Under the Knife

As some of you know, I had injured my knee a couple weeks back with a torn meniscus. Last week, I was lamenting upon my poor state of affairs and listing all of the things I couldn't do while limping around the house. I was feeling sorry for myself.

My lamenting is at an end. On Tuesday, I went in for surgery to repair my pesky meniscus. We had to hurry up and wait quite a bit. We had to arrive at 8:45am for a 10:45 procedure. The extra two hours were used by multiple doctors and nurses to each ask who I was, why I was there, and if I had eaten anything since last night. I guess they didn't want me to secretly eat a gauze pad while I starvingly waited in my paper gown.

I discovered something new in hospital gown technology while I waited. They now have a gown warming system called Bair Paws. It basically is an oval shaped unit, about the size of a dessert plate, mounted to the wall. A long vacuum tube is attached to the unit. You then insert the other end of the tube into a hole in your hospital gown. The ready made hole in the gown looks exactly like the opening of a vacuum bag. Once you are hooked up, you turn on the heat. It acts like a weak hair dryer and sends warm air up your skirt. It worked pretty well since the pre-op and operating rooms were so frigid. I can remember my grandmother having a similar hair drying system at home. With her unit, the tube would connect to a shower cap like thing and inflate it with warm air like a Jiffy Pop pan on your head.

In pre-op I got hooked up with an IV. I waited patiently for my sticker for being brave, but none was offered. The anesthesia was administered and I don't remember leaving the room. I woke up just before noon and, as was the case last time, I was starving. I got my saltines and cranberry juice cocktail. They were so good, I had to have seconds. Lady Di then waited with me in recovery for another forty-five minutes or so before they gave me the go ahead to skedaddle. I had to use the bathroom first and I couldn't believe why I had to go so bad. All I had had to drink since last night were two small cups of cranberry juice. I voided enough to fill an IV bag. Then I remembered, "Oh yeah. The IV".

Now I get to rest my knee and limp around the house like Igor. I've been reading, sleeping and watching TV. I am bored out of my skull. I tried to watch Sweet Pea play chalk in the driveway. I have a few more days of recovery before I can do that again. My life now revolves around ice and how much I can put on my grapefruit sized knee.

Lady Di has been great as my at home nurse. She has been keeping up with the house and kids in spite of my handicap. I'm just trying not to be too much of a bother. The kids even seem to know that their Dad needs some help. They are doing more things on their own and helping Lady Di a lot. I hope they continue that after I have recovered.

Well, my knee is telling me that I have sat at the computer long enough. Time to ice and think of something a little more interesting for next post.

South Dakota Vacation

This weekend we gave Lady Di a break from us. The kids and I went to South Dakota to visit my folks. Lady Di was in charge of a fund raiser for Number One Son's school and she had to work there on Saturday. I can't recall when Lady Di has had a weekend at home to herself. She will either love it or go stir crazy.

This weekend was also my Mom's birthday. The kids each made her cards and we gave her a gift certificate to a local store. We gave the cards to her a day early because we just couldn't wait. The next morning, the kids sang Happy Birthday to Gramma just before lunch. Fifteen minutes later we sat down to lunch and couldn't find Grampa anywhere. The car was gone and so was he. We started to eat anyway. He showed up about ten minutes later. We asked him where he went. He suspiciously said, "Oh, just an errand I had to run."

Immediately, Gramma said, "You had to buy a card, huh?"
Number One Son and Sweet Pea instantly looked up from their food, wide eyed. They saw Grampa's face turn pink as he was trying not to smile, assuring his guilt. Sweet Pea then asked in her sing-song girlie voice, "Grampa, did you forget Gramma's birthday?"
You just can't slip anything past her.

We had a really nice weekend. It could have been better if I hadn't strained my knee last week. I twisted my knee while trying to save orphans from a burning building. I mean, I was showing Sweet Pea my advanced gymnastic routine when I caught my ankle on the basketball hoop and twisted........Oh, all right! The truth is, I over extended my knee putting in a shelf at work. That somehow doesn't sound as heroic. Grampa got to golf with the kids while I rode along in the golf cart and held up the 'Quiet Please' sign. This was SP's first time golfing on a real golf course. Once I explained that she can't dig a hole in the green with her putter, she was fine. N1S had quite a few good shots and is a very good putter. He may need to teach Grampa a few putting tips.

Anyway, I had an MRI done this week and I have a torn meniscus. I get to meet with the orthopedic to schedule a procedure to fix the tear. The same thing happened to my other knee a year and a half ago. I guess I just have weak meniscuses.

Besides walking around in constant pain, the real bummer is that I can't do the normal things I do with the kids. The weather, lately, has been perfect for walks, bike rides, and yard work. I haven't been able to do any of it. I wanted to help Sweet Pea with her cartwheels this week. I wanted to help Number One Son with his football class this week. A knee injury is never convenient, but it seems this week couldn't have been worse.

The up side is that after the knee is fixed, it should only be a couple days of recovery and it will be as good as new. That's what happened a year and a half ago anyway. I should be able to get it fixed next week. Then a few days of recovery and then 'watch out fun!' I will get to mow and winterize the lawn, blow out the sprinkler system, rake some leaves and take down the window screens. Wait a minute. I think I had it better when I was incapacitated.