2 Weeks Post Surgery

The new knee is now two weeks old.

I never imagined that I could be even remotely interested in the products marketed on daytime television. Today, I found myself enthusiastically listening to Jamie Lee Curtis' wise words on "regularity" and the help provided by Activia. Looks damn delicious, especially with those fresh strawberries that must have been picked before the freeze in Florida. I've become pretty good with the products on "The Price is Right" too. I'm still a little week on the value of cars but a little Consumer Reports studying should help remedy that deficiency.

The high point of my day is "the outing". Today, I had a physical therapy session. I wanted to show off my unaided walking to Allison Trombley, the physical therapist at the Institute for Athletic Medicine. She watched me walk a few feet, admittedly a little tentatively, and then gently told me I wasn't "ready" yet. By the way, Allison is the best physical therapist I've ever worked with -- I usually reach an impasse after the first or second session, mostly because I don't respond well to being bullied. Allison has a very intelligent approach to rehabilitation and is quick to find a new method if her first approach isn't successful.

I can now bend the right knee to 98 degrees, only a couple of degrees shy of a rotation on the stationary bike. Leg lifts are very easy. I've adapted one of the exercises performed with a belt (the kind used as a restraint in nursing homes)to a little routine with a knitted scarf. I hold the ends in each hand and put my foot into the "sling". It makes leg lifts and the flexion exercises much easier initially perform and, ultimately, perfect. Unfortunately, something "clunked" in the new knee right at the end of the session and it is feeling a little sore this evening.

Next stop was the a blood test. The "INR" number was higher than it should be so my Coumadin (warfarin) dosage has been reduced a little. I hadn't thought, until today, that the avoidance of bleeding to death is every bit as important as blood clot prevention! Not that bleeding to death is on the radar or anything ... but of course I like to know the absolute worst thing that could happen to me. It's hard to beat the Mayo Clinic!