It is after midnight on the day of my surgery. So even though the date of this entry shows it as Tuesday, June 11, I am still counting this as the night before - Monday, June 10.
This morning around 10 am, a nurse from the hospital called with my final instructions. I am to arrive at 10:30 and my surgery is scheduled for 12:30. I had previously been given a bottle of antiseptic scrub - chlorhexidine gluconate 4% solution. This is the same stuff that docs and nurses use when they scrub for surgery. Today I was told to take a shower tonight before bed and use half the bottle on my whole body. Then tomorrow morning, I am supposed to shower again and use the other half bottle on my operative leg/knee. I just took my night-time shower, and it was difficult to use half the bottle. It's a small bottle (4oz), but a little bit goes a long way. Anyway, I washed everything first with normal soap, and then I used the scrub stuff. Clean towels, clean nightgown, clean clothes tomorrow. I think the only way I could get any cleaner was if they washed me on the operating table - and they probably will! I'm not complaining, mind you!
Medication instructions: tonight - just my cholesterol pill, but no diabetes meds. Tomorrow morning - my blood pressure and my thyroid meds, but nothing else, and with the absolute smallest amount of water I can handle. Also, no other supplements tonight or tomorrow. Then I have to bring my Rx meds for the next 2 days in their original, labeled bottles.
Nothing to eat or drink after midnight. Not even gum or a breath mint. I can brush my teeth in the morning as long as I don't swallow any water. I can wear deodorant but no lotions or powders anywhere on my body.
I was told to bring a pair of shorts and a bathrobe. I'm also taking a nightgown and hoping they will allow me to wear it tomorrow night and lose the hospital gown. Also, some extra underwear... and then of course I will have the clothes I arrive in.
I also have to have my driver's license and my insurance card with me. This will be the third time they will have seen my insurance card. I also have to give them my Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney. They will scan these and keep them on file. Glasses case - CPAP machine - Walker.
I will also have a book to read and my cell phone, but no other valuables. I'm leaving my wallet and jewelry at home - even my wedding ring.
I thought about taking my camera, but have decided not to. A couple of days ago, Hubs took photos of my leg from all angles. It will be interesting to compare.
It is now just after 1 am, and I probably should go to bed. I'll probably be up to go to the bathroom during the night because I was told to drink a lot of water today. I will be up at 8 to do my morning shower and then try to forget about the idea of eating anything until my friend picks me up at 10.
Good night! I'll be back soon with more details than you ever wanted to know!
:) Amy
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Pre-Op Stuff
Orthopedic Surgeons do lots of surgeries like mine. They have a fairly well-established system for preparing their patients that starts months in advance. In January or February, I worked with my doc's executive assistant to sent up appointments. She gave me lots of info including a book called "Your Pathway to Knee Replacement Recovery" which is put out by the hospital I'll be going to. It includes a DVD which shows the hospital facilities and walks the viewer step-by-step through what they will experience from the time they arrive at the hospital. It talks about physical therapy and home exercises with a "patient" demonstrating each exercise. This book was very thorough and very helpful.
There were 2 appointments I set up with the assistant. The first was an MRI, not just of my knee, but of my whole leg. The hardware company my doctor uses is called Biomet, and I am getting their "Signature" knee hardware. This replacement hardware is tailor-made for my body based on this MRI, so the scan is done of my entire leg to ensure the proper measurement and alignment of the ankle, knee and hip joints. Not only do they create my knee parts, but they also create the surgical instruments which will be used on me from this MRI. Here is a video that explains this process: Biomet Signature Knee Replacement Video
My MRI was done at the same hospital where my surgery will be done, and it was scheduled for mid-April, 2 months before my surgery date. An MRI is non-invasive, and no real prep needs to be done before it. The only real thing to plan for is to not have any metal on your clothing at all - otherwise you have to take them off. (The only metal I had on me were my bra hooks, so I had to go into a dressing room and take my bra off.) The biggest issue with an MRI of this sort is having to lay flat and motionless for quite awhile. My scans were done in 2 sets of about 20 min each, and I was able to get up and stretch between the 2 sets.
When I had this done in prep for the 2010 surgery date, the process was not as extensive because my doc was not yet using this "Signature" process. Then I only had to have my knee scanned, so things went faster. I also remember that the table I had to lay on was very hard which really got to my lower back. This time the table was at least a little bit padded, and my backed wasn't stressed as much. I did have a thin pillow under my head. The other thing about this scan that was better was that I was strapped down more. It may seem counter-intuitive that this is better, but I found it more comfortable because I didn't have to consciously hold myself still. I could relax against the straps and let them hold me still.
I knew in advance that they would play my choice of a Pandora music channel through headphones for me, so I came with a list of names for them to put in for me. That was nice - I could just zone out to the music. I didn't fall asleep because the MRI machine is very noisy. There are random beeps and whirs going on all the time, and a lot of white-noise (not unlike being on a jet plane). My scan went very well, and my technician let me see the computer images because I was the last patient of the day. The technology is really amazing, and I know it is getting better all the time. I know this technology is better than it would have been 3 years ago... but no, I'm not waiting another 3 years!
The other pre-op testing I had to have done involved going to my family physician for a series of tests. This included a blood test, urine test, EKG (but I had already had one within 6 mos so I didn't have to do that again), and chest xrays. This had to be done within 2 weeks of my surgery. She also talked with me about all my meds.
About a week ago, someone from the hospital called to talk with me about my medications and supplements. I went over my whole list with her, and she told me to stop my Omega 3 supplement because that could thin my blood. I also need to stop my diabetes med the day before surgery, but the other stuff I can continue as usual.
A few days later someone from the registration office called to double check all my contact information. The last call will be tomorrow when someone will call to tell me when to arrive at the hospital. When I set up my surgery date, I was told I would be the 2nd one on the schedule, so I'm hoping that means I won't have to get there TOO early.
So, that brings you up to date. I don't know yet if I'm going to take my laptop with me to the hospital, so I may have to wait until I get home to do my next update.
Talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
P.S. Don't forget to feed the fish while I'm away!
There were 2 appointments I set up with the assistant. The first was an MRI, not just of my knee, but of my whole leg. The hardware company my doctor uses is called Biomet, and I am getting their "Signature" knee hardware. This replacement hardware is tailor-made for my body based on this MRI, so the scan is done of my entire leg to ensure the proper measurement and alignment of the ankle, knee and hip joints. Not only do they create my knee parts, but they also create the surgical instruments which will be used on me from this MRI. Here is a video that explains this process: Biomet Signature Knee Replacement Video
My MRI was done at the same hospital where my surgery will be done, and it was scheduled for mid-April, 2 months before my surgery date. An MRI is non-invasive, and no real prep needs to be done before it. The only real thing to plan for is to not have any metal on your clothing at all - otherwise you have to take them off. (The only metal I had on me were my bra hooks, so I had to go into a dressing room and take my bra off.) The biggest issue with an MRI of this sort is having to lay flat and motionless for quite awhile. My scans were done in 2 sets of about 20 min each, and I was able to get up and stretch between the 2 sets.
When I had this done in prep for the 2010 surgery date, the process was not as extensive because my doc was not yet using this "Signature" process. Then I only had to have my knee scanned, so things went faster. I also remember that the table I had to lay on was very hard which really got to my lower back. This time the table was at least a little bit padded, and my backed wasn't stressed as much. I did have a thin pillow under my head. The other thing about this scan that was better was that I was strapped down more. It may seem counter-intuitive that this is better, but I found it more comfortable because I didn't have to consciously hold myself still. I could relax against the straps and let them hold me still.
I knew in advance that they would play my choice of a Pandora music channel through headphones for me, so I came with a list of names for them to put in for me. That was nice - I could just zone out to the music. I didn't fall asleep because the MRI machine is very noisy. There are random beeps and whirs going on all the time, and a lot of white-noise (not unlike being on a jet plane). My scan went very well, and my technician let me see the computer images because I was the last patient of the day. The technology is really amazing, and I know it is getting better all the time. I know this technology is better than it would have been 3 years ago... but no, I'm not waiting another 3 years!
The other pre-op testing I had to have done involved going to my family physician for a series of tests. This included a blood test, urine test, EKG (but I had already had one within 6 mos so I didn't have to do that again), and chest xrays. This had to be done within 2 weeks of my surgery. She also talked with me about all my meds.
About a week ago, someone from the hospital called to talk with me about my medications and supplements. I went over my whole list with her, and she told me to stop my Omega 3 supplement because that could thin my blood. I also need to stop my diabetes med the day before surgery, but the other stuff I can continue as usual.
A few days later someone from the registration office called to double check all my contact information. The last call will be tomorrow when someone will call to tell me when to arrive at the hospital. When I set up my surgery date, I was told I would be the 2nd one on the schedule, so I'm hoping that means I won't have to get there TOO early.
So, that brings you up to date. I don't know yet if I'm going to take my laptop with me to the hospital, so I may have to wait until I get home to do my next update.
Talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
P.S. Don't forget to feed the fish while I'm away!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
This Summer's New Focus
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that most of my posts from the spring and summer of 2012 were about remodeling New House, as well as the process of living daily in 2 houses. This summer I am focused on something very different - total knee replacement. My surgery will be on Tuesday, June 11, so for now, I'm going to give some background info.
I first started having knee problems in about 2004 or 2005. One knee totally went out on me (I don't remember which one went first), but for several days, I couldn't put any weight on it, and it hurt A LOT. After a few days of staying off of it and icing it, I finally went to my family doc. She ordered X-rays, and determined that I had severe arthritis in it. I took meds and went to Physical Therapy (PT) for awhile, and got over that initial "acute" period, but it continued to give me problems.
At some point after that, the other knee did the same thing. (I want to say it was a year or 2 later, but I'm not sure.) After that I went to an orthopedic doc about them both. He told me that my knees were deteriorating, and eventually they would get to the point where knee replacement would make sense. At that point, I was about 46, and he told me to come back when I turned 60, and we'd discuss surgery.
I continued to live my life, but as the months went on, I found my knee situation started interfering with life. No longer could I go for long hikes in the woods with Hubs, and golf became more of a challenge. I tried different medications - some worked better than others. I also got cortisone shots on occasion. Those worked to varying degrees as well. I also found that I was no longer able to keep up with my work as my school's theatre director the way I wanted to.
By 2009, my orthopedic doc was telling me that I was ready for total knee replacement. He said it was basically up to me - when I felt I couldn't take it anymore, then it was time. We started planning for the summer of 2010 and actually set a date for the week after school was out - June 14. I did all the pre-surgery prep stuff which included having an MRI and pre-op testing. However, on Friday, June 11, my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was probably a Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is the most aggressive form of brain tumor. Her oncologist predicted she would only live about 6-8 weeks without treatment. So, I cancelled my surgery to stay with her.
After my mother passed away on July 25, 2010, we had her house and all its contents to deal with. We spent August, Sept and part of October dealing with her possessions, and getting the house ready for sale. The house didn't sell until Dec. 2011. During all of that time, I continued to walk on my bad knees. I took Vicodin for the pain, and just tried to be on my feet as little as possible.
Interestingly enough, throughout 2010, 2011 and 2012, I got along ok. Yes, there were times I had to take it easy, and I couldn't hike, but I was able to do my water aerobics classes and do the things I needed to do for daily life. I considered my knee situation to be stable. I went back to my Ortho in the fall of 2012, and I asked him if it was conceivable that I could to on for years like this. He said it was possible, but there would come a point when my knees would not continue to carry me. Then I started thinking about insurance coverage and retirement...
In December of 2012, the decision was made for me when my right knee went out on me again. I was at Water Aerobics, getting dressed in the locker room after class, and all of a sudden I couldn't put any weight on my right leg. I don't think I actually "did" anything. I was just standing in the changing room taking my swimming suit off as I had done a million times over the last few years. Ice didn't really help much. I stayed home from school for 3 days, and when I want back, I had to use a walker and sit through my classes. My Ortho gave me meds and a cortisone shot - which helped. However, that's when I knew it was time for surgery. The "acute" phase this time lasted through December and into January. I started using the electric carts at the grocery store. I also stopped going to Water Aerobics. I realized that incidents like this were going to continue to happen without warning. Once this incident was passed I started making plans for surgery on June 11, 2013.
So, the adventure begins...
Stay tuned!
:) Amy
I first started having knee problems in about 2004 or 2005. One knee totally went out on me (I don't remember which one went first), but for several days, I couldn't put any weight on it, and it hurt A LOT. After a few days of staying off of it and icing it, I finally went to my family doc. She ordered X-rays, and determined that I had severe arthritis in it. I took meds and went to Physical Therapy (PT) for awhile, and got over that initial "acute" period, but it continued to give me problems.
At some point after that, the other knee did the same thing. (I want to say it was a year or 2 later, but I'm not sure.) After that I went to an orthopedic doc about them both. He told me that my knees were deteriorating, and eventually they would get to the point where knee replacement would make sense. At that point, I was about 46, and he told me to come back when I turned 60, and we'd discuss surgery.
I continued to live my life, but as the months went on, I found my knee situation started interfering with life. No longer could I go for long hikes in the woods with Hubs, and golf became more of a challenge. I tried different medications - some worked better than others. I also got cortisone shots on occasion. Those worked to varying degrees as well. I also found that I was no longer able to keep up with my work as my school's theatre director the way I wanted to.
By 2009, my orthopedic doc was telling me that I was ready for total knee replacement. He said it was basically up to me - when I felt I couldn't take it anymore, then it was time. We started planning for the summer of 2010 and actually set a date for the week after school was out - June 14. I did all the pre-surgery prep stuff which included having an MRI and pre-op testing. However, on Friday, June 11, my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was probably a Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is the most aggressive form of brain tumor. Her oncologist predicted she would only live about 6-8 weeks without treatment. So, I cancelled my surgery to stay with her.
After my mother passed away on July 25, 2010, we had her house and all its contents to deal with. We spent August, Sept and part of October dealing with her possessions, and getting the house ready for sale. The house didn't sell until Dec. 2011. During all of that time, I continued to walk on my bad knees. I took Vicodin for the pain, and just tried to be on my feet as little as possible.
Interestingly enough, throughout 2010, 2011 and 2012, I got along ok. Yes, there were times I had to take it easy, and I couldn't hike, but I was able to do my water aerobics classes and do the things I needed to do for daily life. I considered my knee situation to be stable. I went back to my Ortho in the fall of 2012, and I asked him if it was conceivable that I could to on for years like this. He said it was possible, but there would come a point when my knees would not continue to carry me. Then I started thinking about insurance coverage and retirement...
In December of 2012, the decision was made for me when my right knee went out on me again. I was at Water Aerobics, getting dressed in the locker room after class, and all of a sudden I couldn't put any weight on my right leg. I don't think I actually "did" anything. I was just standing in the changing room taking my swimming suit off as I had done a million times over the last few years. Ice didn't really help much. I stayed home from school for 3 days, and when I want back, I had to use a walker and sit through my classes. My Ortho gave me meds and a cortisone shot - which helped. However, that's when I knew it was time for surgery. The "acute" phase this time lasted through December and into January. I started using the electric carts at the grocery store. I also stopped going to Water Aerobics. I realized that incidents like this were going to continue to happen without warning. Once this incident was passed I started making plans for surgery on June 11, 2013.
So, the adventure begins...
Stay tuned!
:) Amy
Sunday, May 26, 2013
The Stuff of Dreams
Sometimes I have very vivid dreams. Many times they involve family members who have passed away. My mother and maternal grandmother are probably the most frequent visitors in my dreams. Hubs has come to recognize what he calls "Amy Dreams" which typically express some frustration or fear that is being held inside. Often these dreams exhibit a frustration over a loss of control of something.
On very rare occasions I experience creative dreams in which I've written a story or come up with an art or sewing project. Last night I had one such dream. In it, I wrote a poem:
Suppose we invite
all the street corner poets
to come to our house
with their candles
and sit in our livingroom.
Along with this short poem, I envisioned a bunch of people sitting around in a house (which looked nothing like anywhere I've ever lived) in candle light, discussing poetry.
I have absolutely no idea what this means or where it came from. I have not been reading poetry. I've not even been thinking about poetry. At least, it doesn't seem to be a typical "Amy Dream", and I'm glad I was able to remember it.
On another note, another bit of poetry: "School's out, School's out! Teacher let the monkeys out!" I'm not sure where that saying came from, but my mother used to say it to me every year on the last day of school. When I became a teacher, I would call her on the last day, and she would say it in her sing-songy way. Now, Hubs sings it for me, and he did so on Friday. Another year in the books - #28 to be exact. WHEW! They've gone fast. Now I get to enjoy yet another summer vacation! YAY!
That's it for today - short and sweet. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to feed the fish!
:)Amy
On very rare occasions I experience creative dreams in which I've written a story or come up with an art or sewing project. Last night I had one such dream. In it, I wrote a poem:
Suppose we invite
all the street corner poets
to come to our house
with their candles
and sit in our livingroom.
Along with this short poem, I envisioned a bunch of people sitting around in a house (which looked nothing like anywhere I've ever lived) in candle light, discussing poetry.
I have absolutely no idea what this means or where it came from. I have not been reading poetry. I've not even been thinking about poetry. At least, it doesn't seem to be a typical "Amy Dream", and I'm glad I was able to remember it.
On another note, another bit of poetry: "School's out, School's out! Teacher let the monkeys out!" I'm not sure where that saying came from, but my mother used to say it to me every year on the last day of school. When I became a teacher, I would call her on the last day, and she would say it in her sing-songy way. Now, Hubs sings it for me, and he did so on Friday. Another year in the books - #28 to be exact. WHEW! They've gone fast. Now I get to enjoy yet another summer vacation! YAY!
That's it for today - short and sweet. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to feed the fish!
:)Amy
Friday, March 29, 2013
Another New Item
A month or so ago, I decided that I was going to buy myself a new refrigerator for my birthday. I've never liked the refrigerator at New House (NH). There is nothing wrong with the way it functions, and it looks nice and is in great condition. However, it is a top freezer model. That means that the refrigerator part was very low. I found it difficult to get stuff out of the bottom bins, and it was necessary to practically crawl into the compartment to reach stuff in the back. And then, invariably, I would hit my head on the freezer door while coming out after reaching something in the back. After a year of putting up with all this, I finally decided I'd reached my limit.
Last Saturday I did a scouting mission to the local Sears Hardware, and then to Home Depot in search of a nice bottom freezer model. I came home armed with information, and then I did more homework online. (What did we do before the internet? Oh yes, I remember, we went to the library and searched Consumer Reports Magazines!) After thoroughly investigating our options, I decided on a Kenmore 69002 from Sears.
The new Fridge was delivered today around noon. It fits perfectly in the space, and so far seems to be just what I wanted! We have temporarily moved the old one to the garage. We are going to be donating it to the Furniture Bank next week.
Here are some photos of the old Fridge. It is a Whirlpool.
Last Saturday I did a scouting mission to the local Sears Hardware, and then to Home Depot in search of a nice bottom freezer model. I came home armed with information, and then I did more homework online. (What did we do before the internet? Oh yes, I remember, we went to the library and searched Consumer Reports Magazines!) After thoroughly investigating our options, I decided on a Kenmore 69002 from Sears.
The new Fridge was delivered today around noon. It fits perfectly in the space, and so far seems to be just what I wanted! We have temporarily moved the old one to the garage. We are going to be donating it to the Furniture Bank next week.
Here are some photos of the old Fridge. It is a Whirlpool.
The empty space was quickly cleaned up after moving the old one:
Delivery of the new model was amazing. There were 3 workers. They had a truck with a lift bed on the back, and unboxed the new fridge in the street. Then, when we were ready, they carried it in. Yes, I said "carried". 2 guys with wide straps over their shoulders and a strap under the fridge carried it up the driveway, through the front door, and put it in place in about a minute. No dolly, no fuss !!
Here it is in place:
We didn't want an ice-maker because they take up valuable room, and we have no water access on that side of the kitchen, so that meant getting a side open door instead of a pull out freezer door, which is fine with us. This is very similar to the refrigerator we bought for Old House (OH) about 6 years ago. The main difference is the freezer door handle which is smaller and closer to the edge on the OH one.
The delivery guy said it will take about 4 hours to get the temp where we can safely put food in. Here is another advantage of 2 houses: A couple of days ago, in anticipation of this delivery, we started taking food to OH for storage in that fridge (mainly stuff from the freezer, but also some fridge stuff). We took a load on Wed and another yesterday. That left just enough here to get us through the morning, and it was easy to manage at the time of delivery.
So, there we go ! Another successful purchase for NH !
Thanks for reading about this latest adventure, and don't forget to feed the fish!
:)Amy
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Welcome to Spring in Ohio
Monday, March 25, 2013 - the first day of Spring Break for my school, and most of the schools in central Ohio. Here is what we woke up to:
In spite of the 3-4" of snow around the feeder, we also saw this today:
These 3 are Gary, Jerry and Larry.
And then, there's Matilda and Hershal:
Matilda and Hershal almost always visit together. Sometimes one will be ahead of the other, but he keeps a pretty close eye on her. She is a little more skittish than he is, but she seems to decide when it is time to eat and when it is time to leave. All of these photos were taken from New House. We are used to getting ducks at Old House in the spring, but so far we haven't seen them there yet - perhaps because of our proximity to the creek now?
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to feed the fish!
:)Amy
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Remodeling Continues
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that last spring we did a major remodeling of our new house. (Look back to my blog entries from April and May of 2012.) We have now added one more "project" to the list of areas remodeled. On Friday, February 22, we had a tub-to-shower conversion done in the master bathroom. Today I am going to talk about and share photos of the process.
Our process actually began in about 2009 or 2010, the first time I was seriously considering having knee replacement surgery. This was long before we even thought about having a new house. The first company we contacted shall remain nameless, but it is a company that advertises on TV a great deal and is known for their tub-to-shower conversions. It is probably the first name you think of on this topic. I called and asked about a ball-park figure for this conversion. The person on the phone refused to give me anything more than a broad range and said that they would have to look at our site before they could really give an estimate. So, I scheduled a "free estimate". That "free estimate" cost us 2 hours of our lives that we will never get back, but I suppose we did learn some things. That estimate experience also turned us off to the entire job until January of this year when I decided to "go there again". The worst part of that estimate process was the high-pressure expectation by the salesman. Towards the end of the conversation, when he was trying to seal the deal, we said we would think about it, and we wanted to get more estimates. (Obviously, this is an expensive decision and not one to be taken lightly.) He turned on us when we said that. He went from being very nice and funny and friendly to being surly and almost mean. He let us know that he would not get a commission if we made our decision after he left the house (what kind of company does THAT to their salesmen?). That was the turn-off. Any company that discourages their potential customers from getting other estimates and expects them to make snap decisions without even seeing a real sample of the product is very fishy. And so, we stopped looking. About a month or so after that estimate, a man called from the company asking if we had made a decision. I was very honest with him about what turned us off. He thanked me for my comments, but I have no idea if it made any difference to them at all.
In December 2012, my right knee went out on me. For about a month, I was heavily dependent on Hubs to help me get in and out of the shower. While we now have 4 bathrooms in the 2 houses, the showers are all the same: 1970s style standard tubs. When we remodeled the new house, I did have a grab bar installed in the hall bath that I use most often, and that is very helpful, but I still needed help getting in and out after my knee went out. So, for me, a big part of the need for the tub-to-shower conversion was about safety and independence. The fact is, both my knees are unstable, and even after my first surgery, the other one is still going to be unstable. The other issue during that recovery period was my inability to stand long enough to take my shower and wash my hair, so for about 2 weeks, I had to get my hair washed at a salon. While that can be a nice luxury, it was hard for me to spend $ on something that I was used to doing myself.
In January, I started talking about this job again. Hubs was hesitant, but I persisted. I did a lot of online research, and I came up with 3 companies that I wanted to get estimates from. 2 companies only do bathroom remodeling and the 3rd is a general contractor who specializes in remodeling, especially bathrooms.
Our first estimate was from the general contractor. The sales woman was very good - we liked her, and we were impressed by the products she showed us. She introduced us to a product called The Onyx Collection. It is a company in Kansas that manufactures the product used for the shower base, walls, sinks, etc... She also offered us an acrylic material which is very common in shower installations. If you have ever stayed in a hotel that has remodeled the bathrooms, then you have probably seen an acrylic product. With her we picked out an acrylic color that we liked - she suggested that as a lower cost alternative to the Onyx. She gave us a lot of good information, and when she left we had an estimate written on the back of a business card. She also gave us info about having the entire bathroom redone, including the vanity and flooring (we did ask about it - this wasn't her idea), and we had looked at some flooring options. We are going to need at least 1 bathroom done in the old house before we ever try to sell it, so that is why we asked about the whole bathroom job.
Our second estimate was by a local company that only does bathroom remodeling called SimpleBath (used with permission). The company is owned by a married couple, Dick Ransom and Mary Rubin, and it is not a franchise of something bigger. Dick came do our estimate, and we really liked him. In addition to being very informative, he was also very personable and very "real". We felt we could really trust him. Throughout our estimate process, he filled out a formal estimate sheet. Without knowing the first estimate we got, he gave us an estimate that was less than the first - and it was for an all-Onyx unit, where as the first estimate was an Onyx base and acrylic walls. He also encouraged us to come to his showroom to see the products in person. A couple of days later, we visited the showroom, and as soon as I saw the complete Onyx unit, I was sold. There we spoke to Mary, who looked at our estimate and gave us more information. She also offered us a discount if we could have the job done on one of 3 days in February that they didn't have any installations on the calendar. (Their installers are on salary, not paid hourly or by the job.)
Once we left the showroom, the decision was really a no-brainer. We had had to cancel the 3rd estimate because of a meeting at school, and after seeing the samples in the showroom, we decided to go with the 2nd company without even getting a 3rd estimate. We contacted our man and set the date for Feb 22. We had to pay 1/2 when we scheduled and 1/2 when the job was done.
Our 2 installers arrived about 9:45 on a very icy morning (ironically, all the schools in the area were closed!). While Mike got started on demo, Chaz went to a nearby hardware store to get some salt because the driveway was a skating rink.
Here are some "before shots".
Our process actually began in about 2009 or 2010, the first time I was seriously considering having knee replacement surgery. This was long before we even thought about having a new house. The first company we contacted shall remain nameless, but it is a company that advertises on TV a great deal and is known for their tub-to-shower conversions. It is probably the first name you think of on this topic. I called and asked about a ball-park figure for this conversion. The person on the phone refused to give me anything more than a broad range and said that they would have to look at our site before they could really give an estimate. So, I scheduled a "free estimate". That "free estimate" cost us 2 hours of our lives that we will never get back, but I suppose we did learn some things. That estimate experience also turned us off to the entire job until January of this year when I decided to "go there again". The worst part of that estimate process was the high-pressure expectation by the salesman. Towards the end of the conversation, when he was trying to seal the deal, we said we would think about it, and we wanted to get more estimates. (Obviously, this is an expensive decision and not one to be taken lightly.) He turned on us when we said that. He went from being very nice and funny and friendly to being surly and almost mean. He let us know that he would not get a commission if we made our decision after he left the house (what kind of company does THAT to their salesmen?). That was the turn-off. Any company that discourages their potential customers from getting other estimates and expects them to make snap decisions without even seeing a real sample of the product is very fishy. And so, we stopped looking. About a month or so after that estimate, a man called from the company asking if we had made a decision. I was very honest with him about what turned us off. He thanked me for my comments, but I have no idea if it made any difference to them at all.
In December 2012, my right knee went out on me. For about a month, I was heavily dependent on Hubs to help me get in and out of the shower. While we now have 4 bathrooms in the 2 houses, the showers are all the same: 1970s style standard tubs. When we remodeled the new house, I did have a grab bar installed in the hall bath that I use most often, and that is very helpful, but I still needed help getting in and out after my knee went out. So, for me, a big part of the need for the tub-to-shower conversion was about safety and independence. The fact is, both my knees are unstable, and even after my first surgery, the other one is still going to be unstable. The other issue during that recovery period was my inability to stand long enough to take my shower and wash my hair, so for about 2 weeks, I had to get my hair washed at a salon. While that can be a nice luxury, it was hard for me to spend $ on something that I was used to doing myself.
In January, I started talking about this job again. Hubs was hesitant, but I persisted. I did a lot of online research, and I came up with 3 companies that I wanted to get estimates from. 2 companies only do bathroom remodeling and the 3rd is a general contractor who specializes in remodeling, especially bathrooms.
Our first estimate was from the general contractor. The sales woman was very good - we liked her, and we were impressed by the products she showed us. She introduced us to a product called The Onyx Collection. It is a company in Kansas that manufactures the product used for the shower base, walls, sinks, etc... She also offered us an acrylic material which is very common in shower installations. If you have ever stayed in a hotel that has remodeled the bathrooms, then you have probably seen an acrylic product. With her we picked out an acrylic color that we liked - she suggested that as a lower cost alternative to the Onyx. She gave us a lot of good information, and when she left we had an estimate written on the back of a business card. She also gave us info about having the entire bathroom redone, including the vanity and flooring (we did ask about it - this wasn't her idea), and we had looked at some flooring options. We are going to need at least 1 bathroom done in the old house before we ever try to sell it, so that is why we asked about the whole bathroom job.
Our second estimate was by a local company that only does bathroom remodeling called SimpleBath (used with permission). The company is owned by a married couple, Dick Ransom and Mary Rubin, and it is not a franchise of something bigger. Dick came do our estimate, and we really liked him. In addition to being very informative, he was also very personable and very "real". We felt we could really trust him. Throughout our estimate process, he filled out a formal estimate sheet. Without knowing the first estimate we got, he gave us an estimate that was less than the first - and it was for an all-Onyx unit, where as the first estimate was an Onyx base and acrylic walls. He also encouraged us to come to his showroom to see the products in person. A couple of days later, we visited the showroom, and as soon as I saw the complete Onyx unit, I was sold. There we spoke to Mary, who looked at our estimate and gave us more information. She also offered us a discount if we could have the job done on one of 3 days in February that they didn't have any installations on the calendar. (Their installers are on salary, not paid hourly or by the job.)
Once we left the showroom, the decision was really a no-brainer. We had had to cancel the 3rd estimate because of a meeting at school, and after seeing the samples in the showroom, we decided to go with the 2nd company without even getting a 3rd estimate. We contacted our man and set the date for Feb 22. We had to pay 1/2 when we scheduled and 1/2 when the job was done.
Our 2 installers arrived about 9:45 on a very icy morning (ironically, all the schools in the area were closed!). While Mike got started on demo, Chaz went to a nearby hardware store to get some salt because the driveway was a skating rink.
Here are some "before shots".
Mike started by using a box-cutter to score around the outside edge of the tile, then he use a putty knife to pry off the outside edge of tiles. Bye-Bye Blue Tile !!!
I grabbed one souvenir piece of that edge. All the rest went into the tub. I have to add here that both workers were extremely tolerant of me and my camera. I'm sure there were times when I was in their way, but they never complained (at least not to me).
Once the outer edge was off, he started taking down large sections of the tile walls. Some of it was chipped off into the tub, but he also cut out large sections of wall-board.
Once the walls were off, I was thrilled to see how clean things were inside. No mold, no mouse-droppings, no little critters running around, etc...
After cleaning up the tile mess, they took the tub out. I'm not sure exactly how they did it, but the process was VERY loud and the floor shook at times. I never saw them carry the tub out, but I did see it on the truck later. Once the tub was out, I could see the tub in the other bathroom through the wall, and the cement slab that the house is built on was exposed.
Next, came the plumbing work. After turning off the water, Chaz went to work taking out the old pipes and putting in new pipes and fittings. There is no need for the old bathtub nozzle, and all its parts. Here is the new fitting for the shower valve.
While Chaz was doing plumbing, Mike was working in the garage on the new pieces of Onyx. Here is the shower pan.
He also had to trim the wall pieces to fit exactly in the space. Once the shower pan was in place, they next worked on getting the largest wall piece into place. That was their biggest struggle of the day. To get it through the bedroom and bathroom doors, they had to turn it 90 degrees from its upright-installation direction, and then they had to turn it back once they got it in the room. They caught the corner on the ceiling twice and made a couple of small gouges. Then they decided to take the bathroom door off. I left at that point because I was sure they weren't appreciating my watching their struggle. It took awhile, but they finally got it turned and in. On the walls where there was to be a grab bar and a seat installed, they reinforced the wall behind the Onyx with plywood and also 2x6 blocks, so they would have more to drill into.
The Onyx color/pattern we chose is called Tiramisu and is the most popular color. (All the color options can be seen on the website I linked to above.) One of the things we liked about this product was how solid it is. The acrylic product is thinner and flimsier. This feels like a piece of stone. There is a slight flexibility to it before installation, but it doesn't really bend like acrylic does.
Next, the front wall went in and then the fixtures when on. Last was the back wall. At that point, they asked me to come in and tell them where I wanted all the bars, the corner shelf and the seat. They put marks on the walls based on my requests and then they put those items in.
Lastly, they caulked all the seams.
Ok... are you ready for the big final reveal??? Here we go.....
There is MUCH about this new unit that I am impressed with, but probably the biggest thing is how solid and sturdy it all feels. It is BIGGER than the old shower unit. Many customers have glass doors put on this, but we chose the shower-curtain option. Glass doors can always be added later, but they can't be taken off.
The only negative we experienced was the odor left by the adhesive they used and/or the caulk. That odor was very strong for the first few days. We had to open bedroom windows and have a fan blowing in the bathroom for the first 2 days. It was tolerable to sleep in the bedroom, but only when the bathroom door was closed. After a week, we can still smell it when we walk in the house, but it is very faint.
The first time I used the shower, I didn't even want to get out - so I just washed everything 2 or 3 times to have an excuse to stay in!!!! :)
So that's it for today! As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget to feed the fish!
:)Amy
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Yard Trash or Found Art?
One morning a week or so ago, I went out my front door to pick up my morning paper, and something caught my eye. Off to the side of my sidewalk on the mulch around the plantings was something that didn't belong there. Trash - I thought. I went over to pick it up, and thought it looked like a playing card, face-down in the mulch. Although a little bigger than a standard playing card, the back still looked like a standard deck. When I turned it over, I realized it wasn't from a standard deck of playing cards. At first, I thought it was from a deck of Tarot cards, but after having searched images of Tarot cards online, I can't find anything even remotely similar to this. So, now I am guessing it is a card from some board game that I'm not familiar with.
I am posting the images here in the hopes that one of my readers will be able to enlighten me. The character sort of looks like Jekyll / Hyde... ???
I am posting the images here in the hopes that one of my readers will be able to enlighten me. The character sort of looks like Jekyll / Hyde... ???
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to feed the fish!
:) Amy
Monday, December 24, 2012
Holidays At Home
We are enjoying our new home for the holiday season. I am attaching here some photos of the fresh tree we put on the porch. It is a 6' Frasier Fir and is the perfect size for the space. I bought new LED lights for it. They are more "blue" compared to the old lights, even though they are advertised as "white". I'm not totally thrilled with that, but I can live with it considering the energy efficiency.
Now that we have some space to work, I got out all the Xmas decorations, and we weeded before we decorated, so I now have a box for the next garage sale. When I un-decorate, I am going to reorganize and relabel all the holiday storage. It will feel good to finally be more organized.
Now that we have some space to work, I got out all the Xmas decorations, and we weeded before we decorated, so I now have a box for the next garage sale. When I un-decorate, I am going to reorganize and relabel all the holiday storage. It will feel good to finally be more organized.
That's it for today! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to feed the fish!
:) Amy
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The Shame of Not Posting
Oh goodness! Shame on me for not posting for more than 3 months. *sigh* Ok, I'm over it - and you should be too. The fact is that life has been very stable, so I really haven't had much to talk about.
School began again in mid-August, and we've pretty much been living in the new house about 80% of the time. We sleep here, and until it got too cold and dark to continue to hang out on the porch in the early evening, we were eating here as well.
In early November, we moved the table and chairs into the dining room and started closing the porch door at night. It really does get cold out there. It has been in the 40s on some mornings when it is in the 20s outside. The good news is that it doesn't take long to heat it up into the 60s with the small space heater that we have. Yes, there is a built-in wall heater, but we really don't trust it.
Other changes: We had AT&T Uverse installed in late July - bundle of phone, cable and internet. That has not been without some minor technical glitches at times, but overall, we are pleased with it. In August, we bought a desk for the dining room, and I moved my computer over because I knew I was going to need it once school started. Once we moved the dining table into the dining room, we moved my desk and computer to my sewing room. It is quite comfy working there. I honestly now have very little reason to go to the other house... except to deal with clothes.
Clothes. That seems to be the only sticky wicket I've had to deal with. Transitioning from summer clothes in the new closet to fall/winter has been a challenge. More than once, I've wanted something that was at the other house, when I thought it was already here. The good part of this is that I'm only bringing the stuff here that I REALLY like, so by next summer, I should have a very clear picture of what I can get rid of without missing it.
Now that it has turned colder and gets dark earlier, we don't feel as compelled to eat dinner here. Lately, we've been going back to the old house around sunset for dinner. We hang out for a few hours, and then come "home" for the rest of the evening. We still do laundry over there, and Hubs usually spends the night there once every couple of weeks - just to kind of make sure things are ok.
So, the 2 house lifestyle continues to work for us. Tentatively I am planning on just decorating New House for the holidays. I want to get a fresh tree for the porch - we haven't had a fresh tree in several years, so I'm looking forward to it.
I did a little decorating at Halloween. Thanks to Pinterest, I got some pumpkin ideas. Here are some photos of what I did:
School began again in mid-August, and we've pretty much been living in the new house about 80% of the time. We sleep here, and until it got too cold and dark to continue to hang out on the porch in the early evening, we were eating here as well.
In early November, we moved the table and chairs into the dining room and started closing the porch door at night. It really does get cold out there. It has been in the 40s on some mornings when it is in the 20s outside. The good news is that it doesn't take long to heat it up into the 60s with the small space heater that we have. Yes, there is a built-in wall heater, but we really don't trust it.
Other changes: We had AT&T Uverse installed in late July - bundle of phone, cable and internet. That has not been without some minor technical glitches at times, but overall, we are pleased with it. In August, we bought a desk for the dining room, and I moved my computer over because I knew I was going to need it once school started. Once we moved the dining table into the dining room, we moved my desk and computer to my sewing room. It is quite comfy working there. I honestly now have very little reason to go to the other house... except to deal with clothes.
Clothes. That seems to be the only sticky wicket I've had to deal with. Transitioning from summer clothes in the new closet to fall/winter has been a challenge. More than once, I've wanted something that was at the other house, when I thought it was already here. The good part of this is that I'm only bringing the stuff here that I REALLY like, so by next summer, I should have a very clear picture of what I can get rid of without missing it.
Now that it has turned colder and gets dark earlier, we don't feel as compelled to eat dinner here. Lately, we've been going back to the old house around sunset for dinner. We hang out for a few hours, and then come "home" for the rest of the evening. We still do laundry over there, and Hubs usually spends the night there once every couple of weeks - just to kind of make sure things are ok.
So, the 2 house lifestyle continues to work for us. Tentatively I am planning on just decorating New House for the holidays. I want to get a fresh tree for the porch - we haven't had a fresh tree in several years, so I'm looking forward to it.
I did a little decorating at Halloween. Thanks to Pinterest, I got some pumpkin ideas. Here are some photos of what I did:
I have also invested in some new holiday greenery for the front windowsills. It should last for years, and has battery powered LED lights that are on a timer to be on for 6 hours each evening.
So, that's the November update. I'll try to post more about the holiday decs in the next few weeks. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to feed the fish!
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