Managing..

I am feeling better although the night seemed rather long.  I am finally up on crutches on occasion.  My leg feels better, sort of.  I suppose the incision is where I have the most pain.  Then again, holding the leg off of the floor puts stress on my hip, but I can live with that pretty easily.  All in all, I am doing well. My DS is taking great care of me! When this is all over, I will need to treat him with something, maybe a gas card for $100 would help.  He has been sweet without being annoying.

For the first time, I have spent most of the day stitching.  I finished my rotation on The Maiden and the Unicorn.  The border reminds me of the Peaceable Kingdom border.  I suppose it is because of the colors, but it was getting boring by the time I hit that last half an hour.  I am now back to Woodland Fairy.  I will see if I just decide to finish the one overs this time, or if I will just wait it out.  Either way, I still have border backstitching to go and even a bit on the far right side of the picture itself, but not much!  She is absolutely beautiful. 

I was even productive last night.  I entered several educational awards for my Toastmasters clubs last night.  I should have entered several of them in before, but I was still trying to see which clubs it made sense to give them to for the Distinguished Club Plan.  I am only one seminar short of my Advanced Toastmasters Gold.  By this time next year, I will be a Distinguished Toastmaster myself.  That will be awesome. It will have only taken me 3 and a half years.  I have met so many wonderful people through Toastmasters that it has all gone by fairly quickly.  I will miss participating in contests for the next several years, but that is really alright. I admit that contests really got my daughter and I involved pretty quickly.  Now I will be judging.  Something I do every weekend with the high school kids. I admit, that I have a speech in mind centered around this knee thing.  After all, I feel going to a Toastmasters event!  Should prove interesting. 

Home Sweet Home!

I am home again, although I just couldn’t brave the stairs!  I am happily in my recliner with all of my stuff surrounding me.  At least I have a half bath on this floor!  I figure I will be here parked in this chair for at least a week with good drugs.  I did manage to get about 3 hours done on my Paisley Corner this morning before I left the hospital.  I did a half an hour in a morphene daze last night.  It actually looks fine – although I am not sure how or why. 

I know have 3 new screws that will stay permanently in my patella. I also had a lateral release done to see if we can get the knee cap to stay in place.  If this doesn’t work, I will be in again late this year or ealy next to have the inner side tightened.   I will have a hell of a scar.  The surgery took an hour longer than expected because it was such a mess.  All in all the wonderful cyro cuff is keeping my knee nice and happy.  I wish I had it last week!   The doctor also felt that the patella broke in the dislocation rather than my falling on it as the ER doctor thought.  All in all my OS is ticked at the ER doctor.  This would have been done last week had it been noted in the referral that I broke someting especially in more than one place!

I am really enjoying my stitching right now.  Now that I am past the nerves, I can concentrate on my stitching.  Thank goodness!  Everyone stopped to look at my stitching and oohed and aahed.  That made me feel great.  I also thank goodness for my favorite toy – my iPod.  I was in a fairly noisy room simply because it was for observation.  I put my iPod on a good easy listening mix, turned off the light and feel asleep.  Every 4 hours I had my BP checked and more antibodics added to the IV, when they came in, I changed the mix.  It was wonderful!  That and the morphene! 

My pets are being great, my cat just sits on my chest purring every time I set anything down!  Did I say that my kids and ex are just great!  They have been supportive and helpful.  Dave and I talked for about an hour and a half last night as I was drifting into la-la-land. He even brought me a Kit Kat bar! My favorite! 

Watching:  Dr Phil

Reading:  ”Clan of the Cave Bear” by Jean M. Auel

Stitching on:  ”Merrick” by Karen Weaver 

Tomorrow is the scary day…

I received the call with the time for surgery this afternoon.  2:45 pm with arrival in pre-op at 1 pm.  To say I am nervous is silly, I am crazy about it, but…  No food, drink, mints, gum, etc. after midnight.  It is 11 pm now and my son ran to Wendy’s to get some food.  I will drink plenty of water right before midnight.  I can go without food, but the water will be really difficult.  I will stay overnight.  I have my bag packed, my iPod, my stitching (Paisley Corner), my book, and off I go.  

Can you believe it?  I doubt if I will be able to finish my last 2 pieces in rotation this month. And I was home for 8 days… I guess I got involved in books and sleeping.  I did go to a Toastmasters meeting this evening.  Just to get out of the house for the last time, feeling moderately well felt great.  I even went to Starbucks.  I texted my son and he called me a whore!  Hey, my daugther took me!  Who said he could wean me from caffiene just because he can!! 

Well, back to my salad, then I will drink a bunch of water and go to sleep – I hope.  Maybe Merrick will get a bit of attention just to keep my mind busy! 

Stitching on: “Merrick” by Karen Weaver

Reading:  “The Clan of the Cave Bear” by Jean M. Auel

Watching:  “Countdown” on MSNBC 

Just Waiting…

Here I am anxiously awaiting for the phone to ring.  The surgeon’s office is supposed to call and give me a surgery date and time.  It will need to be before Thursday. They seemed rather irrated at the ER doctor who just noted in his records that I dislocated the knee.  He didn’t mention that I broke the patella in pieces!   I had an emergency CAT Scan to verify the XRAY results (it did).  He wanted an MRI but couldn’t get me in soon enough.  I told me that would do a vertical cut down the knee and screw and wire the knee cap back together.  He did say that he would clean out what he could. If things were going well he would to the lateral release on the outter leg at that time.  He would do the tightening on the inner side when he removes the pins in 6 to 12 months.  At least that can be done via arthoscopic surgery instead of the invasive type.  I admit that I am as nervous as all get out.  My daugher went out an got me a new nightie, robe and slippers  She already has my overnight bag packed. 

I also got a call from the coworker who is picking up my Boston projects while I am out. He just came back from vacation today and found he has a trip to Boston on July 10.  Poor guy.  I felt bad about recommending him to replace me. He knows most of my teams and I trust him.  To be honest we cover a good deal for each other.  I covered for him several years ago when he was having heart problems that turned out to be stress related. 

Good news is that I should be able to get back to work a week after surgery.  I will be in the brace and non-weight bearing for almost 6 weeks – maybe more.  Then PT will begin.  Oh yeah.  More time for stitching.

I am working on Woodland Fairy again.  So close to being done! 

Watching:  All My Children

Stitching on:  “Woodland Fairy” by Teresa Wentzler

Reading:  “Clan of the Cave Bear” by Jean M. Auel 

Beautiful day…

While I haven't been outside today, I can tell from the lovely cool breeze coming in the window and the russle of the wind outside, that today is just beautiful.  I woke up early and listened to the birds outside.  After the nice rain yesterday, today is the perfect summer day.  I wish I were outside with a book and cup of coffee.  Yes, I am still obsessing about coffee. 

I have enjoyed my day with the cat and the dogs.  They are just so sweet.  Ducky, my cat, has been sitting on my chest just enjoying the petting.  He doesn't often spend time doing that these days.  I have been stitching on one of my one over pieces – Summer Bouquet.  I should finish my 5 hours this evening since I am 3.5 hours in today.  It is actually working up much quicker than I expected. I am glad I am doing one over – otherwise this piece would be huge!  So far it is delicate and beautiful. 

My daughter has to do the last TLI session tomorrow.  The old coordinator just cannot let go.  She called me and I asked her to call H.  It is her game, not mine.  I just need to remember to order the pizzas tomorrow afternoon for delivery at 5:30 pm.  Sounds exciting doesn't it?  I think H. will be glad when this is over since Suzy is going nuts.  Mostly because Suzy wasn't prepared last year and tried to do everything herself.  H. can delegate – for a 20 year old to be able to let go is amazing.  She feels she has so much riding on this.  After last Saturday, I think she feels she can handle a good deal.  I agree.

Well, I have my doctors appointment tomorrow.  Hopefully, I will have some answers.  I just want to know what is in store – if anything.  I am pretty sure I will be ticked if they just send me home with PT this time.  Since this has happened before, I don't want the instability to continue!  I will just need to be pretty forceful in what I expect from the OS.  We will see if I can follow through.

Watching: The Most Dangerous Catch

Stitching On:  Summer Bouquet

Reading:  "Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean M. Auel

Freedom…Sort Of…

I got dressed, had to have my daughter put my right tennis shoe on, and left the house!  It was so exciting to just be out of the house for the first time in a week.  I sat for almost 5 hours being trained for an area governor.  It was fun to see everyone even though the training was boring.  My division governor was also on crutches since he tore his ACL.  At least misery loves company.  Here we were with our legs out on a chair looking really uncomfortable.  By the end of the day I admit, I was ready to go home.  My leg was swelling and the back of the knee hurt.

I got home and promptly fell asleep.  At least I remembered to thank my lovely daughter for hanging out all morning.  It has taken a year, but I am no longer Heather's mom.  I have my own name and identity.  It took a really great speech at district conference to do that, but it finally worked. I am sad to give up competition for several years, but so be it.  I want that Distinguished Toastmaster!

I am finally just blazing through my rotation.  Now that I am not sleeping at the drop of a hat, I am actually concentrating on my stitching.  I actually think that I if I am still at home in July (I hope not to be, but…) I will focus on finishing my focus piece.  Woodland Fairy is so close to being done.  If I get through my rotation (which I should) in June, I won't add a new piece — I will work on my lovely Fairy.  In reality I just have backstitching left on the border, just the top right corner and the one overs.  Then I am done.  Oddly enough, I do believe that this piece will have taken longer than any other TW I have done.  Since I have completed 50 TWs, I know of what I speak.  Up to this point Mermaid took me the longest at 236 hours.  I have 218 on WF so far.  I cannot see being done in less time.  I might, but it would be a miracle.  Now, I do admit that I did start counting hours until 2001 so maybe PT took longer, but I am not sure.  That was even before I did a rotation.  Heck it was only my 9 TW and was finished back in 1993.  Wow, how long ago that was!

Stitching on: "Woodland Fairy" by Teresa Wentzler

Watching:  Treasure Hunt (sort of)

Reading:  "Queen of Demons" by David Drake

Yes…I am getting out tomorrow…

Today I have done more stitching than I have lately.  My book sucks, so I just stitched.  I didn't fall asleep until after the last regular HGTV program which meant 3 am.  I couldn't believe when I woke up at 11 am.  What is up with that?  I rarely have problems falling asleep, but I guess nerves are getting the best of me.  I just calmly stitched away on Noah's Sub and finished that 5 hours.  I then picked up Footprints.  I should have that 5 hours done in the next hour or so.  Usually I feel that I do not get much progress on Noah's Sub in only 5 hours, but this time I felt as if I did.  I was just a very pleasant afternoon. 

Next news was I took a shower.  I feel so much better (I probably smell better).  It is amazing how much something that we take for granted can become such an acomplishment.  Granted I didn't pull the bad leg into the shower, but I did just fine anyway.  Tomorrow I am getting out of the house to go to my Toastmasters District Training.  I hope that I actually get there this time.  I heard from my friend, L., that my division governor tore his ACL on Sunday practicing his martial arts.  He is on short term disability as well and is waiting for his surgery.

I am just rambling this evening, but I got the ambulance bill today.  $829.00 for a 5 mile ride!  I couldn't believe it!  I am glad insurance will cover it.  The ambulance ride in Philadelphia last year was about half of that.  They even carried me down stairs at the stadium.  I think I was with them about a half an hour.  Gee…  I also found my old information when I dislocated my knee the first time.  Since I sued the grocery store where I fell, I kept everything.  My co-pay back in 1989 was only $5, my perscriptions were only $3.  The ambulance bill was $219.  My how time changes.

My other amusement today besides stitching was following the results of the National High School Speech and Debate Tournament (where I should have been yesterday judging the final day of finals rounds – finals were actually today).  One of the kids that I have judged over and over again for the last 4 years, placed 3rd in Student Congress.  Another one of 'my' kids was in the final session of Student Congress, but did not place in the top 6.  I am so happy for Carl.  He is an amazing kid.  It has been fun watching him for the last 4 years.  Typically his best event is Lincoln-Douglas Debate, he did qualify in that event, but because he could not enter in more than one event, he chose to go in Congress because he can earn more points.  He was already in the top 10 in the nation for points, so we will see… I know it doesn't make sense to anyone but me, but I am just so proud!

Reading:  "Queen of Demons" by David Drake

Listening to: "Les Miserables"

Stitching on: "Footprints" by Teresa Wentzler 

Get Restless

Okay, I admit it, I took my leg out of the immoblizer and wow…it is all yellow on the top except at the bottom of the knee cap which is a variety of colors.  Under the knee however is black. I do mean black.  That explains why I have so much pain there.  Crap!  Anyway, I found my records of my previous dislocation. It happened on June 3, 1989.  I was out of work for 30 days.  I even had all of the doctors records, the legal stuff (I sued the grocery store where I fell holding my 3 year old), everything.  I was amazed.  I did not realize how well organized I was.  At least it gives me hope. I found out that I saw the Ortho guy 10 days after the accident occurred, but that I did see a regular doctor 6 days later.  I guess I feel better now.

I also slept on my stomach last night.  Not really comfortable with the leg hanging there, but it felt good not to be on my back.  Things have been calmer here today.  I spent most of my time stitching because the book I am reading sucks… I rarely if ever do not finish a book, but this is one.  I think I will either reread "Clan of the Cave Bear" or "Mistress of Avalon".  I haven't decided which yet.  Right now I will just get back to Noah's Sub.  Usually it seems that I don't make much progress in 5 hours on that piece, but so far in 1 1/2 hours, I have moved right along.  I do wish I had gridded at least the sky.  Oh well…

Too many phone calls…

Today has been one of contemplation and way too many phone calls.  One of my best friends sent an update on the knee to my Toastmasters group at work that included my phone number.  Most of the members are from our Retirement system and I am their primary Architecture Analyst.  He sent the email to the entire group at work, then it was sent to my group.  Phone calls ALL day.  It kept the boredom away until the battery on the phone died (for which I admit, I was a little grateful). 

I spent part of the day with the HR person talking short term disability.  I have enough time to get paid fully for 5 weeks, after that I only get 55% and have to pay for my benefits via COBRA.  Doesn't that just suck.  It is making me crazy.  I spent the rest of my time on the internet reading about knee injuries trying to figure out when I could get back to work.   The new isn't good.  Go figure.

I also spent my time reading stitching blogs.  It is so nice just to be able to stay caught up.  I was reading Princess's site "Fully Caggeniated and Armed with Chocolate" and read her comment on the old days in the TWBB world.  It seems so long ago since I first met so many 'cyber' friends.  I miss the Just Plain Chat, but every once in awhile things got kind of snippy.  I miss the 'inside' jokes.  It is still my main bulletin board, but I do lurk in others.  I got so busy with work that I did not have time to catch up with everyone.  Losing my dad in September also sent me into a depression and I just didn't feel like reading about others lives.  I was too wrapped up in my own sadness.  Even thought this knee thing is depressing, maybe it will help me get back in touch. 

Oddly enough, I haven't stitched as much as I would have liked.  I get involved in a book and then read when I have time.  At least I will get all the way through my rotation  Now I just need a digital camera and a host site.  I will then begin putting WIP out here as well.  Right now I keep my pictures on my lovely little pink Razor.  How is that for sad?  Oh well.

Listening to:  Nothing – peace is good

Stitching on: "Paisley Corner" by Teresa Wentzler

Reading:  "Arthur the King" by Allan Massie 

Finally, a cup of coffee…

I finally ventured downstairs for a cup of coffee this afternoon. My son was rather ticked off, but oh well.  It tasted so wonderful.  I had to drink it downstairs since I couldn't figure out how to make it upstairs with it, but so be it.  I stood on the deck and admired the weather.  It was so nice – until I had to get up the stairs.

All in all, I am sleeping well – finally and the pain has eased down quite a bit.  I wanted to go back to work on Thursday, but my friend Larry convinced me that if the dr. needed the swelling to go down to get a good MRI, then maybe working is not so smart.  I suppose I will call work and do the paperwork over the phone to start the short term disabilty stuff.  Dang it all!  At least it will mean I still have 2 weeks of vacation left.  Larry also convinced me that my projects will move on without me and life goes on.  I wish I felt the same way, but….

I finished another book this morning – it was actually a real twist that I didn't see coming.  "The Associate" by Phillip Margolin.  Good book.  I am rapidly getting through my rotation – do I have any other choice?  I am sick of TV, sick of my CDs, etc.  Boredom is calling.  I am going to get out of the house on Saturday to go to my area governor training for Toastmasters.  At least, I will not be in my room! 

Listening to:  the dogs wrestle

Reading:  "My Sergei" by Ekaterina Gordeeva

Stitching on:  "Castle Sampler" by Teresa Wentzler