Sipalu Bag -Done!

It is kind of odd knitting around on the Avery cowl, but it is knitting up fast.  As of last night it is half way done.  The pattern is repeated 3 times - this is 1.7 or so......and no, it is not twisted.  thank goodness.  Loving the yarn and the color.

Oh and yesterday Alice, the cobbler from 5th Avenue boot repair, called. She was pretty excited.  She finished attaching the straps to the bag and sounded pretty excited.  So I will post a pic of that once I pick it up!

Ashby

Two new projects on the needles - Ashby and Avery

I cashed in a gift certificate to Virtual Yarns and have started the Ashby shawl.  It is kind of tedious knitting, but should be pretty.

I also started one of two Avery Cowls.  The yarn is from Quince and Company.  It is knit around so I need to check it to make sure I am not twisted.  The pattern is cool, but I keep getting mixed up, must be the drugs.  ha ha

I completed my forms to go back to work next week, Jan 3.  The doctor had wanted me out until the 15th, but I think it will be good to ease back into the groove.  Plus both kids will be at school, Zoya flies home to Olympia on the 2nd and Leif will be back at South.

Fingers crossed Leif gets through the school year without hijinks and gets into U of O.  cross em now.....

The week after Christmas - a week without PT!

So, yes I did get homework to do, but cannot for the life of me remember what the homework was!!! haha

I am blaming it on the drugs, I cannot remember a thing!  So I am working hard at trying to walk without a limp.  Yesterday the Game Ready rental people came by to pick up the machine.  It was a wondrous thing but I was really getting to hate it.  Every time I loaded it up and put it on I was freezing!  That is how good it worked!  It chilled my entire body.  I put it on my son's knee a couple of times, same result.

Anyways, as I was saying, the fellow came yesterday to pick it up. He called because he got lost and at the time I asked him if he has 4wd and studs and he said he could get in and out, he swapped one out before.  But the last time he came the driveway was plowed, and yesterday looked like someone shook the snow globe.  It was really coming down.  So poor guy got his little ford stuck in our driveway.  dang.  His wheels just spun and spun.

So I come out, with my crutch to save the day.  I pulled out my tow rope and he didn't have anything to attach it to on his silly little car.  So I hauled him out by the back of his car with my supreme toyota land cruiser.  I love that car.  We had a few other minor mishaps, but we got him out. ta da!!!

He also noticed I did not have a limp.  I was limping by the end of the day, we went to pick up sunglasses for Zoya at the mall and that was quite a wait.

also working on getting back to work. The Dr. wanted me out until Jan 15!  but I am ready to go back next week, so working that out now.

Father it has been 10 days since my last post-20 days post-op

Well I am getting a little more bend to my leg, with the help of physical therapy. It is amazing how quickly one can progress. Last Friday at PT was the breakthrough -I left PT feeling great! Today though I was able to cycle an entire revolution! Last week I was merely stretching back and forth as far as I felt comfortable on tge stationary bike. Today Laura sugguested I try it. The first couple were really really hard, then I was cruising'! Woo hoo. Leif said that is a major step. I am glad I am not working yet, I am totally fagged out, as the Brits would say

I also had kind of a faux pas today-I totally forgot to take my antibiotics -prior to a pap rest. How embarrassing. But the doc was really nice, at least I brought them calendars.

All in all I am doing great!

Knittin' and Knee Report  (not necessarily in that order)


Today is officially 10 days post op.  Not that that number means anything, but I am feeling pretty good.  My knee is still quite stiff, but I am up and walking about without aid of anything around the house.  I will be going out later and will be taking my crutches.  They offer stability in case my knee does decide it's tired and it also shows others that I have an issue with my knee so give me some room.  I will NOT be going to walmart, ha ha ha - folks there are always seem to be in a daze (I know I am) and I don't need some shopping cart slammed into me.  Same with Costco.

I had another shower today.  I am so glad I got the shower seat.  I don't sit on it to shower, but I use it to transfer in and out of the tub.  I wish I had known about this when Leif had his first surgery, I saw first hand how difficult it was for him to lift his leg over and into the tub while on crutches, while half dressed, with your mom helping you.  Poor guy.

I also moved my laptop back to the kitchen and am sitting at the table with my knee bent and doing that exercise.  These exercises are all pretty basic and involve just bending, so not too hard, just my knee is soooooo stiff.

Now for the knitting update.  I got the other side of the bag done.  It is not much to look at right now, I plan to block it today, then I start finishing off the bag.  I will try and add a picture then.   The next task is to pick up stitches and do the round bumper all around the top, then knit the top band, then another bumper, then, I am done!!! Well except for the strap I am still considering leather.

I am not sure Zoya will even like this but we shall see.

I also have another PT today.  That should be interesting - a whole hour of someone watching my knee bend.

Bruises and Blobs Day 8 post-op

My goal today is trying to diminish the swelling of my ankle on my bad leg. Since the black and blue marks rolled in yesterday, it looks reacly icky-hence the 'blob' title.

So I am laying in bed with my ankle high from stacked pillows and doing some foot pumps. Gotta work it out!

The black and blue with yellow tips is on the back of my leg mostly from ankle to above knee, and wraps around to the front. It would be lovely to take off the TED compression socks, but I think they are helping to control the swelling. I am supposed to wear these bad boys for 6 weeks, and yes they were white! I ordered 2 pairs online yesterday, my health savings card will cover them. I am not wearing the dirty ones out filthy like this! One of the nurses said they look good tie dyed so I will ask Zoya to do a pair for me when she comes home-which happens to be next Thursday! Yeah. I am thinking red on white!

I am trying to get all my exercises in, there are so many. And my rash/blister from the surgeons glue is rather annoying too. I showed my knee to Laura, my physiotherapist, and she agreed they were not staples.

Carrying on to get better! I am walking great without crutches but like to take 1 for stability. Still feels wired to bend it, sort of like having a hunk of metal in my knee, ha ha ha!

A Shower and a staple pop
So I decided to have a shower today. Luckily the OT had me practice the transition into a tub at the hospital, so I was familiar with how to do it. I feel bad that I didn't know about this when Leif first had surgery, I remember it was very tricky getting his leg over the edge of the tub.

So the transition was fine, but when I went to take off my protective thingy over my stitches, I think one popped out. I hope it's not a big deal, it didn't seem to open up much.....hmmm wonder if I need to call it in.....

I have been told this is not a staple, Laura the PT confirmed.  So I am not sure what I am going in for next week, I guess they are stitches.

Sunday oops Saturday - Post Op Day 4

At first I thought it was Sunday.  That is how out of it i am due to the pain drugs.  Oxy in the hospital seemed too much, so I switched to hydrocone.  This morning I had one hydro and one oxy, so we will see how that goes.  I am trying to drag the times out so I am not getting cravings for them.  I remember years ago when my back was in such pain I was starting to 'need' them.  Don't want to go there.

The pain is fairly moderate since I have been keeping up with the drugs. Kind of a dull ache.

I am moving around pretty well.  I can maneuver around the house on one crutch.  This is an improvement, in the hospital I started with a walker, but moved to crutches.  The Value Village walker was just too big and they are so cumbersome anyways it was nice to be able to switch to crutches.  The PT nurse at the hospital had me do all my exercises and stairs twice to make sure i was good with them.  I must have pretty strong legs, because I could always raise my leg without much help.

Using one crutch is rather handy.  I am trying to hold myself straight and putting a lot of weight on my knee, and concentrating on bending it and trying to walk normally and I can still carry one thing in my non-crutch hand.

The only real issue right now is that although I thought I told EVERYONE at the hospital that I was allergic to that super glue the surgeons use - no one listened to me and in the hospital on Day 2 there it was, a giant blister the size of a quarter and red skin all around.  I wish I had a better memory, because I do not remember what I did following abdominal surgery when the same thing happened.  I can't remember if they said No to Neosporine or to use it.  dang. Maybe Rick remembers.  Same as with my abdominal surgery it is distracting and I hope it fades away soon.  At least it has not been itchy.

Well time to take off my Ted hose - I have to wear them on both legs for 6 weeks - and put them back on again.  Plus I want to check on my wound and the surgical stitches mess.  More later, glad I got this much typed my eyes are starting to glaze over from the pills I took an hour ago.

I may try knitting tonight....not sure if I trust myself to knit the right colors, since I keep nodding off.