Nancy, Affinity and Katrina at Caruso’s Dream, waiting for the show to start

I waited for 10 years to have full knee replacement surgery. I waited until I was on Medicare and fully retired. I had always been concerned that if I took six weeks off, there might not be a job waiting for me upon my return. I thought you might like to read a little about my journey…

• 2/10/2014 Full knee replacement tomorrow. Excited, not too scared. I just keep remembering that it is elective surgery and thus a gift. I have great hopes for it making my life more mobile and fun.    My rehab goal is to be able to show up for an outdoor Art Opening on February 23rd, be it in a car or wheelchair or walker. See you on the other side.
• 2/13/2014 Day 2 Post-Operative Full Knee Replacement Surgery: Sitting in a chair having lunch. Walked 150 ft today. Yay!
• 2/14/2014 Day 3 Post-Operative Full Knee Replacement Surgery:  A little bored. Knee surgery is quite “me, me, me.” How am I doing. Can you lift my leg up for me? Etc., etc., etc.! LOL who knew? I moved to rehab where you get physical therapy 3 hours a day. I am pleased since my physical therapist at the hospital says I am already getting quite a bit of movement.
• 2/17/2014 6 day post-op full knee replacement: walked with a cane today, up and down a flight of stairs today and yesterday, walked down the hall to visit a new friend and make a date for breakfast, bathed myself with shower bench.
• 2/20/2014: Day 9 post-op full knee replacement: 1st time able to elevate and cover leg on my own. Great at walker. Physical Therapist told me I was in the top 2% of his patients ever. Going home tomorrow. Someone commented that I was doing this with positivity and grace, My response is that it would be easy to take credit for being a great patient, BUT, I have not had a lot of pain so it has not taken much bravery, just being determined. I have a higher tolerance for pain than most, from migraines, a lousy childhood, who knows.
  That said, one of my close friends just had a double mastectomy and the second of three a broken finger from a fall. So I am clear that this is in all of our futures and that doing it well is more fun than not.   Thanks. I am already pleased I have done this. Minimal pain, huge reward. Have to get my walking legs back. It has been a long time since I walked easily and comfortably.
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  (That is a sail-boat that looks like a leaf in my hear)
  Top – ASOS Curve, 2 years old, the first thing I ever bought from them. My go-to when I do not want to think about what I am going to wear.
  Leggings: Eloquii: 1 year old, size 22-24 a little large but perfect for getting on and off over my bandages.
  Headband: Amazon

  2/22/2014 Day 11 Post-op full knee replacement Surgery: Home again, home again, hippity hop…walking around the house sans walker OR cane, slept forever last night, just cleaned up some visual Burning Man Project issues that have been hanging around forever, going to try to talk MonkeyBoy into an outing after a bath all on my own. (We ended up going out to Treasure Island to visit our friends, While y’all have been out there hopefully winning some clothes or gift cards from my 2nd Blogiversary Giveaways, I have been recuperating. Today, I can walk at home without a cane but for an outing to Treasure Island I brought both the cane and the walker just to be safe.) I really want to go to Caruso’s Dream tomorrow, I am working up to it.

• 2/23/2014 Day 12 Post-op full knee replacement Surgery: Off to Caruso’s Dream.
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  Caruso’s Dream
  55 Ninth St. San Francisco

  

  Caruso’s Dream Aerialists
  Coming down 16 floors to remove the covers from the pianos

  To read more or view a fabulous video of Caruso’s Dream, click HERE.

• 3/04/2014 3 Weeks post full knee replacement surgery: Today was the 1st day of outpatient physical therapy and I loved it. He massaged my knee and around the wound and it felt like my knee had been yearning for it… I also loved getting on the stationary bike. Great to have my heart rate up a little and not feel so sluggish. And then home to have curry that MonkeyBoy had made. A good day.
• 3/8/2014 27 days Post full knee replacement surgery: I have had a huge set-back since starting outpatient physical therapy. My pain level is back to where it was at about 7 days post-surgery, and both knees hurt, even with some pain killers. It has been a disappointment to move backward rather than forward, maybe a little too enthusiastic on the bike, etc. My reading indicates that this is good for my knees long term and that it is strengthening and getting rid of some of the scar tissue inside the wound. No solace needed, just journaling my progress. laid low over the weekend.
• 3/27/24 6 Weeks post surgery: I feel like I am back. I have not been able to concentrate very well, but I was able to write a fairly complex blog post for Affatshionista today and for Cool Neon – Funhouse Productions yesterday, and I am almost caught up with Burning Man Project posts that I need to do.        I have come to believe that I injured my recovering knee at week 3 on the leg press and that it will hopefully repair itself before I see the Dr. again in late April. If not we will worry about the options at that point in time. All is well here. Only a tiny bit of pain, mainly an inconvenience to not have the mobility I was hoping for at this point.
• 4/9/2014 8 weeks post surgery. Still some discomfort in my knee. Thrilled to have driven the car today with an Ace Neoprene Knee Brace. 15 minutes on the stationary bike, trying to get my heart rate up, still being very careful on the leg press machine. But still hurts to go down the stairs and I still have quite a bit of stiffness. Four Advil maybe twice a day or even less.
• 5/9/2014 3 months post surgery. After a new diagnosis of a patellar inflammation, my physical therapist was able to attack my little injury and have it 90% fixed in two sessions. I still have a little stiffness, but I can walk up steps like a normal person, only down steps if they are really small. I have been having a little breakout pain this week but I think it is because I have been doing more leg lifts, etc. at home. Four Advill, less than once a day.

Peace…affinity