Part 2: Knee Rehab

After 2-3 days post knee surgery, I had opted to do some physical therapy at the hospital which was located on a different floor. The room physically resembled the first room I was in when my roommate needed immediate attention. As I settled in my new room, I knew there were days of pushing past pain to get my new knee to feel welcome in its new home!!  And then...
Crash!  Boom!  It happened so fast that it drew immediate attention from the nurse's station.
"Are you okay?"
"Yepp!"
The plastic covering of the wall light had taken a dive and crashed to the floor.  Geez!~
Thankfully, I was unaffected by it except for a slightly elevated heart rate.

Back to physical and occupational therapy twice a day, and my roommate arrived, too. It was my original roommate!!! And it was really the first time we got to introduce ourselves to each other. 
 In reference to the recovery process, my knee was not my primary focus.  Because I had been off of my arthritis medication for weeks, and Mother Nature had joined the scenario with tornado watches and big barometric changes...I didn't want to move any part of my body...for any reason...to go any where..for any reason.  But that was not an option.  I was very thankful for the occupational therapist who was empathetic to my situation and helped me along in a kind way. My knee was probably the best working joint in my body!!  The health professionals were amazed at how well I progressed!!  As I returned from PT the night before I was to be released, there was a man on a ladder finishing up the reinstallation of the fallen light.  I said,
"Can you guarantee that it's not going to take another flying leap for the floor?"
"Well, not really.  Do you want me to take it back down?" he added in a joking manner.
"Actually, yes! I have already experienced the first crash.   I am going home tomorrow.  Come back then and reaffix it.  I'll be gone!"
Dinner arrived, and evening activities finished, I climbed into bed.  About an hour later, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw movement along the lines of.... Estelle Getty shuffling into our bathroom.  I pressed the nurses' button and asked that someone come to the room.  I didn't care that a little old lady was using the bathroom, but she had no walker and/or cane and I didn't want her to fall and injure herself. The nurse entered the room as the night visitor shuffled out of the bathroom.
"Well, Trixie...What are you doing in here?  Let's get you back to your room next door!"
And she looked at me and mouthed a 'Thank you' as I answered her with a silent 'you are welcome!
The saying about 'It takes a village to raise a child' seems appropriate at the other side of the rainbow too.  We all have to help each other along the way when we can. 
Aging is not for the faint of heart.

And the New Year began...

I watched the countdown and really enjoyed the flashbacks to American Bandstand's career launching moments. At 12 o'clock, everyone yelled 'Happy New Year'!! And I climbed in between the sheets.  Ahhhh!
At 1; 15, the phone rang and it was Mom's Nursing Home telling me that Flo had fallen out of bed..[huh???] and they were sending her by ambulance to the ER 'cause they thought she needed a stitch or two. Really?
Who can you call at 1;30 AM and ask to accompany you to the ER on New Year's Eve and maintain a positive mood, too?   I called my friend and Flo's Eucharistic Minister, Helen.  She was so kind and helpful and funny.
The CAT Scan showed a [small] bleed in the brain and so they wanted to send her to Syr or Roch for better care.  So I got to do another ambulance ride and we pulled into the ER at 5;30 ish to see a very busy space occupied by patients and policemen.  I asked the staff innocently.
'How are you doing?'
'It's New Year's Eve in the ER....How do you think we are doing?'
She turned to her fellow worker and said, 'Gunshot #6 is on its way.'
I suddenly thought...there have to be angry people out there that want to even the score...and there was the possibility of imminent danger.  OMG!!  Am I going out in the midst of gunfire??
They kept Mom overnight for observation and when she was settled in a 'state of the art' room in the neurology wing, I went home.  More stories...next post...Flo is the Energizer Bunny!!!

Was it Something I Said???

There is the thought that many things often happen for a reason.  In reflecting on my weekend stay at St. Joe's Spa [hospital!], it occurred to me that I had a small part in someone else's script, unbeknownst to both of us.
My little unplanned jaunt began when my surgery incision needed some antibiotic intravenous 'boost' and I was sent directly from the doctor's office to admissions. My room assignment was on the 4th floor which was an orthopedic wing, and a pleasant surprise was that it had been reopened less than a year ago after impressive renovations. No one in the other bed,  I was tucked into the bed by the door, located the flat screen TV in perfect position, and was handed the ''Room Service" menu.  You got to choose from a varied assortment from breakfast [available at any time], lunch, dinner, salads, side orders, drinks, desserts, etc. Between the hours of 6:45 AM and 6:45 PM an order could be placed by phoning 4-FOOD and selecting your choices.  It arrived within 45 minutes, and was pretty darned good...for hospital food.  Wow!! Innovative for sure!
The rest of the experience was IVs, vitals and/or blood work at 4AM. {Really??}
On the second night, the other bed area was prepared for a woman who would be returning from surgery. When I woke up Sunday morning { I slept?}, there she was ...resting ...as I made my way to the shared bathroom.  This is where our two lives did a little 'chapter' together.
After I was back in bed, a little voice eked out,
"My stomach hurts."
I immediately pushed my nurse's button, and directed the nurse to my roommate whose stomach hurt.
The nurse explained to her that after surgery, it is very common to have trapped air that causes pain, and that was most likely the cause. [I knew this to be true, when 24 hours after delivering my son via C section, I got horrendous pains and buzzed the nurse's station saying,
"I thought I already had this baby...what the heck is happening?"
The answer was trapped air post- surgery, and when expelled, it's all  better. ['gas'tly but true].
Ten minutes passed, and the little voice from beyond the privacy curtain whispers..."I have to go to the bathroom."
So, I press my buzzer and again direct the assistance to my neighbor.  They gave her a bedpan and some time to concentrate.
Then I hear a whisper [kind of like my mom's] as if talking to herself..." I need more oxygen."
Whoa. Jeez... I buzzed the nurse and pointed 'over there' and related the 'needing more oxygen.'  I imagine that there are a certain number of buzzes when suddenly you are not seen as urgent but I didn't care.  On the next trip in to see the post op patient, she was mumbling as if her speech was affected in some way.  She thought her tongue was swollen.  Well, the pace and teamwork certainly began to accelerate at this point.  People flew in, doctors, machinery, an ultrasound 'whooshing' gizmo.
"This is not good."  They couldn't get a loud enough pulse or oxygen level or whatever.  There were now about 15 people over there as I quietly shrink into obscurity wide-eyed and wondering.
They decide to call for 'rapid response' followed by the decision that ICU would be a better place to more closely monitor this patient. They reach for her oxygen tank to travel and see that there is no holder for it.  They spy one behind my bed, and as a man reaches over my headboard to shed the tank to get to the wrought iron holder, he glances at me...to which I smile and whisper,
"Just pretend like I'm not even here."
Furniture moved, feet shuffled, directions were given, and the woman's bed rolled out with all the entourage as well.  It had lasted probably minutes and was fascinating to watch.  It was like being on the set of ER or Grey's Anatomy.  Pretty far out.
And then I was alone again. Thinking.  It reminded me of the book, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."  I was one of hers. I think we'll meet again [in the future!!].  What if I wasn't there to push the nurse's buzzer?  What if I hadn't gotten involved?  Isn't life strange with the way we interact with each other when we least expect to and how it may change many things unknowingly?
Later in the day, someone came back to tell me that all was well and her family was there in ICU with the 'lil lady.
So, was that the reason I was in the hospital that weekend? 
I dialed up Room Service thinking that a small glass of wine would've been nice to unwind from 'my spectator trip to the ER... while on the 4th floor... in a place that I had never been to before.  I settted for cheesecake and coffee.
And a little bit of quiet time. 
Later the next evening,  I watched Dave, the nurse, who had been on all three 3-11 shifts run from patient to patient.  I even heard one in the next room tell him that she wanted to hit him!  He popped his head in my doorway and said,
"You are definitely my favorite patient tonight!!"

God bless all of the people who dedicate their energies to help others in need. It's quite an important job, and I think the folks in health care are more often taken for granted...or not appreciated enough.  So, share some compliments and a smile or two along the path of life.  Supply some mirth and merriment.  Be a positive force.

Me??  I found it exhausting even from the perspective of the 'mouse in hiding'..just watching!!"

48 hours

It all started with a sharp pain in my left side three weeks ago which was diagnosed as diverticulitis. [bad news] Two simultaneous antibiotics for ten days made the sharp pain subside [good news] along with the side effect of bumping me off of my arthritis meds.[ bad news] Ten days later I still wasn't feeling great and my left sided pain seemed to be making an encore. With the weekend in sight, I went to the doctor. Blood work showed an elevated white count along with a fever and a CAT scan was scheduled right then. Two large cups of thick stuff and a scan that was read before I was to leave resulted in the words,

"We want to admit you. The left side showed nothing to be alarmed about but there is an inflammation on the right side of your colon that should be addressed especially due to my immune system's RA history."

Have you ever gone to the doctor and the next thing you know you are in Room 204 A on a clear liquids menu with a window view of the sky?

Lions and tigers and bears...oh my!

The result was an unplanned hospital tour of 48 hours with IV antibiotics and a complimentary [not!!]nightgown that was definitely not particularly flattering to my kiester!

There was some fancy footwork done with the help of friends to plan Flo's weekend [who thought I was visiting my son for the weekend], and I had more than one 'AHA' moment while meeting some pretty unique people.

The good news: I do not have diverticulitis.

The bad news: The jury is still out on what's got the right side of my colon bent out of shape.

There are stories to tell and lessons to share very soon.

Here's just one:

My roommate had a kidney stone and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to trade places with her. I did want to murder her husband when he arrived armed with Wendy's french fries, fried chicken sandwiches, and rich chocolaty Frosties. The aroma wafting through the room was overwhelming. I was on the other side of the curtain sipping chicken broth, hot tea, and deciding to pass on the 'antifreeze blue' jello.

I don't think there is a jury in the continental United States that would have found me guilty of murder. Temporary insanity gained absolute clarity in my mind.

What would your verdict be if you were on the jury? Would I be doing additional time for bad behavior? [the murder, that is].

Other insightful memories will be shared after a couple of nights of the comforts of my own bed and favorite roommates...Flo [Mom] and Gracie [dog extraordinaire]!!

And there you have it.

Oops! Who said that?

Experience is a dear teacher and fools will learn no other.

I am one who always tries to learn from my mistakes...and, generally...I do.

Thirty years ago, I bowled in a Thursday night league with some friends. It was a good time, but I have to say that we were all happy when it ended because the bowling season was just so long.

We played a different team each week, and met new bowlers regularly. So, exactly what is it that I remember, and what was the lesson learned??

There was a woman bowling on the next alley on our right side who looked about 'overdue' to call a taxi for that ride to the hospital to deliver a bouncing bambino at any moment. In making conversation, I asked her,

"So, when is the joyous occasion?"

"What do you mean?"

Yep! Yep!! You have probably guessed: She was not pregnant.

I was beyond embarrassed, and vowed that I would never, ever, ever allow that to happen again. Seriously... The octomom could have been close by and I would NOT have said anything other than, "Nice weather we're having lately, wouldn't you agree?

And I haven't had a repeat of that particular 'moment from hell' again!

However, today I did manage to accomplish a similar faux-pas.

I was volunteering at the hospital in the one day surgery waiting room. All was well for most of the afternoon. The phone was answered, the patients were escorted to their room, and the family members were reunited when given the official word. As I finished peeling and sticking the patients' names onto Monday's charts, a [formerly tall] bent over senior man with a cane asked me if I would help him with his coat. He said that it was difficult for him to get the second arm in the sleeve. At the same time, a nurses's aide wheeled a middle aged woman through the hallway enroute to being released. She discovered that she had lost an earring, and asked me to call the nurse's station to see if it was in the bed linen. They sent the man ahead to get the car, the nurse's aide went back to retrieve the earring, and I began to chat with the woman.

Making conversation, matter of factly, I asked her,

"Did your father go to get the car?
"No, that's my husband."

I was wishing that the floor would just swallow me up! Ooph!

She was very gracious and added, "He has gone downhill in the last year."

Let me say right now at this moment in time... that once again...I have learned another lesson.

Never, ever, ever, will I presume to understand or speak of the status of a relationship.

Someone could enter saying, "I am looking for my identical twin sister." And I will say,

"Well, go ahead and take a look around the waiting room!!"

I have learned another important lesson in the category of...'Assume Nothing'

Yep! Yep! Never again!

And you can take that to the bank!!!

Walkin'...yes indeed...I'm walkin"

On Saturday, the physical therapist came to my house to begin my 3X a week therapy schedule. With the help of my walker, I put one foot in front of the other and brought the other foot forward to meet it. We call that, WALKING!!!! Wahoo! Yippee! I stepped my way from the living room to the dining room and back again. Sat down to rest, got up to do it again, and my recovering knee had already had enough!! So we stopped because I don't want to lose any ground. She returns today for the 2nd time and I am hoping for the best!!

Yesterday as I channel surfed by QVC, I happened upon an outdoor/patio presentation. I am now the proud owner of a bench that is easily transformed into a picnic table with attached benches. Perfect for my deck. I can use it as a bench until a situation calls for a picnic table...and Voila!! it's a picnic table!! Pretty clever. No storage required when it's not in use. I also managed to order a couple of shrubs. I cannot help it. They're unique!!

And the Oscar goes to...

I have been reminded that I haven't told the story of sharing a hospital room with George Kostanza'S MOTHER. [one of 5 in my 5 day stay before leaving for the rehab facility.]


I arrived late on Tues night[ of that dreaded day!], and was semi-aware of two roommates, both elderly women. It was a very large room with big windows, converted from a physical therapy room to a patient room with 3 beds. Let me say right here that I like old people[for the most part], and will often start conversations, and listen to their stories, etc.

One woman had already been released when I returned from surgery on Wed. and the other woman was a very nice 80+ mother of 10 children, grandmother of 25, and great grandmother of 32! The curtain was always pushed back whenever privacy wasn't needed and we had many interesting conversations, etc.


When she was released, another woman was brought in across the room, but it was in the later hours that Estelle Kostanza arrived. For her privacy, the curtain was immediately pulled as they settled her into bed, and thus began our relationship 'thru the hospital curtain'. I never really saw her face, but her voice could have been a Memorex commercial..."Was it real [George's Kostanza's mother] or was it Memorex?"


They were not absolutely sure what was wrong medically[ nor for privacy would I repeat it anyway], and she expressed pain after the '1-2-3 ' transfer[gee...could I relate to that??]. Then she was singing...in that Seinfeld sitcom voice! We said hello, exchanged names[again, thru the curtain], and it appeared that she had her wits about her. If it sounded like she needed the nurse, I'd ask her if she wanted me to push the button, she'd say yes, etc. She may have looked like a few buttons were missing...but not so! Looks can be deceiving. The menu collector said to her, "Are you finished with this?"
No answer. So she asked again. Response: "I'm thinking!"
I was thinking 'just how many choices are there on her all liquid diet?'

We'd exchange the regular, "You OK?" "I'm OK!"

There room now had 3 people and it was the night of the "Oscar Awards" when there was constant activity to either one or the other of my roommates. The nurses brought freshly brewed tea to try to ease the liquid diet monotony. People coming and going, shifts changing, lab techs drawing blood...there is no such thing as 'quiet 'or 'dark' in a hospital.

I was in the corner bed lying low trying to fly under the radar while watching the Oscars when it became apparent that 'Estelle' has something black [unknown] in her mouth and the quest was on to identify it! You will be surprised what it turned out to be...Remember that she was on a liquid diet. Ready?

Somehow, I guess the teabag started to look good. Maybe it looked like caviar!! They were tea grinds!![Originally inside the tea bag].

What a relief considering some of the possibilities that it could have been!!

My biggest problem [post surgery]was my inability to get all digestive systems 'operating and regular'. After Day #5, I was given the directive: Produce by 5PM or we'll be helping it happen. Lions and tigers and bears...oh my!

And then, again in the late hours, a new roommate [a 91 year old patient who came out of hip surgery] was introduced into the mix. And she didn't know that the surgery had already happened. And, "Does my daughter know I'm here?"

And so, between my 3 day relationship thru the curtain with George's mother[ with the raspy high pitched voice] as well as the other 4 seniors each with their own set of problems , there was never a dull moment. It was tough picking the winner of 'Best performance in a short stay".

But the Oscar goes to...

THE NURSES! Their job can be very difficult, and they work very hard.

And assisting me at 5 PM was NOT among their tasks! Halleluia!