...about that garden!

Two weeks in hospital/in-patient rehab is NOT conducive to a neat, tidy garden.  We had enough rain to keep everything from drying up and blowing away, so that was good news.  The bad new was the rain also watered the weeds.  I was surprised we didn't get another notice from the city.  (They check to make sure weeds aren't over 6 in tall - the ultimate HOA!)  And I was in no shape to really do much of anything.

I did pick about 20-ish pounds of tomatoes, which got turned into frozen puree and 15 pint of red sauce.  The Bell peppers and serrano peppers went into the first 3-jar batch.  Simmered some chicken in it - not bad!  The rest is my chili recipe, without meat - I'm thinking tamales or enchiladas.

Anyway, it's winding down - a few more tomatoes and peppers here and there, a couple of watermelon, but not enough to get excited about.

Next year, I'm thinking fewer tomatoes,  more spices.

Check Up III

Back to see the surgeon today.  I was told I can now lift 20 lbs (I kept a straight face).  The best news is that I can take real showers, even swim if I wish.  And I can take one of my anti-inflammatory drug per day.  Took one when I got home, walked the dogs, and could feel a difference by the time we got back.  Right now, my hands don't hurt for the first time since the surgery!!

I signed up for another four weeks of physical therapy.  It's helping tremendously, and yet I feel that I need more than another week and a half.  Yesterday, Jeff brought out a balance board, at which I just pointed and laughed.  I have no real sense of balance, which is why I body surfed instead of using a board.  My left foot has roll, pitch and yaw, although not quite as much as my right.  Just got to get the left calf stretched out a bit more.  All in all, Dr. S. is happy - he told me it sometimes takes patients two years to recover to the point I'm at.

I am a happy camper!

Latest and Greatest...

...Unorganized Hancock:



Proud dad story at Sippican Cottage.

Adventures in Physical Therapy

It's been about 2 1/2 weeks since I was discharged from the rehab hospital.  I made an appointment at the local outpatient clinic of the same company.  Got there Tuesday AM for my intake evaluation, only to find that they don't participate in the county medical program, thus ending the interview rather quickly.

I went back to the same company as the hospital where I had the surgery, knowing they did take the county's program.  They got me in this morning (at 7:15 - ugh), and I did the paperwork, was evaluated, and given some exercises to do there, and at home over the weekend.  I also have appointments for several weeks out.

The therapist said that my hip flexibility was better than most people my age ( quite a bit, based on what he showed me).  I can only attribute that to Sue at Mindful Movements out in H. B., who taught me stretch and Pilates for many years.  The thing I learned from her that will serve me the most is how to isolate and use any given muscle group.  It makes the exercises I have to do a lot more effective, since the idea is, for example, to work on my lower back, and not my glutes at the same time.  With this particular exercise, it's common for people to use the glutes, and it takes practice and attention to keep them relaxed while working the lower back muscles.

The thing I miss most is the voltaren - the anti-inflammatory that I take for the arthritis in my hands.  The tramadol and valium just don't put a dent in the ache.  Dr is afraid of infection (?), which is why he is holding me off them.  See him again in a couple more weeks, so maybe that will change.

Second Post-Op Visit

Got the last of the staples out today.  Healing well.  Got a better idea of what was done and where the cyst was in all of the mess.  The soft tissue is being held together with dissolvable sutures, which sort of go away as the soft tissue heals.

I meet with the out-patient Physical Therapy people Tuesday, for (yet) another evaluation.  I expect that the work there will be more challenging that the work at the in-patient clinic.

The whole mess should be "optimal" by Christmas.

Yay.

We Can Repair Him...

...we have the technology!

Had my consult with the neurosurgeon yesterday.  He did a bit of poking and pushing on his own, and confirmed what I was pretty sure of - surgery is indicated.  Both L1 - L2 and L4 - L5 are pretty well munged, and L2  -L3 is also degraded.  (My numbering may be off a bit - it's the whole lumbar part of the spine.)  I could get away with letting the L2 -L3 go, but on the other hand, we both agreed that going back in later was something neither of us wanted.  So the entire lumbar section of my spine will be "decompressed".  Basically, that means re-opening the foramen (the hole) that the nerves pass thru, to alleviate the pressure, and thus the pain and weakness.  (I did a quick look on spine-health.com. which goes into some detail and apparently has videos.  I only take umbrage at the comment "A condition that primarily afflicts elderly patients, spinal stenosis is caused by degenerative changes that result in enlargement of the facet joints."  Elderly my tuchus!)

He expects the procedure to last about 2 1/2 hours.  He's not sure if there's any interesting disk degeneration, but will tend to that if need be.  He doesn't want to do a fusion at this point.  Based on my recovery, I'll be in the hospital one to five days.  My personal goal is one day only.

I go in on the 16th of this month.

Prayer in any denomination is appreciated.

Off To See The Wizard

Heading back out to Gettysburg tomorrow, this time to see a neurosurgeon.  Hopefully, it will all become clear!