23 hours and counting

In less than 24 hours I will be at the hospital, within the surreal experience of surgery. I am not really excited about that. I know I will lose large chunks of time and be fuzzy about even more, and that never is a comfortable feeling for me. I have been repeatedly warned that the recovery is difficult, and that isn't a good feeling. However, if it means I can go shopping and not have to stop every 20 minutes or so, that is well worth it.

School's out for summer!

Countdown continues, and the checklist is getting checked off. All the reports, plus one I didn't know about, have been turned in. Students have done well on the state standardized tests, so our school's score should be back to where it was several years ago! (Kudos to our administration!) The hospital has called to let me know I am first (ulp) on the surgery list, so I have to be there at 5:30 a.m. (double ulp, Ken and me)

Memorial Day weekend, and plans to do a few things I won't be able to do for a few weeks.

Post-Physical Therapy

I was warned that I might feel stiff/sore/achy after physical therapy yesterday. I guess I wasn't as far out of shape as the PT thought, or else I was doing it wrong, because today I am not at all stiff/sore/achy.

I did have my pre-operation physical today, and all things are set to go. My EKG is normal, and I really think that there will be no surprises in my bloodwork.

At school I had an "invisible" day, meaning I had a substitute, but I was working. I did get things done, I have mostly completed the inventory forms, my personal evaluation is done, signed and turned in. One more thing to check off of the list. Two more days and counting!

Rooster shot

I had my first "rooster shot" (Synvisc) in my left knee today. I'm trying to follow doctor's orders and stay off of it as well as ice it down. He (the doctor) said that it should work well in this knee since the cartilage is not completely gone.

My knee feels stiff, but not achy. However, the "icing" didn't work so well. The ice bag had a tiny hole and I had the experience of ice water running down my knee!

I'm at the end of inventory (we were at 63% when I left to go to the doctor), so tomorrow I will still have to be getting up and down doing that. Other deadlines to be made yet are: the technology survey, the personal evaluation, the expenditure report...I tend to panic when I think about it all, so my solution is to try not to think about it!

Physical Therapy

The countdown continues...
I saw the physical therapist yesterday. He gave me four exercises to do several times a day, and a bit of hope that I'm not hopelessly out of shape. And yet, I keep looking at the calendar and see that the countdown is now 13 days until surgery. It is hard to keep positive, and not focus on the brevity of time.

School is winding down, complete with the normal irritations that happen at this time of year. Yes, I do have to do inventory; yes, I do have to put together the state's required technology survey; yes, my knees do hurt; no, I won't be coming up to third floor to locate the tag number on your computer...It always amazes me how many people are experts on the amount of time my job takes...

Field Day

The countdown is on now, for my knee surgery. I am learning that my original assessment for surgery..."I'm trying to finish the school year." with emphasis on "trying" is more accurate than I knew when I made the statement. Last Friday was our school's field day, and my responsibility was to monitor the four space walks. "No problem," Coach said, "bring a chair and sit down!" Right. I brought a chair, but sitting down was not a viable option. So, I have paid for the six hours of standing with two days of barely having the energy to move. Two more weeks to work...

Why a blog?

I am working through the changes that come with my time of life. I'm not quite 59 yet, and I have already faced several changes that affect the way I live day-by-day. Diabetes and high blood pressure have affected the way I eat and try to stay active, and the knee replacement that is on the schedule promises to do the same. Changes that simply come with age, such as facing retirement and all that that means, are beginning to come into view. This is what I want to share, the challenges, the fears, and the laughter that joins the changes as they come into my life.

"Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and will not be faint."
Isaiah 40:30-31