on 12/11/04 1:03 AM, "Deanna" <warpehoski@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> I forgot you were have surgery, I'm so sorry that I missed it. I hope
> everything went well and you are well on your way to recovery. Give us an
> update please!
No problem, Deanna. I wasn't reading anything on the computer except the
e-mails from school. And I was doing that standing up.
I had surgery on Nov. 18. They did a total knee replacement. I was on the
"machine" immediately after surgery and in physical therapy the next day. I
was in the hospital for 6 days - I went into a deep depression that they
called "post-anesthetic depression" and didn't want to go home. I knew that
I was going to be there by myself all day and I just couldn't imagine
coping. But after visiting with the hospital counselor and agreeing to meet
with my own doctor as soon as I got home, I did go home and felt OK about
it. Dick has been very, very good to me - fixing all meals and doing all
laundry. He has been coming home at noon to make sure I get fed - sometimes
bringing meals from the local tiny restaurant with delicious meals.
I've been using the walker since surgery. Have to use it for at least one
more week. Then I go back to the cane. I've had physical therapy at home
since they considered me homebound because I couldn't drive and Dick was
working. Next Tuesday is my last day of that though. Then I have to find a
way to get to the Outreach Clinic behind my house without driving or walking
across the empty lot. Guess I'll have to depend on friends. Oh, how I love
that!
Actually, I'm doing MUCH better than the pt's in Tracy thought I would be
doing. They didn't think my shoulder would be able to deal with the walker
since I had just had surgery on that in June and it swelled up really good.
They expected my knee to do the same. In fact, they expected me to go to a
"swing bed" in the hospital for 2 weeks where I would get necessary care,
but I wouldn't get "sick person" care. But now, I've got a 99º bend in my
knee, which is good. And the straight leg is at about 177º. That one they
want at 180º, but they said that most people don't get there. I'm still
going to have to lift weights and do exercises to build back my muscles and
tendons that were cut during surgery. Don't know how long that will take.
I had originally planned to go back to school right after Christmas break,
but since I'm starting a new med on Jan. 3 and the semester ends on Jan.
14th, and that is still within my 8 weeks allowed by my doctor, I'm going to
wait until then to go back. (If you made it this far, good for you. Sorry
for all of the boring details.)
I'm doing any shopping that I had left to do either via my sister or via the
internet. I haven't started that yet, Dana, but I will use your site to do
that. It is an interesting year.
Thanks for asking.
Sheila
MN Grandma to 4: Cadence (too smart for her britches at 3 1/2) & Bridge (9
months and all boy), Hope T-18 (Nov. 1,2001) and Ali (3 months and a
"cutie"). Mom to Cheryl (& Denny) & Wade (& Charity), AND wife to
Richard!!!
Swedish Proverb: Those who wish to sing always find a song.
Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
www.trisomyonline.org
Families Helping Families On-line