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!
by Judy Handley | May 8, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 129: Lazy, Rainy Day
Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Weather: Sun, Rain, Clouds, Fog, Thunderstorm Storm; High Temp 58, Low 51 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
When I went for a walk with Shadow at 7:30 this morning, the sun was shining. When I left the Encore Board meeting at 11:30 am, it was pouring rain. I don’t remember what time the rain stopped, but by mid-afternoon it was just overcast. As the evening progressed, it was foggy. And then we got a whopper of a thunderstorm with hail. While the hail was falling, I actually thought the skylights in the living room might break. It was very loud, but I was so busy trying to calm Shadow, that I didn’t even get a look at the size of the hail.
Before the storm hit, Shadow started acting very strangely. He was hiding under the table where I keep my computer, and when I sat down to check my email, he crawled under my legs. He is always my little shadow, but this was more like he wanted to hide from something very scary. I couldn’t figure out the problem. Then I heard the first thunder. The thunder caused him to start shaking, almost violently. We have had lots of storms, but I have never noticed him reacting like this before. He does shake when he is in the car and when there is thunder and lightning, but not violently like he did tonight. I tried to hold him, but that didn’t help. It was actually a bit scary. I started thinking he knew something about the coming storm that I didn’t know. However, when the storm passed, he was immediately fine, and I was relieved. I’ll never know what caused him to be so afraid, but I’m hoping we don’t have any more storms like that for a while. Other than the Encore Board meeting, exercising, and starting to get the house ready for my upcoming knee surgery on Monday, I had a very quiet, lazy day watching the crazy weather.
by Judy Handley | May 7, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 128: Pampered Paws, Wrentham Outlet, Costco, Wine Group
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Weather: Beautiful, Sunny Day; High Temp 67, Low 47 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
It was a busy day. Once ever seven weeks, I have to get Shadow up to the bridge to Pampered Pets to be groomed. So we were there by 9 am. And as I often do, as long as am that far, I cross the bridge to go to Costco, or IKEA, or the Wrentham Outlet to do much needed shopping. This morning I headed to the Wrentham Outlet as yesterday the podiatrist suggested I get another pair of shoes, just like the ones I was wearing, so I would have an indoor and an outdoor pair. I also need a few other items, so by 10 am I was there for the opening of the shops. I was successful at New Balance, Columbia, and Jockey in getting everything I needed. I then headed to Costco to get a few food items that I desperately needed, again successful. By the time I got back across the bridge and on Cape Cod it was 2 pm and I got the text to pick up Shadow. Perfect timing.
Once home, I went out to play with Shadow, took my grandson Ollie to his saxophone lesson, baked spanakopita to take as the appetizer to wine group, and then headed to meet up with the ‘Best Wine Group Ever’.
I signed up to be in a Newcomers Wine Explorers group in September of 2018, but it wasn’t until August of 2019 that I first met with the group. That night I wrote in my log, “Last September I signed up for a Newcomers Wine Explorer group. I couldn’t attend the first event last October and then there was an email problem, and I didn’t receive notices for a couple of months. So, first one thing and then another kept me from attending a gathering until tonight. My reason for joining this group was to learn more about wine and my education began tonight. The other members of the group are pretty serious about their wine choices, so I look forward to learning from them.”
Actually, I was quite intimidated at that first meeting and thought that would be my first and last getting together with the group. But before we left that night, I was ‘elected’ to host the meeting the next month. I didn’t know how to refuse, so I did host in September of 2019, and I am so glad that I did. I have been with this group ever since. I love this eclectic group of friends. I don’t see them much other than our monthly wine group meetings, but they have my back and I have theirs.
Tonight’s theme was to bring a wine that has been an historic favorite. And instead of focusing on the qualities of the wine, we were to tell the story of why this wine was special. Rich and Marian Morrison hosted, and as always there was more food than we could eat, and great stories to go with the wine we drank.
We had such a good time, we forgot to set our next meeting date. But sometime in June we will gather again.
by Judy Handley | May 6, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 127: Podiatry Appointment, Walk, Canning Bone Broth
Date: Monday, May 6, 2024
Weather: Rainy Morning, Clearing in the Afternoon; High Temp 61, Low 52 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Feet! When I was young, I read that the weakest part of the body for most Pisces is feet. And that has certainly been true for this Pisces. My problems got worse after I broke my leg while sailing in the Pacific. When I got home, I went to see a podiatrist at Mass General and he told me there was nothing to be done except to wear really supportive shoes. But things have gotten worse, and I decided to try another podiatrist. This time I was fitted for new liners for my shoes and orthotics for arch support. I will return after I have completed the PT post-knee surgery to see if these things have helped.
The appointment took almost an hour and a half. I had not planned for that, so I had to rush home to get Shadow as we had a 2 pm date to meet a friend’s dog and take a walk together. The other dog’s name is Millie, and she is an old lady, not enthusiastic like Shadow. They got along just fine, but basically ignored each other. But it was a delightful walk on the Salt Pond nature trails close to the Shining Sea Bikeway.
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I have a deep love of fiddle heads, and they lined the path of the trail we took. Soon these fiddle heads turn into beautiful, tall ferns. I will certainly return to this trail to watch the development of the ferns.
My task tonight was canning the chicken bone broth I made yesterday. I have been buying vegetable broth, but with surgery coming up, I wanted the extra protein. A cup of vegetable broth has about 2 grams of protein versus chicken bone broth at 10 grams. After my left knee replacement, the visiting nurse explained to me that after surgery of any sort, your body needs at least 70 grams of protein a day to assist with the healing. If you don’t ingest that much, your body ‘borrows’ it from other parts of your body which can cause all sorts of problems, but feeling like you have no energy is one issue. I followed her advice and found that the extra protein gave me a true energy burst. It is really difficult to get that much protein per day, so I will once again add Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and boiled eggs to my diet for a few weeks post-surgery, and I will drink a cup of hot bone broth each morning.
by Judy Handley | May 5, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 126: Day of Rest and Family Dinner
Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024
Weather: Overcast, Rain Late; High Temp 50, Low 47 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
There are some days when you just need to go slow and today was one of those days for me. I did some Sunday morning house cleaning, slowly, did my back exercises, slowly, and otherwise managed to do nothing. Heather invited me over for an artichoke dinner, so I spent my evening with family. As we went around saying what we are thankful for, I said I was thankful that the days are very slowly getting a bit warmer. But I am not sure that is really happening. I just want that to happen. What I should have said was that I am thankful that I live close enough to loving family that we can have family dinners on Sunday evenings. It is a wonderful way to start the new week.
