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Friday, September 30, 2011

A Day in the Life of Knee Replacement


As promised, the throne in Beloved's hospital bathroom:


When our son came to the hospital he agreed with me that this looks like it's made out of Tinker Toys.  He also said he's glad it wasn't made with Lincoln Logs.  It is actually sturdier than it appears, but a word to the wise: make sure the cleaning personnel have properly lined this contraption over the real porcelain fixture.  Take it from those who have learned the hard way.  Not all employees are as diligent with their job assignments as they should be. I will elaborate no further. 


On a much more pleasant subject, the food has been wonderful! We order from a menu and it is delivered in 45 minutes or less. Beloved had a 1/3-pound hamburger with all the fixins for lunch yesterday.


I ordered the Chicken Mandarin Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing and garlic toast.


His two physical therapists (one is in training) got him up and walking down the hall.  He pushed his walker while one of he gals brought along a portable oxygen tank -- a precaution.


As much as some of you might like to see this scene with a zoom lens, I am being true to my husband by not giving you a close-up view of him in a dress and stockings.  He will soon be shedding the hospital garb for a more manly (and handsome) wardrobe.  Before the day was over, he went on two walks around the loop of his hall, making remarkable progress and surprising us all.  Either this surgery isn't as tough as we had expected, or the Lord is answering your prayers for him.  


These faces are in every patient's room; but the nurses have yet to ask Beloved which face expresses his level of pain. Instead they want to know where he is on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being the worst.  I've heard him respond with anything from 2 to 4, but mostly 2s.


His physical therapists led him through this routine of exercises and then asked him to do them several more times for the rest of the day.


Since I am a woman and have some interest in fashion, this poster in Beloved's room caught my eye.  All the hospital employees wear scrubs in one of these colors.  We are supposed to be able to identify their positions by the colors they wear.  Some of them are kind of hard to figure out.   I hasten to add that our nurses have been wonderful, every one of them.  Beloved is especially appreciative of a male nurse who has watched over him on the overnight shift.  (it's hard on a tough yet modest  guy to have young lovely nurses fussing over him all the time!)


The emplyees Beloved works with at The Slinky Factory sent this large basket of fruit, pretzels, and candies - which was a real pleasant surprise.

We don't know for sure when he will be released to go home.  He still has some requirements to check off the list, some of which include removal of the bandaging, taking a shower,  navigating steps, and time spent on a machine that bends and stretches his leg repeatedly (reminiscent of that torture machine in the Princess Bride).

More tomorrow ...


                     

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