New Knee

I have had my left knee replaced, during the school year. I have avoided missing school and doing this for years, but, as they say, you will know when you can't take it any more. I have left my classroom in the hands of a newly licensed art teacher and I am trying to be confident in her decisions while I am gone. I would like to say, this is no walk in the park, I understand the rewards will be tremendous later and I will forget the difficulty of this part. PT is a force and one must be willing to put out that effort. I am so glad I am getting professional PT three times a week. Yesterday wa my first day out in public. I had my husband take me out to breakfast. otherwise, the web and PT are my world. And thank goodness for little screens, smart phones and such so I can keep a lifeline going with my friends.
  I am reporting ad nauseum on almost every little detail of my recovery on Facebook. leaving off the joys of pooping and pain meds and improvements in that department, but I'll tell you, I think I have made it! I am ot released to walk with a cane, but a cane is so much better in the house. Yesterday I took my outing with the cane,m so much easier to accommodate me and a cane!

I am constantly searching for the perfect position to rest the knee. found it for 2 or 3 hours last night while I napped. It's elusive.

Another challenge I face is trying to get enough protein to support my nearly 6 yr old weight loss surgery. Eating does not feel like a priority right now. I keep overestimating what I can handle. I wouldn't be surprised if I haven't lost 4 or 5 pounds. that's OK. I wanted to. I don't want to lose more than 10. Can't believe that after 30 years of a combination of obesity and morbid obesity, I am at such a good place that I would only "like" to lose 10.

I am also diffusing some lovely essential oils around me, helping me relax, breathe, heal and rest.I can't sit here long so this is it for now. Another one of my rambling connections with... who knows.

Pain with this is minimal, soreness is maximal, always trying to get those muscles right over the knee working again, working together.

 December 20, off the cane and today my stride is lengthening and the knee feels more like my own all of a sudden, instead of a clunk limb stuck in the middle of my leg. Major improvement overnight, so I thought I'd add it in to this post. I am down to 2 physical therapy appointments a week for the next 2 weeks and then it is back to the classroom. IF I feel really good about this, I will schedule knee number 2 for June. A summer of recovery, but I can do it. Then I may possibly be heading in to my last year of teaching. 2 years short of my goal.