Well, after six days, I'm still pain free (except for mild fibro pain). Last night at the party I was walking around the Clubhouse with no pain at all having a great time with my 14 grandchildren,am my one adopted grandchild, Naomi, and my three children, and another "adopted" child, Tamara. I had a young lady (another of Tamara's children) take pictures. She has taken such beautiful pictures for her BLOG that I thought, it would be a good idea to get her to take the pictures of the party. I will post them when I get them back.
Back to "adopted". I put the "adopted" in quotes and don't want any of my friends or non-friends to get miffed because my husband and I have 'adopted" Tamara and Naomi. By "adopted" I mean have brought them into our family and I love them both so very much.
Five years ago when my knees were so bad and after a couple of mild strokes we decided I needed help around the home and for shopping at Krogers. My bff Nancy recommended Tamara and she's been my personal assistant, friend, shoulder to cry on, daughter,personal shopper, and so on for four whole years plus. It has been a wonderful relationship for both myself and Alan. She is not only a friend, but a daughter ("adopted") to us.
But this BLOG is about getting older and coping with it. Well, last night at the party I coped very well. My husband and others were praying that my health would be well and it was. And today is another day of waking up with no pain and walking with no help or noise from my mouth because of the pain. I'm so glad.
I really am so thankful to my Lord for the respite from pain and we're believing that the pain will be gone for a long, long time.
ttfn
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The end of the year review
This has been a year of change for me. Since the purpose of this BLOG was to describe getting old and dealing with it, I'm going to review all the elderly changes that occurred this year.
First, I finally, after over 15 years of severe knee pain, decided to go under the knife and get my knees -- both of them -- replace, totally. Why, I ask myself, didn't I do that sooner? I now have no pain in either knee and walking is like walking on air, seriously.
There has been one hitch, however. After my second surgery, the sciatic nerve -- on both sides, started giving me a terrible time and until recently I have been unable to walk hardly at all, which has been a real bummer since the purpose of getting new knees was so I could walk again.
I still have days when I cannot walk at all. Take this past Sunday for instance. I was all ready to go to church, starting toward our in-house elevator to go down to the garage, and BAM! I was hit was a pain in the back of the legs (sciatic) that nearly knocked me down. Then by afternoon I was walking again, and by evening I was not walking or bending or reaching. Wierd? No, for me, that's been the norm since April.
The fibromyalgia problems have been few, but when I have an "incident" -- I don't know what else to call the pain -- it hits hard and fast and usually clears up in a day. My dear cousin, Joan, who hasn't hit elderly yet, has helped me trememdously to deal with this disease.
God has been very good to Alan. He is walking and enjoying some of the things he had forgotten, I think. He wants a dog. He wants to walk HIS dog. I sort of want a dog, but I know I can't take care of it at all since I still can't bend over very often, so picking up dog poop would not be a possibility for me.
I really have to say that God has been very faithful to me as well. Lately, my dear husband has taken to praying for me when I am in pain. It works. The pain is relieved for hours and now days. Sciatic pain meds are reduced, and I'm not so loopy as when I take pills for everything that's wrong with me.
SO, what is wrong with me now that I'm going to be 70 in 2013? Not too much. It could be worse.
I have normal blood pressure, kept there by that tiny pink pill; no cholesterol problems; weight is down about 40 pounds; the knees work great and I'm climbing and descending much better than I have since the day my son was married (the last time I recall running, or moving quickly, up and down steps); my heart seems to be fine; I have infrequent panic attacks; I droop like I should in all the places we elder people droop; my hair fell out twice due to the epidurals I had this last year and has come back in nice and full and straight; and fibromyalgia, kept under control most of the time. That's about it. Not bad, eh?
I wonder if I'll live another decade. I am sure where I'll be when I die so there is no fear to the end of this life. And I have to admit on the pain-filled days I want to be gone and not have to put up with pain any more, but as the Apostle Paul was known to have an affliction, I, too, have an affliction, and my pain is not as bad as some others I know, so I bear it and move on.
I hear the wind rising and the lights across the street are fading -- the blizzard has arrived. I shall be ensconsed in my home with my cocoa and later on some soup. It's that kind of day.
I say to you all, ttfn.
First, I finally, after over 15 years of severe knee pain, decided to go under the knife and get my knees -- both of them -- replace, totally. Why, I ask myself, didn't I do that sooner? I now have no pain in either knee and walking is like walking on air, seriously.
There has been one hitch, however. After my second surgery, the sciatic nerve -- on both sides, started giving me a terrible time and until recently I have been unable to walk hardly at all, which has been a real bummer since the purpose of getting new knees was so I could walk again.
I still have days when I cannot walk at all. Take this past Sunday for instance. I was all ready to go to church, starting toward our in-house elevator to go down to the garage, and BAM! I was hit was a pain in the back of the legs (sciatic) that nearly knocked me down. Then by afternoon I was walking again, and by evening I was not walking or bending or reaching. Wierd? No, for me, that's been the norm since April.
The fibromyalgia problems have been few, but when I have an "incident" -- I don't know what else to call the pain -- it hits hard and fast and usually clears up in a day. My dear cousin, Joan, who hasn't hit elderly yet, has helped me trememdously to deal with this disease.
God has been very good to Alan. He is walking and enjoying some of the things he had forgotten, I think. He wants a dog. He wants to walk HIS dog. I sort of want a dog, but I know I can't take care of it at all since I still can't bend over very often, so picking up dog poop would not be a possibility for me.
I really have to say that God has been very faithful to me as well. Lately, my dear husband has taken to praying for me when I am in pain. It works. The pain is relieved for hours and now days. Sciatic pain meds are reduced, and I'm not so loopy as when I take pills for everything that's wrong with me.
SO, what is wrong with me now that I'm going to be 70 in 2013? Not too much. It could be worse.
I have normal blood pressure, kept there by that tiny pink pill; no cholesterol problems; weight is down about 40 pounds; the knees work great and I'm climbing and descending much better than I have since the day my son was married (the last time I recall running, or moving quickly, up and down steps); my heart seems to be fine; I have infrequent panic attacks; I droop like I should in all the places we elder people droop; my hair fell out twice due to the epidurals I had this last year and has come back in nice and full and straight; and fibromyalgia, kept under control most of the time. That's about it. Not bad, eh?
I wonder if I'll live another decade. I am sure where I'll be when I die so there is no fear to the end of this life. And I have to admit on the pain-filled days I want to be gone and not have to put up with pain any more, but as the Apostle Paul was known to have an affliction, I, too, have an affliction, and my pain is not as bad as some others I know, so I bear it and move on.
I hear the wind rising and the lights across the street are fading -- the blizzard has arrived. I shall be ensconsed in my home with my cocoa and later on some soup. It's that kind of day.
I say to you all, ttfn.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thanksgiving
I was going to do a Thanksgiving, then and now, BLOG, but decided there are enough Thanksgiving "then" past postings in Runnemede Remembered that I would just opine in my "Fat Lady" BLOG. First, I want to begin with a short statement, "The Fat Lady is getting thinner, not much, but some."
Now, to Thanksgiving present.
I'm sorry, but this might not be so "happy" as in "Happy Thanksgiving" but nor have the past 10 or so Thanksgivings.
When I realized about 10 years ago that family Thanksgivings were a thing of the past in my husband's and my life, we tried to take a vacation during that week. We even went on a Thanksgiving cruise. The turkey option at dinner was not very good, I'm afraid. So even that Thanksgiving was sort of blah. The other years we've not been enjoying a meal with friends and family, and that is not of our choice. We've just not been invited to participate.
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for us. I've felt sorry enough for us except for the vacation years when there was something other than Thanksgiving to occupy my mind.
I have to insert here that my DIL has invited us to dinner on Thanksgiving on several occasions, but we have been away during those years, and my daughter has invited us to join her and her husband's family, but I really haven't feel comfortable imposing on their Thanksgiving.
This year, a friend who was to be alone on Thanksgiving as were Alan and I, was invited to shared Thanksgiving with us. I made a turkey dinner with almost all the trimmings. I didn't make mashed potatoes, but I did make mashed sweet potatoes -- a dish with contains sweet potatoes, maple syrup, butter, and spices.
I worked for a week slowly and did what I could each day in the approximately four hours of relatively pain free time my body permits, and got it all accomplished. On the actual DAY I only had to prepare and stuff the turkey, and warm up a few cassarole dishes, and we were set to go. One thing though, I forgot to salt (or season as the TV chefs call it) the turkey.
Let me tell you, an unseasoned bird isn't very good. However, the gravy was well seasoned and that helped some. The left over turkey was saturated with leftover gravy, which I didn't thicken too much so it didn't congeal.
My friend, Alan, and I had a blessed time. The food really was good. And by 4:00 p.m. after our friend left, Alan and I were snoring away, and I didn't get up until the next morning.
I find I'm still sleeping a lot even though my knee surgeries were almost a year ago. I wonder if maybe the long sleeping times aren't because I'm getting older, and we older folks need more sleep, like babies. We start out sleeping a long time, then when we're teenagers we sleep a lot, in our twenties through our forties we sleep little, then we gradually add sleep to our daily routine until we are in our dotage at which time, we nod off as soon as we sit in a comfortable chair.
I hope you all had a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving. I know we did.
ttfn
Now, to Thanksgiving present.
I'm sorry, but this might not be so "happy" as in "Happy Thanksgiving" but nor have the past 10 or so Thanksgivings.
When I realized about 10 years ago that family Thanksgivings were a thing of the past in my husband's and my life, we tried to take a vacation during that week. We even went on a Thanksgiving cruise. The turkey option at dinner was not very good, I'm afraid. So even that Thanksgiving was sort of blah. The other years we've not been enjoying a meal with friends and family, and that is not of our choice. We've just not been invited to participate.
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for us. I've felt sorry enough for us except for the vacation years when there was something other than Thanksgiving to occupy my mind.
I have to insert here that my DIL has invited us to dinner on Thanksgiving on several occasions, but we have been away during those years, and my daughter has invited us to join her and her husband's family, but I really haven't feel comfortable imposing on their Thanksgiving.
This year, a friend who was to be alone on Thanksgiving as were Alan and I, was invited to shared Thanksgiving with us. I made a turkey dinner with almost all the trimmings. I didn't make mashed potatoes, but I did make mashed sweet potatoes -- a dish with contains sweet potatoes, maple syrup, butter, and spices.
I worked for a week slowly and did what I could each day in the approximately four hours of relatively pain free time my body permits, and got it all accomplished. On the actual DAY I only had to prepare and stuff the turkey, and warm up a few cassarole dishes, and we were set to go. One thing though, I forgot to salt (or season as the TV chefs call it) the turkey.
Let me tell you, an unseasoned bird isn't very good. However, the gravy was well seasoned and that helped some. The left over turkey was saturated with leftover gravy, which I didn't thicken too much so it didn't congeal.
My friend, Alan, and I had a blessed time. The food really was good. And by 4:00 p.m. after our friend left, Alan and I were snoring away, and I didn't get up until the next morning.
I find I'm still sleeping a lot even though my knee surgeries were almost a year ago. I wonder if maybe the long sleeping times aren't because I'm getting older, and we older folks need more sleep, like babies. We start out sleeping a long time, then when we're teenagers we sleep a lot, in our twenties through our forties we sleep little, then we gradually add sleep to our daily routine until we are in our dotage at which time, we nod off as soon as we sit in a comfortable chair.
I hope you all had a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving. I know we did.
ttfn
Thursday, November 1, 2012
On the road again
Alan and I have had a wonderful time at Tybee Island, GA. The weather, even when Sandy was churning up the coast was still not bad. The waves were magnificent, but we had no rain, just lots of wind. I guess SHE was saving up the rain/snow for the northern coast.
I remember the 1962 storm which took out whole towns along the Jersey coast. The current governor is too young to remember that event, and the POTUS was just a toddler. The devastation along the coast is reminiscent of that '62 storm. It's not unusual for Jersey to get one or two of those kinds of storms in a century.
When I was a little over a year old I do remember a hurricane (1944) and daddy got out kerosene lamps and a small kerosene heater and we sat in the kitchen with the gas oven on for heat as well as the kerosene heater. I really do remember sitting in the kitchen and all of a sudden, "THUMP". A tree went down, but missed the house. Then right on the heals of "THUMP" number one, we heard another "THUMP". Tree number two went down. That was all we had to lose in the back yard. Fortunately the wind was blowing away from the house, church, and garage. That year the Jersey coast was destroyed also.
But, once again, I digress.
Yes, Alan and I are on the road again. Our last trip for the year. We'll be home in a couple of days, and my daughter will have to return to her home. I hope she's had a blessed time in the condo.
I want to get a time share down here. They are going for $905 dollars. Can you imagine? 25 years ago they cost around $10,000. But Alan says, "No thanks."
I thought I was dead for a couple of days earlier this week. I had absolutely no pain whatsoever in my legs or arms or shoulders or neck or anywhere on my body. But after four days of pain-freeness I was knocked to the ground again. I'm coming out of it now, I think. I have been exercising like mad to ward off the charlie-horses that are common to me because of fibromyalgia. I was hoping I had found a formula to rid myself of the pain, but apparently I didn't. Well, at least I know I'm not dead yet because there will be no pain in heaven.
God was good to give me a few days of respite. I pray he will once again bless me with deliverance and freedom from the pain.
FYI, my knees are feeling great, no pain there. Now, I'm ready to get to today's morning exercises and stretching which seems to help some.
ttfn
I remember the 1962 storm which took out whole towns along the Jersey coast. The current governor is too young to remember that event, and the POTUS was just a toddler. The devastation along the coast is reminiscent of that '62 storm. It's not unusual for Jersey to get one or two of those kinds of storms in a century.
When I was a little over a year old I do remember a hurricane (1944) and daddy got out kerosene lamps and a small kerosene heater and we sat in the kitchen with the gas oven on for heat as well as the kerosene heater. I really do remember sitting in the kitchen and all of a sudden, "THUMP". A tree went down, but missed the house. Then right on the heals of "THUMP" number one, we heard another "THUMP". Tree number two went down. That was all we had to lose in the back yard. Fortunately the wind was blowing away from the house, church, and garage. That year the Jersey coast was destroyed also.
But, once again, I digress.
Yes, Alan and I are on the road again. Our last trip for the year. We'll be home in a couple of days, and my daughter will have to return to her home. I hope she's had a blessed time in the condo.
I want to get a time share down here. They are going for $905 dollars. Can you imagine? 25 years ago they cost around $10,000. But Alan says, "No thanks."
I thought I was dead for a couple of days earlier this week. I had absolutely no pain whatsoever in my legs or arms or shoulders or neck or anywhere on my body. But after four days of pain-freeness I was knocked to the ground again. I'm coming out of it now, I think. I have been exercising like mad to ward off the charlie-horses that are common to me because of fibromyalgia. I was hoping I had found a formula to rid myself of the pain, but apparently I didn't. Well, at least I know I'm not dead yet because there will be no pain in heaven.
God was good to give me a few days of respite. I pray he will once again bless me with deliverance and freedom from the pain.
FYI, my knees are feeling great, no pain there. Now, I'm ready to get to today's morning exercises and stretching which seems to help some.
ttfn
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Back home again
I went down to Mt. Airy, NC, to visit my sister. I had a great time. I also had a difficult time. And, while I was gone, Alan stayed home, and boy did he have problems.
First, I knew the freezer was doing funny things when I left, but I went anyway. The ice-making machine was dripping and freezing as it dripped. I had problems with that ice-maker on my GE refrigerator for 10-1/2 years of the 11 years I owned the refrigerator. And I had service calls galore, and finally stopped getting it fixed. But this time...
The man from Hagedorn (our local small business folks who sell and fix kitchen appliances) came and looked at the refrigerator/freezer and said he could fix it, but it would cost over $400 to do so. Well, Alan decided and I agreed, that a new refrigerator was in order, and it would not be a GE. All my GE appliances have been duds. So, I ordered a Frigidaire refrigerator/freezer, side-by-side, counter deep -- it doesn't stick out from the counter -- and I accepted the floor model. I did this from NC by Internet and phone. The thing works and I'm so used to going into the freezer to get out some ice, that I still start to do that. This fridge does give me ice from the door, as well as water. And the appliance is four inches wider than my previous fridge.
Now, for the down side -- I suddenly realized that white appliances are not easy to purchase. Everything is stainless steel. I would have loved to get stainless, but my other appliances are white and I don't think they are going to need to be replaced for a long time -- at least I hope not. But I was able to get this refrigerator in white. The one I really wanted didn't come in white.
Also while I was in NC, the elevator, which was inoperable when I left, continued to be unusable. Poor Alan. He called someone to come out and fix it. They looked at the switch, declared that it was illegal (it passed the state inspection when we put it in with the "illegal" switch) and he wouldn't touch it. I think he didn't want to touch it. So Alan called the people from whom we purchased the elevator, not the people we were told to call if there was a problem, and they diagnosed it correctly over the phone. Now we have an elevator again.
Because our elevator was out of sorts, I had to use the steps several times. Going down wasn't too much of a problem, except that I was afraid I might fall, but going up? Well, I made it up as many times as I had to and then stayed put.
Now, I'm mobile again. My legs are working great. My back feels pretty good. I'm ready to go shopping -- which I did quite a bit of while in Mt. Airy. I loved the antique shops and spent some money in those stores.
The best thing is that I lost another two pounds, and I thought I had gained weight while I was at my sister's, because I ate a lot of food, but I guess all that walking around in antique stores and climbing Deb's back steps into the house, was beneficial for a person needing to lose weight.
ttfn
First, I knew the freezer was doing funny things when I left, but I went anyway. The ice-making machine was dripping and freezing as it dripped. I had problems with that ice-maker on my GE refrigerator for 10-1/2 years of the 11 years I owned the refrigerator. And I had service calls galore, and finally stopped getting it fixed. But this time...
The man from Hagedorn (our local small business folks who sell and fix kitchen appliances) came and looked at the refrigerator/freezer and said he could fix it, but it would cost over $400 to do so. Well, Alan decided and I agreed, that a new refrigerator was in order, and it would not be a GE. All my GE appliances have been duds. So, I ordered a Frigidaire refrigerator/freezer, side-by-side, counter deep -- it doesn't stick out from the counter -- and I accepted the floor model. I did this from NC by Internet and phone. The thing works and I'm so used to going into the freezer to get out some ice, that I still start to do that. This fridge does give me ice from the door, as well as water. And the appliance is four inches wider than my previous fridge.
Now, for the down side -- I suddenly realized that white appliances are not easy to purchase. Everything is stainless steel. I would have loved to get stainless, but my other appliances are white and I don't think they are going to need to be replaced for a long time -- at least I hope not. But I was able to get this refrigerator in white. The one I really wanted didn't come in white.
Also while I was in NC, the elevator, which was inoperable when I left, continued to be unusable. Poor Alan. He called someone to come out and fix it. They looked at the switch, declared that it was illegal (it passed the state inspection when we put it in with the "illegal" switch) and he wouldn't touch it. I think he didn't want to touch it. So Alan called the people from whom we purchased the elevator, not the people we were told to call if there was a problem, and they diagnosed it correctly over the phone. Now we have an elevator again.
Because our elevator was out of sorts, I had to use the steps several times. Going down wasn't too much of a problem, except that I was afraid I might fall, but going up? Well, I made it up as many times as I had to and then stayed put.
Now, I'm mobile again. My legs are working great. My back feels pretty good. I'm ready to go shopping -- which I did quite a bit of while in Mt. Airy. I loved the antique shops and spent some money in those stores.
The best thing is that I lost another two pounds, and I thought I had gained weight while I was at my sister's, because I ate a lot of food, but I guess all that walking around in antique stores and climbing Deb's back steps into the house, was beneficial for a person needing to lose weight.
ttfn
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Vacation's over
Well, posh. I had almost finished writing an epistle when I somehow deleted it. I though Blogspot had automatic backup. Aparently, it doesn't.
So, here goes again.
We are home from a three-week vacation to two western states -- Colorado and New Mexico. We have been to both states before. I had, however, forgotten how beautiful the Rocky Mountains were, or perhaps it was because the last time we were out there we came into Colorado from a different route.
We spent four days at YMCA of the Rockies which is in Estes Park, CO; one week in Pegosa Springs, CO; and four days in Albuquerque, NM. I enjoyed every place we visited, but I would love to live in Albuquerque. A couple of things would be drawbacks to that move: (1) Typing Albuquerque stymies me and I have to think of every letter and it slows me down; (2) my children all live within 50 miles of us and that makes for easy visits with grandchildren; and (3) I don't ever want to move, not ever again. It's too much work, hassle, and trouble.
So, we stay in Northern Kentucky and visit those places we find so interesting and enjoyable.
Since this BLOG is supposed to be about the difficulties we vertically challenged and mobility challeneged people have to endure, I will add only one thing. The worst part of the trip was still the pain in my sciatic nerve and it slowed me down for several days, two in Estes Park, and two in Pegosa Springs. It's didn't stop me in Albuquerque, though. There were no episodes while I was driving, which was for the entire trip and for as many as 12 of our 22 days.
The worst part of the trip was at the end of each driving day, unwinding to get out of the automobile, getting into a hotel room, and then just waiting for the pain to subside.
The best part was that we didn't have to visit any hospitals or doctors for the first time in 10 years. Isn't that a blessing? I think so.
ttfn
So, here goes again.
We are home from a three-week vacation to two western states -- Colorado and New Mexico. We have been to both states before. I had, however, forgotten how beautiful the Rocky Mountains were, or perhaps it was because the last time we were out there we came into Colorado from a different route.
We spent four days at YMCA of the Rockies which is in Estes Park, CO; one week in Pegosa Springs, CO; and four days in Albuquerque, NM. I enjoyed every place we visited, but I would love to live in Albuquerque. A couple of things would be drawbacks to that move: (1) Typing Albuquerque stymies me and I have to think of every letter and it slows me down; (2) my children all live within 50 miles of us and that makes for easy visits with grandchildren; and (3) I don't ever want to move, not ever again. It's too much work, hassle, and trouble.
So, we stay in Northern Kentucky and visit those places we find so interesting and enjoyable.
Since this BLOG is supposed to be about the difficulties we vertically challenged and mobility challeneged people have to endure, I will add only one thing. The worst part of the trip was still the pain in my sciatic nerve and it slowed me down for several days, two in Estes Park, and two in Pegosa Springs. It's didn't stop me in Albuquerque, though. There were no episodes while I was driving, which was for the entire trip and for as many as 12 of our 22 days.
The worst part of the trip was at the end of each driving day, unwinding to get out of the automobile, getting into a hotel room, and then just waiting for the pain to subside.
The best part was that we didn't have to visit any hospitals or doctors for the first time in 10 years. Isn't that a blessing? I think so.
ttfn
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Vacation -- part II
I say, part II, because I posted to Runnemede Remembered a tome about distant vacations.
Soon, Alan and I will be taking one of our 2012 vacations. We're going to head out west (again) and we're praying we won't encounter the awful health problems we encountered last time. As a reminder, Alan had shingles really bad, and we didn't even know what it was. Because it was so hot I thought it was prickly heat. Eventually, Alan decided to go to a hospital and get it looked at. He was given some meds to lower the pain he was suffering and we moved on to our next stop, where I wrenched my knee. I had been walking really well until I foolishly turned my body around 180 degrees, but left my knee in its original position. Then to make matters worse, Alan ended up in the hospital for a week after he collapsed twice at the Grand Canyon. After the second collapse we both consented to his being sent to a hospital. After two weeks with friends in Cody, WY, where Alan suffered quietly, we headed home.
This time we're hoping to visit Hannibal, MO; Estes Park, CO; Pagosa Springs, CO; Mesa Verde, CO; and Albuquerque, NM.
Again, I am so fortunate to have someone to take care of the condo while we're gone.
I might BLOG while we're on the road, but I probably won't. I hope because I can once again walk and, oh yes, climb stairs (with the aid of a railing), I won't have time to BLOG because I'll be too busy sight seeing.
ttfn
Soon, Alan and I will be taking one of our 2012 vacations. We're going to head out west (again) and we're praying we won't encounter the awful health problems we encountered last time. As a reminder, Alan had shingles really bad, and we didn't even know what it was. Because it was so hot I thought it was prickly heat. Eventually, Alan decided to go to a hospital and get it looked at. He was given some meds to lower the pain he was suffering and we moved on to our next stop, where I wrenched my knee. I had been walking really well until I foolishly turned my body around 180 degrees, but left my knee in its original position. Then to make matters worse, Alan ended up in the hospital for a week after he collapsed twice at the Grand Canyon. After the second collapse we both consented to his being sent to a hospital. After two weeks with friends in Cody, WY, where Alan suffered quietly, we headed home.
This time we're hoping to visit Hannibal, MO; Estes Park, CO; Pagosa Springs, CO; Mesa Verde, CO; and Albuquerque, NM.
Again, I am so fortunate to have someone to take care of the condo while we're gone.
I might BLOG while we're on the road, but I probably won't. I hope because I can once again walk and, oh yes, climb stairs (with the aid of a railing), I won't have time to BLOG because I'll be too busy sight seeing.
ttfn
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
I've been neglecting my BLOG duties
I do apologize. However, this is really a diary of my travels and travails through the 60s (age wise) into the 70s. I can't believe I'll be 70 next year. I don't feel that old (until I stand up, that is). In my mind, I think I'm 20. Young.
Lately I've been neglecting writing because frankly, I haven't been able to sit at my desk for any amount of time. I rarely even read my e-mails any more.
I have had such sciatica since the second knee was fixed that getting out of bed has been terrible.
My knees are fine and I still do physical therapy to keep them strong and get them stronger. My goal is to climb stairs. I practice every day, but I don't seem to be progressing very much.
I had another epidural in my back for sciatica and while I am down to a 5 on the 1-10 pain scale (I was at 8 or 9) I still hurt and doing any kind of bending, even when I don't think I'm bending is awful.
For instance, just reaching for the faucet in the kitchen, or trying to turn on the stove is terribly painful. I can't fill or empty the dishwasher. That little bit of bending makes me physically ill. So, I do what I can, which isn't much. I can fill the washing machine and wash the laundry, but emptying the wet laundry into the dryer is another story.
I can cook, mostly, since I have learned to put my cooking items on the upper shelves of the refrigerator and my pantry has been changed around to accommodate the sciatic pain.
My therapists are working on the sciatica and it does help some.
I can now walk if I get myself into a stiffened position after suffering through the standing up process, which is okay. I have been shoppinig a couple of times, but have not tried food shopping.
So, dear diary, that's where I am at this point in my recovery and frankly I'm quite proud since the knees don't hurt at all. In fact, I feel like I'm walking on air, which is a hoot, because I tend to float and then almost fall, mainly because I am slow in moving one leg after another and I think I'm moving the legs faster than I am. That's really hard to describe here.
Alan and I are going to be traveling to Colorado late in the summer and I hope I am able to walk and climb a little bit at least.
ttfn
Lately I've been neglecting writing because frankly, I haven't been able to sit at my desk for any amount of time. I rarely even read my e-mails any more.
I have had such sciatica since the second knee was fixed that getting out of bed has been terrible.
My knees are fine and I still do physical therapy to keep them strong and get them stronger. My goal is to climb stairs. I practice every day, but I don't seem to be progressing very much.
I had another epidural in my back for sciatica and while I am down to a 5 on the 1-10 pain scale (I was at 8 or 9) I still hurt and doing any kind of bending, even when I don't think I'm bending is awful.
For instance, just reaching for the faucet in the kitchen, or trying to turn on the stove is terribly painful. I can't fill or empty the dishwasher. That little bit of bending makes me physically ill. So, I do what I can, which isn't much. I can fill the washing machine and wash the laundry, but emptying the wet laundry into the dryer is another story.
I can cook, mostly, since I have learned to put my cooking items on the upper shelves of the refrigerator and my pantry has been changed around to accommodate the sciatic pain.
My therapists are working on the sciatica and it does help some.
I can now walk if I get myself into a stiffened position after suffering through the standing up process, which is okay. I have been shoppinig a couple of times, but have not tried food shopping.
So, dear diary, that's where I am at this point in my recovery and frankly I'm quite proud since the knees don't hurt at all. In fact, I feel like I'm walking on air, which is a hoot, because I tend to float and then almost fall, mainly because I am slow in moving one leg after another and I think I'm moving the legs faster than I am. That's really hard to describe here.
Alan and I are going to be traveling to Colorado late in the summer and I hope I am able to walk and climb a little bit at least.
ttfn
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
I'm back, I think
The past few weeks have been a time of rehab, exercise, and pain. The pain has been coming from my sciatic nerve, not from the new knees.
All the following information is true if I can push through the pain of the sciatic nerve.
I am loving my new knees. There is no pain whatsoever in them, not even during rehab. My biggest problem currently is balance and re-learning how to walk. When you can't walk properly or hardly at all for more than 10 years, your body doesn't react properly to what you did when you were in pain and over-compensating for that pain.
But now...well, if I could run, which won't happen, I would. I walked quite a bit this past weekend, more than I have since I got the two knees fixed. I felt it, too! I couldn't believe that my calves actually hurt from walking. How long has it been since that has happened? A very, very long time, and I have loved ever minute of that GOOD pain.
My knees will have ugly scars for the remainder of my life, but I don't care. I can walk, and I can with care go up steps, very slowly, and rarely. Curbs don't bother me, but stairs? I try to avoid them. I'm still not sure my legs will hold me up -- that old fear factor. The physical therapist is working on my fears. At least walking is no longer one of them.
So, now I am able to cook again, do some cleaning (I still need my friend to do the deep, down dirty stuff). I can't bend very well because of the nerve problem, which means I can't retrieve things from the refrigerator unless they are at chest level or above. I'm still not up for doing grocery shopping, and frankly, I may never want to do that ever again. Four years of having a personal shopper is going to be hard to get rid of.
I had received a packet from the doctor before I had surgery and was warned that this (bending) might be a problem and to put anything I needed to get in the kitchen or bathroom at chest high level. Reaching up high is not a problem, just bending. The therapist is working on this also.
I hope and pray I'll be very mobile by the time we go out to Colorado for Alan's high school get together. Yes, he and other grown-up MKs from RVA are getting together for a reunion at the end of summer.
One more thing in this blurb -- as a result of all this medical stuff, I've lost 30 pounds, can you believe that?
ttfn
All the following information is true if I can push through the pain of the sciatic nerve.
I am loving my new knees. There is no pain whatsoever in them, not even during rehab. My biggest problem currently is balance and re-learning how to walk. When you can't walk properly or hardly at all for more than 10 years, your body doesn't react properly to what you did when you were in pain and over-compensating for that pain.
But now...well, if I could run, which won't happen, I would. I walked quite a bit this past weekend, more than I have since I got the two knees fixed. I felt it, too! I couldn't believe that my calves actually hurt from walking. How long has it been since that has happened? A very, very long time, and I have loved ever minute of that GOOD pain.
My knees will have ugly scars for the remainder of my life, but I don't care. I can walk, and I can with care go up steps, very slowly, and rarely. Curbs don't bother me, but stairs? I try to avoid them. I'm still not sure my legs will hold me up -- that old fear factor. The physical therapist is working on my fears. At least walking is no longer one of them.
So, now I am able to cook again, do some cleaning (I still need my friend to do the deep, down dirty stuff). I can't bend very well because of the nerve problem, which means I can't retrieve things from the refrigerator unless they are at chest level or above. I'm still not up for doing grocery shopping, and frankly, I may never want to do that ever again. Four years of having a personal shopper is going to be hard to get rid of.
I had received a packet from the doctor before I had surgery and was warned that this (bending) might be a problem and to put anything I needed to get in the kitchen or bathroom at chest high level. Reaching up high is not a problem, just bending. The therapist is working on this also.
I hope and pray I'll be very mobile by the time we go out to Colorado for Alan's high school get together. Yes, he and other grown-up MKs from RVA are getting together for a reunion at the end of summer.
One more thing in this blurb -- as a result of all this medical stuff, I've lost 30 pounds, can you believe that?
ttfn
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
It's been a while
I haven't been on-line for ages. I look at my computer in the morning and say to myself, "Later." Later comes along and I look at my computer and I say, "First thing tomorrow." Well, tomorrow was a few weeks ago.
I have been healing amazingly well. My right leg wants to walk faster than my "ill" left leg, so I tend to trip myself up if I walk unaided, which I do all the time around the house. I still have bad sciatica, but I guess I'll have that the rest of my life. I do exercises which seem to help, so does icing (that's where you put an ice pack on your back, not where you slather your body with sugar and cream).
My next surgery is coming up really fast. Thursday, I go into the hospital for pre-surgery testing. I have already been to my primary care physician and got my pre-op physical, and she will have a finaasl say when she gets the results of my blood and urine tests.
I'm really excited to get it over with. I hope the left leg heals as well as, if not better than, the right leg did. I've been exercising the left leg to get those muscles strong and hopefully that will help with the leg lifts I must complete before I'm permitted to leave rehab.
I've decided to go to the same place as I went to last time for rehab. The draw of going to a place closer to home was strong, but I know what to expect in the place I used last time, and I really don't care if I don't get visitors every day. Frankly, while I love seeing my daughter(s), grandchildren, husband, and friends, it can get tiresome. I don't intend that statement to put off friends and relatives from visiting me, I did enjoy the visits I received last time, I'm just sayin' it was tiring. And, until I could walk without the brace, I was bed bound pretty much, and the room didn't really have comfortable chairs for guests.
I also found out today that the time of my surgery was changed to 11 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. Bummer. I'd rather have the early time. I can't eat or drink anything from midnight the night before surgery until after surgery. And I remember being so very thirsty last time, not to mention hungry.
So, I wait.
ttfn
I have been healing amazingly well. My right leg wants to walk faster than my "ill" left leg, so I tend to trip myself up if I walk unaided, which I do all the time around the house. I still have bad sciatica, but I guess I'll have that the rest of my life. I do exercises which seem to help, so does icing (that's where you put an ice pack on your back, not where you slather your body with sugar and cream).
My next surgery is coming up really fast. Thursday, I go into the hospital for pre-surgery testing. I have already been to my primary care physician and got my pre-op physical, and she will have a finaasl say when she gets the results of my blood and urine tests.
I'm really excited to get it over with. I hope the left leg heals as well as, if not better than, the right leg did. I've been exercising the left leg to get those muscles strong and hopefully that will help with the leg lifts I must complete before I'm permitted to leave rehab.
I've decided to go to the same place as I went to last time for rehab. The draw of going to a place closer to home was strong, but I know what to expect in the place I used last time, and I really don't care if I don't get visitors every day. Frankly, while I love seeing my daughter(s), grandchildren, husband, and friends, it can get tiresome. I don't intend that statement to put off friends and relatives from visiting me, I did enjoy the visits I received last time, I'm just sayin' it was tiring. And, until I could walk without the brace, I was bed bound pretty much, and the room didn't really have comfortable chairs for guests.
I also found out today that the time of my surgery was changed to 11 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. Bummer. I'd rather have the early time. I can't eat or drink anything from midnight the night before surgery until after surgery. And I remember being so very thirsty last time, not to mention hungry.
So, I wait.
ttfn
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Another update on my knee
I'm sure anyone reading this will be bored, so please, don't feel obligated.
I am updating my home stay after rehab.
I have physical therapy twice a week at the rehab center down the street (it's about 1-1/2 miles away). It's really not a bother at all. I actually look forward to it.
On April 11th I'll be having my left knee replaced and while I'm strengthening the right knee after surgery, the therapists are also working with me to get my left leg muscles toned up and strong. Not walking for 10 years has really atrophied my legs.
I found out today that our local senior center has a Nu-Step machine -- the machine that was my first instrument of torture after surgery. It became my best friend toward the end of my stay in the Care Center because I could read my Kindle while I pedalled before the stretching and bending and pulling began. At first, however, whoo-boy, did that hurt. In fact, one of the therapists said he wished his phone had a camera because he would have loved to have a record of my face as I struggled to get through those first 15 minutes.
Now, I can walk with no pain on the right side. I love it.
I have dreamed for years that I could walk, and I knew I was dreaming because there was no pain in those dreams. I could go up and down steps without pain -- haven't mastered that yet, in fact, the fear factor hits me every time I try to go up or down stairs. I push through and find that the stairs are not as bad as I thought, as long as I can hold on. I know that's something they will really push me on at the after-surgery rehabilitation in April/May.
So, exactly three months from the day of the right knee TKR, I will have TKR on the left knee. I'm really looking forward to it -- not the operation specifically, but the end-result.
Vacation this summer should really be great. I'll be walking.
ttfn
I am updating my home stay after rehab.
I have physical therapy twice a week at the rehab center down the street (it's about 1-1/2 miles away). It's really not a bother at all. I actually look forward to it.
On April 11th I'll be having my left knee replaced and while I'm strengthening the right knee after surgery, the therapists are also working with me to get my left leg muscles toned up and strong. Not walking for 10 years has really atrophied my legs.
I found out today that our local senior center has a Nu-Step machine -- the machine that was my first instrument of torture after surgery. It became my best friend toward the end of my stay in the Care Center because I could read my Kindle while I pedalled before the stretching and bending and pulling began. At first, however, whoo-boy, did that hurt. In fact, one of the therapists said he wished his phone had a camera because he would have loved to have a record of my face as I struggled to get through those first 15 minutes.
Now, I can walk with no pain on the right side. I love it.
I have dreamed for years that I could walk, and I knew I was dreaming because there was no pain in those dreams. I could go up and down steps without pain -- haven't mastered that yet, in fact, the fear factor hits me every time I try to go up or down stairs. I push through and find that the stairs are not as bad as I thought, as long as I can hold on. I know that's something they will really push me on at the after-surgery rehabilitation in April/May.
So, exactly three months from the day of the right knee TKR, I will have TKR on the left knee. I'm really looking forward to it -- not the operation specifically, but the end-result.
Vacation this summer should really be great. I'll be walking.
ttfn
Friday, January 6, 2012
Surgery
Well, I finally got approval from all physicians from whom I have had service in the past year for the total knee replacement (right knee) which I will have on Wednesday, January 11.
I'm so glad I'm finally going to do this. It took me years to get up the courage, but the inability to walk has really gotten to me and so I'm getting one new knee now and then if this works well, I'll get the other replaced in the late summer. After that heals, I'm off to Italy.
Christmas was a mess for me and Alan. We were both sick for the two weeks around Christmas and missed out on seeing two of our three children and their families. Yes, I didn't see the new baby and all those kids. I haven't seen them for almost a year now. Something always comes up. The irony is that Cyndi and her family only live two miles away as you drive, one mile as the crow flies. I can almost see her property from my living room since she's just over on the next hilltop. Becky's family had the stomach flu (as did Alan and I) and since I was still trying to get rid of the stomach thing I had to cancel our date with Becky and her children. I had seen them a week before Christmas, but we didn't have our annual Christmas "party". Really a BLAH week.
I will have my Fire with me in the hospital so I'll add Facebook updates from time to time. No BLOGs and no e-mails, though.
So, pray for me. I am not worried for anxious about the outcome. I can't wait to wake up and start walking again.
ttfn
I'm so glad I'm finally going to do this. It took me years to get up the courage, but the inability to walk has really gotten to me and so I'm getting one new knee now and then if this works well, I'll get the other replaced in the late summer. After that heals, I'm off to Italy.
Christmas was a mess for me and Alan. We were both sick for the two weeks around Christmas and missed out on seeing two of our three children and their families. Yes, I didn't see the new baby and all those kids. I haven't seen them for almost a year now. Something always comes up. The irony is that Cyndi and her family only live two miles away as you drive, one mile as the crow flies. I can almost see her property from my living room since she's just over on the next hilltop. Becky's family had the stomach flu (as did Alan and I) and since I was still trying to get rid of the stomach thing I had to cancel our date with Becky and her children. I had seen them a week before Christmas, but we didn't have our annual Christmas "party". Really a BLAH week.
I will have my Fire with me in the hospital so I'll add Facebook updates from time to time. No BLOGs and no e-mails, though.
So, pray for me. I am not worried for anxious about the outcome. I can't wait to wake up and start walking again.
ttfn
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