Jojool,
sandybeach,
sandpiper,
nmscienceteacher, and all wonderful Bonesmarties! Time for an update on what has been happening:
I have continued making progress, and am now able to walk 3/4 mile loops around the circle I live on. (Our street is a circle, and I measured it by car some time ago.) So I'm building endurance. I still use the cane when I do a lot of walking, and when I'm tired, although I usually walk around the house without it. In the pool, I exercise for an hour at a time -- walking forward and sideways, doing all my leg exercises, stretches, etc. -- moving all the time. And I'm still doing physical therapy.
I saw my doctor this morning, and he cleared me to return to school on Monday, 8/26, which is the second week of school. So I'll only have missed the pre-school teachers' workweek and the first week for students. I did all the lesson plans, seating charts, etc., for the substitute, and sweet colleagues set up my room for me and made the necessary photocopies. I have several accommodations for when I return to school. I'll be able to sit down while teaching as needed, someone else will take the students to and from lunch (three weeks) so that I don't have to walk clear across campus and back, and I won't have to do any hall duty (six weeks). If I need any of the accommodations extended, that won't be a problem.
I went to school and got the keys to my room, walked across the campus to see the room and did a little furniture rearranging (not too much), put some books on the shelves, etc. The walking was fairly arduous, especially because I was doing it without the cane. I can see that I really will need the cane at work, for whatever amount of time (can't be predicted), and I will also HAVE to wear the brace for my right leg, because the walking really hurts my right knee without the brace. But it felt great to be there for even an hour, and the people who saw me were amazed at how quickly I'm recovering and how much straighter I stand than I did last year before the surgery.
I saw my principal and he was so sweet. I gave him the clearance letter from the doctor, and he said, "Are you sure you are ready, and not doing more than you should be doing? I'd rather have you come back later, and come back 100% than risk hurting yourself." I told him I do feel ready, but it meant so much to me to have that kind of support and kindness. It really made me feel appreciated and valued, which means the world to me.
I also told my principal the bad news I got today at the doctor, which is that I will need other joints replaced in the future. My left hip is nearly closed up, although I haven't had any pain at all in that hip. He things I have a year or two before that hip needs to be replaced. My right knee definitely needs to be replaced, and the left knee isn't very good either. My plan is to have the right knee done next summer -- using the brace to help me get through this year. The brace really does work, although I dislike it.
I told my principal that the good news (about the bad news) is that I can have the surgery done at the very beginning of the summer, instead of waiting until July, as I did this year because I was waiting for Medicare to kick in. That means that I shouldn't need to take time off at the beginning of the year. He said, "And if you need to have the surgery in the middle of the year, that's what you'll have to do. You can't always plan these things, and if you need it, you need it." Again, I was overwhelmed by the level of support he has shown, especially because I know that not everybody on this forum has been treated this way. It really relieved any sense of guilt or anxiety.
When the doctor and I were discussing the fact that I'll need other joints replaced in the future, I said, "Well, at least we know that one of your children's college will be taken care of, and he laughed. I'll be seeing him again in two months, and he said, "We can also discuss your other body parts at that time," which struck me as hilarious.
I was reassured by what he told me about the way he does knee surgery. He also does that differently from many other doctors, and it's a minimally-invasive process, though I don't know what that means just yet. He told me it will be a relatively small scar -- one line from just above the kneecap to about an inch below it -- and there won't be any stitches or staples. Just like my hip, the incision will be closed with glue. He said the recovery isn't as bad as people think, and that I should be comfortable walking and spending a fair amount of time on my feet (with a cane) after about 4 weeks. I'll find out more when I go to my next visit. I feel so lucky to have found such an amazing surgeon who can spare me so much of the pain and struggle associated with joint replacement (especially knees, which I've heard are much harder than hips).
So -- overall, I'm feeling fabulous, and very excited about going back to school only 6 1/2 weeks after surgery. I do feel confident that I'll have the stamina and strength to do my job, with the accommodations I've been granted. And I'm not at all afraid of future surgeries, thanks to all I've learned from Bonesmart and from going through this first operation.
Love to everyone!
United States
