I went out on a short walk today, the first one I’ve taken outside since the knee replacement surgery. I’ve been out walking at the grocery store, but that doesn’t count.
I went to visit a neighbor who had her knee replacement surgery a month before mine and has had a very hard time of it in recovery. It was a good reminder for me to be praying for her. We both agreed that we had not yet gotten to the point of being glad we’d had the surgery, but assumed that in one year’s time, we’ll feel that way.
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
It felt good to get outside on this relatively warm day in March. Can spring be far behind?
When my mom died a few years ago, we ended up with some of her things, including her old walker and cane. I’m not even sure why we kept them, but I suspect inertia had something to do with it. They got deposited in the garage and very quickly disappeared from mind and sight…until my knee replacement surgery began looming on the horizon.
Mom had both her knees replaced when she was in her 80’s. By that time, my dad was living in a memory care unit in a health care center just a few blocks from home. After the first knee replacement surgery, Mom ended up going to that same place for rehab, but on a different floor. She hated her rehab experience there, although I can’t now remember why. When she had her second knee surgery, I offered to come up and stay with her for a few days so she didn’t have to go somewhere else. In those days, the surgery wasn’t outpatient, like it is now, so she would have had a few days recovering in the hospital first.
I picked her up from the hospital and drove her to the house where I’d grown up. They must have given me information about her medications and activity requirements, but in general, we can assume that I was almost entirely ignorant about what recovery from knee replacement surgery was really like. I didn’t stay long – probably three nights, since I felt a need to get back to my own family. I was nervous about her being able to go up and down the stairs without falling, but she assured me she was okay. I knew that a couple of my siblings would be able to check in on her regularly, so off I went.
Now that I’ve been through this same surgery, I wish I could tell her how brave she was to go through it all by herself, especially at that age. I wish I had stayed with her longer, too. The first couple of weeks after my own surgery, I leaned heavily on my husband for help with the medication schedule, meal making, errand running, ice machine management (which included coming down at 2:00 a.m. every night for one and a half weeks to refill the ice machine with frozen water bottles), and comforting companionship. He was always sitting right there in the room with me if I needed anything. My dad would absolutely have done the same for Mom if he’d been able.
I would love to have been able to compare stories with my mom after I had my surgery, to find out how the physical therapy and rehab went with her, to learn more about what she thought about her new knees, and whether or not she wished she’d had the surgery done earlier. However, it was oddly comforting to have the use of her walker and cane. I think perhaps she would have been glad to know that even though she couldn’t be here to encourage me along the way, she helped me nonetheless by leaving behind those sturdy tools of support that I couldn’t have imagined needing. Underneath it all lies the unfathomable providence of God.
“O, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways.” Romans 11:33
I’ll probably put this in the blog garage in the morning, out of mind and sight.
Slept the best I have since getting home from the surgery – yay!
Zipped around in the morning doing some straightening here and there, felt rather pleased with my level of activity.
Icing and stretches – check.
Walked around the house again for a bit. No problem!
Skipped the lunchtime pain meds. Regrets will come.
More icing and stretches. Definitely feeling it. Pretty sure that my leg is just one gigantic bruise at this point.
Did some reading, some watching, Duo Lingo lessons, listened to podcasts.
Late afternoon pain pill. Might be too late to make a difference. I have learned an important lesson.
Feeling groggy with weariness by suppertime. Our son stopped by to join us, which was cheery.
Made a half-hearted attempt to do a few more revolutions around the house, but found myself drawn to the couch as if by a magnet. Tomorrow will be better, I tell myself.
Our daughter sent me some little notes to open each day, which has been a lot of fun. Today’s was a limerick she wrote:
A friend of mine known for misplacement Once got a knee replacement A couple years after She found, with much laughter, She’d left her old knee in the basement.
Whoo – glad to be off the narcotics! It’s just me and extra-strength Tylenol now. I have one normal sized leg and one that looks like an elephant’s leg, which is awkward. Icing is supposed to help, as well as a drug that is supposed to reduce swelling and inflammation. This all takes time, so I am praying for the grace of patience.
I read the post-surgery instructions with more attention to detail today and discovered that I’m supposed to be using the walker without limping. Good to know! Was I limping? Maybe, but now I am making a conscious effort not to. I’ve been around the house so many times that I am in all likelihood making permanent ruts in the carpet.
I also discovered some stretches I hadn’t seen before that I have to start now before going to physical therapy. These are ouchy stretches, but I have a feeling that much more of that will be coming, so I’d better get used to it. It’s all moving toward the right end: a well-functioning new knee!
Oh, and did I mention that I had so much energy today that I did some sweeping and mopping? Full disclosure: I had some robotic help.
I am encouraged to know that each day will be better than the previous one in terms of recovery.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.
I’ll ask Jeeves to sweep and mop this one in the morning.
In the original Star Trek series, there’s an episode in which Spock does a mind meld with a rock-like creature to communicate with it. Upon getting in touch with its consciousness, Spock cries out “PAIN!” It’s very dramatic.
Last night, the pain block for my knee finally dissipated and I had a similar moment. But I knew this was going to happen and had some tools (ice machine, opioids) to deal with it, so the night wasn’t a ghastly as it could have been. I’ve been in the wilderness of pain before and Jesus always meets me there. I was not alone.
I found out during the day the cost of using those tools, particularly the heavy duty pain pills. I was in a stupor most of the day, unable to stay awake for long. Ugh! I guess it’s a trade-off, but I came to the conclusion that I need to get out from under that cloud. We’ll see how tonight goes! In spite of the stupor, I made about 30 revolutions around the house today, which feels like progress. I conquered the stairs last night.
According to my husband, I also had a cat scan today. Good old Luna!
I ordered a stack of books from the library to keep me company during my convalescence, although the one on top was a gift from my daughter.
Lest you fear that this TKR feature will last for weeks, I’m only going to share my experiences from this first week. Hopefully after that, I’ll get back to my usual blog business. Thanks for sticking with me!
I’ll probably do a total blog replacement in the morning.
I read a book once called Dr. Mutter’s Marvels about the development of anesthesia for surgeries. It was quite fascinating, partly because much of the medical community was dead set against it. I’m so glad that Dr. Mutter won the day. I lump the development and use of pain pills in with that as well. Many people told me before the surgery to stay ahead of the pain by taking the pills on schedule, rather than waiting for pain to get bad first. Good advice so far.
Here’s how it went last night:
Me: Let’s sequester Luna in the craft/laundry room area so she won’t be jumping all over my temporary bed on the main floor.
Luna: I know you’re out there and I will spend the whole night making you regret that decision with loud meowing and complaining.
Luna won that battle; she’ll be given free rein tonight. Other than that, I think I slept here and there. I tried out the borrowed ice machine and it was a thing of beauty. My excellent nurse came in at 3:00 a.m. to give me the next dose of pain pills and change out the thawed water bottles in the ice machine for frozen ones.
Today was all about staying the course with all the various meds and keeping my leg up and extended. They fill you with horror stories about what happens if you don’t extend your leg enough the first two weeks and it involves undergoing surgery again to fix your sorry mistakes.
Flowers from our church – very cheering!
How about a few commonplace quotes to round out the day?
Faith has cause to take courage from our very afflictions; the devil is but a whetstone to sharpen the faith and patience of the saints. Samuel Rutherford
There is an affliction upon you and that is grievous, but there is a murmuring heart within and that is more grievous. Oh, that we could but convince men and women that murmuring spirit is a greater evil than any affliction, whatever the affliction! Jeremiah Burroughs
Love requires sacrifice. If we never sacrifice, we never learn to love deeply. Elisabeth Elliot
We often treat Jesus the way Saul treated David. We want him to slay giants and sing evil spirits away, but we don’t want him to be King. A.W. Tozer
God says “no” to make room for a better “yes.” Douglas Wilson
Today the day finally arrived: my total knee replacement surgery. I had been getting rather nervous about it as the day got closer, but I now know what it’s like to be carried by the prayers of others. The Lord gave me some peace of mind on the day before and I actually got some sleep!
I will probably share my journey through this process here on the old blog. It helps me to work through things. Flannery O’Connor said something about how she doesn’t know how she feels about something until she writes about it. That’s something I can relate to quite well.
It’s getting late in the day, so let me just say that the surgery itself was just shy of two hours, I was home by 1:00 p.m, and my husband has been the perfect caregiver, looking to my every need and helping keep all those meds straight. Who needs a rehab facility when you have such great care at home?
I also got so many encouraging texts and emails, and even a FaceTime call from our 7-month old granddaughter (with a little help). So many blessings…thank you, Lord! And thank you all my good friends and loving family members for caring about me and praying for me.
The night is ahead and I am hoping and praying to get some sleep. Here’s what I’ve been doing most of the day, when I’m not taking little walks around the house.
I’ll probably need help deleting this in the morning.
Lynniebeemuseoday 