update........

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone.......

Well, I think it's about time I put in an appearance.....ya think?

Things are going ok. Glad to be out of the hospital - my only complaint there

was the food - glad to get into my own bed! The doctor had told me I would be

there 3 days, but I stayed 5 days. The nurses said no one goes home after only

3 days.....The surgery itself was pretty incredible...I have an 9 " cut going

down my knee (shouldn't leave much of a scar, and I really wouldn't care if it

did), and am bruised like you wouldn't believe. The doctor said the damage was

pretty extensive; actually, he said it was " a mess in there " . Incredible what

they can do these days.

So, things aren't as easy as I thought they would be - nor are they as bad as

I'd imagined they could be! I got a bit scared of the pain drugs - Demerol

knocked me on my butt! Made the pain go away though, that's a fact! Also made

the pain in my other joints very very manageable. So much so that I used my arms

etc in ways I wouldn't even have dreamed about before. And, the whole while I

knew that once the drugs were gone I was going to be SO SORRY. And I am. Well,

when I left the hospial I had the doctor give me a prescription for

Tylenol/Codine, thinking it would be strong enough.......tried that for a day or

two and it did absolutely nothing for me, didn't even touch the pain. The really

down side to this is that it made it almost impossible for me to do the

exercises I'm supposed to do. So, had the doctor prescribe Vicadin - it reaches

the pain, but makes me really unfocused. Unfortunately, I think the two days on

Tylenol/Codine made me lose some important ground. It is hard to make it up, but

I'll keep trying.

Well, I was on my feet the day after the surgery - and though there was a lot of

pain from the surgery, there was no pain in my knee joint! What a blessing! I'm

supposed to walk some every day - with a leg-stablizer so my leg doesn't

collapse on me and cause damage (I'm not to put full weight on the leg without

the brace) - and am always surprised by the absense of that pain. I'm able to

stand up much straighter, like 85% at least, and use a walker instead of the

cane. Haven't done much more that 10 or 15 feet at a time, but that will change

with time. I left knee really is taking a lot of abuse - I can't imagine what it

will be like when I have that one done too.

I'm planning on going back to work Monday. The doctor's nurse said it was too

soon.......but I pointed out to her that all I had to do was sit there,

basically, and did it really matter one way or another where I just " sat

around? " That made sense to her. I'm sure it will be ok. Every day it is a

little easier...I think. That's the way it's supposed to go, anyway. It's a

bummer that I can't drive.........I keep forgetting that it has only been a bit

more than a week since the surgery. I must have patience!

Stopped the AP while in the hospital. I was recieving antibiotics while there,

and it didn't seem like a good idea to me to mix them....probably dumb on my

part, but that's the way I was thinking. Began doxy this morning, and will get

clindy shot next Wed. It will be interesting to see if I have a herx or

flare...

Haven't been too active with the group, but am reading mail every day, and will

get back into the swing of things 'ere long.........

Well, I think I'm going to stop for now.........the words seem to be moving all

over the screen! Ah, drugs! Think I might lay down for awhile and maybe read

some.

Be well,