Eleven days since my last post! I knew that once I got back into things, it would be awhile between posts but I didn't think this long. Oh well. It was the end of the semester at school last week and that involved wrapping classes up, entering hours of attendance (non-credit programs), potlucks, and lunches. A good way to end the school year!

My knee often is very tight in the morning. I take two Extra Strength Aspirin and in about forty-five minutes, it is ready to go. Walking with K. is jerky if I haven't taken the drugs early enough. But he is slow moving so all is fine there. If I spend the day on it, as in yesterday, it definitely lets me know it is time to put it up. I spent the day with H. in Madison and we had a great time: weeded and played outside "by" the swimming pool and shopped for a new swing set with Bapa. Also went to lunch with Bapa. Then back to weeding and playing. By the time I got home, I had lots of aches and aches. Sigh. Hopefully, this too shall pass.

I still have twenty-two bags of mulch in the driveway. Maybe today they will move. It has been humid and overcast. But I do plan to attack more of it because today would be a good day to plant. My rain garden is doing very well. Many perennials came back (all of them!) and it is fun to wander around looking at things. Weeding is harder. It is always a surprise to me when things do well in the yard. Not sure why I am, but I am.

Tomorrow I am off to see mom by the Mississippi. My sister and I will have a great time and hopefully we will be able to take mom out in the courtyard. It is supposed to rain... Then we go to dinner with wine. Maybe tomorrow will be "sitting on the deck and drinking wine" weather. That is always nice.

I am feeling lots better, knee-wise, with pretty good range of motion now.....can't quite bend it completely, but almost all the way back. I can walk up and down stairs "regularly" if I give it good thought and take my time. Focusing on the quads (muscles above the knee) helps!! I have been taking K. for walks for the last three days since Bob is up north fishing for awhile. K. is older and likes to smell everything so there isn't a rush to get anywhere. And that is a good thing! A bit of a problem is when he abruptly stops to smell something and I keep going!! But we mosey along and don't go long distances yet. I noticed when the weather was very warm, it was lots easier on my knee -- actually both of them! Today was just plain chilly (about 54 for a high) and my knee felt stiffer.

There have been a few times that I felt the need to take a pain pill of some kind...usually just aspirin now. Of course I have been Googling (spelling??) how long that should be and find ALL kinds of answers......so will just do what feels right. I had my last follow-up appointment on Friday and Dr. H. says I can do "anything I feel comfortable and able to do" -- treadmill, walking, swimming (hate to get my hair wet....), bicycling, etc. so I think I am making good progress. And I am determined to do stuff so...

And then there is gardening. I know I can't kneel yet! The pain is not my friend. But I have my dad's little stool and it worked well to sit and weed last week so I will try planting that way. I went out and got way too many perennials so I have a really nice stash in the driveway, plus the twenty-four bags of mulch I purchased before surgery...

More about the dog. Just a bit...... Well, the cheese worked for getting his antibiotic in for awhile if I kind of shoved it in his mouth with the pill wrapped in it. But this morning he decided that, no, he wasn't interested in the cheese anymore. I think he caught on. Huskies are smart dogs. So, I found the peanut butter, spread a bit on and in it went. Hopefully, the pills will be used up by the time he catches on to this trick!

I was planning on going to see my mom tomorrow (the three hour drive away) and my sister, but have decided that it might be a bit too soon for a long drive yet. My knee is so much better than it was two weeks ago (surgery day!) but it definitely lets me know when I have overdone it. But, I am improving and that is my goal. I see the orthopedic surgeon this afternoon and then am on my own, unless he recommends physical therapy. I have been trying to do the exercises he gave me but do forget occasionally. I know that is not a good thing; I need to be more diligent about them.

Three more official days of work this semester and then on to summer hours. I know I am lucky to have the schedule that I have. There will be a couple weeks off and then just three mornings a week for six weeks. Then almost five weeks off! I will be using some of that time to figure out what and how the Fall semester will go. Really, I will.

Ah, work. I went back today and was a bit apprehensive about how my knee would do. It wasn't too bad......I definitely felt it dragging by noon! But it felt good to be back with everyone and busy. I teach a GED math class and today we worked on geometry terms/vocabulary. I have figured out that it is one of the most important components - understanding what the terms mean. I sat a lot of the class which is new for me.....I like moving around and seeing that everyone is "on the right page." So, I had to do a bit of self-talk to stay put. Pivoting is hard to do and that is what happens when shifting from one person to another. Slow is my game plan right now.

I am hoping to start walking the dog by the end of the week.........we shall see. He stares at me a whole lot right now.

Later today I met with a new doctor who will be my primary physician. She comes highly recommended and I am glad I chose her. I waited quite awhile to see her - both in months and minutes today!! Listening to the patient (me!!) seems to be a great asset of hers. So waiting was worth it. She is very thorough and made me feel very comfortable talking with her. Yea!!

While waiting for my appointment, I decided to go get some cash from the Credit Union by the clinic. Imagine my surprise when I was told that I didn't have enough cash in my savings account to get any!!! I almost fell out of the car. The teller sent out a statement showing a very large withdrawal from my savings account. I did not do it. Of course I parked the car and immediately went inside.

I spent quite awhile discovering that someone (!!!!!) moved money from my two savings accounts into my checking account. Apparently, the perps do this before cleaning the account out through the ATM....which I have never used. Ever. So, now my money has been moved and I will need to figure out if I need to open an all new checking account, etc. Such a hassle that will be -- but better than losing all my money! Wow.

We had a very nice weekend with family. Spent late Saturday afternoon and evening in Madison with the kids celebrating H's 5th birthday. It is actually this week, so she was pretending to be 5... Then on Sunday we met in Stoughton at Halverson's for the Mother's Day brunch. It was very good....especially the Prime Rib, followed by a trip to the back of the car in the parking lot to open a few gifts. Amy gave me a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino wine grown and bottled on the farm/vineyard we stayed at in Tuscany...Le Chiuse. It brought back all the good memories.........yum. Never have I eaten or drank so well. We will pick the occasion wisely to open and sample this wine.

Life is really never dull. And that is a good thing, I guess.

While waiting at the veterinarian's office to have Klondyke's long overdue dew claws looked at, I was thinking of the responsibilities of having a dog. Klondyke was Amy's dog from her CA days and when she moved to St. Louis, he moved, too. When she moved to the Chicago area to work for a large company and travel a lot, it was not so easy to keep him with her. He had been staying with us while the move was going on - three months or so. And we fell for him. He is a Husky with great characteristics: friendly to people (not at all a guard dog!!), fairly good at following directions (Bob says he has no loyalty though because if he sees another dog and isn't on the leash, he is gone), loves to go for walks (keeping us fit and active) and eleven years old (fits well in our - dare I say it - aging household).

A number of years back we lost our twenty pound "pound puppy" named Checkers. She was a great dog for our young household. But she did have reputation with our friends and neighbors. I used to joke that her nickname was "Checkers, don't pet the dog, Wilcox" and everyone came to know what that meant. She was a nipper. Looked rather angelic, but she was a bit dangerous with company.

We had pretty much decided not to get another dog. You know, traveling, activities, work, etc. But then Amy needed assistance, so what do parents do? They assist. Ando so, we have an almost eighty pound, furry (really furry!!) dog who needs care and attention. Not such a bad thing, unless the care needs slip past us. His dew claw nails have been growing in circles for a little while and I always said I would get him in soon. Well, today he was licking and licking and I finally took a hold of his paw -- he growls when you do this so I don't do it often! - and it looked like blood was involved. Such guilt... I took him in and the nail was growing into his pad! So they clipped it out and clipped all his nails and he is on antibiotics. Or I tried to put him on the medicine. He just played with the pill. I have talked with Amy and he likes it with cheese!!
So responsibility, all the time and not just for the fun things....and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Today is another wonderful weather day here is Wisconsin! I really am very lucky and know it. I am sitting on the couch and feeling warm sun shining down on me. My knee seems to have had a small (I hope it is small...) setback. Last night it popped kind of backward and that left it hurting...so I am back to taking Vicodin. I certainly don't want to be on it too long but I also like being able to get around without so much difficulty. Everything I have read about knee surgery is that each one is different in time it takes to heal. So, I will be patient. I hope.

Today I am going to write a little bit about my mom. She is 90 and 1/2 years old. If she could, she would say "For God's sake, what it that all about? Who wants to be 90 if you can't dance, golf, bowl, travel or play cards!" She lives about three hours away from me in the Alzheimer's unit of a nursing home. She really doesn't recognize me -- except the last time I was home, she said when I came in, "Come here and give me a hug and a kiss." And she smiled at me. Later in the visit she said my name. It was not in context but still felt good to hear it from her. It is amazing how the little things do help...and hurt.

The entire visit -- about 2 hours or so -- I held her hand and we just kind of visited. You need to understand that mom doesn't really carry on a convesation anymore. Just a rambling group of words flow from her. But the touching was wonderful. I know I sometimes just go visit to "make contact" with her. Not in a literal sense but in a physical one. My sister lives in a small town close to mom and sees her every weekend - most times twice. I am so thankful that she is there and does this and I KNOW it takes a toll on her. I owe her.

Mom and I had a good relationship, for which I am very grateful. We spent many hours just chatting about things and mom was never afraid to give her opinion on anything! This often led to intense debates and much energetic discussion. She faced discussions of death, getting old, etc. head on and always told me how she felt. I don't remember a time when I didn't know what she thought or what she wanted. I appreciate that more every day.

When she saw her kids in trouble, she never backed up or stepped away -- always there and always supportive. I also remember her with our kids. She was the best audience they ever had or will have, with lots of clapping and laughing and positive vibes. Golfing, bowling, playing cards, walking -- endless walks!! -- these are memories of my mom. I miss her.

My husband said when my dad died, that the Circle of Life was being followed. We would become the grandparents and fill our parents' roles. And we have done that! It is often so difficult to believe that we have become "those older people." It does make me value life very much, and the actual speed at which it travels.

OK, I am off to try to do a bit of gardening...with my left leg out straight. It may work.

Today is a gorgeous day out! Our house is built just for this kind of day. Sunshine in the morning and lots of air. My healing days are continuing. They are certainly a bit boring but I am continuing to believe that the healing goes on. I am not taking Vicodin anymore but am taking a couple aspirins every four hours or so. The knee aches a lot and is sore. I know that it heals from the outside in and I need and want it to heal well! I see all the gardening that I need/want to do and feel a bit trapped. Also have shopping to do..... Oh, and work.

Yesterday Bob went to Madison and took care of H. He brought her back here for lunch and it was really nice to see her and to have company for awhile. We ate out on the deck and "walked" the backyard looking at flowers coming up. It is so nice to see flowers here. Last year at this time all was very barren due to just moving in in January. Can't do any planting in Wisconsin then!

They left and quite a bit later I realized she/we forgot her nana. This is a major issue. It provides lots of security and comfort for her. I guess she didn't miss it on the ride home. So, Bob rode his motorcyle back to Madison to make sure the little girl was at peace. He enjoyed the ride but did do three round trips in one day. We won't probably forget the nana again.

Well...we had an eventful morning, to say the least!! I had a 9:15 am appointment with Dr. H to remove the stitches and just get a general check of how my knee was doing. I felt a bit nauseous on the way there but thought it was due to leaving the crutches behind and a bit of discomfort walking. Really need to focus to stay "solid" and in control of my leg yet.

Bob took me to the appointment and sat waiting while I went in to see Dr. H. He took the stitches out and said all looked really well. When I went back to the receptionist to make another follow up appointment, I felt kind of funny. She called Bob over to be next to me and then got a wheelchair! The next thing I knew I was coming to in the back examining area. And then I proceeded to faint again! So, I had a ride to Urgent Care and they did an EKG. My heart is fine but they think my electrolytes are out of whack. What a strange thing! They said they sometimes have someone faint once, but never twice! I am really glad I was at the clinic when all of this took place. I do have a history of fainting spells, but this was more so especially since it occurred after surgery.

So, now I am home on the couch again.....feeling worn out and ready to rest the afternoon away. What a life.

I have decided to write about my most recent knee surgery. I last had knee surgery in December of 2002 and I almost completely forgot what it all entailed. So, this seems like a good way to remember it for the future. I do hope I don't need another one but who knows??

Sometime in February of 2007 I was taking off my knit pants and caught the leg on my sock and fell over. I am pretty sure this is when I first hurt my left knee. I do remember the pain. Then at the end of February I went to Amy's to see Josh Groban in Chicago. (A whole other story - never did get to see or hear him due to ice storms.) Coming out of a restaurant, I fell on the ice, pretty much right on my left knee. So, I wasn't surprised by the fairly constant pain from then on in my knee. Before we went to Key West in March for Spring Break, I went to Urgent Care because of the pain. They did an x-ray and said it was probably bursitis...wrap it and take tylenol or aspirin. We went to KW and I was able to bike ride so was fine there. Walking any distance wasn't easy though. The day we came back I was taking things upstairs and my knee completely "went out." It popped and I fell on the stairs. Bob came flying and landed on top of me. He says it was because I was sliding down the stairs! I couldn't move and it was unbelievably painful. We put it in a knee stabilizer and I did nothing for the rest of the weekend but sit with it up. On Monday, I went to Urgent Care again but was directed to make an appointment with the Sports Medicine doctor, Dr. Eccles. That happened about a week later. She set up an MRI, I went back to see her again and she said I had a torn meniscus. So, then on I went to the Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Huibregtse, at Dean Riverview Clinic.

There really weren't a lot of options, it seemed. I just wanted it to be better! There were way too many things to do in the next few months to just sit around and hope it got better. So, I scheduled arthroscopic surgery on Thursday, May 3rd. That was last Thursday and all seems to have gone well so far. Getting ready for surgery involved not eating after midnight and no liquids after 5 am. Bob took me in at 8 am and my blood pressure was pretty high. Just the way it is, I guess. I was home by 1 pm and pretty much just slept all day and evening that day. Oh, and took a lot of Vicodin, too. It was a rather uncomfortable night of interrupted sleep. I used both crutches and just hobbled wherever I had to go. By the way, bathroom trips involve a lot of fancy manuvering and a bit of pain, too. Friday and Saturday were more of the same.

I have set up in the living room on the couch --a table next to the couch, the ottoman for my two pillows for my knee and pillows behind me and ice as needed. The ice seems to be needed fairly regularly (a half an hour every couple hours...), it seems. I am trying to do the exercises that are on the sheet given to me at the Surgery Center. The straight leg raise is very difficult to do --and I am more than ready to get the wrap and dressing off...and shower... I have an appointment tomorrow morning with the surgeon and, hopefully, all will go well and I will be really on the way to a good recovery!

I am off work for the next week and that is a good thing, I think. But sitting around gets pretty old and very quickly, too. If the weather isn't good, that actually might help me stay put. If it is nice outside, I could be drawn into yard work of some sort. And that might not be the smartest thing I could be doing right now. Guess I will be reading, watching really bad TV and surfing the net. Having the laptop handy is a wonderful thing!