up a hill with lots of greenery around us and a block walk to trams and buses and a short bus/tram ride to the Metro. 20 minutes or less to downtown. Prague has the most won derful mass transist system; all the lines connect. I have a monthly transit pass which is the best bargain(maybe the ONLY bargain these days) in Prague. The spa towns are really lovely - especially Karlovy Vary which is now, apparently, overrun with rich Russians. But there has been a huge amount of painting and fixing up in this country over the past 10 to 15 years and if you were here years ago you would be happily surprised.
I taught my first class today - dashing over the sometimes wet cobblestones and up and down the stairs at the school. Stood most of the time (3 hour class) with a few breaks. Didn't even think about my knee. When I think about how hard all this was last summer before the operation (it's what convinced me I needed the TKR) I am just amazed that things which seems so difficult and exhausting last summer are just - well - normal this summer. I can actually walk really fast now to catch the tram -- like "normal" people. I just walk around here with a big grin on my face. The Czechs must think I'm nuts; they never smile -- expecially in the street at strangers!!! As soon as I get these first classes over I will try to spend some time posting a few photos...

 

[Judles]

Hey! Back! Queens is the "oh so NOT cool borough of NYC". Well, I beg to DIFFER with YOU on THAT! I grew up in Queens and with all its cultural diversity, it is ANYTHING but THAT!!! That's REALLY offensive! HAD to voice my humble opinion! That WASN'T a cool remark!!!!

 

[stives]

Wow, Back! Isn't it such a wonderful feeling to be able to do all those things that were SO hard before the TKR. I am so pleased for you.

We visited Karlovy Vary and loved it. Also Marianski Lazni - I'm not sure of the spelling! It certainly sounds as if we would notice a big difference if we visited now. I think it was probably ten or more years ago that we went there. What are you actually doing in Prague?

 

[backbay38]

Judles -- I apologize for offending with my Manhattan bias; Queens does indeed have lots of diversity which I love. That has nothing to do with what I meant. It takes as long to get into the "city" (Manhattan) from Queens and maybe longer than it does from New Jersey where I live and which is also (where I live) very un-cool. So you may as well live in NJ or way out on Long Island as live in Queens if you have to get into Manhattan to work every day! That's really what I meant!!!!

Val --- I'm teaching a summer semester course at a Prague university which uses English in News and Video. I did it last summer and this year, with my new knee -- it's soooooo much better! The university draws from all over Europe (inluding the UK) and about half the students in the summer anyhow come from the US.

 

[Judles]

Aploogy accepted, Back! How ae you enjoying Prague this summer? How is the weather? You're certainly not missing much here......we had 1 day of sun. then MORE rain is predicte the next couple of days! Anything special that you enoy eating? How's your knee? Take care and enjoy!

 

[backbay38]

Well here I am back again - briefly as it's 11:30PM over here and I can't seem to get to bed before midnight, 1AM these days. BBC and the Czech TV are all Michael Jackson all the time. I had no idea he was such a huge international star. Of course BBC you'd expect since he was going to do this big "farewell" concert in London....
As for my knee --it doesn't always react so well to all the varied kinds of stairs here; the tram and bus stairs are very high and I'm still afraid to just walk down them without holding on and sometimes I land hard on my new knee leg and can feel it in the bone where the implant is anchored. And it will hurt or ache for awhile. There's really no comparison between working out in the controlled environment of the gym, then getting in your car and maybe doing a little walking from the parking lot or in a regular building --- and living in a city like Prague. There is so much walking and so many hills and all these old, uneven, high stairs I have to deal with. I am not really having any problems but my knee is sometimes stiff and just not quite "happy". And I have a big corn on a hammer toe now from so much walking and that doesn't help. Never bothered me when I was limping around before the TKR Last Sunday I walked about 5 and a half miles through the best park in Prague (with a lake and trails in the woods etc). I hadn't meant to go so far but now I can walk so I keep walking and forget I have to turn around and walk back!!! Then I went to the gym because I HAD to get in a leg workout and on Monday I was not a happy camper!!!! Or even Tuesday. But the urge to go down every path and explore every little street is just overwhelming --now that I actually can again. So I am really living (or over-living) Jamie's "real life" thesis!!! I have tried to workout in the gym about 3 times a week -- but not as thoroughly as I should. No time!!!!
I've had a lot of work; I have 10 students - twice as many as last summer - so there are twice as many papers to evaluated and email comments etc. Which is what I will be doing for part of the weekend. Lots of stuff to copy and get into my flash drive to use in the classroom, plus I'm giving a workshop in Presentation Skills to some business peole which was postphoned until mid July.... So this summer feels like work!!! Not vacation. 2 nights ago it took me an hour to get home after going to a friend's for dinner. The trams run well during the day but by 11PM you wait 10-20 minutes and when you have to change trams -- it can be a long wait! But at least even late at night when I get (carefully) off the tram I can walk up the 2 block on my hill to the apartment without pain. What a difference from last summer.
I see a lot of new people on the forum which is wonderful and I want to read everything --but it will be hard to catch up.
I'm still trying to get some photos out of my iPhone and on my computer so I can upload them. Have to email each one separately; there is a way to do it all at once but that means syncing my whole iPhone and I don't want to do the update yet.... So due to technical problems, as they say, photos have been postphoned.
Stephani

 

[Josephine]

Well, you do like to give yourself a hard time, backbaye! But on the other hand, can't say I blame you! And at 5 months you need to be getting back into the swing of things again. You are a great example to others! (and me!)