I'm a Knitting Fool!

One of the things that I can do well right now is knit. I have to admit, it was a bit challenging in the hospital with the morphine the first night and day, and the Percoset the rest of the time, but it's been a constant in my days since I checked into the hospital 8 days ago.

I brought with me a pair of socks that I've started twice, and two skeins of beautiful alpaca, merino and cashmere yarn to make a Moebius scarf. Those of you who have read my previous posts heard about the four false starts on the moebius..... Well, I've finished it - and it's quite beautiful - at least I think so! I've select two photos to show you 1) the whole thing with the moebius twist, and 2) the detail of the arrow pattern. I still have to block it to get the lace (open work) to show better, but it's warm, soft and wearable right now!

I also took a look at a vest that I just finished - and was very disappointed in - The yarn is gorgeous - it's Brooks Farm yarn which I got at Stitches in Baltimore in 2007. I found a vest pattern at Tess' booth, and figured it would be a good match.... Unfortunately, the weight of the wool/mohair yarn and the pattern look lovely, but the overall vest when complete was heavy, and way, way to big. So, I've taken lemons, and am making lemonade!!!!

The pattern for the vest is a series of connected mitered squares, and I've found that without the top arm holes (which I've pulled out), I am now just adding more squares, and will make a nice lap blanket to warm my cold calves following total knee replacement surgery! One of the limitations I've got now is I have to keep the knee exposed, so that means wearing shorts, or capris, which I can rollup on the surgery knee. I am using it now as I continue adding the squares, and will defintely use it in April with the 2nd knee.

2/16/09 - S Day.....and a little knitting

Well, I'm much calmer than I thought I would be.... I guess all of the upfront investigation and research has contributed to a better understanding of what is to come, so I'm sitting here, clean, legs shaved (don't want to embarrass myself in front of Dr. C and the rest of my surgery crew), hair washed (I don't think I'll be able to wash it the whole time in the hospital - Yikes - some of us need to wash it every day, Debbie!), and with about an hour and thirty minutes to spare before we have to be at the hospital.

I've decided to bring two knitting projects with me - my socks which have undergone a transformation (actually I had to start all over) - since Knitting weekend - I had made them way, way to large. Luckily one of the Knitting gurus with us, Janet pointed out my issue, and encouraged me to rip it all out and start over. I have to say, she was right, and now I'm almost at six inches of cuff, and will be ready to start the heel (again) later today if my mind lets me.

I'm also starting a Cat Bohrdi moebius scarf - it's a really cool diagonal mirrored arrow pattern - a little lace - and I'm going to work with a King George baby Alpaca, merino, cashmere yarn in guess what colors? Oh, you guessed - purple and teal? Yeah, OK, I'm predictable! I'll post a picture here when I've got it finished. There is a really cool UTube of Cat doing the Moebius Cast-on

2/15 - One day more....

We saw the Holmes Bros at Arden last night, and they were wonderful. A trio of blues brothers!

JD found a very interesting article about Baby Boomers getting joint replacement surgery - check it out!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/fashion/15generationb.html

2/14/09 - Valentine's Day

JD bought flowers, and I bought chocolate - a match made in heaven! We're heading to Arden for their Valentine's Guild Hall dinner - and a Blues concert to follow. It's always interesting to have dinner (especially VD) with 100+ other people - since this is an organized neighborhood event. Not ours, but our wannabe neighborhood. Arden is an artsy communal area of North Wilmington, where you can buy the house, and the Arden community owns the land - and you lease it. It started back in the 1920's - kind of a bohemian area - each house is different and eclectic. Some are very cool - like our friend Finn's - which is adobe like.

I started taking Celebrex this morning at Dr. Casscells direction. This is to help with stiffness in preparation for the surgery. We also discussed an interesting pain reliever called the On-Q Pain Pump which is inserted during surgery, and provides local anethesia directly to the knee for up to five days after surgery. When I was teaching a jewelry class in early January, one of the attendees mentioned that her husband had knee surgery by Christopher Casscells, and he used the On-Q Pain Pump - and found that he needed very little of the narcotic pain medication - since the knee was feeling almost no pain. I was intrigued, and asked Dr. Casscells about it, and he was very willing to do it for me too.

I think I have everything I need for Monday, I've purchased some sweats that fall right below the knee - since I'm supposed to have shorts - I figure I can roll up one leg, and at least keep the other a little warmer. I'm ready, I think. Lots of books for my ipod, and a few knitting projects that are pretty simple and won't require too much thinking.... I'm working on some socks - almost ready to move to the heel and a sweater that is pure stockinette stitch. I've also got my book from the library that is for our Book Club - Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. She is always an interesting read....

2/13 - Friday the 13th!!!!

When I went for my orientation at the Joint Center in late January, several of the folks in my session were scheduled for today, Friday the 13th.... now, I'm not superstitious, but I don't think I'd want to have my surgery today - and not at the end of the week when the doctor is tired... I want him fresh, relaxed after a nice weekend!

I think I've done everything I can to get my "affairs" in order - I've cleaned up my office - so that it won't be the disaster it was this morning when I come back, and Andrew will be keeping my chair warm while I'm out. Project work is in very capable hands with Andrew, Tom and Vanessa, my audix message has been changed, email auto notifier has been updated, and I've got my living will from the lock box. I am confident that I won't need it, but just in case....

I can't tell you all how much it mean to me that you've sent me notes or stopped by - and wished me well...

Less than 2.5 days left...

2/12/09 - Life is Good.....Back Pain is virtually gone!

I woke up this morning to virtually no back pain! Yeah!!!!

Dr. Gold and his nurse Sharon have worked miracles on my lower back - all in preparation for the surgery on Monday. The goal was no back pain, and I think I'm here!

Life is good.....

This morning, Dr Casscells gives me my second Supartz injection in my left knee. We hope this will give me some relief until the left knee TKR in April. I didn't notice any difference this week, but from what I've read, you may not notice anything until after three injections - and some people never notice a difference - depending on the state of their knees.

I'm hopeful, cause I'll need my left knee and leg to support the right one for the first few weeks until I get my strength back!

2/11/09 - The search for the Perfect PT place

I've been visiting Physical Therapy (PT) locations - figuring that since I'm mobile now, it would be a good time to do it. I will be doing PT at the Joint Replacement Center starting next Tuesday, and again on Wednesday and Thursday, then Visiting Nurses comes to my home three times a week for in home PT. This can go on for two - four weeks, then I'm on my own (well, JD will need to drive me at least for a while) going to a local PT place.

It's interesting how many locations and different setups there are. PT Plus (associated with Christiana Hosp) has two locations - one in the basement of PMRI on Rt 52 and one on Foulk Road. They couldn't be more different. The one on Rt 52 is small, has private rooms for therapy, limited "machines", and three therapists. This is two minutes from my office. The one on Foulk Rd has a full gym, a small "pool" or tub for water therapy, open tables for therapy and I believe more therapists - it's also much closer to my home. Then there is Pro PT in Branmar Plaza, which JD previewed for me (I'm checking it out this morning), which has a larger gym, 6 therapists, water therapy.

I'm also looking for a place I can continue to work out once the PT is over. And a place that may have a personal trainer to help me and guide me to a better and fitter place.

I'm looking at the whole experience as my chance to finally get my body in shape - with someone to help me... The Physical Therapist - from now til sometime in May or June, then a trainer after - if I need it then.... Maybe I'll have religion by then, who knows.....

2/5/09 - Final Trip to Dr before Surgery

The week started out rough, but got gradually better as Dr. Gold worked miracles on my aching lower back. I will never hesitate to go to a Chiropractor again for sudden piercing pain in my back.

I met for the final time before surgery with Dr Casscells and was able to go thru my list of questions, and get answers to all of them. Now I know why I had to wait for almost 90 minutes before he saw me. If he spends as much time with each patient as he did me, he must always be running behind. I was prepared though, since I waited quite a while the last time, and brought both my knitting (I'm working on a pair of socks for myself - Rose, Purple, Teal - What else?) and my ipod with my current book.

Some of the questions and their answers - since some of you (my readers) provided me with the impetus to ask these.....

Q1. Why general anesthesia rather than a spinal (like all of the other Doctors)?
A1: Spinal causes the patient to be bed ridden for up to 8 hours after surgery, and must have a catheter (since they can't use bathroom). He wants his patients up and using the bathroom the same day as surgery.

Q2: Why not the OtisMed or Zimmer (female) Knee? What do you use and why?
A2: Dr Casscells has been doing TKRs for over 20 years, and has always used the Biomet (it's gone by different names over the years - but this is the current company). Here is a link to their website: http://www.biomet.com/patients/vanguard_complete.cfm. There are multiple other pages out there, feel free to puruse.... Anyway, What Dr. C told me is that while these other companies market primarily to the patient, BioMet is for Surgeons, and has 9 different sizes of knees (rather than 3 or 4) - and the top (that goes over the femur) and the bottom (that goes over the tibia) are interchangable - so if your top is bigger than your bottom.....All women will understand this! Also, this company uses a Vitamin E embedded cushion between the two bones for people my age (young)!

Q3: What else do you do differently?
A3: Rather than use staples to close the incision, Dr. C brings in a plastic surgeon who stitches the inner layers, and then uses steri-strips to close the incision. This ensures that the scar is less noticable, and heals much faster. Also much less chance of infection. - which I've learned is the biggest risk.

2/2/09 - There is hope....

I had a really good night on Sunday evening. My back was not spasming, and I slept pretty well. I went to an all day meeting with an optimistic outlook - thinking maybe the lower back pain was receding. After about 15 minutes sitting in the conference room, I was almost in tears, and left the meeting to call my PCP to get a referral to a Chiro. Had to leave a message, so started checking it out on my own, and got a recommendation to see Dr. Gold. He answered himself, and after hearing my saga, told me to come right in - he'd work me in.

Sharon, his assistant, was pleasant, sympathetic (which I needed right then), and she did a procedure which included sonogram with little electric charges, and then followed by targeted electrical stimulation. She covered my back with warm blankets, and I layed like that for 10 minutes. Then Dr. Gold did two minor manipulations to my lower back, and amazingly, I had very little pain for the remainder of the day - even sitting in the same conference chair - and into the evening - the meeting included a dinner out.

Even sleeping last night proved to be relatively (my knees still bother me - who would have thunk it?) pain free - except perhaps for JD, who complained of my snoring....

I feel a little tension in my lower back right now, however, I've got another appointment with Dr. Gold later today, and hope that he'll make that go away.

My ultimate goal is to have no pain in my lower back when I enter the hospital - so that I can concentrate on making my recovery fast!

There is hope.....

1/26/09 - Dealing with Pain....

For the past three nights, I have had an incredible lower back pain - which radiates out to both of my hips - since I sleep (or try to) on my side(s). I have to say, when my back and hips ache, I don't even think about my knees - except for the nightmare last night that I not only have the Bilateral TKR coming up, but that I also need both hips replaced....

I'm hopeful that this recent pain is due to the exercises that I've been doing to get stronger prior to surgery, and nothing more sinister.

1/25/09 - TKR Animated Video

I found this very well done animated video on the web today - it really makes the entire process seem pretty easy! If only!!!!

http://www.edheads.org/activities/knee/knee1/index.htm

1/08/09 - first visit to Orthopedic Surgeon

After complaining for a few years to my Primary Care Physician (PCP) of my knee pain, he referred me to see an Orthopedic Surgeon. His office had me get X-rays of both knees - and when his assistant took her first look at my right knee X-ray - she said "that's got to hurt!" Turns out I'm bone on bone on the right knee, and getting close on the left.

Dr. Casscells told me the only choice beside pain for the rest of my life was Bilateral (both) TKR total knee replacement. I decided there and then to schedule both - and started my journey to a pain free life.