Day 14 - It's passing quickly

As I look back over the last week, I'm pleased with my progress. I've graduated to a cane, and at times, can even walk without it - but I sway badly, and don't want to get into that habit of walking.... I've walked outside several times - with JD's help walked around the yard - which is a lot harder than it sounds since the ground is uneven underneath that lush green lawn - to appreciate the spring flowers that are blooming. Our Pink dogwoods. that we planted several years ago when the sour gum fell down, are in full bloom! Very exciting! The bleeding hearts are blooming around the yard in their little shady spots. It's so much nicer to see them up close, rather than thru a window. I have to admit, I'm getting rammy!

I will be starting Out PT this week on Thursday - one day early! Colleen & Barbara (my Home PT) said that I'm doing so well, that Aetna wouldn't pay for another day of Home PT.... Surprising with my rough beginnings. However, I do know the drill, and am probably pushing it a bit - since I started doing my standing exercises earlier than they said to - just cause I needed to get moving....

My final measurements with the Goniometer were 111 degrees flexion and -.5 - 0 extension. I'm pleased.

I've also got my apetite back 100%, but am doing well at portion control - and have dropped all of the weight gain, plus some, so, hopefully next time I weigh-in with Weight Watchers, I'll be at the official 30 lbs down mark. I can tell, since I tried on three pairs of shorts, and the first two were way-y to big, so ended up with the third size down.... Yeah! What a way to lose weight! And with 3-4 lbs of new knee(s) to boot!

I'm still using the meds (darvocet) at a pretty regular pace - usually no more than 4.5 hrs between them, and can definitely feel it when I go too long. It's funny, you get a false sense of the level of pain when you're on the meds.... Over the next week, I'll be trying to space it out a lot farther...

Sleeping has also been a progression - I've moved from sleeping on my back 100% of the time to switching from side to side to back, moving when my hips, knees and everything else starts to ache... I'm now sleeping about 3 - 3.5 hrs at a clip, so that is much better.... I've stopped icing at night due to the chills.

I've started pulling my own weight around the house - well, a little anyway, and now am emptying the dishwasher, pushing the swivel sweeper (very light) around, and generally trying to pickup after myself. I've got a little carry bag that I use for all of my "have to haves", like my darvocet, book, ipod, and knitting project, that I could hook onto the walker, or carry easily while using the cane.

All in all, I'm pleased with my progress!

Day 7 - One week after Surgery

I had a good weekend - I began to "walk" with my walker rather than step, move walker, step, move walker, etc. Good friends Rob & Deb came down on Saturday and brought dinner makings - Fish Tacos! It was really fun to be able to totally think about something else - as they related all of the decisions and milestones that they are dealing with in the rebuilding of their home.

The weather was spectacular on Saturday, and I sat on the front porch for about 1 1/2 hour - and several neighbors stopped by. The sun was out, all of the weeping cherries down the street were in full bloom, and when the wind blew - it seemed like it was snowing as the petals drifted to the ground. It reminded me of last spring when JD and I went (along with 2 million others) to Wash DC for the Cherry Blossom weekend - and walked along the Tidal Basin. I hope that I'll be able to do much longer walks than we did that weekend in the coming months and years.

One thing I found out this weekend is about my surgery day. I didn't realize how long I was in the recovery room - with JD waiting downstairs.... My surgery was 7:30am, we had to arrive at 5:30am, and I finally got to my room around 3pm. Usually you're in your room 2 - 3 hours after surgery - but in my case, my vital signs - bp, oxygen level, etc were so low that they kept me in recovery for (obviously) much longer. I don't remember any of this.

Yesterday, Sunday, I ate/drank every meal, moved a lot, did 2 rounds of my PT exercises, and generally felt much, much, much better than I have in the last week. I even started knitting again - which looking back I was doing even in the hospital last time. Boy oh Boy, was Michele right - each knee is different!

I don't feel like I have as much range of motion in this knee, but Colleen, my home PT will determine the exact measurements today on her Goniometer. My flexion measurements in the hospital were between 85 and 90 - and about 5 degrees of extension.

I took my first shower in a week today, boy did that feel good! I was glad to have the teak stool to rest on, and I even shaved my legs! Now I'm squeaky clean! It sure beats hanging over the tub holding on to the walker to wash my hair and take a sponge bath!

Thanks to everyone for their prayers, concern, caring, and comments!

Day 5 - First Home PT visit

Barb from VNA Visiting Nurses PT came this morning for my evaluation. She noted that my oxygen count is still low - 90 - 93, my blood pressure is high - 160/81, and pulse is high- over 100. But my temperature is normal - so that is good.... Not sure why, but decided to weigh myself - and yikes! I'm almost 10 lbs higher than the morning before we left for surgery.

We call Dr. Cascell's office to ask if all this was "normal". It took several hours for them to respond. Apparently this conditon is normal...for people who've had blood problems...due to a bad procedure! Eileen suggested geritol (iron) and/or dark green leafy vegetables.

Day 5 and have only eaten several bites of food in past 3 days...anyone who knows me knows that's unusual!!! Not sure why I'm not losing weight instead of gaining....

I think the extra weight it a result of all of the extra liquids I was given at the hospital, so will be keeping an eye on that. Maybe the hourly pee will take care of the water/liquid weight - that or the exercise of going up and down the stairs each time. This morning, I was so tired after I stayed upstairs at 10:30, and slept until each pee break. I didn't feel like making the hike up/down the stairs. I came back down around 2pm, and have eaten a little - I ate about 1 inch of the left over Bobbie from yesterday, and about 2/3 of a cup of chicken enchilada soup. Been trying to keep the water intake up to keep flushing the stuff in my body...

Day 4 (Thursday) - Time to go home

Day 2 in hospital was a little rough - I had to have another two units of O- blood - this makes a total of four (4)! I ate almost nothing for dinner on Wednesday night - good thing J.D. didn't make the dinner he was thinking of. All in all, this time in hospital has been vastly different - I've been exhausted, low oxygen count (low 90's) , racing heart - and his pulse (100+), and I've gotten enough lactated ringers and Red Blood Cells (via IV) to float a ship. During the night on Tuesday night, my heart was racing (also low oxygen count) - so they put me on oxygen. This really helped - it's really weird to feel your heart beating in your head and ears.

Remember the old Bill Cosby routine "What do you mean when you say 'oops'"? Most of Jan's slow and lethargic recovery has been because of a mistake made before surgery. Seems the nurse surgical team took too much blood (100cc vs. 30cc) for a new anti-coagulant mix/process during surgery. Oops. That resulted in Jan's battle in fighting low blood count, anemia, chills, exhaustion, and other symptoms not directly related to the surgery itself.

I guess that's why they call it "medical practice"...

So, they let me out of the hospital around 11am - and we stopped at Capriotti's for a Bobbie - that should get the blood pressure up some (it didn't). - I settled into my comfie "stressless" chair with my legs elevated, and my new knee iced, and I proceeded to sleep away most of the afternoon.

JD made a wonderful Chicken Picata with fresh asparagus, and cheese tortellini for dinner, and I ate very little - guess I know what I'll have for lunch or dinner tomorrow.

Off to bed at 9pm

Day 3: Who knew Christiana Care was a BYO!

Tough afternoon and early evening...seems the hospital ice machine(s) broke, so Jan and her roommate Linda (as well as many other knee and hip replacement patients) didn't get any icing of her knee for 4-5 hours. Earlier in the day many of the blood pressure machines weren't working. The first evening was fraught with bleeping IV blood/Ringer's drip machine problems, Pulse/Ox machine alarms going off because nobody knew how to set it. Isn't technology, and the people who run it, wonderful?

Ironic that the new $200millon hospital expansion, including a new wing for joint replacement, starts next week. I wonder if they'll get a new ice machine...

JD went across the street to the local liquor store and bought ice for Jan.

Day 2 (Post Surgery)

Jan's holding the wonderful fiber infused jello looking oh, so pleased about the idea of eating it.

You'll notice the oxygen tubes - needed to improve the low oxygen levels in blood and racing heart (see comments later...this was probably avoidable...).

Second Day: MUCH Better!

After an on & off night of sleep and two units of blood, Jan's doing much better. She's already gone to one PT session (getting around with a walker), and has asked her home nurse (aka J.D.) to bring in Pizza by Elizabeth's for dinner.

Second Surgery: Doing Well

Just a quick note that in spite of a 4:30am wakeup call Jan's 7:30am surgery today went well; she's resting in her room at the hospital...more news soon.

Deja Vu....

It feels like I've been here before.....

I've started packing for my left Total Knee Replacement (TKR), getting everything ready for my four day stay at the Wilmington Hospital - Center for Advanced Joint Replacement. I've requested the bed by the window (experience from the first one) so I can see some natural light, as well as a little buffer from the noise and light in the hallway.

I had one of my last Out PT session(s) on Wednesday with Michele Gould (picture below)- who did my final evaluation. With a little pushing (and I mean that literally - and it does hurt) she got me to Zero extension - which means flat - back of the knee touching the table, and measured at 120 degrees flexion with the goniometer (I've included a picture of my favorite tool). She was pleased with my progress, and actually expressed surprise that Dr Chris is doing manipulation of the knee while I'm under. This is done to give a little extra extension and flexion - which I really don't need at this point - but if he can get me to zero extension without the pushing, that would be great! I asked her to measure my left knee so I can have a baseline - and it was 135 degrees. Michele set my expectations at 125 for my knees - which I'll be very happy with. She also keeps telling me that each knee is different...

Yesterday I had my actual final Out PT with Steve R - who is the manager at PT Plus at Foulkstone Plaza. He and Michele have different techniques, but both are very good. I've setup my appointments with Michele and Steve for after my next surgery, so I'll be ready, and have the appointment times that I like.

So, I'm getting excited to get this behind me, and to get to this point (eight weeks after) from my second surgery. I'm looking forward to walking with little or no pain - it's amazing that my right knee is tight, but my left really hurts when I walk - and then beginning to do other fun things like biking, and golf again! I've been told that is all possible, including skiing which I hope/plan to do next winter!

Thanks to all of my friends and colleagues for your support and encouragement over the last couple of months!

So, keep your eyes on the blog, I'll (and JD) keep you informed of my progress.