New Knee!
Mission accomplished. I am sitting in the big recliner, ice machine humming along keeping my knee nicely chilled, feeling only a little bit queasy. I have a new knee, and that is amazing.
It was a full day effort, but the operation itself only took a couple of hours. All the things that worried me did not happen. The epidural was totally easy (I had psyched myself out, never having had a spinal puncture). I didn't feel anything.
I got great care. A nurse was with me during my whole recovery, tending to my every need, answering all my questions. She could tell that I was definitely going home today. The whole experience was reassuring and comforting.
Contrary to what Lani might have experienced, my knee actually does hurt. Or at least every part of me that is attached to the knee. But it is manageable because I can take drugs and they help. As I was warned, I had to demonstrate that I could climb stairs and get myself to the bathroom before I was allowed to leave. By the time I finished those tasks, I was hot and sweaty. It was real work.
Jon made an impromptu seder meal (last year it was in Baltimore with Rebecca...this family just can't have a normal seder lately) and we had yummy matzah ball soup and meatloaf and salad. We didn't use a haggadah but we told ourselves the story and got tangled up in questions that we found we couldn't answer ourselves -- so we had to call Rebecca to get a third opinion. And then we had a good nap.
Tomorrow a PT will come to the house and make sure that I know how to do all the exercises properly. The universal advice, from every single person I know, is to do the exercises, and do them right. I will do my best.
I cannot predict how long this series of reports will last, but maybe until I get back outside anyway.
Very glad you got great care! I wanted to know how things went -- thank you for updating us!
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