TKR Roger got a new left knee

[Lindawalms]

wow just read this whole (not very beginning) thread and I am AMAZED and INSPIRED and WOWED and HUMBLED by you and what you have been thru and how you have handled it and your life!!! You have inspired me to get off the couch and to stop feeling so sorry for myself. Congratulations on your continued successful recovery as well as your wife's. I hope you both continue down the path of happiness despite what's happened to you. Thank you for sharing,
xoxo,
Linda.

 

[kneeper]

thanks for the update. You have come a long way. I hope they can help with the remaining issues.

 

[zjrog]

Hi Roger,
I just caught up with all your posts from the beginning. I think you are amazing! With all that you have been through there is not a hint of negativity in any of your posts. Thank you for being an amazing role model to all of us for staying positive. I hope your recovery keeps going well. Good luck to you!
Cheers,
Helen

Helen, negativity gets in the way and tells you what you can't do. Believe me, I'm not always upbeat, but I'm never beat.

 

[zjrog]

wow just read this whole (not very beginning) thread and I am AMAZED and INSPIRED and WOWED and HUMBLED by you and what you have been thru and how you have handled it and your life!!! You have inspired me to get off the couch and to stop feeling so sorry for myself. Congratulations on your continued successful recovery as well as your wife's. I hope you both continue down the path of happiness despite what's happened to you. Thank you for sharing,
xoxo,
Linda.

Thank you, that humbles ME!

 

[Josephine]

I am AMAZED and INSPIRED and WOWED and HUMBLED by you and what you have been thru and how you have handled it and your life!!!

I second that, Linda. Our man is really something else, isn't he?

 

[zjrog]

Aw.... Wait, I read that as a possessive!!! Ah, could be worse...

 

[Josephine]

:th_heehee:

 

[Jamie]

Roger, give your wife a BoneSmartie hug from me. You guys have been through so much, but your recovery stories continue to amaze me. You guys are the King and Queen of "positive."

 

[zjrog]

Jamie, I'm the King of Positive, My bride is the Queen of Pessimism... Yin and Yang I suppose.

Been BUSY with lots of home front stuff. Wife is now in a hardshell TLSO brace like I was in, and we see her doc next week which will let us know whether the brace helped or not. We are trying to avoid surgery, but I really think its inevitable. And I'm the positive one.

On a better note. I saw MY neurosurgeon today. Her word... I'm doing "FANTASTIC". I also get the distinct impression she is used to nothing but good results. She was pleased to see I've been MOSTLY med free for three months now. And in the gym. I no longer have weight limitations other than what I can tolerate. We discussed trigger points for my back spasms, and she would really like me to not need the muscle relaxers I've been using infrequently, instead see what is causing them and work more in the gym to strengthen these areas. She thinks I am well past the point of being afraid of collapsing my back if I were to break a rod. And even admitted I might be the rare individual that could push hard enough to do that, based on my jumping off the ATV last year. (How she found out about THAT I'll never know...) She did like my strategies on being pain free at 70. She prefers to get folks off meds as soon as possible, but FULLY understands when people need them. So, I see her again in August. I'm really looking forward to that. We did talk about my neck though, and the stiff and tight muscles that aren't relaxing or loosening up. She said that could take as much as 2 years. The only thing I really didn't want to hear. But she might do a Botox injection if things don't improve any by August.

Needless to say, I'm quite happy. But know that the road is still long ahead. I got away with pushing things with my knee. I doubt I would be so lucky with my back.

Now I just need to get past this freak weather we've had this past weekend. Between the wind messing with my sinus', and the temp and humidity changes messing with my hardware, I'm TIRED!!! Should be good enough weather this weekend I might be able to yank the doors off my Jeep!!!

 

[kneeper]

It sounds like you've got a good doc. Is this yanking doors off your jeep an Incredible Hulk thing?

 

[Greda]

Roger,
I am glad you are recovering so well. I hope the weather cooperates with you and you are able to get some rest. The weather here in SD is actually beautiful. Perfect in my opinion temps in the 60s and sunshine. I hope you wife is able to avoid surgery...I know sometimes it is necessary, but she has had such a rough time and it is hard to go through when you haven't been feeling well. I continually hope I never need surgery again. It is weird how things happen...my husband is 11 years older than me and has NEVER needed any kind of surgery.
Take care
Greda

 

[Josephine]

Roger, you are truly amazing!

 

[zjrog]

It sounds like you've got a good doc. Is this yanking doors off your jeep an Incredible Hulk thing?

No, nothing so violent, I have to drive it everyday still! Roll the windows down, unplug the wiring harness and 4 bolts for each door. Jut have to remember to roll down the back windows before taking the front dors off. Notice I have mirrors to bolt on with the doors off.

Greda, thank you. My wife has had such a rough year, but I will be surprised if they don't operate. I've seen the xrays and they aren't good.

Jo, I'm just a normal guy in a tough spot. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, "Its not the measure of a man in leisure, but when things are hard". I know I butchered that, but imagine I'd measure well in his view.

Now for something funny... At work today, needed access to some equipment. Without thinking, climbed up on it and realized I wasn't sure how I was getting down. Worse, I was by myself, 20 miles from help.:DOH: After looking at my predicament for a few minutes, I figured a way down from 8 feet off the ground on smooth rounded surfaces. Getting up was too easy. Once grounded, I gave a lot of thought to how I need to think twice before doing things the way I used to. too intent on being myself could have ended badly. So much for amazing...

 

[Greda]

Roger,
Why do you take the doors off your jeep? If I drove something like that stuff would be flying out of the car...
You are too hard on yourself...I am sure it was just a habit of getting the equipment and you did get down without any injury. So that was a success in my opinion!!
Greda

 

[PhoenixS]

Roger;
keep up the positive posts. I am using them for inspiration.
I'm looking at a very looong recovery, and it is very easy to fall into the black hole of self pity. You help keep me out of there!!!
Thanks

 

[zjrog]

Sandy, I'm PROUD to be your inspiration. I usually consider myself pretty boring though!

Greda, I usually take the doors off for trails, but also for nice weather. Its fun! Also, I don't carry a bunch of stuff in my Jeep that could fly about. Well, not normally. Tools and parts under the rear seat, and a bunch of other stuff in an ammo can in the back, but nothing much to blow around. Besides, its a Jeep... As easy as they are too remove, I bet someone at Jeep planned this.

 

[zjrog]

Wind and weather didn't cooperate. Big dog threw up on carpet. 3 times... Son and his wife came to visit and so I had no time in the Jeep. Great to spend time with my son and his wife of 2 years though.

Something I don't talk much about, my memory and attenion issues since the wreck. I had Adult ADD before, and learned to manage. But lately, I have had a tougher time. Worse, I get stuck on something, a word or name and get horribly frustrated when its not there. Today was the worst so far. Work related. And I pretty much shut down. It took me a few minutes to purposely distract myself to get back to my task, a very dull routine. One I revel in.

Stevie Wonder. Was the name I couldn't pull up. Music in my head the rest of the day. Only took 8 hours. Now I can sleep. If I can get "Ebony and Ivory" out of my head.

Yes, I did discuss with my neurosurgeon the other day. Yea, me!

 

[Jamie]

GAAAAAAAA......now I'm going to be singing Ebony and Ivory all night long!!!!!! :th_heehee:

Sorry this happened to your. It may very well work itself out with some time. What did the neurosurgeon have to say about the problem?

 

[zjrog]

Pretty much what you said, ought to improve with time. But it shouldn't get worse. I did have a decent concussion despite the helmet, and I was aware I might have some memory issues. This time just bothered me more for some reason. And no, that song is still in my head.

 

[megbabyrn]

Roger, getting frustrated over trying to remember something happens to me too, but my excuse is age, hee,hee. I was trying to remember a singer's name, still can't!! But no, it wasn't Stevie Wonder!! You are hard on yourself!! You put your body through a lot, I think our body tries to deliberately stop us in our tracks when we are not listening. It got your attention the other day!! Just think about how far you have come, you still can walk, work out and work!! I am sure that without your attitude, other people may not have been so lucky!! How is the poor dog?? Hope your wife gets her surgery!! Take care!!