Grounded

 Forget the rosy recovery picture I painted on my last post.

On Monday night I wrenched my knee trying to get out of my recliner during the night. Then on Tuesday we removed the catheter in my thigh that I wanted to get rid of that was delivering local anesthesia and was done. Well, the pain level was now greatly increased again. Be careful what you wish for. My leg started to swell up more again.

On Wednesday, today as I type, I got my first shower - Yay! - and then we had my first post surgery appointment with my PT therapist. "I have never seen such a swollen leg," she said.

Yep. I knew that was coming. So now I am restricted to my recliner with my feet way up in the air, being free only five minutes an hour. Here I sit and ice, ice, ice, and eat and read and sleep and TRY to type on my lap top. So many typos to correct! I have until this Friday afternoon to get the swelling down, when I return to PT.

I have way too much time to read the newspaper and there is plenty to read about Trump's latest atrocities and his crazy band of cabinet brothers.

I got pretty cranky and impatient with the setback, poor Tom, so I am trying harder to be patient and accepting. This to will pass.

Sunshine in My Windows Makes me Happy

Sorry, John Denver, but I borrowed a bit from you, with a slight change. I'm not walking around outside yet to have the sunshine on my shoulders, but I'm getting there.

We have had many days of sunny weather, so much so that we are beginning to say we need rain, and snow in our mountains. It is with the mountain snow pack that we get hydro power, drinking water, and agricultural irrigation.  And the skiers want fresh snow.

Looks like we might get rain and snow by the end of the week, just about when I would be ready for  a walk outside. My recovery is going well. The pain is much less. Later today we will remove the nerve block catheter that is in my thigh, then remove the soft dressing that is over my knee and most of my leg, and then with only the waterproof dressing, I can take a shower!

Tom is wearing down a bit, so I will try to be less helpless and do more. I need to anyway. I have never been that good at sitting around.

Moving on, and grateful for Tom and a fairly easy recovery so far. 

Recovering and Re-habing Are Hard

Hi. I had knee replacement surgery yesterday - Friday. The surgery was at 7:30 in the morning at Swedish Orthopedic Center in Seattle. I was moved from recovery at 11:00. I was home by 2:00.

Now I am trying to establish a routine of icing and elevating, walking and PT exercise, and resting. Because I have problems with anesthesia I had a spinal block and because I have similar trouble with opioids, I am trying not to use  oxycodone. I have a nerve block catheter in my leg and have to wear a little "purse" with a tube that delivers the solution to the catheter in my thigh. That will last for four or five days. All of this is supposed to be in conjunction with a pain regimen that relies on oxy though, and since so far I have only taken one oxy pill, I have pain when I move around. I think I can tough it out. At least my gut isn't cramping.

Probably more that you need to know.

This is only the second day so we have more hurdles to overcome, but Tom and I are a team and we'll get through it.

 

 

A New Venue and an New Government

 

On Sunday I chose a different venue for our walk. It's just a few miles for our house but we haven't been there for quite a while. I needed a change.

The sky was so blue and the air was crisp. The river was full and flowing. The walk was smooth and easy for our out and back 1.20 miles. 

Colors are subtle in the wintertime, but they are there in the leafless riverbank bushes. 

It was a contrast to my Monday morning. Monday is one of my "long program" physical therapy days. Then it's housekeeping and laundry time. I listened to the radio while I exercised. I recorded the inauguration events on NBC TV. Tom had MSNBC on live in the kitchen. Between the various media I got the coverage. I worked and exercised and struggled and seethed. Everything was making me angry. I think Tom was ducking for cover.

We sat and watched Donald Trump's speech. I took notes. 

Now all media is off. It's quiet. I am calming down. 

I have a lot to say. I probably won't say any of it. But how in hell did we do this again? 

Old Friends and Companions

We attended a memorial service today for an old friend that I first met about 42 years ago when I first went back to work part time when my kids were then in school full time, in about the 4th and 2nd grades.  Sue Horton was a third grade teacher and I was assigned to her classroom as an aide for a charming little boy with a learning disability. 

Sue and I bonded, and as I went on to other  positions in my continuing career as an educator, we reconnected various times in various places, and renewed our friendship in retirement years. 

Our connection was through school, but today I learned more about other aspects of her full life of almost 90 years, and I met her lovely and loving family of grandchildren and great grandchildren and nieces and nephews of several generations. It was a sweet farewell to a loving and well loved friend.

Of course there were others there that I had worked with over the years and over a generous luncheon  we had a good visit relating stories from the past.

Although these were my people Tom went with me. Over the years many of my people have become his people too, and vice versa. After we got home we changed into our walking clothes and went over to the neighborhood park for a walk.

The sky was hazy but clear. After our first light frost over night the air was crisp and calm.

Dogs and their people were visiting in the dog park. 

We greeted other walkers who were out enjoying the increasing daylight of a mid-January Saturday afternoon. 

I was enjoying the company of my companion, my dear husband of almost 56 years, who I have come to cherish even more as I am facing yet another surgery, knowing that as my caretaker he will once again be there to help me through another recovery.

As a few lawn daisies begin to emerge and brave the cold, so we will brave this next challenge, together. 

Popping Up

Sitting here in my recliner for what is supposed to be my down time, things keep popping up in my email. It's documents that I need to auto sign, and since we figured how to do that on some we got this morning, we can now breeze right through the process.

Yesterday we met with our financial advisors to catch up and agree to a few changes in our portfolio, hence the documents that needed signing. We are now assured that we can afford to get old. :-)

This morning we had our regular Zoom meet up, and then I spent the rest of the morning reminiscing through old blog posts in my archives. One of our garden members is compiling a list of places the club visited over the years, and I had posts from 2014 and 2015, but of course I got lost in memories of gardens and travels and beautiful photos. Oh my!

Things continue to pop up in our garden also, like the earliest Hellebore and snowdrops!

We got in our walk this afternoon, 1.22 miles today, not bad for an old woman wearing a knee brace and using a cane/walking stick, and scheduled for knee surgery next week. 

Gotta' keep moving.

And now it's time for me to pop up and start dinner. 

Mild January

 My new header picture was taken several years ago when we were having ice and snow in January. So far we have not even had a real frost in our garden. There's plenty of time for that though.

Saturday we were hosted for brunch by my cousin Kris and her partner Charlie in their home in Ballard. Charlie cooked, we all ate yummy French toast, and we all talked and talked.

Then we walked. We visited the nearby Ship Canal Locks and Garden. I may have mentioned that there is almost always something blooming here in our moderate climate, even in mid January.

Cousin Kris, Tom and I

The air was heady witht the scent of Sarcococca blooming near the entry gate.

Early Camellias

Edgeworthia just coming into bloom. It has a wonderful fragrance too, and blooms on bare branches. 

Roses and hardy fuchsias are persistant, at least until a hard freeze.

Hellebores are coming into bloom. 

The buds on Pieris japonica are ready.

This early Viburnum is also fragrant.

Silk tassel tree is not showy, but interesting. 

Now it's Sunday and I have been waiting for the sun to break through the clouds. Now it's noon, and still gray, but it's dry and time to get out for a wallk.

See you later. 

Pre- and Post-

It has been a busy time since I last posted. That was Friday, Jan. 3rd. After breakfast out and then grocery shopping, I had a haircut appointment that day. On Thursday we had both had dentist appointments. 

On Saturday we spent all afternoon visiting with our friend Jeanne, who is now in assisted living. We took our 97 year old friend Dede with us. It is difficult for both of them to get around so they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

On Sunday I started putting some Christmas stuff away, then watched the Seahawks while a made a big pot of beef stew. 

I was very glad to have that stew feed us this week so far. On Monday I had a pre-op physical exam with my primary care doc in the morning and then with my podiatrist in the afternoon to have my ingrown toe nails dug out again, always a treat. :-( In between the comings and goings I got more Christmas decorations packed up. 

On  Tuesday I had an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. Knee replacement is scheduled for January 24th. He was running very late, so, with having to wait for post op meds to be filled, a 15 minute appointment took all morning. 

In the afternoon we took down the Christmas tree and packed up all the ornaments. 

I was glad there was stew again for dinner. 

Today, Wednesday, Jan 8th, I had a phone wisit with the intake nurse at Swedish Orthopedic Center, got information for pre and post op do's, don'ts, and proceedures. Then I watched a video of the Swedish Joint Journey Seminar. I think I know everything I need to know now about my surgery. 

For exercise we packed up all of the Santa collection.

Goodbye!

Now Christmas is all put away inside and the pottery collection is back on the shelves. 

We still have lights up outside though. That will get done when our "help" comes. That would be Jake and Isaac. Post-Christmas continues. 

But today is Isaac's 22 birthday and we are due soon to meet up with the family for his birthday dinner out.

Tomorrow is unscheduled. And I think there might still be enough stew left over for one more dinner. Yay. I plan to rest a bit, and maybe go for a walk. We are enjoying a break in the rain. 

Rain Drops On Roses...

 ...and everything else.

Today was a very dark and dreary day here in the Seattle area. Heavy rain most of the day left rain drops and puddles everywhere. 

The Christmas lights are still up, with an added sparkle, and now that it's after 4:00 it's time to turn them on to chase away some of the darkness. 

It's good puddle stomping weather, but at a high of 45 degrees, being wet would not be fun. 

Outside the Sarcococca is starting to bloom, but for now we'll have to enjoy the delicious vanilla scent wafting from the sprigs in the bouquet in the downstairs bathroom.

Yes, the Christmas decorations are still up inside too. Only the travel tree is put away. We'll get a little more done this weekend. But with lots of appointments and a few social engagements, it will be Epiphany and then some before Christmas is all put away here. 

No hurry. That's my New Years resolution: stop with the time constraints. For some things being on time is important, but for most things, time limits are self set and arbitrary. Give myself a break!

And so now dinner might be a little bit later than normal. Oh well.

Oh. I see some light coming through under the clouds as the day is fading. Maybe there will be a break in the rain tomorrow. Or not.

Hope your New Year is being kind to you.