Why I Had Knee Surgery (and a few movies)(and some Mt. Mitchell photos)(and a video)

I'm having to remind myself.  Yesterday, I had lots of mental energy, but my knee hurt more than it has in the last few days.  I did lots of computer stuff and organizing while sitting.  Today, my knee is the best it's been since the surgery, but I'm exhausted, and all I've done is go to church (okay, that had lots of standing), and walk up the road four houses away and back. 

If I go out, I use a crutch, but I'm able to get around the house without one, and also walk partway up the road.  This is the point at which I become a lousy patient.  When I'm really miserable, and people are taking care of me, I'm grateful for everything.  Once I get a little better, though, can do a bit, but not as much as I want, and realize that it's going to be a gradual improvement, then I get impatient.

I'm sure there's some spiritual lesson here, but I'm too tired to figure it out.

I've mentioned aerobics as a reason for knee surgery, but that's not the only, or even the main reason.  Right now, that seems very far away.  It was rather strange, the things I could and couldn't do.  I could hike up a mountain, but I couldn't stand for any length of time to look at the view once I got to the top. [To the right, the beginning of our October, Mt. Mitchell hike, and the view from the top]

The same goes for museums - I could walk around one, but I couldn't really stand still to look at anything or to read the labels.  I found out that the NC Art Museum is woefully lacking in benches. 

I couldn't squat down for anything - not to plant pansies, not to take a picture of something low down, not even to get a casserole dish out of a lower cabinet.  All the gardening I did this fall, I did while sitting on the stone walls or while bending over from the waist (not good for my back).  Older son trimmed back the perennials in a few beds because that's another job to do while standing still.  Daughter raked the entire yard, repeatedly, because raking is too still for me to be able to do. 

My world was basically getting smaller and smaller, and I'm a few decades too young for that (grin)!  

I start physical therapy on Tuesday, and I'm really looking forward to being able to do something that feels like it's helping.  I'm actually making pretty good progress, I think, but it's lots of waiting for it to heal at this point - which isn't easy for me. 

We've watched a few movies while I've been stationary - "Love, Actually," which we watched with older son and daughter for the first time, and they enjoyed it as much as we do.  Last night we watched the 1977 verson of The Man in the Iron Mask, which I haven't seen for years.  It's got an excellent performance by Richard Chamberlain.  Tonight, "Iron Man."  We also watched a bit of Shaun the Sheep: Off the Baa the other night.  It's by the same crew that made Wallace and Gromit.  And we enjoyed "Kung Fu Panda" and "A Fish Called Wanda" (not for younger son!).  Up next (from Netflix or the library):  "Gigi,"  "Muriel's Wedding," and An Ideal Husband.  We listened to a version on tape of "An Ideal Husband" (by Oscar Wilde) on the way to Maine last year, and all of us enjoyed it - even younger son. 

Here's a video I made, in October, of the view from the top of Mt. Mitchell (highest point in the U.S. east of the Mississippi).  It's one of my favorite places to hike - one of those places where you feel like you're on the top of the world.  Even hiking through the trees, without a view, is lovely because it's very peaceful.

Comments

[DCup]

Limited mobility makes me so grouchy. I'm hoping that you'll have the patience to get through your rehabilitation and that you'll enjoy the freedom from pain and the range of motion that will allow you to do all the things you love to do.

[Karen-In-Law]

Hey, Laura, when you're with your physical therapist, here's something to ask about. I've had knee problems for probably close to 20 years. Inherited from Mom, I think. I know your problem was a different thing than mine and hopefully the surgery will have corrected all of it. But I have found that regular elliptical workouts have done more for my knee that I could ever have imagined. As long as I get the workouts in, I have NO problems or pain. This, after going more than a year unable to squat. I wonder how/if it might help in your recovery?

[GreenJello]

Healing vibes for a quick recovery!

[M Light]

DCup: Thank you! It makes me grouchy too, although the exhaustion (probably anemia related) this week has been even more annoying.

Karen-in-law: I'll ask at my next physical therapy. It would be great to have something else that helps!

GreenJello: Thank you!