"And THAT's the knees for today!"

[sergebroom]

Sue, my wife, is having her right knee replaced with a titanium one today. Here's what the Wayforward Machine brought me back of the proceedings:

UPDATE after I supped...

Sue is doing fine. She was a bit nervous before the surgery and told me that, should something happen, I must remind her family how much she loved them. Of course, when I came over to spend time with her, she spent most of those hours snoring. Very loudly too. It's a good thing that she was able to get a private room. Heheheh... Her leg hurts, but like a tooth ache. I expect it'll be a bit more sensitive than that when she's taken off her painkillers and when the therapist starts getting her moving around tomorrow. I'll be going back in a couple of hours and there'll probably be more snoring. But that's ok. She's doing fine.

I was quite amused to find that her metal knee was made by an outfit called Stryker, and if you wonder why I find that funny, it may be because you never saw the 2nd X-men movie.

Thanks, everybody!

Comments

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

Give her my best wishes--I hope both the surgery and recovery and nice and smooth and easy--I know she's way past tired of this business.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

When her doctor called after the operation, he mentionned that, when he saw her knee, it had definitely been time for it to be replaced.

[readinggeek451]

Best wishes to Sue for a successful surgery and quick recovery!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I don't think she's going to enjoy going Ow!Ow! when she walks around for the next two weeks, but she'll eventually be free of the pain that's been bugging her for nearly two years.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

..and let us hope she never finds out that you compared her to Peter Boyle.

All kidding aside, here's to a speedy, happy, pain-free recovery!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Of course I am planning to tell her of the comparison as soon as she's aware enough of her surroundings. (Did you know that John Lennon was the Best Man at Boyle's wedding?)

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Just tell her it could have been worse.

"How so?"

"It could be raining."

::rain begins::

Although how you're going to get it to rain inside the hospital room is a task I leave up to you.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

I'm bummed. I did tell Sue tonight and she had no real reaction to it. I guess that the pain from having muscle endings detached from bones that aren't there anymore is a greater preoccupation right now.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

You have discovered the secret to divulging secrets: do it when the other person is on strong medicine (or under the influence of strong drink).

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

No kidding. She was so out of it today that, if I had said that I really am a closet Republican - a revelation that would shock even me - her only response would have been "Sure, dear, and how are the doggies?"

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

..You're a what?!?!?!

Oh, geez, don't do that to me..gimme a drink..gah!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Have no fear. I was trying to think of the most ridiculous falsity I could have said that'd have made her go "Whaaa!" under normal circumstances. I'm a true blue Democrat and the only way I'd vote for a Republican in any office is if they put a gun to my head - an unlikely idea because the poll workers might wonder why I'm sharing my voting booth with someone who's holding a gun to my head.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

..and you forgot the one important detail: I didn't have benefit of narcotics or strong drink before seeing your post.

;-)

:-D

Now that we have this settled, how's Sue doing today? More awake yet? Still liking hospital food? Ready to kick the PT?

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Heh. Fortunately, cats are not good at that. And I mumbled something at the lady who called from Special Olympics. I had the day of narcotic -- slept in the recliner for five hours and am probably still a bit loopy.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

True, and cats are really good at other things, like jumping up into the refrigerator for no apparent reason.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Giorgio did that, but Shiva doesn't care about the fridge and Spirit can't jump that high because she can't see that high anymore. She's got about a four-inch range now, I think. I've managed step access to all the sitting/sleeping places.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Brady's been doing it, and I've never had a cat do that. Kedgie can't jump because she doesn't think she can -- you should see her trying to get on the bed. She does these anemic little hops and tries to pull herself up. It's pathetic, and hilarious. Brady, on the other hand, jumps high and beautifully, so he practically levitates into the fridge.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Kedgie, no confidence. Giorio was an oriental with the bat ears, so I used to call him the vampire kitty.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, Agatha likes hopping into the clothes dryer. She has an obsession with most containers, not just boxes. Maybe we should have called her Schrodinger.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

When I kept falling down the stairs after the first renal failure and stroke, I sold my house and rented a little single-story one, bringing my washer and dryer with me, so when I admitted I couldn't go back to work and moved out here and bought the condo, Smokey was excited about the stacked washer-dryer. I have a polaroid of him looking victorious at the edge of the dryer tub. He also explored the top of the dryer, but the tub was his favorite. His littermate, Brindle, couldn't care less. All she wanted was a soft place to sleep.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

In situations like that, I think of the Far Side cartoon that shows a detective looking at cats dead all over a lab, all of them still sitting at some instruments, and the detective declares to the cops that obviously curiosity killed those cats.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

And unfortunately, that happens. To just about every critter that has a bit of brain, curiosity leads them places and sometimes those are not good places.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Yes, she has no confidence in her jumping abilities, at least for jumps "upwards". She certainly manages the leap from the bed to the dresser, but that's about the same height.

Because of her inability to leap a gate, we had to buy one with a mini-door included. Yes, our gate has a gate within, just so she can get through.

Brady shares with Agatha a fascination for the clothes dryer, but only when I'm working in the laundry. I think he perceives himself as "helping".

[miltonthales.livejournal.com]

We had a Siamese with a really bad attitude who used to leap from floor to kitchen countertop to top of the fridge, and then lurk up there until someone walked past it. Then he'd bat at their hair as they went by.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

That's the best part about getting up there!

[lunacy-gal.livejournal.com]

"Elevate me."
"What? Right here?"

Best wishes to the missus!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I don't think she'll be puttin' on the Ritz any time soon, but being able to walk normally will be nice.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Give Sue my best wishes. I hope she recovers quickly from the surgery.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I went back after supper, and most of her conversation... ah... Boyled down to ouchthishurts - when she was not sleeping.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'm glad she's doing well. Does she normally snore? Does she need a sleep test?

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Oh, she's had a CPAP machine since she went thru a sleep test. The reason why she snored so much this afternoon was because I brought the machine to her hospital room only tonight. Also, thesnoring was mad eworse by her having to sleep on her back because lying on her side isn't an option right now.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. I always worry when I hear of people snoring.

[miltonthales.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I wonder if they put you on a bike for PT with an artificial knee. I remember that as being the most difficult part of my rehab from the reattached patellar tendon.

[miltonthales.livejournal.com]

Oh, and boo me, I should have first said "Happy recovery!"

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Oh, that went without saying, but, nevertheless, thanks for saying it. As for her PT, that's starting tomorrow and probably will limit itself to her being able to stand. But an exercise bike does sound like a good idea. I'll ask the therapist if Sue doesn't.