wickedgood's Page

I've been home from rehab for a week now, and I haven't updated this account yet. I'm still recovering quickly. The staples in my knee were removed Monday, and the scar is healing well. I've still got some swelling, and of course, I don't have full function of the knee yet - but why should I, two weeks post-surgery?

The rest of my time in the rehab hospital went quickly, with no more major problems. Minor problems - the dreadfully uncomfortable hospital beds, the horrible food - remained, but w… Continue

Bright and early on Saturday morning, the occupational therapist strode into the room. Briskly she told us what we'd do today as she laid several odd-looking objects on each of our beds - a very long shoehorn and a half-pipe with strings, among other things. Then she gave us each a pink dishpan filled with the toiletries we'd been scrounging for ourselves for two days already. Toothbrush and toothpaste! Soap! Deodorant! Towels! Well, that started us off. Why hadn't we received these when we firs… Continue

6/28

My roommate is around 70 and had her hip replaced. (We're "the knee and the hip.") Both of us are very young for our ages, unlike virtually everybody else on the rehab floor. Most of them are off in la-la-land. We think we might be the only two people here who realize how bad the care is. Or maybe not. Anyway, the story continues.

We didn't have towels (except for the one I filched from the shower the day before), so I washed up with soap I'd brought over from the hospital and paper towel… Continue

Last Monday, June 23, I had my left knee replaced. Everything went well. I spent three days in the hospital, as expected. The hospital staff was wonderful. Everybody was pleasant and helpful. Tuesday they had me sit up in a chair (which consisted of standing up, grabbing the walker, shuffling a couple of steps to the right, and sitting down again). Wednesday they had me walk (with the walker) across the hall - which gave me bathroom privileges, so goodbye, Mister Bedpan! Thursday I walked (with… Continue

I decided to keep a blog about my knee replacement surgery. (I have to keep busy now that American Idol is over, after all!) This is a huge event in my life. I've never been hospitalized for surgery before. My only overnight stays in the hospital came with the birth of each of my children (3 days with #1, 2 days with #2, and 1 day with #3). I had day surgery (arthroscopic) on the same knee in 1989, and I had my gall bladder out in 2001, also day surgery. It's so easy these days; they do laparosc… Continue