TKR Right TKR 6/5

[Braunzie]

Thinking of you, @snowleopard. Be careful and take care of yourself..

 

[snowleopard]

Quick hello-hello,

I made the judgment call that I was ready to sleep without the half-tab of pain meds last night. Up icing and elevating in the middle of it, and by 3:30 gave up and took a whole tab--a lot for me. Ran it through the taking-care-of-myself check, and it passed. Called in to work for the a.m. half, said I would not be in. Scrambling out the door in a bit here to work this afternoon.

Have a woman's wellness check scheduled for tomorrow where I will get orders written for a mammogram and the dreaded butt-cam. I also scheduled an audiology test for later in August, bone density scan next week and then the eye procedure, and have decided to give the clinic based PT a whirl.

It's take-care-of-snowleopard time at long last. And the more steps I take with this, the easier it gets.

 

[Braunzie]

@snowleopard - be sure to take care of yourself while you're taking care of yourself!!

 

[snowleopard]

@snowleopard - be sure to take care of yourself while you're taking care of yourself!!

Ahh, grasshopper, so young and yet so wise . . .

A week from today I'll have the women's health check, the dexa-scan, and the eye-thingy behind me. That's a good start. Six weeks from now, if all of the results are good, I'll have the tests, procedure, and my divorce behind me. And my knee will be up to dancing the hornpipe. Maybe even shooting hoops with @Raffs. Which convolutedly reminds me that the tortoiseshell wonder is outside, and it's raining. That's three days in a row that I've come home, gotten inside, and the rain and thunder started up. Ahh, the simple pleasures in life . . .

 

[Raffs]

Hope the check goes ok today. I think it's great that you're taking the time to get all of this done now, you'll be the Bionic Woman come the Fall!! You've had a lot to deal with this year....onwards and upwards from now on.

 

[snowleopard]

@Braunzie: Be sure to take care of yourself while you're taking care of yourself!! My new mantra!

And it swings both ways. Meaning, I have to do what I have to do, but not if I can't do it. But on the other hand, doing what I have to do is what I have to do to take care of myself sometimes. Today it was the

(dust) BUNNY HUNT!!
Here's the report from the field:

• swept upstairs main room and bedroom, bagged several dust bunnies, some old cat food, a small overripe tomato, and some suspicious feathers;
• two loads of laundry done, including stripping and re-making the bed. Third time I have had clean sheets since I got home from the hospital, so not setting any records, except maybe the wrong kind. Also should note that I folded and put away the clothes that are clean, instead of throwing them on the couch and dressing from there. Not saying that's what I've been doing, not saying it's not. Just sayin' . . .
• all the remaining field-kitchen stuff is out of the upstairs and moved back down to the kitchen, including the mini-frig, which made it to the porch on its way to my office. This might take awhile;
• dirty dishes downstairs gathered up and put to soak before I ask the dishwasher to take a swing at them;
• trash out;
• kitty-litter box cleaned;
• some of the counters downstairs wiped.

This does not sound like much, but I am feeling like it's a serious upswing. Little bit of those shivering shakes setting in again, which I am taking to mean it's slow-down time. Am in/on bed, elevating. Going to snuggle up and youtube for awhile. Feeling seriously relieved that this much progress has been made. Another 45 minutes or so in the kitchen and I'll be in really good shape.

Doing a 12-hour fast tonight, and then I have a blood draw in the morning followed by a bone-density test. Finalized travel plans for my eye procedure towards the end of the week. Then it's just a matter of getting the colonoscopy and mammogram scheduled. Doctor who did the pap smear on Friday has already written the orders for them. And finally, I have a hearing screening scheduled for later this month, and oh, yeah, a vision test and new glasses once my eyes have adjusted to the eye-tweaking procedure, and one more out-of-town trip to get my three-month checkup from the surgeon. And after that? No more medical tests or procedures or anythings, assuming all goes well, and let us all assume as much, shall we? Yes.

 

[PolarBear60]

No wonder you're tired. Rest up. Lots to feel good about in that report.

 

[KarriB]

I'm tired just reading about your medical schedule!

 

[Braunzie]

@snowleopard - You are my hero!! I'm not sure exactly what you did with your interpretation of "taking care of yourself while you're taking care of yourself".... I might have to read that over a few times to REALLY get it.. hahaha! But if I can do what you're doing when I'm 8 weeks out (that's right, isn't it?) I'll be VERY happy!!! You are a woman of STEEL!! Be proud, but do be careful.. Looking forward to hearing how you conquer all the things on your "list".. I think you'll be bored when it's all said and done and then be asking, "NOW what do I do???"

Sleep well tonight! You deserve it!! (Maybe you can come down to Washington and help me hunt for dust bunnies too??? hahaha! )

 

[Slainte]

@Braunzie: ...not setting any records, except maybe the wrong kind. Also should note that I folded and put away the clothes that are clean, instead of throwing them on the couch and dressing from there. Not saying that's what I've been doing, not saying it's not. Just sayin' . . .

I believe I am the record holder for the wrong kind of records, and am steadfastly holding on to them. And if my family wants to eat at the dining room table this week they probably could push the clean clothes over a smidge and make room.
Love your posts. Keep making it real.

 

[snowleopard]

You all make me feel like a rock star with a pet unicorn! Woo!

Coda: got the dirty dishes out of the sink, into the dishwasher, and even gave the sink a lick-and-a-promise. Slapped together some chicken salad and snarfed that down with Ritz crackers by 8:45, so my 12-hour fast officially began then. House is in as much order as it's going to see for a bit, I have clean clothes and am showered.

Now for the fun stuff. If you enjoy Celtic music, you might like to take a listen to this piece I'm working on learning on the flute. I found it demonstrated by some darling kids from Guatemala. It's called the Song of the Falcon Chief, and is from the Isle of Man.

I love this piece because somehow it managed to catch the feel of walking through misty mountains on a brisk day, heading for more mountains and brisker weather, in agreeable company. Something of the title and origin was, however, lost in the translation:

 

[Raffs]

Hope today's appointments go well. Please keep posting, love reading your reports. Going to listen to that music now.

 

[snowleopard]

Awake in the night to pee, so proud of myself for having gone back to sleep! Awake again around 4, and went downstairs for ice. While there, I put away the clean dishes, popped in the odds and ends into the dishwasher that didn't fit in the first load, and swept the floor. Calling that pretty good for now. Re-icing (say aaahhhhhh) and relaxing until the alarm goes off. A bit more fluting (one of the joys of living alone) and then some rubbish youtube tv myself if I feel so inclined.

 

[Braunzie]

@snowleopard - hope both procedures go well today. Nice music! So, once you've mastered it on your flute, you'll need to record it and share with us!! I'll look forward to that!!

You got up at 4am and did that??? Hopefully my energy level comes back so I can be more like you!!!

 

[snowleopard]

My hopes of getting back to sleep were futile and ridiculous. I mean, really? Made it to the blood draw place, the bone-scan place, the pick-up-prescription/drop-off-prescription, and drop off some--ahem--requisite pre-colonoscopy paperwork that, shall we say, needs to be done in the privacy of one's own home? Then I went to work, put in about four hours, went to the battery place to get help with the corrosion on top of my battery. Turned out to be caused by a deteriorating bracket, battery is still fine. Then to pick up prescription, checked out full-up handicap parking in one store (which meant probably no scooter) and then went to a different, less-crowded store. Used the scooter again, and this time got more attention (you know, when people walk down an aisle, and say "Sorry," just for being there. I think I like late night and early morning better, when just the zombie-shoppers are out. There were too few checkout stands open, and many shoppers. I was waiting in line, and then someone walked through the throng of shoppers with a key and an apron, and said, "I can help you over here." There were at least twenty people behind them that surged after him, my direction, all with this, "Did he mean me?" look on their face. And a woman near me said, "You should let her go first, she's in the cart!" And someone else took up the cry, and I said, "Okay," because I was about to be overrun by the horde of people who'd been lined up in the self-serve lines.

And then the lady who first advocated for me asked me if I needed help, and I said I was fine, that I could manage, I was just slow, and she said, "I'll help you," and followed me to the car and unloaded my groceries. And then offered to follow me home and unload! It felt a little over the top. Stopped on the way home, got a bag of ice, staggered everything inside and it's sitting at the top of the stairs waiting to go to the kitchen. Except the ice, half of which went into my cryo-cuff and the other half is sitting in the bathroom sink. Hopefully not melting too fast. And I am elevated and icing and I have food! and ice! and a clean-ish/-er house!

And I got a call scheduling my mammogram for next week. After that it's just the colonoscopy and the hearing test and new glasses and I will be all done. Until next time.

Addendum: got up, went downstairs with all the grub and ice. Stepped down, moved all the bags down a few steps, stepped down, etc. Everything is put away, and dinner tonight was two microwaved sausages and ketchup. Yummers! and I also brought up a paper bowl with sweetened unsweetened yogurt, bananas, coconut flakes, and some tartity-tart-tart Alaskan blueberries. For later. And I am in my jammies at 6:25, prepared for whatever the evening may bring.

 

[Slainte]

Must have been a former girl scout you ran into at the store. Did her good deed for the day. And offering to follow you home? Yeah, just a bit much. Sounds like you are set for the night. Sweet dreams.

 

[snowleopard]

Must have been a former girl scout you ran into at the store. Did her good deed for the day. And offering to follow you home? Yeah, just a bit much. Sounds like you are set for the night. Sweet dreams.

Did I mention she called me "dear"? I have mixed feelings about that. How did she know? What was it about being in a chair that made me sweet? As I was driving out of the parking lot I thought, "Being disabled does not make me a cripple, guys. I could have figured all of this out."

I come here and you all make me feel like I get the I-swept-my-floor-today gold star and I LOVE IT! There, not so much. Oh well and meh. Shaken off and moved on.

 

[snowleopard]

Hello!

I flew to the Big City here, on a little-bit scary flight. I nodded hello to another passenger as I was loading, asked how he was doing. He said he'd be happier if they gave us a real airplane. I told him those were all parked. Incidentally, he walked better than I was walking, and he had a prosthetic knee, too, to match the entire leg which from thigh down was a new improved model. And later today at the eye clinic, I saw yet another man with a thigh-to-floor replacement leg. That's just a few too many of them popping up. And this one also walked better than I did. I commented on that fact, and he smiled at me and said, "It gets better."

Saw the eye surgeon today, who is clearly just a bit on the spectrum. Complimented me on my lovely tissue. (Could I have made that up?) Felt like I was an EXCELLENT candidate for the procedure planned. I mentioned to him that I felt like I did a lot of compensating for my focus problem, and he said I was an Olympic-level athlete at compensating. He said my eyes wanted to go two different directions, but they didn't through force of intent. "I'm looking at you focusing on me right now and wondering how you do it. It shouldn't be possible." But that same quality of compensation will finish up any fine-tuning left after the surgery. "It's like you've been carrying around 120 pounds, and I can take 100 pounds off." So even though I had talked myself into being quietly freaked about it, I'm not anymore. He also said it was a very clean surgery, he did his own scrubbing, "I don't like bugs," and there was no need for the dreaded antibiotics, that my eye will be kind of blood-shot for a week or so, but it won't hurt, and I'll be able to use it right away.

I'm staying at a lovely little BnB that runs half the cost of a hotel room, and is super-clean. This town has a serious bed-bug problem, and I'm a little freaked by them. These people are so hospitable. They have a deck with buckets and baskets of geraniums and petunias overlooking a lake with enormous duck families floating around. I sat out there for an hour and a half and played my flute (when I wasn't palming my eyes in frustration because it's so stinkin' much work to read music). I brought a music book and a table-top music holder, and a kindly Christmas cactus on the table held the page open for me when the breeze riffled the pages. Then I laid on the lounge chair and watched the sun through the tree leaves as it sank slowly towards the mountains, and a few bees bumbling around under the canvas awning. I feel as if I'm at a medical travel spa. Floating in relaxation.

Called my kiddos today and chatted with them, made sure they knew I was headed into surgery. My son is the only person who ever noticed (or at least commented on) the fact that my eyes don't track sometimes. But that's him. He's that yahoo that notices everything that you try to slip past him. And he said, "I'm really liking this self-improvement kick."

So I'd better get some sleep. Cross some of your crossables for me, and think good thoughts, please. By this time tomorrow, it will be a done deed! And because I've already paid up my deductible and out-of-pocket, and because this surgeon is a preferred provider, I shouldn't have to pay anything for this. They should even cover the travel and the cost of my stay. I feel very, very fortunate.

 

[PolarBear60]

Sounds like a great "travel spa" arrangement. I'm glad you're getting these things done to improve your health.

I've always been amazed by how well the guys with prosthetic legs walk on them when I saw them in the base exchange or commissary. I can't imagine the hard work they had to but in to achieve that level of apparent ease. Now that I have one knee done, I'm closer to being able to walk as well, and it's exciting.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005

 

[Slainte]

Self improvement kick!? That's a fun way to look at it. Does sound like life will be much improved for you, so you go, girl! Good for you for getting it all done.