TKR Two (almost) matching knees at last!

[skigirl]

Sandy, I have fallen so many times I cannot keep count anymore. I admit it, I am a klutz!! I have fallen on the knees and on my hip!! I have injured my muscles, my pride and my elbow, but the knees are still fine. I am always a little shaken after a fall---I mostly do as you did and try to pretend that nothing happened!! But, so far, I have not injured the knees!!

I had one great fall in front of our church. There was a funeral and I was supposed to drop off food---and I was a little late, so tried to get out of there fast since I was in jeans. Tripped over a sprinkler head and fell forward---tried to stay upright for two or three steps, but blam a full frontal fall!! I was so embarassed--and everyone there for the funeral--all dressed in nicer clothing tried to help me up! My knees were both skinned, but the implants were fine.

 

[Lovestoread]

Hope all is well with that knee Sandy! Hopefully you won't make a "grand entrance" when you are putting on the real performance! Honestly though, as I was reading your post, what struck me most was that you were wearing denim skinny jeans!! You go girl!!

I have to say it was a little scary on Sunday afternoon! I was in the basement, but of course hubby stayed upstairs. We were fine, but several trees, both large and small, in my subdivision came down. That was the worst of it though.

I'm doing well, though at the football game in Evanston last Saturday, I think I gave myself a manipulation without anesthesia climbing from one row of the bleachers to another. The drop was way more than expected and whoa, did I see stars for about a half a minute! Inched my way out of the stadium, but later on felt fine.

Since Sheridan was not the road to be on much of football season, we've been on Broadway to Hollywood. I think of you each time I drive through!

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

Those stadium steps are brutally steep, aren't they? Been awhile since I was at Ryan Field (heck, it was still Dyche Stadium), but we get to Wrigley at least once a season and I have to use a cane in one hand and grab seat backs with the other to get down to our seats. And at "the Cell," even back when I had good knees, I was terrified to do the Wave lest I pitch forward. At least there and at United Center they have escalators and elevators.

Glad to hear you came through that Wildcats adventure unscathed. (You pass within a quarter-block of my house whenever you drive down Broadway)! And a sigh of relief that in your 'hood only a couple of trees fell victim to the storm.

Knees and toe are much better today. No neoprene sleeves nor buddy-taping necessary. And rehearsal is going well tonight (typing this while on break).

 

[Carolina girl]

Hi Sandy and Jean! I enjoyed your posts. No falls to report so far, glad to say.

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

I spent most of last week doing some post-production and mixing 5 mi. outside a very small southern IL town, which town has decent cell and internet service; but the guesthouse of the recording studio (on a farm) where I was staying has very poor cell service except on a local provider (Alltel)--I have devices from all 3 of the "majors" (AT&T as my primary provider, Sprint for its unlimited data except in its myriad dead zones, and Verizon as the one carrier that usually covers what the others don't). My hosts live so far out of town that the phone company won't bring out a landline or DSL and the cable company won't come in for TV or internet either. They have only satellite for both TV and internet (and live so far from the nearest cities--Carbondale or St. Louis--that they are not entitled to receive network broadcast stations via satellite; their roof antenna is useless). If you could see my setup--MacBookAir tethered to an AT&T iPhone and a Verizon iPad Mini (don't have tethering on the Sprint phone)--you'd be reminded of a Rube Goldberg cartoon.....when the setup works down there. Lucky to be able to get a phone call or two a day. Makes for few distractions from the studio, though; and it's lovely rolling farmland down there between the Mississippi & Kaskaskia rivers. About 4 hrs. each way via the Interstate and 2 hrs. on country roads. Unfortunately, traffic south of Joliet was dreadful and added an hour in each direction. Ever see people driving BACKWARDS on a freeway on-ramp rather than get stuck in that mess? Yup, that bad! My knee did not misbehave; and I was so apprehensive about the traffic and all the work I'd have to do all week (but so happy about being in such pretty country with my engineer & his wife, such wonderful friends) that my back stopped acting up too. IcyHot patches and Voltaren gel did help too.

Last Friday night my singing partner & I met halfway in Rockford, IL (he lives in Madison, WI) for a concert at JustGoods Listening Room, which went very well--except for the normally 90-min. drive that took nearly 3 hrs due to......traffic!!! Q: What's the state tree of IL? A: The orange construction cone. Q: What's the state bird of IL?
A: The one you flip at the state tree!

So that's what I've been up to. Got 14 songs for the duo CD and 6 for the holiday EP mixed (waiting for one guy to come in and re-do a complex blues fingerpicking solo before we master); and about half the songs on my next solo CD tracked, with several other instrumentals mixed since I last sang and played the basic vocal, guitar and dulcimer.
Meanwhile, I spent most of this week frantically assembling the lineups for the two opening (Sun. & Mon. 11 am) Chicago Songwriters' Collective writers' rounds for Labor Day weekend's Fox Valley Folk Festival in far west suburban Geneva, IL. Sunday was a snap--filled the round (including yours truly) very quickly with people who were available only for Sunday morning; for Monday I'm playing with and for the ensemble of the Dulcimer Society of N. IL at the same time as the writers' rounds. Now, normally, I have to beat CSC member songwriters off with a stick--everyone wants a chance to play at a major festival, even if it's only three songs first thing in the morning (when the generators for the workshop stages may not yet even be fully-functioning). But this year, it was as if Labor Day had cooties! Everyone's either playing elsewhere (at the fest or not), out of town, seeing family, BBQ-ing, or injured. But I managed to cobble together a pretty good lineup for both days.

Brithael, we're still not sure if the dulcimer set Monday will be at 11 or noon--they're still juggling schedules. The festival's schedule (broken link removed: https://www.foxvalleyfolk.org) should be up by this coming Monday. I won't be listed by name--on Sun. look for "Chicago Songwriters' Collective" and on Mon. "Dulcimer Society of N. IL" or "DSNI." There's a remote chance if DSNI doesn't get to perform until 1pm Monday I will be playing with and emceeing the CSC rounds both mornings. And I promise to play a dulcimer song there! DSNI is about half mountain and half hammer-dulcimer players, with a guitar, flute and (this year) even a koto mixed in!

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

It's now 19.5 months since my RTKR and almost 8 months since my L. I can barely tell there's an implant in the R knee, but for the stiffness and clicking when descending stairs. As for the L, I'm still getting occasional burning in the quads just above the joint, with once-in-a-blue-moon very sharp "zaps" as neural pathways continue to reestablish themselves. I keep a cane (a hiking stick with shock absorbption and ice-ax-shaped handle, ca. my active early 1990s days) in my car just for emergencies. I still use trekking poles (a bit longer than X-C ski poles) for walking more than a block in snow, and remove the rubber tips for icy patches. (Lug-sole boots or all-weather hiking sneakers help too). And I've bid adios to my HC parking placard, since I couldn't in good conscience ask any of my doctors to certify I'm disabled; and except for using special parking spaces it's darn near useless--to avoid paying meters requires a special placard for which a doctor must certify you can't reach or operate a parking meter or pay box! Heck, last week was the second time I flew without a cane, walking long airport corridors and snagging coveted exit row seats. Just got back from the Folk Alliance conference in KC; the hotel was three blocks via covered walkway from the convention center, with erratic shuttle service. So I made the trek twice a day, carrying instruments. And I've been getting quite a bit of exercise sweeping and shoveling snow and chopping icy patches.

This brutal winter put the kibosh on recording, as downstate Sparta (where my engineer is) has had it just as bad as or worse than Chicago. I've gotten stuck in my alley four times now--and my husband, whose car has AWD, has gotten stuck twice. Snow tires? For my car's wheel size, they'd have to be special-ordered (arriving in April). We're even running out of rock salt--had to resort to cat litter and even coffee grounds for traction.

Have had a setback, but not me: on Thursday, the most senior (18+ yrs) of our three cats, Matthew, suffered a cervical spinal embolic stroke. He has weakness in all four limbs but especially his right side--the right front paw is the most seriously compromised. We brought him home today after two days in-hospital, and the regimen of physical therapy is challenging. He is in no pain and has all his kitty marbles--he keeps trying to stand and walk and is frustrated that his body won't do what it always used to. He's been in chronic renal failure since June 2012, and our son Gordy faithfully subcutaneously hydrates him bi-daily; he also had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a slight murmur (since 2003). So one of those probably caused the stroke, and it is more than remotely possible he might have another. But he is making good progress since Thursday, has a great appetite, and still loves to interact. We have to keep him caged when not holding him to prevent him from trying to climb furniture and of course falling, and keep his younger and more robust siblings from trying to play-fight with him. It is turning our schedules upside down, but we'll find a way to cope. As we're going to Paris for a week at the end of the month, one of Gordy's friends will stay over to help care for him when our housekeeper (whose husband has cancer and CHF) goes home each day and on weekends.

So say a prayer for Matthew Catthew. Only wish they had rehab centers for kitties--"Cathletico," perhaps?

 

[bottomshollow]

Wonderful update, Sandy! Great to know that you're doing so well---these knees are a marvel. So sorry about Matthew---hope he continues to improve---should do well with all the love and attention your family is giving him. A trip to Paris---lucky you---and it gets you out of Chicago and the weather!

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[trailspud]

Diva,

I'm not on the forum much so it's nice to catch your latest update and hear of progress. Hope you can get back to recording soon. Old pets are quite dear so hope you can cherish the time.

 

[new knee in June]

@Dulcimer Diva
Hello Sandy,
What a wonderful up-date So happy you are doing well. This winter has been brutal
If possible I think it has been colder where you are I would like to give Matthew a &
Hope he gets better
Paris sounds wonderful, have a great time
Sincerely,
Diana

 

[patient 99]

I can barely tell there's an implant in the R knee

Hi Sandy, good post. I'm 12 mths post op and even at this late stage of the recovery game I've never been clear what my expectations of this new knee should be. To read that you can barely tell you have an implant in the R knee gives me more than an indication of what is possible. Can you recall at one point your knee got this good? I'm hoping you will say `just recently'. This will then leave me with hope. I can't get rid of my tight band feeling - and getting quite low as a result. Carol

 

[Lovestoread]

So good to see you post Sandy! Yes, our winter has been brutal, and I say this as a person who loves Chicago winters. The worst part for me is that we have to make up 4 days of school at the end of the year due to the weather. Once winter starts cutting into my summer (especially since I missed most of last summer when I had both knees done!) then I start complaining!

Sorry to hear about your kitty…hope he's doing better and that you won't have to worry so much while you'e gone on your fabulous trip! You'll be able to wander the streets of Gay Paree with nary a limp! Is this trip business or pleasure? Both?

I may be pestering you soon as my daughter will finally be able to move out of Park Ridge and into the city when her lease is up at the end of the month. Since she works in Evanston and wants to be near the Red Line, she said she was thinking of looking in the Edgewater neighborhood. If she finds something, I may message you with the address to see if you think the area is safe. That's my biggest worry, even though she is 29 years old. She does keep crazy hours and I don't want her living in a sketchy area. You like it there, right? Close to everything?

I know life gets busy, but sure hope to see you post here more often! Isn't it great to be at the stage where we pretty much forget we have had knee replacements??

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

Today makes just about 10 mos. since my LTKR. Definitely gave my knees quite a workout on my trip to Paris & Normandy (returned yesterday). Walking posed no problems (except for a nasty blister on my bunion). Stair climbing was also fine. But descent is tricky, even with a cane, especially with no rail or wall to grip. That was the only thing that kept me from ascending all the way up Mont St. Michel. Got about 2/3 of the way up (very steep narrow street and 179 stairs) before I realized that I needed to descend so slowly (both on the stairs and downhill) that I'd never have gotten back to our meeting point in time. Beautiful views from the terrace at the base of the abbey, though. Only thing I used my cane for was to steady myself (extended in front) as I descended, and for the shifting sands along the approaches to the D-Day landing beaches (Utah, Omaha, Pointe du Hoc). Alas, I couldn't descend into the bunkers at the latter because there were neither rails nor walls and I was afraid of losing my balance. But what I did see was pretty impressive.

I didn't get to take the Metro: any distance in Paris was either walkable (<1 mi) or required a taxi (and twice we decided to walk back nonetheless, about 2 mi.). The toughest thing, though, was the dreaded "movie sign." Because of an aircraft change from a 777 to a 767, our prized exit row seats morphed into knees-in-the-teeth regular economy both ways, 8 hrs. at a stretch except for trips to the loo. And I had to sit in the front seat of the van from Bayeux back to CDG Airport for 3 hrs, with my knees up against the dash. Getting into and out of the vans, especially third row seats, required both arm (gripping handles) and right leg strength. Fortunately, that R knee is strong and supple. But the L didn't take kindly to long sieges of being bent--the achy burning in the quad just above the knee plagued me. Still feeling stiffness in the L knee and both ankles (no swelling, though) a day after landing.

And since I didn't eschew croissants, that marvelous bread, Laduree macarons and pastries and a few pommes frites (though neither did I pig out), I gained a little weight...I think. Not stepping back on to the scale till I've been back to eating dead-animals-and-leaves for a few days and my sweaters feel a tad looser across my tummy. (Bought a bra at Galeries Lafayette--a Prima Donna in a style & color not sold in the U.S. or online--one cup size smaller than my last fitting, so I suspect the gain was no more than 3 lbs.).

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

Forgot to mention the trip was both business and pleasure. Normally, such trips are "CME," involving medical courses or conferences for my husband. This time, though, it was "CLE" for me (we have to report 30 hrs. of mandatory continuing ed. courses biennially in order to maintain our law licenses). In the mornings, we had lectures comparing the French and American judicial systems as well as differences in ethics and professional responsibility rules--and we were called on to answer, just as in law school; we also had a mock trial in which we were jurors and then after a coffee-and-croissant break, broke out into small groups to conduct arbitrations to try to resolve the case without going to trial. Two evenings, we had cocktail receptions hosted by Parisian law firms (one of which was headed by American expats); the third, we had dinner at Le Train Bleu (overlooking the tracks at Gare de Lyon) co-hosted by the Chicago and Paris Bar Assocs. Attendees included practicing and retired lawyers, professors and judges (trial and appellate) plus spouses and companions (including a retired Chicago Bears linebacker).

One good thing was that there are meds there you can buy OTC in the same strength that require Rxs Stateside, plus therapeutic-strength skin creams & serums, and at much lower prices than we pay here. So I stocked up on LaRoche-Posay skincare, Ventolin inhalers and Volataren gel. Also, pharmacists are licensed to offer advice on everyday medical matters that would require physicians in the U.S. (One reason universal health care is feasible over there--compensation to pharmacists and patients buying stuff OTC out-of-pocket is way cheaper than gov't paying doctors and providing prescription meds).

And upon return, we noticed that American food is way too salty, loaded with sugar, and in inadvisably larger portions. Even the Coca-Cola there is made with sugar (presumably beet) rather than HFCS. The croissants are only about 3" long and exquisitely crispy--here, they're bigger than your head, flabby and underbaked. One principle famed chef Thomas Keller (Per Se, French Laundry) maintains is the "three-bite rule:" first bite of anything impresses the palate, second bite confirms that, and third bite satisfies the desire for more. Anything further actually provides diminishing returns along with caloric excess. This has made it easier for me to return to my low-carb, natural food diet after the trip. (Next year in Barcelona will present the challenge of tapas, which tend to stealthily accumulate until your scale reveals the awful truth).

 

[trailspud]

@Dulcimer Diva
...sounds like a great trip...glad you are well, if not as well as you wish your knee to be. I'm in the mood for French cuisine now .

 

[Brithael]

Sandy - what a great trip. I did make it all the way up Mont St. Michel back in '92, but I was a whole lot younger then. In fact, I had just started feeling some of the arthritis twinges because I remember taking an anti-inflammatory my ortho dr. had given me when my knees ached from all the walking and so many sets of stairs at all the metros. Glad I did it then.

 

[Lovestoread]

Glad you had such a great trip Sandy! I was thinking about you and hoping the plane trip wouldn't be so bad. Sorry to hear it was so uncomfortable. One of my favorite parts of your story was the "coffee and croissant" break! How fun is that! I make myself a Keurig tea when I get to work at 6:30 and hope I get to drink it by 8:00. Maybe I should suggest croissants in the teacher's lounge!

By the way, my daughter's apartment in Edgewater fell through, but now she has one in Andersonville. She can still go to the places you told me about. (She admitted to already having gone to the Lickety Split!)