by Judy Handley | May 13, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 134: At Home and Feeling Great
Date: Monday, May 13, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 59, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Fast, efficient, and so far, successful. That is my description of my knee replacement surgery at Cape Cod Hospital today. Heather picked me up at 8 am and we were home by 4:30 pm. I was in pre-op by 8:55, in the operating room one hour later, out of the operating room at 12:06 pm, and alert about an hour after that. Heather received texts every step of the way. I had a spinal, not general anesthesia, with some other drug that kept me just enough under that I don’t remember anything. The anesthesiologist said it was a cocktail that has the effect of drinking too many glasses of wine. Thankfully, there are no after-effects. Heather received texts every step of the way. I think it was just before 3 pm when the physical therapist came in to work with me. I was amazed that there was almost no pain when she got me up. She had me walk to the bathroom, made sure I could get down and back up, had me walk up some stairs, and then back to post-op. The magic that allowed this to happen pain-free was a nerve block drug, Exparel, that suppresses pain for three or four days after surgery. I have no pain except a little discomfort when raising my leg to get it up on the sofa and back down. Walking is pain free. I am taking Tylenol for pain and Aspirin as a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. When I begin to get pain on day three or four, I have the option of taking an opioid. It would be wonderful if I do not have to do that. I realize that when this wears off, the pain free party is over. But I am going to enjoy it while it lasts!
Heather is with me tonight and Ollie came over for the evening. He and I watch Kung Fu Panda 3 while we ate dinner. When Jed came over to get Ollie, we all had another piece of strawberry rhubarb pie. I am elated to report that it was a good day from start to finish.
by Judy Handley | May 12, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 133: 12 Hours to Go … Ready or Not
Date: Sunday, May 12, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 55, Low 46 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Happy Mother’s Day! Last night I got a delivery of strawberries, raspberries, and Haagan Daz vanilla ice cream from Justin and family for Mother’s Day. They just put in an online order at a local grocery store for delivery. Justin let the delivery people know when I was home, and they brought it right over. What a simple, but great idea. But seeing all those strawberries made me want a strawberry-rhubarb pie (one of my favorite things) for Mother’s Day, so I made that happen. Then this morning, Heather and Jed drove over to surprise me with a new outdoor table. Heather and Ollie rode their bikes over later and put it together. And while they were here, they did a few other things for me. I got a chuckle out of Ollie’s comment. He worked hard assembling the table. When he was finished, I asked him to get my outdoor chairs out of the basement. When he put them around the table he said, “Oma, I don’t really think these chairs look great with this table. They don’t match.” He is right. The glass top of the old table broke into a zillion pieces last fall. Replacing the glass in an oval-shaped table was just too expensive. I saw this table at Job Lot last week. It doesn’t match, but the price was right, and it was here in Falmouth. I really wanted a table for when Justin and family arrive in less than 3 weeks, so getting it prior to my knee surgery was a priority. So, thank you, Heather, Jed, and Ollie for making that happen.
I only got half of what I planned to do today done. So, surgery is now 12 hours away and all of the food preparation I planned for the next few days is just not done. Who needs to eat anyway?
by Judy Handley | May 11, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 132: 36 Hours and Counting
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024
Weather: Partly Sunny with a Wind Chill; High Temp 53, Low 41 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Just thinking about today makes me tired. I could have stayed home and done nothing, or I could have stayed home and done all of the things that I need to do to get ready for the next few weeks. But I did neither. Instead, I made choices to do the things I wanted to do, and it made for a busy, busy day.
It started with an appointment at 8 am to get the oil changed in my car and have the tires rotated. Then from 9 am to noon, I participated in the standout for Heather which meant standing on the main intersection in Falmouth holding a campaign sign and waving to every car that came my way. Standing for that long is a challenge for me, but with my brace on I was able to do it. I have to keep walking the whole time because if I just stand still for a few minutes, the pain in my knee is truly excruciating when I try to take a step. When the standout was over I walked across the street to get a photo of Heather with the others who participated today.
Then I went to Heather’s to find out the afternoon soccer schedule. Jed and Sam were in Connecticut today, so Heather needed to leave immediately to get Ollie to Somerset, about an hour away, for his 2 pm game. Jonah mentioned that he needed a ride to meet up with a friend who had offered to take him to his game in Lakeview in about 40 minutes. So, I offered to deliver Jonah to his ride and decided to then drive to Ollie’s game to see the last half and then on to Jonah’s game, again to see the second half. I really had not planned to do this, but since I won’t be going to soccer games for at least a couple of weeks, I just couldn’t help myself. I left Heather’s with the promise to Jonah of returning in 40 minutes to get him to his ride. I hurried downtown to vote as early voting began today. Since I am having surgery on Monday, I wanted to get this done. I drove home to take Shadow for a short walk, went back to take Jonah to meet his ride, and then headed about an hour north and west to Somerset to Ollie’s game. His team is undefeated this season and they play with such joy that it is truly fun to watch.
When that game was over, I drove about 30 minutes to Jonah’s game. Even though it was partly sunny, I was doing all of this wearing a down vest and a jacket and I was still chilly. The wind today made it feel downright cold, especially when the sun went behind the clouds. Heather needed to borrow my gloves as her hands were freezing. Where is the warm spring weather?
By the time I drove the 45 minutes back to Falmouth and ran one errand, it was almost 6 pm when I drove into my driveway. I took Shadow for a walk and played ball with him in the driveway as I still don’t want him walking on the lawn sprinkled with herbicide. Shortly after that, Bruce and Jane Woodin stopped by to pick up some bottles of bubbly I am donating as prizes at Encore’s Margaritaville evening next Saturday. I will not be attending as that is too soon after my surgery. We had a wonderful visit, but when they left at 8 pm, I realized I had not eaten lunch and it was way past dinner time.
by Judy Handley | May 10, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 131: 59 Hours and Counting
Date: Friday, May 10, 2024
Weather: Partly Sunny; High Temp 62, Low 45 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
As I write this log, I have 59 hours until my total right knee replacement on Monday. If I seem a bit anxious for that time to arrive, it is because I am. For the past three weeks, the pain in my right knee has increased. Today was my worst day yet. I cannot figure out why the pain has increased, and I can’t even take anything for the pain. You must stop taking any supplements and non-essential meds a full seven days prior to surgery. But if I wear my brace, I can still walk. Without it, my knee just gives way. I hobbled around the house today trying to make sure I have things ready for the post-surgery days. There is more to do, so I will continue to tomorrow afternoon. Mid-afternoon Shadow and I walked with our new friends, Judy Fenwick and her dog Millie. Mille and Shadow basically ignore each other but Shadow was less tenuous today. When he first met Millie last week, he just cowered down and squealed. And believe me, there is nothing scary about Millie. Thankfully, today there was none of that.
I got a call today from CenterWell Home Health. This is the organization that arranges for a home health nurse to come to your home right after surgery and arranges for home physical therapy. The nurse explained that things have changed quite a bit since my left knee replacement five years ago. Then you stayed in the hospital for a night or two. But now, at least at the Cape Cod Hospital, knee replacement patients are sent home about three hours after the surgery. If you get home early enough in the afternoon, the home health nurse comes same day. But if not same day, the nurse comes the next morning. Then about two hours later the home PT person arrives. I find it interesting that there is such aggressive follow up. There was none, other than a call from a nurse, with my back surgery. After that call, I got the call from the hospital giving me my surgery time. I have to arrive at 8:45 am and will head to the operating room at 10:15. It is expected to be a two hour surgery, then post-op, recovery where you work with a physical therapist, then out the door by 3:30 or 4:00 pm IF you pass the PT’s approval. If not, you spend the night in the hospital.
Tomorrow morning starts early with an 8 am oil change (that’s for my car, not me!), then a three-hour standout for Heather at the main intersection in town. There are ten more days until the election, but tomorrow will be my last ‘official’ event. I feel terrible about the timing of my surgery. I would love to be able to help out right up until election day, but that is not to be. I plan for my first post-surgery outing to be going to Heather’s election night thank you event for volunteers, and HOPEFULLY, an election win celebration!!! In the meantime, I have asked friends to stay with me so Heather can focus on work, life, kids, election. She will take me to the hospital, bring me home, and stay with me that first night. Karen Baranowski will spend the next day with me, and then that evening Detta, my bestie from New Hampshire, will come to stay with me until Friday. Hopefully by that time, I will be mostly independent. I certainly won’t be driving, but I should be able to walk Shadow for short distances, cook for myself, etc., etc.
by Judy Handley | May 9, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 130: Clean Bill of Health after Back Surgery
Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024
Weather: Partly Sunny; High Temp 62, Low 45 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Shadow and I took our morning walk and not long after that the lawn care team arrived. Today was spring clean-up for the yard. All of those leaves still lingering from the fall were taken away, new soil was put down in bare areas, and grass seed was planted. While that was happening outside, I took everything off my bed, sheets, comforter, bed spread, and started the washing process. The drying part of that is still going on, but it should be done by bedtime.
Before noon, I took off for Hyannis. I had a follow-up appointment with my neurosurgeon’s assistant. After asking many questions, I was released with a clean bill of health from my back surgery. I was cautioned to continue to do things in a way that is easiest on my back, but I was told that I can resume all normal activities … with a few reminders. Never bend from the waist while standing. Squat, and then bend. Go slow with the gardening. Limit twisting from side to side. I still have the same 77-year-old back with arthritis. A problem was fixed, but that does not mean that other problems will never arise. I just have to use common sense and not push it too hard.
While in Hyannis, I went to Lens Crafters to have my new glasses adjusted as they keep slipping down my nose. I made the requisite stop at Whole Foods and then drove home. I arrived just as the lawn care team was leaving. Lynda, my friend and landlord was still in the yard and she had news for me that she knew I was not going to like. She was right. A chemical fertilizer and herbicide had been applied to the entire yard and she was told that Shadow should not be allowed to be on the grass for at least three days. If he should decide to eat the grass, which he often does, it can cause gastrointestinal issues and worse (cardiovascular and neurologic issues) if exposed over long periods of time. He is already a dog with gastrointestinal issues. I surely don’t need him to have more issues. So, I took him with me this evening when I drove Ollie to soccer practice. While Ollie was at practice, Shadow and I went to one of the huge parking areas at the nearby fairgrounds to play ball instead of doing that at home in the yard. The bummer is that since I am having knee surgery on Monday, I will not be able to drive or walk for a few days. I was planning to use the training collar and let Shadow go outside on his own with me watching from the deck. But now I am not sure I want him, or me, walking on the lawn for a couple of weeks. Why do people continue to apply chemicals to their yards that make people and animals sick? According to PetMD, exposure to herbicides in “larger quantities or small amounts over a longer period (chronic exposure) can lead to severe neurologic and cardiovascular impairment.” Their recommendation is to stay off the grass for 72 hours, but then that depends on which kind of herbicide. Yuck!
