Vacation's over

I was ordered by husband this morning to get out of my sick bed and start writing in my blog again. Today is the one-month anniversary since I got ready to have my knee cut open and large titanium and plastic replacement parts inserted. So, he says that enough is enough. I guess he's tired of waiting on me hand and foot.

As you can imagine, this past month has been a measure of tiny progress steps and sometimes setbacks. There has been pain, there have been tears, there has been a lot of sweat and effort, and there has been frustration. Progress is being measured by degrees of extension and flexion.

Most of all, however, there has been an overwhelming number of friends and family who encouraged me every step of the way, offered help in any number of ways, sent words of love and kindness, and some who even cooked meals for us. We will never forget these acts of kindness. Your e-mails and phone calls have kept me grounded. They let me know that there is still joy in this world amidst the pain of physical therapy.

Some things I have learned this past month:

It's difficult learning to get out of bed at night to go to the bathroom without waking up husband to help.

It's excrutiating learning to bend your knee when it has been cut and turned inside out.

It's embarassing to expose your bottom to total strangers when nature calls (and they give you large doses of Milk of Mag and stool softeners).

It's easy to lose weight when husband cooks your meals.

Pain killers can be your friend and your enemy.

TED hose, ice, leg imobilizers, walkers, commode chairs, and other sickroom paraphernalia get tiresome after a while.

Since progress is being measured by degrees, I am waiting for the temperature outside to get warm enough so we can open the pool and I can start swimming again.