A Few Pictures

Thought I would send a few pictures.  The first are of my new patio.  I met with the guys who will be adding my steps and wall at the end of the patio yesterday.  They will be back next week.  They are in the process of finishing up another job and should be done by the end of this week.

These next pictures are of the first embroidery project I did.  They are tea towels and are hanging on a rod above my kitchen stove.

I have also been embroidering bait towels for Kevin which he gives with each fishing rod he sells.  The colors match the rods.  This picture is just one of many.  I put a buttonhole in the corner so he can add a clip so they can be hooked onto a belt loop.

I have also been making Christmas presents so I won’t be showing those.



However, I have started working on tea towels to hang above the stove both for fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I will take a few pictures and post those.  I created a new wall hanging for autumn and new placemats.



As a side note Penny turned five years old this July.  She is still my buddy.  She follows me everywhere around the house.  If I leave she waits by the door and greets me when I return.  She is definitely a sweetheart.  If I sit in my recliner to put ice on my knee or watch television she sits on my lap.  These two pictures are of her sitting on my lap.

I try to go to the She Shack every afternoon for a couple of hours.  My stamina is not quite what it used to be, and I have to limit myself with what I do.  I am taking a few days to clean and rearrange things in the She Shack.  This is a big job because most of the items are heavy.  If I ever get caught up I will take a few pictures.  Mornings I usually do my errands and chores in the house.

If it ever cools down I will weed my azaleas.  And, they are a mess.  They are the only plants we didn't move because I wanted them to stay where they are.  We also need to get a load of dirt to finish the front of the patio.  Kevin plans on doing that.  We also have a load of  "stuff" to take to the dump. 

Meanwhile I have been cleaning out draws and cupboards.  I have three bags of items to take to Goodwill so far.

Good Morning

I have been debating whether or not to continue writing my blog.  I decided I will do so, but if there is no interest I will discontinue.



First of all, my knee is healing up just fine.  I have a nice little scar.  The surgeon says everything is going just fine.  I go back the end of October.  It still swells and hurts at times, but I was told that is normal and could continue for at least a year.  I continue to put ice on it three times a day.  I am no longer going to physical therapy.  I have stopped using the walker and, for the most part, the cane.  When I am in a crowd or have to walk a pretty good distance I use the cane.  That’s it for the knee.  I have some other health problems, but I am working through them.



Right now my front yard is a mess.  Kevin took down the deck because the wood was rotting.  Of course, he fell through while working on the destruction and messed up his knee.  I then hired a couple of guys who put concrete blocks under the mobile home across the front since there were none, and I didn’t want it wide open.  Too many critters could live under there.  After they finished I hired a company to come and pour a concrete patio and “stamp” it to look like slate.  It is really nice.  I have hired the same guys who installed the concrete blocks to build steps to my front door and my living room door.  This has not been done yet.



Kevin and Renea transplanted several of my bushes that were in front of the deck in other parts of the yard.  Of course, it is the wrong time of the year, we are in a drought, and even though it is almost the end of September we are having unusually hot weather – in the upper nineties.  Not sure any of the bushes will survive.



I have been busy down at the She Shack doing a lot of embroidery, sewing and quilting. 



Jana will be coming down for the holidays again this year.  She is hoping to come down the end of October so we can go to Christmas Made in the South.  That’s always a fun time.  I am hoping to go to Ohio next year; late spring or early summer.  It will be great to see everyone again.



I know this is short.  Trying to get back into the swing of things.  Taking it step-by-step.

Total Knee Replacement Surgery

I decided it was time to update you on my surgery.  For those of you who don’t know, it was rough!

After several cancellations I finally had the surgery on June 11^th.  Apparently, from what I have been told, my knee was worse than anticipated.  When I was given the pain medicine I was overdosed and came this close to dying.  They could not give me Narcan because it would have taken all meds out of my system.  So, they just “worked” on me. 

I was scheduled to be in the hospital two days.  Instead I was there seven days.  I do not remember the first four days.  The next three are a bit of a blur.  All I remember is they tried to get me up to walk.  On the seventh day they decided I needed to go to a rehab facility.

That turned out to be a bit of a problem.  Glad I had Renea there.  She called almost every facility in Alabama and Georgia.  Ones that were close to us.  As soon as she told them it was rehab for complete knee replacement therapy she was told they only took patients for stroke and heart attack.  She finally found one in Alabama.  In fact, it was Canteberry where her mother lives and where Jim was for his final days.  I was there for ten days.

When they took me to Canteberry Kevin called Jana and asked her if she could come down and stay to help.  Of course, she said yes.  Brian brought her down right away.  After all that happened, Brian wanted to see me anyway.  Jana and Brian brought me food every day.  I just could not eat the food at Canteberry. 

I was really sick the first few days, but eventually got better.  I received therapy twice a day.  The Occupational Therapist came every morning.  She helped me bath or shower, wash my hair, even brush my teeth.  She also helped me with my upper body strength.  The Physical Therapist came once a day; sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon.  He really worked me hard.  I was usually in tears by the time he was finished.  The biggest problem we had to overcome was that scar tissue had already started to form and it had to be broken so I could bend my knee.  It was rough, but by the end of the ten days I was improving.

It was now time to visit with my surgeon.  He was very pleased with the progress I was making.  The staples were taken out of my knee and sterri strips were put on.  I asked him how long I had to stay at Canteberry.  He said since Jana was staying with me, and I was doing good, I could go home that day.  Yea!   I also had to start outpatient physical therapy.  When I stopped to set up my appointment I asked if I could have the same therapists that I had for my hip.  They said yes.

By this time Brian had gone home.  He had to get back to work.

I am going to physical therapy three times a week.  Jana is driving, of course.  I am not permitted to do so.  I also have five exercises I do at home twice a day.  I am improving daily. I also put ice on my knee several times a day.  I know that I will be going to pt three times a week through August 2^nd.  Then I will be re-evaluated.  We are hoping I will be allowed to drive after this, and Jana can go home. 

I am using a walker.  Hopefully, I will graduate to a cane soon.  The pain is slowly becoming less.  I will be glad when it is gone!

Third Time is a Charm

At least I hope it is.  For those of you who haven't heard I did not have my knee replacement this past Tuesday.  I haven't sent out the information because I was in a state of pissedoffity.  Anyway, due to the confusion over my having changed cardiologist my surgeon was worried he wouldn't get the okay from my new cardiologist in time for the surgery.  So....he scheduled two other surgeries and postponed mine.  I did not find out until Monday.  I am now scheduled to have my surgery on Tuesday, 6/11.  Hopefully, this year.  Just kidding.  Will let you know.

Everything is a go!

I had my stress test bright and early Friday morning.  Everything went fine.  While on the way home Dr. Jones’ office called and informed me that all was well, and I can have my surgery on Tuesday.  Now I am waiting to hear from Dr. Wolff’s office which will be on Monday.  They will confirm the surgery and the time.

Making Progress

We are making progress.  I had my visit with the Nephrologist.  He said there is no reason (regarding my bladder and kidneys) that I cannot have my surgery.  I do have a small kidney stone in one kidney, a small cyst in each kidney, and a small cyst on my liver.  I go back in six months, provided I don’t have a problem with my kidney stone, to have everything checked again.  He told me my kidneys are working at 45% and should be good for at least 25 years.  I figure by that time I will be 103 and dead.

I had my Cystoscopy which was an experience.  Anyway, yesterday I went to the urologist and was told that everything was fine.  I need to go back to them in six months also for an ultrasound of my kidney because of the stone.

I have a new cardiologist.  I have an appointment with him tomorrow.  He is with Columbus Cardiology who came highly recommended.  Hopefully, after that I will have my knee replacement surgery scheduled.  Not doing much walking because it is so painful.  Now I am using a cane but have a walker for after surgery. 

The weather has been extremely hot here with no letup in sight.  No rain either.  We are in a drought and there is a burn ban.  Summer arrived early!  The temperature on my deck has been averaging between 100 and 106 in the afternoon.  Those poor trees on my deck are withering.  I am doing my best to keep them watered, but they are still looking pretty sad.  I was worried that I was over watering them but it seems I was not watering them enough.  That changed as of yesterday!

I have been working down at the She Shack quite a bit.  I ride the golf cart down and back, and I mostly sit while working there.  I have been trying to get ahead with the fish towels that Kevin gives with the fishing poles.  He likes them coordinated with the colors on the poles.  We are getting rather creative.  He made a pole for a young man’s mother who had breast cancer.  So, we embroidered the pink ribbon next to the logo.  He also put the pink ribbon the pole.  He does such a great job.  Turned out great.  He also made a pole for a Commander on Ft. Benning who retired. We did some extra embroidery on his towel, i.e. his title, years as commander and where.  Turned out great. 

I have also made three white towels with flowers embroidered on them to hang above/behind my stove.  I am very happy with the way they turned out.  Jana has requested a few which I will be making next.  I may have to send her quilt top to her since there is a possibility I may not make it to Ohio this summer.  It depends on when I have surgery on my knee, follow-up appointments and rehab.  We shall see.

I have a list of items to make before Christmas and for Christmas.  I should be able to get quite a bit accomplished during my recovery.  I have been accruing embroidery patterns and thread and other items so everything will be ready. 

Had my appointment with my new cardiologist.  His name is Dr. Jones.  I also met his PA and his name is Alex.  I liked both of them.  They had all the records from Dr. Bennet except the one from my stress test.  Dr. Bennet could not find those results.  Dr. Jones told me that those test results would be too old to use, and I will need a new stress test before he can give me the okay for surgery.  I will be having the stress test tomorrow morning.  If all is well (which he thinks it will be since all of my other tests show that I am fine) then I will have my knee surgery on Tuesday. 

A Quick Note

Good Morning:

This will be short.  Just wanted to let you know since I had told everyone I was having knee replacement surgery on 5/21 that it has been postponed.  I had a lot of problems getting an appointment with my cardiologist for her okay for the surgery.  Long story short, I now have a new cardiologist.  I will be seeing him on 5/30.  I have notified both my primary care doctor and orthopedic doctor of this change.  After I see my new cardiologist and get his okay for the surgery they will reschedule.  I will let you know.

Thank you.