I have to say:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

My physical therapist rocks! He is a smart, compassionate and intelligent young man, and he knows how to motivate me to greater efforts than I thought possible! He checks my BP when he arrives, and then when he's leaving, and today it was lower at the end. And this was after some real work! I am getting well, and it is largely due to his encouraging efforts. Amazing!

[frogmarch]

1. Yay! So glad

you're recovering well, Peggy! Keep up the good work!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thank you, my dear frogmarch!

I am so relieved to be coming along this well towards vibrant health!

[OhioChick]

2. A young man, you say?

All joking aside, I'm glad that you found someone good to work with you.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear OhioChick!

Yup, a very professional young man...

He knows his business.

I could not be more pleased.

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. I'm very glad to hear this -- though it doesn't surprise me.

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The staff at my cardiac physical therapy center was universally exceptional in attitude, knowledge,
help, and caring.
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My b/p would drop after exercise, too -- just one MORE of the benefits.
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Are you getting any "occupational" therapy -- that's the day-to-day functioning training and tips and help? One
of my tests was how I got around in their functional kitchen -- I made my two therapists caprese salad.
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And after THREE months of hospital food -- that was one fanfuckingtastic meal!!!
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This is good to hear and know.
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[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear MiddleFingerMom!

I *am* surprised, actually. I have never been athletic, at all. I thought PT would be painful and difficult, with minimal returns.

I am really happy to be wrong!

I haven't had any OT at home, and I'm not sure I will. My kitchen is pretty well set up already. We'll see...

Thanks, sweetie...

[HeiressofBickworth]

7. I know I speak for others

when I say we are totally delighted to hear that you are on the mend and that PT is going so well for you. You'll be dancing in the moonlight very soon, I'm sure.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. My dear HeiressofBickworth!

Aw, thank you for your very kind words!

As for dancing in the moonlight: You'll have to find me someone to dance with. My husband doesn't dance!

[HeiressofBickworth]

9. So who needs a partner

Dancing by one's self in the moonlight, enjoying the soft light, the sounds of the outdoors is a joy for yourself -- and in your case, well deserved.

P. S. You could even do it with clothes ON.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. How true!

And it would most definitely be with clothes ON.

[raccoon]

11. Glad to hear you're getting well. :hug: nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. Thank you, my dear raccoon, I am! n/t

[pipi_k]

13. It's good

to have a PT who can motivate you. It's important to get that knee back in shape!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. My dear pipi_k!

At the rate we're going, I almost expect this knee to be in better shape than it was before!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

15. My dear Peg

I refrained from posting prior to and during your odeal. I had my knee done last June and, had I known how hard it was going to be, I might have had second thoughts. I didn't want to say anything that would frighten you or discourage you so I just lurked and kept my mouth shut. Now that you are on the road back, however, I encourage you to really work hard on your PT, especially at home. The harder you work, the faster it will get better and remember, pain pills (for now) are your friend! Good luck and keep us posted.

I'm at the point now where I am considering getting a mountain bike to start building up strength and putting my knee through some paces though it still hurts some if I twist it the wrong way. The little pain now is nothing compared to the bone on bone agony I was experiencing prior to the operation.

I'm glad to hear you had a good Dr. who kept you in the hospital for a few days post op. I've heard (and seen) horror stories of people sent home the next day. Having a great PT helps a whole bunch too.
Peace
Bud

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. My dear OffWithTheirHeads...

It's funny, but I'd been having some second thoughts prior to the surgery too. But I really also knew that there was no other genuine fix for my very damaged knee.

I appreciate your comments very much! The surgery was very hard, much harder than I'd expected. But, it wasn't as though anyone had misled me. My doctor clearly laid out the things that could go wrong.

I cannot believe that any doctor would send someone home the next day! I was still vomiting and very much out of it. That would have been extremely dangerous. I was ready to go home at day #5.

Thank you for your good thoughts! I plan to work as hard as I can to get well. My life is waiting for me.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

21. All I can tell you is that each day is a little bit better

and on occasion, a little bit worse. It ebbs and it flows, kinda like life but in the end, it gets a LOT better!

And I know! Can you believe some doctors send people home the next day! Shit, I threw up twice on the way home after a week in the hospital! This is MAJOR surgery!. None the less, I saw people at PT that had just gotten out of the hospital. I can't even imagine! They were not happy!

[hedgehog]

22. I seconds OffWithTheir Heads' words in that I was afraid to say anything

too discouraging, also! Oftentimes the path back to health requires some pain, but you have to keep your eye on the goal! I'm glad to hear you have a good therapist.

[applegrove]

16. Great to hear it is going well.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. Thank you, my dear applegrove...n/t

[pacalo]

17. That's good to hear, CalPeggy!

Sounds like you have a good one.

I hope the time to get that brace off will go by fast for you!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. My dear pacalo!

Ah, the brace is already off more than it's on...

I'm steady and well balanced and doing well...

Thanks, sweetie!

[pacalo]

36. Oh my, you are progressing much more than I'd realized!

[swimboy]

23. Ever striving we attain

I'm glad you are making great strides! Attitude counts and yours will serve you well and edify everyone you're working with!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. My dear swimboy!

Thank you, my dear old friend...

I did ask my PT guy today if he saw anything I was doing that he didn't like. He answered that he liked everything he saw. How about that?

His encouragement enables me to work harder than I thought possible.

[csziggy]

25. Physical therapists have to be some of the best people in the world

They deal with all kinds of people at their worst and I've never seen one be downbeat or obnoxious even when dealing with cranky patients - I should know because I was one of the cranky ones.

It's great to see you getting back to your cheerful self (not that you ever weren't cheerful) so soon.

I get to see the surgeon March 27 to see about getting my knees done.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

26. I will keep you in my thoughts, my dear csziggy...

It's not an easy procedure, and having both knees done at the same time will make it tougher. I understand, though, why you're doing this...

[csziggy]

27. Thank you, CP! You're an inspiration!

As bad as both knees are, I'm not sure either one could handle the strain if I don't do them both at once. And my hay guy who got both done a little over a year ago said if he'd only done one, he wouldn't have gone back for the second operation.

So are you using a Blackberry to post? My husband has been after me to buy a tablet and I'm thinking one would be handy to have in rehab.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

28. I did use my blackberry while I was in the hospital.

My laptop wouldn't work. Something about my firewalls being too secure to allow me to access the hospital's network.

I think a tablet would be easier to post on than a blackberry. The keys on that are so tiny...

I hear you about doing both knees at once. I know for sure that I will most likely never go back for the second knee. Thank goodness, so far, it's doing well!

[csziggy]

29. I think I'll go for a low cost tablet

That way if I don't use it much I won't be out much. My SIL bought a Lepan for herself for Christmas - she works at Walmart and got it for $200 - her employee discount. I checked it out Christmas and it would do what I would be up for - email, a little web surfing and maybe some video watching.

I'm so glad you're doing good with the therapy and healing fine. When do they send you home?

So far everyone I've talked to has said it's worth it, even the lady I met that had two sets of defective replacements and had to get a total of SIX knee replacements! She went through getting both knees replaced at the same time THREE TIMES. But she was hiking around a wildlife preserve with no cane or anything and just as happy about it as she could be.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. That sounds like a great idea...

And hey, I'm home already! They kicked me out on post operative day #5. I was doing too well! Surgery was on the 23rd and I came home on the 28th...

And my god, the lady with Six knee replacements! Good for her.

[csziggy]

31. Wow! That's great!

I really hate the idea of being in rehab - what's it like? Did you have to share a room? How many hours a day was the therapy? Did you have any energy for anything else? What things (nightgown, toiletries, etc) did you find useful?

I'm trying to plan on what to take - books, tablet, needlework? Here, I keep busy all day with various things, but will I be too tired to worry about that in the rehab place?

Yes, the Six Knee lady was impressive, especially since she'd had eight other operations in the last ten years (I thought I had it bad with five major operations in that amount of time!) and was looking forward to another bypass operation this spring.

She was happy and cheerfully discussed her medical stuff with me and encouraged the knee replacements even though she'd had such bad luck. She did say she had gotten a "nice settlement" in the class action suit, so maybe she got enough money to make up for the pain. That's have to be a WHOLE lot of money!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. Rehab is not really a terrible thing.

I guess I thought it was going to be brutal, but it isn't.

While I was in the hospital, the PT folks would come around a couple of times daily and we would take me for a gentle walk, plus do some exercises in the bed. I found myself enjoying it.

And now that I'm home, the young man comes 3 times a week, and we work my leg about 30 minutes each time. He only pushes me a little, and I seem willing to push myself too. I am motivated, and I really want to get better as quickly as I can!

In the hospital, I didn't have much energy for too many other things, although this did change over time as I felt better. I had my blackberry for surfing the net and that was enough. I hadn't taken any books or other things to play with. Remember you will be recovering from a very major surgery and your energy will be going into helping you recover from that. I suspect you will be too tired to want to play with extra toys. I know I was.

I would talk to the admitting folks at the hospital about what sort of things to take. I was pre-admitted, and had a list. The hospitals generally have shampoo and that sort of thing, but they recommended that I bring my own toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, lip gloss and deodorant, which I did. I would suggest that you bring anything you cannot do without! I always say: Better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

I hope this helps!

[csziggy]

38. Mostly what I dread is being aournd people 24 hours a day

I am used to spending most of my time alone here at the farm. Other than short trips I haven't been around people all day and at night since I moved out of the dorm in college. Even when I went to the seminar last fall, I could get away in the evenings and be pretty close to alone. It gave me time to decompress from being around people.

After my hysterectomy while in the hospital I was stressed by being monitored constantly, but at least I was groggy enough from the operation it didn't bother me a huge amount. But the rehab facility (as I imagine it) will be more like being in a dorm and I can't see that I would have the private time I am used to.

I am pretty compulsive about being alone so the idea worries me when I'm not sure what the true situation will be. I may see how much a private room would be and if I can afford it.

As for "entertainment, I think I'll get the tablet. I can download some PDF books for free or maybe even get an app and get an ebook to try that out. That way I'll have the internet for mindless surfing but if I feel like it, I can actually read something with a plot if I have the energy to follow it. Before I leave home I can set up one of my needlework projects with all the tools and if I feel good enough my husband can bring it to me.

The physical therapy sounds pretty good - MUCH better than either shoulder surgery aftermath or my last knee surgery. I'll just say that the recovery from each of those took longer than expected and took a lot of work to get past.

So getting up and walking around right away sounds GREAT! Even if it hurts a lot to start with, there will be the promise that it won't hurt forever - or get worse every day like my knees now.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

39. I don't know what your circumstances in rehab will be.

I had a private room after surgery; everybody did. I was pretty much alone at night except for now and then. The rehab went on during the day.

After they decided I was doing too well to have rehab in a rehab hospital, I went home. So I never got to experience PT in a rehab hosp. I was told that the rooms there were semi-private; that is, I would have had a roommate.

You might discuss the situation with the admissions people where you'll have the surgery. They might know the details you crave.

Wish I had more useful info for you!

[csziggy]

40. I know - and it will depend on which one of the local ones I go to

I have to see if the rehab places in network for my insurance are among those the doctor uses.

Lots of places if they are not full, they spread the patients out. After the hysterectomy I had a roommate the first night but she was discharged the next day and I was the only patient on that part of the 'Women's Wing'. There were only two babies in the nursery so it was a slow time for the OB/GYN ward.

I also need to check on my supplemental insurance - it may pay for some extra stuff. I've never used it so I don't know what it covers or how it works.

Thanks - every little bit of information helps.

[MiddleFingerMom]

33. Take some hair conditioner and a good hairbrush.

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I ended up yanking out a lot of tangled hair because I didn't have either and, although the
hospital supplies a LOT of toiletries, conditioner was not on their list.
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[csziggy]

37. Conditioner OK - but I won't count on using their products

I'm allergic to a lot of soaps, shampoos, etc, because of the fragrances and it. Some of the stuff I've tried, I might as well wash my hands in a mild acid, my hands get so raw. I know they will have special stuff to wash the area around the incisions - the nurse advocate with the insurance company mentioned it. But if possible I'd prefer to use my own soal.

I don't normally use conditioner because my hair is not bad about tangling and it's very fine so most conditioners make it limp. But I do have some around to use in the winter when it's really dry so my hair doesn't look like next to a Van de Graaff generator.

[monmouth]

34. Dear Peggy I'm so glad you're on the mend..Now, most importantly...Is he a cutie???? n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

35. Yes, he is, my dear monmouth...

And he has not said one word about himself!

He is very pleasant, and all business.

I feel completely comfortable with him, and know that he is there to help me gain strength, coordination and health.