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Well, here you go. This is what Mrs. Major’s knees looked like yesterday when I changed her dressings1.
All in all, she’s doing very well. Monday, the home care nurse and physical therapist were amazed at her mobility and flexibility. She’s walking around on her own using a walker, but she can get herself anywhere in the house she needs to go.
Yesterday, the home health care company delivered a constant physical motion (CPM) machine. We put her leg in it and it flexes and extends her leg from fully extended to whatever degree she chooses to have it flexed. The scheme is to keep increasing the flex as time goes on. She started at 70º at the hospital but is now up to 90º. The physical therapist was here today and said she’s way ahead of schedule.
This morning her left knee was very stiff and painful. She was a little worried because she thought it was a setback, but after her exercises, the knee loosened up and the pain subsided. The PT said that it was normal considering she didn’t move her legs all night long. Maybe we’ll put her on the CPM tonight while she sleeps.
The only disadvantage of the CPM is that she can’t get into or out of it without help, so she’s not as independent as she was on Monday, but the therapy is doing tons of good, so the inconvenience is worth it.
She has been working very hard at her exercises. She’s very determined and courageous. I’m proud of her.
She has appreciated all the cards and calls she’s been getting. Thanks to all of you who’ve sent your well-wishes.
© 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.
Hallelujah, we’re home. Charlene did so well, she didn’t have to go to a rehab facility. In fact, she just got herself out of the chair and headed for the bathroom refusing any help from me.
I think that will be it for now. Tomorrow, we have the first visit from the home health care folks and I’m going to try to compose my thoughts on the last three days.
Suffice it to say, Mrs. Major has been a real trooper during all of this.
Again, we appreciate all of your prayers, thoughts, and encouragement.
Mrs. Major had a much better day today. She’s getting herself to the bathroom without help (or groaning). She went to PT twice today and did better than the women who had only one knee replaced. Everyone was amazed. She’s in much better spirits and not so goofy from the pain meds (She’s on pills now, no IV drugs).
We expect she’ll come home tomorrow afternoon.
By the way, I wore jeans and a sweatshirt today. Very comfortable.
Mrs. Major had her ups and downs today. Around 4am the morphine from her spinal began to wear off. She failed to tell the nurse so by 7am her pain was beginning to get severe. They started he on a morphine on-demand drip, but since she’d been 3 hrs without pain meds, things got worse before they got better. By 9am she was feeling better. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s now the end of a very long day and Mrs. Major is recovering nicely. She was a little groggy for the first few hours but became more alert as the day progressed. The morphine they put in the spinal is holding out and so far she has no pain in her knees (or anywhere else for that matter).
Dr. Duke used a relatively new technology on Mrs. Major, women’s replacement knees. They’re sized a little differently and angled a little differently than men’s replacement knees which, until just recently, were used for all replacements. Using women’s knees should speed up recovery and reduce complications later.
Cool, huh?
What an early get-up. Up at 4:30 am for a 5:45 check-in at the hospital. Son Major said, “Are you going fishing or something?”
The pre-op process was excellent here at West Marion Community Hospital in Ocala, FL. They were very thorough and friendly. Of course they asked Mrs. Major her name, date of birth, and who her surgeon was about a gajillion times, but, hey, it’s good to be sure.
They kicked me out of the room at 7:00 am and wheeled her into surgery. She was done just short of 10:00 am and did well. She’s in recovery and will be until around noon, according to the doctor.
There is no Internet access, here in the hospital, so I’m going to hunt a Starbucks or some other Wi-Fi hot spot.
Dr. Duke‘s office called and rescheduled Mrs. Major to check in at 5:45 am tomorrow instead of the previously scheduled 11:00 am. So her surgery will begin around 7:15 am.
Mrs. Major passed all her tests today and is ready for her bilateral knee replacement on Thursday. Read the rest of this entry »
Mrs. Major gave her final pint of blood yesterday. It wasn’t the ordeal that the first one was. The phlebotomist closed her eyes, said a silent prayer, opened here eyes, and stuck Mrs. Major’s vein on the first try. No bruising, even today. Now we have the pre-op visit on the 12th and the surgery on the 15th.
Mrs. Major is really looking forward to the day when her knees don’t hurt constantly. She’s even looking forward to the hard work involved in the recovery process. Three cheers for Mrs. Major.
Mrs. Major had her family doctor’s appointment to ensure she’s in good enough health for her knee surgery. She passed. Now all she has left is giving more blood on Thursday, a pre-op meeting at the hospital on Monday, May 12 (her birthday) and the surgery on the 15th. Counting the days.
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