Category: Jack

With the garden laid, and the house cleaned we packed our bags and waited for the house sitters to arrive. Fritz and Greta met them with great happiness and many wiggles. We sat down and talked for a while before it was time for us to leave. We kissed Fritz and then looked for Greta. There she was on the kitchen rug looking like she had lost her only friend. What a sad, sad sight! I was ready to toss her in my bag and bring her along!
We left and drove over to stay the night at a motel near the hospital. Nice clean rooms, good Wifi, and cable TV. What else do you need?
Hubby’s surgery is set for 10, which means we need to be at the hospital at 9 AM. He is not nervous at all, even though this surgery is much harder than the last one. It’s funny, the last time the surgery was more complicated, but not nearly as difficult on him physically. This time it’s physically more demanding, but not as hard for the doctor to perform.
To me it sounds like it is tough no matter which way you slice it.

Today was Hubby’s pre-operative testing. I went along so I could whip that place into shape and let them know I wouldn’t tolerate any poor attitudes and patient abuse. Hubby patted my arm several times to assure me that everything was okay.
We got there and Hubby got a questionnaire. It’s the exact same questionnaire he answered 8 weeks ago.
“Do you have pain? Do you have trouble moving?”
No, he’s having this knee replaced so it matches the other one! Come on people, let’s ask some more intelligent questions!
“Is there anyone in your home who tries to control you?”
Well, Yeah! I mean my God, I have spent the last 18 years of our marriage trying to do that! I’m failing, but I’m still giving it a good college try!
“Is there anyone at home who hurts you?”
Do we have to tell them about Fritz and Greta jumping all over him?

Next we were on to blood draw. They needed to type and cross match his blood. They did this 8 weeks ago too. Do you suppose that this has changed in the last 8 weeks?

Next we spoke to the Anesthesiologist. Since Hubby’s last surgery had been an Anesthesia nightmare, we wanted to speak to someone beforehand so they would understand Hubby’s needs and concerns. The doctor was trying to explain how most people don’t do well being awake for their knee replacement surgeries. So the Anesthesiologist last time had simply put him out.
I explained that Hubby is not like most people. He has a high tolerance for pain, and he enjoys watching. I told him that he is different. I get a hang nail and I need morphine! Hubby doesn’t feel pain like the rest of us. I even told him how Hubby had watch my Carpal Tunnel surgeries. Yes, both of them. I still can’t believe he did, but like I have said, Hubby is different.
We left feeling that all would be done as Hubby wishes. An epidural will be used, but no other anesthesia. So he will be conscious and able to talk and observe. I’ll have to remind him to zip his lips during the operation and not talk apples to his surgeon. Let the man work, I say!

To end our pre-operative experience we were required to go to patient registration. They asked Hubby’s name…and then the lady said, “and Maribeth is your wife?” If I had been thinking faster I would have said something like, “You’re married?” to Hubby, just to see the woman’s reaction! I love doing stuff like that, but I wasn’t thinking so I missed the opportunity. Next time!

So, Hubby is all set for the next operation. He goes in first thing on Wednesday morning. I’m not nearly as worried this time as I was the last. Still, I’ll be glad when it is over and we are home again.

Here is an x-ray of Hubby’s knees. On the right you can see the left knee that was revised. In other words they redid the old artificial knee with new parts as well as removed the cysts that were there. You can see it looks fine and dandy now. My boinic boy!
On the left is the right knee that will be done in roughly 8 weeks. The doctor called it a BOB knee. When we questioned him as to why he called it a BOB knee he said, It’s Bone On Bone!!! You can see, it truly is.

I knew it was going to happen sometime. I just didn’t think it was going to happen so soon, but it has.
Hubby returned to the family room last night and took over the remove control!
I don’t mean to come off as some sort of horrid wife, who would wish strict bed rest on their husband, but I do confess to enjoying the last few weeks of being the “Queen of the Remote Control“.
I’ve watched my soaps, I’ve watched The Health Channel’s Labor and Delivery shows, I cried when babies were born and even watched appendectomies while eating dinner at night! The channel even stayed put during a commercial, or when I have gotten up to go to the bathroom. Best of all, I have not had to endure college sports, the Stock Market Channel and continuous news.
But here was Hubby, happy to be out of the Guest Room and comfortably ensconced in his recliner while I fixed dinner last night. I had put on local news and weather to see what was happening in our world, when I heard, click, click, click. Frustrated, I mentioned this to Hubby, who growled something about “watching stupid commercials”, so I just let it go.
Once dinner was done, Hubby went back into the Guest Room, where he can both watch TV and sit with my old laptop computer, and once again, I was “Queen“!
As I’ve said, “It’s nice to be Queen“!

Continue reading “Being Queen”

I am happy to report that it’s been about 5 days since Hubby has taken any pain medication. He decided that he wanted to go out with me today to the grocery store, and he wanted to be the one driving. I admit to being a bit nervous about this, but he did just fine and we managed to get to the store without incident.
He didn’t want to go into the store. I told him he could go around in one of those little electric carts, but that didn’t interest him, so he said he would wait in the car listening to the radio.
I went in and did the shopping. I wanted to make Reuben sandwiches, so I needed to get the sauer kraut, the corned beef, swiss cheese and the rye bread. I had everything else. While passing the fish department I noticed they had sockeyed salmon for $6.99 a pound, so I grabbed a nice fillet for dinner, (Tomorrow night. Hubby insists he’s rather have stuffed peppers tonight. Go figure!)
I was taking a bit longer than I had planned and when I went to check out, there was ONE register open! Shoot!!! Fortunately the management saw the line of 10 people and opened two more lanes, but, of course, I wasn’t in a position to grab a quick one.
Eventually I raced back to the parking lot to apologize to Hubby for taking so long, only, I couldn’t find him or the car! I tried to hit the button that makes the car’s horn beep, but nothing happened. I was wandering and wandering, looking for the car, feeling like a real jerk, when a man collecting carriages asked if he could help me find my car. (This man probably thought I was a real lunatic. The parking area isn’t that big and there I was acting like a confused nitwit!) We looked together for a bit and still, no Hubby. Finally I spotted the car, on the opposite side of the lot from where he dropped me off. I went over and loaded the groceries in the trunk.
I admit to being a bit on the perturbed side. Isn’t it usual to drop a person off at one door and pick them up at the same door? Oh well, next time I will simply make a meeting place ahead of time.
We drove home, noting that most of the lakes and ponds here are ice free. Could it be that spring has truly arrived?

It’s amazing the healing properties of a little dog. Greta spent most of the weekend snuggled up with her Daddy. She kept him calm and warm and laughing. So today I wasn’t a bit surprised that Hubby seems to be a bit better. His temperature is almost normal, his blood sugar is lower and the knee’s swelling is down. I just know that it is because he has Greta for his nurse. Can’t you just feel the love?

We got back from the doctor’s about 4:30. What a grueling time it was. The doctor decided to take another sample of fluid from the knee to check for infection. A quick lab result would indicate if he needed IV antibiotics. The longer term test will show us any big or small infection. What the short term test showed was an increase of white cells, but not over the top. So Hubby is home where he can continue treatment here. They aspirated 30 cc’s of this thick fluid from the knee. It didn’t really look like blood, more like Welches Grape Juice, but very thick. When I saw them draining fluid from the knee I realized what he has going on in there, and it isn’t good, but at least they drained some of the fluid and we will know on Monday if there is any further infection going on. The doctor said there was a lot more in there, but due to the thickness he didn’t attempt to get any more out. As it was, my guy was very brave. All this was done with very long needles and no Novocaine! He also changed Hubby’s pain medication because the other stuff had not given him any relief.
We were there for 2 1/2 hours and by the time we started home he was in a lot of pain, so I stopped at the closest pharmacy and filled his prescription. He popped a pill and got relief fairly quickly.
The doctor once again reminded us that Hubby’s operation was not a simple knee replacement, but very complicated. Hubby also needs to rest and DO NOTHING for a few days to allow the swelling in the knee to go down. They put him in a knee immobilizer.
So once again we are both wiped out, but at least we feel a little more reassured about what’s going on. I think I’ll keep Hubby very, very quiet over the weekend. So I’ll have to call the dancing girls and tell them not to come! 😉

It looks like a nice day for a 55 mile ride to Dartmouth/Hitchcock Medical Center. It’ll take us just over an hour and fifteen minutes. The roads are bad right now with frost heaves, but I’ll go a bit slower and hopefully that will be slightly less jarring. We all slept better last night, so perhaps if we can get the hematoma on Hubby’s knee drained and the pain under control, things will start to look up.

We have a noon-time appointment with Hubby’s surgeon. His knee is looking worse, the fever is still over 100. and he is really ill. The Physical Therapist and the Visiting Nurse both advised this appointment, so we are going. Frankly, I will be glad to go, as I have been very upset by Hubby’s lack of progress or return to health. It’s been over a week and it’s time for him to feel better.
Once again, I will post the pictures in the extended entry.

Continue reading “The Long And Winding Road”

I just got Hubby settled again. He is not improving. Today the Visiting Nurse will be coming and I am going to have her really go over him. Unfortunately she does not inspire great confidence, but she can do all the vital signs and can report back to the doctor what she sees. I am actually nearly ready to put him in the car and drive him across the state to the doctor’s office and see what he says about things. I just hate the thought of Hubby enduring the ride over and back. The roads between our home and the medical center are just one long carpet of frost heaves. However, his condition worries me so much that I think this may be something that must be done.