All along this process, every time I've not been able to do something, I've thought, "When will I be able to do this?" or more commonly, "Will I EVER be able to do this??" First, it was lifting my foot off the floor or the bed. Then, it was lifting my whole leg in the air. Most recently, it has been about being able to step onto a step without pulling myself up with my arms. (Which I can now do, by the way!)
The most long-term, lingering issue has always been the stiffness in my leg which everyone attributes to internal swelling. The Doc and the PTs have all said it will go down with time. Well, I have never been a particularly patient person. As this swelling and stiffness has persisted, I've often asked myself, "WHEN will this be gone?" My PT told me that I should be able to do whatever I want to do at 3 months. Does that mean all the stiffness will be gone then? Not necessarily.
Well, today, at 7 weeks, I am here to report that there has been progress in the category of stiffness and swelling !!!
First, as I reported the other day, I bought school shoes. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I tried a pair on each day, and wore them around the house for about 2-3 hours. I wanted to make sure they were going to be comfortable enough for a school day. On Saturday, after wearing pair #1, when I took them off, I noticed that the sausage was significantly smaller. It was still bigger than the other foot, but most (90%?) of the puffiness was gone. WHAT? Can this be? All it took to get rid of most of the swelling in my foot was to put on a shoe?? Seriously???
Now, I have to say that for the last 7 weeks, NO ONE - let me say that again - NO ONE has suggested that I could reduce the swelling in my foot by wearing a shoe that comes up over the top of my foot. Did you hear what I said? NO ONE! When I asked the PTs about my sausage, they would tell me to do ankle pumps. Ok - so I diligently did ankle pumps for the first 3 weeks, and it made NO difference. I put ice packs on my foot and ankle, and it made NO difference. When I asked my Doc about the swelling in my sausage, he told me it would go down over time.
So, all summer, I've been barefoot. Sometimes I wear ankle socks. When I need to go out with shoes, I wear my sandals with the stretchy straps. No regular shoes for 7 weeks. Let's imagine for just a minute how different things would have been if I'd been wearing shoes maybe 4-5 weeks ago? All those times when I thought my skin was stretched so tight it was going to explode???? Ha! SHOES!
Well, you have to know that I am going to share this revelation with my PT on Thursday! I hope she doesn't give me that, "well of course you need to wear shoes - everyone knows that!" response, because she will get an ear full if she does!
For my faithful readers who are headed for this surgery, let me add this to the "Learn from Amy" list: You already know you need to do your exercises faithfully if you want to see progress. Now you also know you need to wear SHOES!
My second revelation for today is a little more subtle and a little harder to quantify and to put into words.
Background: Sunday, when I got up, I felt even more stiff than usual, and it seemed to take longer during the day for the morning stiffness to wear off. Just doing my usual exercises didn't seem to help as much as usual. I wrote it off to cooler weather. Yesterday, I was much better - more "normal" or typical. I did my usual morning exercises, and then in the afternoon, we went to our local park and walked again. This is the second time I've done this. We took a different path in the park, but I think I probably walked about as much - about a mile (of course with frequent sitting). When I got home, I put ice on my leg for about 30 minutes, and generally felt very good.
Last night, I sat a lot. Ok, The Bachelorette was on - it's my guilty pleasure, what can I say! I sat glued to the TV for that 2 hour period. At 10:00, I got a bee in my bonnet to do some school work. I decided to work on creating a new website for one of my classes. So, I proceeded to sit at my computer for the next 2 hours... with no break. Not good. Usually, when I get up from sitting, I have to give my leg time to acclimate to standing, and it usually takes walking about 10 steps before it is "working" again.
Well, here is my second revelation: Last night, when I got up from sitting at my computer, the usual stiffness was almost gone! I just started walking - normally - without limping at all. There was no need to stand for a minute, or stretch or hobble around until my knee decided to work. It just worked!
Then, when I went to bed, I started out lying on my back with Bessie out straight - when I bent her, she didn't feel stiff at all. It was almost like - dare I say it - like 10 years ago?! During the night, I was very conscious of a difference. There was a new ease of movement, and a significant decrease in stiffness when I changed positions. Likewise, this morning - I got up and just started walking without having to stand by the bed and wait to be ready to take the first step.
So, to what do I owe this change? Could it be the influence of shoes? Could it be the walk at the park? Could it be the diligence of exercising? (Have I mentioned how important exercising is, kids?) Could it just be a matter of time?
Right now, I'm going to go with "a combination of all of the above" as the explanation. Whatever the explanation is, the result is that I'm VERY excited!!
That's all for now... I'm going to get back to my school website. Thanks for reading and hanging in here with me!
:)Amy
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Reading Aloud
My family is a tennis family. Both my mother and my aunt were active tennis players in their youth, and even had success as winners of local tournaments. Once my father and uncle joined the family, they also played tennis with their wives. My aunt and uncle pursued this interest a bit longer and more actively than my mother and father did and made names for themselves in the tennis community around Dayton, Ohio back in the day. Eventually, they turned their attention more to the golf course and played less tennis, but my aunt always enjoyed watching tennis on TV even when she no longer played.
When I learned that tennis legend Jimmy Connors had a written a new memoir, The Outsider, it occurred to me that my aunt might enjoy the book. At the time I learned of the book, my cousin was going to be coming to stay with me during my post-surgery convalescence, and I thought it might be fun for her and I to read the book aloud and record it, and then share that with my aunt. It would be sort of like the 3 of us would be reading it together. It would give Cousin and I something to do with all my down-time, and something that we could all share.
As it turned out, my cousin wasn't able to come, but I decided to read the book aloud myself. My goal was to read a chapter a day, and I managed to keep up with that schedule for the most part. I read each chapter into a digital recorder and then emailed it to my cousins in New Hampshire, who then played each installment for my aunt.
I finally finished the book a few days ago. It had 24 chapters. I enjoyed the reading process because I knew my aunt was enjoying listening, and I generally enjoy reading aloud. Jimmy's very large ego certainly comes through loud and clear in his writing. The technical aspect of the book bothered me a bit as an English teacher because the first person narration flipped back and forth between present and past tense frequently for no apparent reason. At various times I found myself wondering if anyone had actually edited the writing beyond checking spelling. Even the basic printing was annoying as there were places where the periods at the ends of paragraphs were missing. The book was also very heavy in statistics of various matches. While some of that is necessary, there was a bit much of it for my taste.
Overall, I'm glad I did the reading project. My reading certainly wouldn't win any awards because I didn't edit out my mis-reads and redos, nor my sneezes! :) But if my aunt enjoyed it, then that is my reward!
If you love the tennis era of the 1970s, then you might enjoy this book, but just prepare to be annoyed by some of its idiosyncrasies.
:)Amy
When I learned that tennis legend Jimmy Connors had a written a new memoir, The Outsider, it occurred to me that my aunt might enjoy the book. At the time I learned of the book, my cousin was going to be coming to stay with me during my post-surgery convalescence, and I thought it might be fun for her and I to read the book aloud and record it, and then share that with my aunt. It would be sort of like the 3 of us would be reading it together. It would give Cousin and I something to do with all my down-time, and something that we could all share.
As it turned out, my cousin wasn't able to come, but I decided to read the book aloud myself. My goal was to read a chapter a day, and I managed to keep up with that schedule for the most part. I read each chapter into a digital recorder and then emailed it to my cousins in New Hampshire, who then played each installment for my aunt.
I finally finished the book a few days ago. It had 24 chapters. I enjoyed the reading process because I knew my aunt was enjoying listening, and I generally enjoy reading aloud. Jimmy's very large ego certainly comes through loud and clear in his writing. The technical aspect of the book bothered me a bit as an English teacher because the first person narration flipped back and forth between present and past tense frequently for no apparent reason. At various times I found myself wondering if anyone had actually edited the writing beyond checking spelling. Even the basic printing was annoying as there were places where the periods at the ends of paragraphs were missing. The book was also very heavy in statistics of various matches. While some of that is necessary, there was a bit much of it for my taste.
Overall, I'm glad I did the reading project. My reading certainly wouldn't win any awards because I didn't edit out my mis-reads and redos, nor my sneezes! :) But if my aunt enjoyed it, then that is my reward!
If you love the tennis era of the 1970s, then you might enjoy this book, but just prepare to be annoyed by some of its idiosyncrasies.
:)Amy
The Shopping Expedition or Dressing the Sausage!
Those of you who know me, know that I am not what some people would call particularly "fashion conscious". While I do like to look decent, and I like to dress professionally for school, I don't spend too much time worrying about whether I am wearing the latest trends. I am also not a fancy dresser (although I can dress up for the right occasion). I am not the type of person to get rid of perfectly good clothes that I like just because they are out of season (or even out of decade!). Because of my size and shape, I've always had trouble finding clothes that fit me well, so when I find things that do fit, I tend to keep them until they wear out or until I can't stand them anymore. (Much to the chagrin of one of my colleagues who has remarked on my "80s" wardrobe - yes, you know who you are!) Also, for the last 9 years or so, as I've suffered with worsening knees, I've had increasing trouble shopping for clothes, which is another reason I tend to hang on to the past.
My current situation has presented a bit of a problem - not with clothes, but with shoes. Bessie is quite clearly larger than my right leg. All the way from above my knee to my foot which is puffed out like a sausage casing with too much meat shoved into it! When I look in the mirror at my legs side-by-side, they look like they belong on 2 different bodies! I'm told by my doc and my PT that this situation of swelling is likely to last for months yet. This presents a problem with school shoes.
All summer I've been wearing 1 pair of sandals with stretchy straps that easily accommodate my sausage foot, but I can't (or rather won't) wear them to school. Yesterday, with a very dedicated friend who has been with me through this whole process, I set out to the shoe store to find school shoes. I thought I might have to buy 2 pairs of different sizes - one for the right and one for the left. However, it turned out that I was able to find shoes where the same pair fit both feet. The good news is that I found 3 pair that fit, and I didn't feel like I had to settle for the only shoes in the store that would fit. I'm actually happy with what I got.
None of these shoes were purchased for fashion, but they aren't "ugly" by any means. They are all black, and my hope is that they will disappear below my pants and will not stand out and draw attention to my sausage.
My store of choice was DSW because of its huge selection. I had only shopped there once before, and didn't find what I wanted then. I look forward to a time when I can buy "cute" shoes that are fashionable once again, but for now I will dress my sausage and get on with life!
:) Amy
My current situation has presented a bit of a problem - not with clothes, but with shoes. Bessie is quite clearly larger than my right leg. All the way from above my knee to my foot which is puffed out like a sausage casing with too much meat shoved into it! When I look in the mirror at my legs side-by-side, they look like they belong on 2 different bodies! I'm told by my doc and my PT that this situation of swelling is likely to last for months yet. This presents a problem with school shoes.
All summer I've been wearing 1 pair of sandals with stretchy straps that easily accommodate my sausage foot, but I can't (or rather won't) wear them to school. Yesterday, with a very dedicated friend who has been with me through this whole process, I set out to the shoe store to find school shoes. I thought I might have to buy 2 pairs of different sizes - one for the right and one for the left. However, it turned out that I was able to find shoes where the same pair fit both feet. The good news is that I found 3 pair that fit, and I didn't feel like I had to settle for the only shoes in the store that would fit. I'm actually happy with what I got.
None of these shoes were purchased for fashion, but they aren't "ugly" by any means. They are all black, and my hope is that they will disappear below my pants and will not stand out and draw attention to my sausage.
My store of choice was DSW because of its huge selection. I had only shopped there once before, and didn't find what I wanted then. I look forward to a time when I can buy "cute" shoes that are fashionable once again, but for now I will dress my sausage and get on with life!
:) Amy
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Movie Review - Moonrise Kingdom
Today's movie review is very unusual. It involves a movie I didn't even bother to finish!
I had heard good things about Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - mainly that it was "quirky", so I put it on my list. I started watching it on Sunday, but I only got about half way through it when I had to stop. Somehow I never felt any pressing need to keep watching it, and after about 3 days, I just decided to send it back without finishing it.
The movie is quirky, but it is also incredibly slow. I almost fell asleep during the part I watched. As you know from some of the movies I've already reviewed, I'm not a big "action" fan, so I'm not opposed to movies that don't have car chases and gun-shootouts. (After all, I liked Quartet !) However, this movie was painfully slow, and sadly there wasn't enough quirkiness to carry it. I really wanted to like it! Obviously, I can't recommend this to my readers.
Stay tuned - I will try to give you some GOOD recommendations in the near future!
:)Amy
I had heard good things about Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - mainly that it was "quirky", so I put it on my list. I started watching it on Sunday, but I only got about half way through it when I had to stop. Somehow I never felt any pressing need to keep watching it, and after about 3 days, I just decided to send it back without finishing it.
The movie is quirky, but it is also incredibly slow. I almost fell asleep during the part I watched. As you know from some of the movies I've already reviewed, I'm not a big "action" fan, so I'm not opposed to movies that don't have car chases and gun-shootouts. (After all, I liked Quartet !) However, this movie was painfully slow, and sadly there wasn't enough quirkiness to carry it. I really wanted to like it! Obviously, I can't recommend this to my readers.
Stay tuned - I will try to give you some GOOD recommendations in the near future!
:)Amy
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
6 Weeks and Counting
This is a big week for Bessie! Tuesday was her 6 week anniversary, and Monday was her Doc appointment.
The doctor was very impressed! He took an x-ray. It must have been ok because he didn't tell me there were any loose parts inside!. He liked how much I could straighten her, and he was impressed by my 100 degree bend. He was also impressed by how well I was walking, and how quickly, with no cane or other assistance. The nurse also complimented me, as did the secretary! Doc wants to see me again in 2 months. He said to keep working on my bend - he wants me to get to 110-115.
Doc cleared me to get back in the pool. He said my incision looks very well healed. He also encouraged me to go back to Water Aerobics, which I am anxious to do and will start in Sept.
Doc also said that I can expect the stiffness from swelling for months. He said it really takes a year before the whole healing and strengthening process is over.
In the waiting room with me was a woman who still had her TED hose, her leg pumps and her walker. I thought to myself how glad I am that I am past that stage of the process!
Shortly after my doc appointment, was my PT session. Kristen put a 4" step-box in the middle of the floor and had me step up on it without anything to hold on to! That was scary, but I was able to do it. (20 times from the front and 20 times to the side.) She said I need to learn to trust myself more!
We discussed my PT schedule. I will have 6 more sessions after this week. She agreed with me that it would be better to go once a week for 6 weeks rather than 2x for 3 weeks, especially since I am good about doing my own exercising at home. So I will be going every Thursday through Sept 5.
I think I have mentioned this before, but I am going to repeat it. Both of my physical therapists have mentioned having patients who don't do their own exercises outside of PT sessions, and then they wonder why they don't get better faster. Really? DUH!!! The biggest advice I can give to anyone out there who is considering surgery like this is that you HAVE to be diligent about exercising if you want to see progress. You can't rely on a therapist to do all the work for you. They give guidance, but YOU have to do the work yourself if you want results! 3 times a day for 3-4 weeks, and then 2 times a day after that. You have to keep moving and walking. You can't just sit in the chair or lie in the bed and expect to be able to walk well. If you don't keep moving and stretching and squeezing early in the process, your joint will stiffen up, and it will be even harder to move. Also, when you do exercise, you see daily progress and that is a great motivator!!
To sum up my 6 weeks status: I am totally off my cane now. I still limp at times, but not all the time. My leg feels stiff most of the time, but it doesn't really "hurt". There are times when I actually forget I had surgery. I am very cautious walking outside on uneven ground or in public places, but I'm very confident in the house. I do fine getting in and out of the car. I have not tried stairs, but I suspect I could do them with a sturdy railing to hold on to. I can sleep in any position in bed, but my leg does get stiff when kept in one position for very long, so I still have to move around a lot in bed, and often have to get up and walk in the wee hours (today I made it until 6 am!). Overall, I am very excited about my progress!
Ok, that's it for today. Thanks for reading and supporting my efforts! I'll talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
The doctor was very impressed! He took an x-ray. It must have been ok because he didn't tell me there were any loose parts inside!. He liked how much I could straighten her, and he was impressed by my 100 degree bend. He was also impressed by how well I was walking, and how quickly, with no cane or other assistance. The nurse also complimented me, as did the secretary! Doc wants to see me again in 2 months. He said to keep working on my bend - he wants me to get to 110-115.
Doc cleared me to get back in the pool. He said my incision looks very well healed. He also encouraged me to go back to Water Aerobics, which I am anxious to do and will start in Sept.
Doc also said that I can expect the stiffness from swelling for months. He said it really takes a year before the whole healing and strengthening process is over.
In the waiting room with me was a woman who still had her TED hose, her leg pumps and her walker. I thought to myself how glad I am that I am past that stage of the process!
Shortly after my doc appointment, was my PT session. Kristen put a 4" step-box in the middle of the floor and had me step up on it without anything to hold on to! That was scary, but I was able to do it. (20 times from the front and 20 times to the side.) She said I need to learn to trust myself more!
We discussed my PT schedule. I will have 6 more sessions after this week. She agreed with me that it would be better to go once a week for 6 weeks rather than 2x for 3 weeks, especially since I am good about doing my own exercising at home. So I will be going every Thursday through Sept 5.
I think I have mentioned this before, but I am going to repeat it. Both of my physical therapists have mentioned having patients who don't do their own exercises outside of PT sessions, and then they wonder why they don't get better faster. Really? DUH!!! The biggest advice I can give to anyone out there who is considering surgery like this is that you HAVE to be diligent about exercising if you want to see progress. You can't rely on a therapist to do all the work for you. They give guidance, but YOU have to do the work yourself if you want results! 3 times a day for 3-4 weeks, and then 2 times a day after that. You have to keep moving and walking. You can't just sit in the chair or lie in the bed and expect to be able to walk well. If you don't keep moving and stretching and squeezing early in the process, your joint will stiffen up, and it will be even harder to move. Also, when you do exercise, you see daily progress and that is a great motivator!!
To sum up my 6 weeks status: I am totally off my cane now. I still limp at times, but not all the time. My leg feels stiff most of the time, but it doesn't really "hurt". There are times when I actually forget I had surgery. I am very cautious walking outside on uneven ground or in public places, but I'm very confident in the house. I do fine getting in and out of the car. I have not tried stairs, but I suspect I could do them with a sturdy railing to hold on to. I can sleep in any position in bed, but my leg does get stiff when kept in one position for very long, so I still have to move around a lot in bed, and often have to get up and walk in the wee hours (today I made it until 6 am!). Overall, I am very excited about my progress!
Ok, that's it for today. Thanks for reading and supporting my efforts! I'll talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
Monday, July 22, 2013
Photos for your viewing pleasure...
Just sharing some photos from here. First is the Swallowtail that was in the front yard at New House on Friday. This one posed for me:
Next is a Turkey Vulture that Hubs photographed from the backyard at Old House:
Last, but not least, a Cicada in our little maple tree at Old House:
Talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Pain Meds
I am pretty much off the hard-core pain meds now, so I did some analysis of how much I took. Starting with the day I came home from the hospital, I kept a log of all the meds I took so I would know what time each dose was.
I came home on a Thursday around 2 pm. That day after I got home, I took 1 Vicodin and 4 doses of Percocet. Friday and Saturday, I took 7 doses each day. On Friday, I started with Perc, but then after the Home Health Care nurse came and told me it was ok to switch to my preferred Vic, I did so. So I was basically taking something every 2-3 hours.
By Sunday (which would be 5 days from surgery) I dropped down to 3 doses/day and did that through Thursday. I would take 1 early in the day, usually around my morning PT, then 1 mid afternoon around my 2nd PT, and then another in the evening with my 3rd PT.
On Friday, June 21, I dropped to 1 dose/day. For the next 3 weeks - until Friday, July 12, I took 1-2 doses of pain meds/day, sometimes adding in an Ibuprofen. Last Sat and Sun, I didn't take any pain meds, just Ibu. The last Vic I took was Monday, July 15. Since then I've been taking just Ibu - 1 or 2/day.
For the last couple weeks of the Vic, I found it most helpful to take it at bedtime to keep my leg from aching during the night.
For the last week, I would say that I really don't have "pain" anymore. It is more an issue of stiffness from the swelling. My PT said that I could experience swelling for months. She said that for a knee it typically takes 3 months before you can do what you want to do, and 6 months to forget you had it done. So I'm looking forward to Sept and December as key points in my recovery.
During the night, usually by around 4 or 5 am, Bessie is getting grumpy. By that time it is hard to find a comfortable position for longer than about 20-30 min. because of stiffness. I usually have to get up to go to the bathroom anyway, so I either walk around a bit, or sit up in the chair for 30 min or so, and that seems to help. Then I can get back in bed and go back to sleep.
Also, as I side note, I have been totally off my cane - even outside - since Tuesday, July 16 which was the 5 week mark.
I'm sharing this partly for my own record keeping, but also for those of you who are headed for surgery yourselves in the future. I urge you all to record your experiences because it is very helpful to be able to see the progress in quantifiable terms.
Thanks for reading! It is a rainy day here in Central Ohio today, but this front coming through should break the humidity which has been horrid for the past week!
Talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
I came home on a Thursday around 2 pm. That day after I got home, I took 1 Vicodin and 4 doses of Percocet. Friday and Saturday, I took 7 doses each day. On Friday, I started with Perc, but then after the Home Health Care nurse came and told me it was ok to switch to my preferred Vic, I did so. So I was basically taking something every 2-3 hours.
By Sunday (which would be 5 days from surgery) I dropped down to 3 doses/day and did that through Thursday. I would take 1 early in the day, usually around my morning PT, then 1 mid afternoon around my 2nd PT, and then another in the evening with my 3rd PT.
On Friday, June 21, I dropped to 1 dose/day. For the next 3 weeks - until Friday, July 12, I took 1-2 doses of pain meds/day, sometimes adding in an Ibuprofen. Last Sat and Sun, I didn't take any pain meds, just Ibu. The last Vic I took was Monday, July 15. Since then I've been taking just Ibu - 1 or 2/day.
For the last couple weeks of the Vic, I found it most helpful to take it at bedtime to keep my leg from aching during the night.
For the last week, I would say that I really don't have "pain" anymore. It is more an issue of stiffness from the swelling. My PT said that I could experience swelling for months. She said that for a knee it typically takes 3 months before you can do what you want to do, and 6 months to forget you had it done. So I'm looking forward to Sept and December as key points in my recovery.
During the night, usually by around 4 or 5 am, Bessie is getting grumpy. By that time it is hard to find a comfortable position for longer than about 20-30 min. because of stiffness. I usually have to get up to go to the bathroom anyway, so I either walk around a bit, or sit up in the chair for 30 min or so, and that seems to help. Then I can get back in bed and go back to sleep.
Also, as I side note, I have been totally off my cane - even outside - since Tuesday, July 16 which was the 5 week mark.
I'm sharing this partly for my own record keeping, but also for those of you who are headed for surgery yourselves in the future. I urge you all to record your experiences because it is very helpful to be able to see the progress in quantifiable terms.
Thanks for reading! It is a rainy day here in Central Ohio today, but this front coming through should break the humidity which has been horrid for the past week!
Talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
Friday, July 19, 2013
Book Review - The Silver Star
My most recent book was The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls. She is most well known for The Glass Castle which was about her life growing up in a very dysfunctional family. She followed that by a pre-quel called Half Broke Horses, which was about her grandmother's childhood.
This book is fiction and is not related to the other two. It is set in the 1970s in a small town in Virginia. The main characters are the narrator Jean "Bean" and her older sister Liz. They are about 12 and 15 when their crazy mother leaves them alone in their house in California to follow her dream of being an entertainer. When they realize she isn't coming back, and the creditors start knocking on the door, they use the last remaining funds they have to buy bus tickets to visit their mother's brother across the country in Virginia.
Once they arrive in Virginia they find a very different world than the one they've been raised in. They also come to understand their mother's early life a little better. Bean gets to meet her father's family - he had died before she was born, and it is from them that she is given the Silver Star that he was awarded in Vietnam.
The book raises issues of race. Bean's English class is reading To Kill A Mockingbird and discussing it at the same time that the school the girls are going to has been integrated. There are some situations that happen to the girls that are sort of reminiscent of some of the events of TKAM (at least thematically if not literally).
When the book was released earlier this summer, there was a review of it in the local paper. The review was not totally complimentary, but I had already purchased the book and was determined to read it because I had enjoyed Walls' other books. I did like this book overall, and I looked forward to my reading time to see what was going to happen next. I don't agree with the criticisms of the reviewer; however, I will say I was very disappointed in the ending. I'm not going to give it away in case some of you are going to read it. If you do, let me know, and we'll discuss the ending. I just sort of felt it was a cop-out and an easy way to end the book.
Yes, I would recommend it, but I would not call it an "intense" read.
:) Amy
This book is fiction and is not related to the other two. It is set in the 1970s in a small town in Virginia. The main characters are the narrator Jean "Bean" and her older sister Liz. They are about 12 and 15 when their crazy mother leaves them alone in their house in California to follow her dream of being an entertainer. When they realize she isn't coming back, and the creditors start knocking on the door, they use the last remaining funds they have to buy bus tickets to visit their mother's brother across the country in Virginia.
Once they arrive in Virginia they find a very different world than the one they've been raised in. They also come to understand their mother's early life a little better. Bean gets to meet her father's family - he had died before she was born, and it is from them that she is given the Silver Star that he was awarded in Vietnam.
The book raises issues of race. Bean's English class is reading To Kill A Mockingbird and discussing it at the same time that the school the girls are going to has been integrated. There are some situations that happen to the girls that are sort of reminiscent of some of the events of TKAM (at least thematically if not literally).
When the book was released earlier this summer, there was a review of it in the local paper. The review was not totally complimentary, but I had already purchased the book and was determined to read it because I had enjoyed Walls' other books. I did like this book overall, and I looked forward to my reading time to see what was going to happen next. I don't agree with the criticisms of the reviewer; however, I will say I was very disappointed in the ending. I'm not going to give it away in case some of you are going to read it. If you do, let me know, and we'll discuss the ending. I just sort of felt it was a cop-out and an easy way to end the book.
Yes, I would recommend it, but I would not call it an "intense" read.
:) Amy
Thursday, July 18, 2013
What? More Bragging? Sheesh!
Some of you may be getting tired of hearing me brag about my accomplishments. If you are one of those people, then you might want to skip this entry and give yourself a break from the brag-fest.
If you are still with me, thank you, and here is today's brag:
I had PT today. I told my PT Kristen that I have my 6-weeks doc appt on Monday, and I asked if she could measure me. She obliged willingly.
So, there are 2 measurements that matter to physical therapists in these situations. The first is how much I can bend my knee. I've talked about that before, and the last time I noted this measurement here, I was at 90 degrees. For comparison purposes, my other knee - the one that was not replaced - was measured at 94 degrees when I started doing my therapy at the facility. Today, she measure Bessie at .....
wait for it........
100 degrees !!!!!
WOO HOOO !!!!!
The second measurement that is important is how straight my leg is when it is stretched out flat. On my evaluation upon entry into the PT facility, this was measured in both legs. At that time, my old, un-replaced knee was at 11 degrees and Bessie was at 16 degrees. As of today, Bessie is at 5 degrees !!!!
WOO HOOOO again !!!!!
Just recently, I started having Hubs push down on Bessie which is something that Kristen does. She said she thinks it is helping! I have him put his palm just above my knee. Then he pushed down until I tell him to stop (which is just before I would typically say OUCH) and then he holds it for a count of 10. We do that about 3 times during each exercise session.
The longstanding goal for my knee bend is 110 degrees, so I'm almost there. The goal for the flat measurement is 0, but she said everyone will be happy with 5. I'm hoping that I get big praise from Doc on Monday. If he doesn't praise me enough then I will crow about my accomplishments to him!!!
Ok - that's it for today. I promise not to brag any more for the next few days, so you can take a break from your celebrating... while I take a nap! ;)
Thanks for hangin' in here with me! Your support really means a lot!
:)Amy
If you are still with me, thank you, and here is today's brag:
I had PT today. I told my PT Kristen that I have my 6-weeks doc appt on Monday, and I asked if she could measure me. She obliged willingly.
So, there are 2 measurements that matter to physical therapists in these situations. The first is how much I can bend my knee. I've talked about that before, and the last time I noted this measurement here, I was at 90 degrees. For comparison purposes, my other knee - the one that was not replaced - was measured at 94 degrees when I started doing my therapy at the facility. Today, she measure Bessie at .....
wait for it........
100 degrees !!!!!
WOO HOOO !!!!!
The second measurement that is important is how straight my leg is when it is stretched out flat. On my evaluation upon entry into the PT facility, this was measured in both legs. At that time, my old, un-replaced knee was at 11 degrees and Bessie was at 16 degrees. As of today, Bessie is at 5 degrees !!!!
WOO HOOOO again !!!!!
Just recently, I started having Hubs push down on Bessie which is something that Kristen does. She said she thinks it is helping! I have him put his palm just above my knee. Then he pushed down until I tell him to stop (which is just before I would typically say OUCH) and then he holds it for a count of 10. We do that about 3 times during each exercise session.
The longstanding goal for my knee bend is 110 degrees, so I'm almost there. The goal for the flat measurement is 0, but she said everyone will be happy with 5. I'm hoping that I get big praise from Doc on Monday. If he doesn't praise me enough then I will crow about my accomplishments to him!!!
Ok - that's it for today. I promise not to brag any more for the next few days, so you can take a break from your celebrating... while I take a nap! ;)
Thanks for hangin' in here with me! Your support really means a lot!
:)Amy
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
I didn't think I'd ever be able to do it!
It's day 36. 5 weeks plus 1 day since surgery.
When I came home from the hospital, I couldn't even lift my heel off the bed. Not at all. Not even enough to drag it across the sheet.
Then I could slide it side ways - and do scissors exercises.
Then I could raise my knee.
At Day 21 I could raise my leg about an inch off the bed.
At Day 25 I could raise my whole leg off the bed in a straight leg raise from lying flat on my back. Once.
Since then, I've lifted it 2 or 3 or 4 times in an exercise session, but never in a row. Always with Hubs helping me lift it in between the ones I did on my own.
Tonight, Day 36 - I lifted Bessie all the way up - straight - 5 times in a row, took a break, and then did it 5 more times in a row - with no help!!!
There were times, when I thought I would never be able to do that. EVER! And now I can!
When you go to bed tonight, lift your legs up straight in the air, and think about not being able to do it!
I think I can... I think I can... I think I can...
:)Amy
When I came home from the hospital, I couldn't even lift my heel off the bed. Not at all. Not even enough to drag it across the sheet.
Then I could slide it side ways - and do scissors exercises.
Then I could raise my knee.
At Day 21 I could raise my leg about an inch off the bed.
At Day 25 I could raise my whole leg off the bed in a straight leg raise from lying flat on my back. Once.
Since then, I've lifted it 2 or 3 or 4 times in an exercise session, but never in a row. Always with Hubs helping me lift it in between the ones I did on my own.
Tonight, Day 36 - I lifted Bessie all the way up - straight - 5 times in a row, took a break, and then did it 5 more times in a row - with no help!!!
There were times, when I thought I would never be able to do that. EVER! And now I can!
When you go to bed tonight, lift your legs up straight in the air, and think about not being able to do it!
I think I can... I think I can... I think I can...
:)Amy
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