Thursday, October 31, 2019

Boo (Hoo Hoo)


First, the BOO, a little spooky story for Halloween.

    It wasn’t a dark and stormy night; it was a foggy, gray, wet morning with trees dripping humid condensation outside the window.  As is my morning habit, I unfurled my yoga mat in the den and soon was happily lost in some New Age-y music, off into the inner yoga-sphere.  I was alone in the room and had done only a few stretches when out of the blue the glider rocker next to my head started to rock back and forth.  With gusto!
  For a second I credited the cat or the dog with setting it in motion but when I sat up to look for them, I could see them both ... 30 feet away at the far end of the living room, napping.  The Writer was taking a shower even farther away in the house; I could hear the water running.   
  Nevertheless, the chair seemed to go on and on, rocking energetically ... back and forth, back and forth, for half a minute.  What had set it in motion? 

  That’s my spooky Halloween story and no, we still don’t know what started the rocking chair rocking!  

Part II, The BOO HOO HOO
  During the past 18 months I have had physical therapy two and three times a week for a total of eight months for pain in my knee.  Xrays showed severe arthritis and damage to my knee joint.  Each PT round helped but only for a few weeks and then— back to painful walking and limping. 
  On our recent trip to the mountains, I found myself unsteady and unconfident on rough trails and it was a little frightening.  I’d take a step and not quite know if my knee was going to hold me or not.  The lopsided gait began to cause pain in my back and opposite hip and I admitted it: the time has come for  (cue the drums 🎶🎵🎶)  KNEE REPLACEMENT SUR-
GERY!  
  I of course am dreading it, not the surgery so much as the recovery.  The date is December 9th and by spring I hope I can hike and camp and travel and even do things I haven’t been able to for a couple years.  
  If you’ve had a knee replacement and want to offer encouragement, please do.  (No horror stories though, please!) 

  Meanwhile, 
      HAPPY  HALLOWEEN!


(Neither of the photos are mine and I don’t know to whom credit should be given.)

11 comments:

  1. Somehow all your kind and thoughtful comments were deleted as I was responding to them. Please know I read and appreciated them all!

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  2. This happens to me all the time! You are in my prayers for the surgery! I have heard really great things from friends that have recently gone through it. My aunt as well, hers went fabulous and after therapy and rehab she "can move like a youngster"! HUGS

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  3. It will go well as I speak from two successful ones 20 year apart. And the back pain, hip etc will disappear as well, once the leg etc, is working and back in "balance"...!

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  4. Dear Cynthia, I had right knee total replacement at age 74 back in 2010. It was absolutely successful. I've had no trouble with that knee since. Now, I'm scheduled for left knee total replacement on Monday, November 18. The same surgeon will do it and so I trust that all shall be well.

    As to the recuperation: I suspect you will have no difficulties because for months you've been doing therapy and basically it will be the same stretches and machines. For me the plan is 2 weeks of therapy at home. A visiting nurse will come for 6 visits during that time and will cheer me on! Then for four weeks, I will call for therapy to the hospital re-hab for 3 times a week. My insurance (Medicare) will cover those 12 appointments. I did all that nine years ago with the right leg and all went, as the English say, "swimmingly!!!!!!" I'm older now and so things might take more time, but please do know that you will feel so much more confident in all your walking and hiking and simply getting up from the couch. Living within pain will be a great gift that comes with this surgery. Be of good heart. Peace.

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  5. All the best for your surgery Cynthia and may the re-hab phase go brilliantly so you’ll be back to an active life without pain. Lots of hugs!

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  6. You will be like a new woman with a new knee! I have a friend who had both knees done at once, she recovered in a Nursing Home and went home after a week and is walking great with no pain. She found a doctor that would do both knees at once...another friend did the same thing but with each of his knees one at a time...and he walks great too! I wish My Dad would have had both his knees done when he was 70...now at 93 he is really suffering:(

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  7. I've had both replaced , separately, and they are still fine years later.... but only ( I feel) because someone told me to do everything the therapists tell you to do!! All the exercises !! All of them!! We did rent a machine that raises and lowers the leg and bends the knee... and I used that faithfully as soon as I returned home. It was a big help!! Good luck !!

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  8. I'm still limping along on a knee I injured in high school. I have babied that knee for three/fourths of my life. I don't think I will have to have surgery but forget all day shopping trips or running up and down stairs. We have such great knowledge about knee surgery these days that it should be as easy as it can be. I had two cataracts surgery this summer and I was scared beyond belief. My eyes are amazing now. I'm sure your surgery and recovery will go as great as mine.

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  9. I have had both redone. One thing that I found helped tremendously was this ... if you have steps. Place your replaced knee leg up on a step with your other foot on the floor and rock back and forth. As you gain flexibility, move your leg up another step so you get more movement. Good luck.

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