I Like to Move it Move it

Well, my friends, I guess you can tell by my blog that I've been getting out more! I am driving, and in preparation for going back to work in a few weeks, I've been trying to get out of the house every day.

I've been going to Physical Therapy (pool 2 times a week, land once a week), doing some shopping (did you know that not every store has a wheelchair available?) and going to The Merc (you knew I'd get to that, right?).

I've also started going to all my yearly Dr. appointments (gyno, cardio, optomo) so that I do them before going back to work. Blah to my Tuesday Dr. who has me coming back in 9 weeks! No fair!

So, let's see, what can I tell you about my progress? I'm walking with a cane now (Go Canes! As my friend Maria would say) I am going w/o my knee brace in the house, and sometimes at the pool. I can do steps with railings really well, and I can go up steps w/just the cane, but going down is still a little scary, given my history with my left knee sometimes going out. (Do I sound like an old lady to anyone else?)

I'm also trying to cut back a little on my computer time, knit more, and do more reading. Today, though, I am also going to investigate the LibraryThing widget, as it seems to be putting someone else's books on my blog. Grrrr. (update: can't figure out what is wrong with LT - anyone else having trouble?)

Oh yea, and the rose picture is one I took yesterday with my cell phone. These heirloom roses bloom so beautifully, but only for about 2 days. They deteriorate quickly!

Springy, Med Update, goodbye to a friend

I have a medical update, but figure it'll look much nicer with these pretty flowers from our gardens. :-)

I went to the surgeon this morning. He is VERY pleased with my progress. Miraculously, the soft tissues in my knee are healing way beyond what he expected.



He has said before that I'd have to have a knee replacement soon, but now, with the healing of the exterior ligaments going so well, and the way things have tightened up (in a good way), he's thinking that it will probably be years before I'll need to deal with the lack of interior ligaments. Yay!

I'm going to go back to him the last week of June for another check-up. I do, however, already have a time-line for returning to work!

I'll be going back to work part time on June 15. I'll work part-time for 3 weeks or so, and if things go well I'll be able to be full-time.

Upon leaving the Dr. office, I called and reported to Mom, MIL, and my boss. Now we can make plans for my return to work, and putting everything at the L back to rights again. Yay again!

Physical Therapy is, obviously, going very well. I've started Aqua Therapy and I LOVE it! I go to the pool 2x/week, and to the land gym 1x/wk now. I'm able to walk really well with the walker, and yesterday I started working with a cane! I'm going to pick up a cane from the pharmacy this weekend - maybe even tonight. It'll be so nice to have a hand free while walking! Imagine, being able to carry a cup of coffee into the family room!

This great success at therapy is why things are healing so well, I'm certain. It's also why I'm glad I don't have to hurry back to work too quickly. I have enough sessions approved to last me through June, and I am glad I will be able to really work hard at therapy and increase my healing without the distraction and stress of working full-time. As the Dr. was saying "whatever you're doing, keep it up."

I must send props out to all my friends who've been giving me rides to PT. It has been so nice to have that companionship, as well as knowing that I can really tire myself out with PT and not worry about getting home safely. I started driving for some other things this week, and Monday is going to be last taxied trip to PT. Next Wed. I'll be driving myself! Go me!

If I find that it is too hard, I'll send another plea for help . . . but I am feeling confident that I'll be able to handle driving, walking in and out of the center, AND doing PT in the middle. We'll find out!

Goodbye to Jerry Thomas:
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the passing of a dear online friend, Jerry, who lived in Hawaii. I know him from our activity on the Wordcraft discussion board. I've been active on the board for about 5 years or so, and he was a member when I found the board. He helped make me feel very welcome when I arrived, and we've had many great conversations over the years about words, language, jokes, his life, my life, etc. He was funny, witty, well-educated (especially in foreign languages and ESL), and very enjoyable to know. He loved poetry and quoted it often, he started a college scholarship program in his old hometown in Iowa(?) and he was a strong advocate for legalizing marijuana. He was a real "piece of work" in all the best senses of the phrase. We will miss him on the board, but I feel that the world is a more joyous place because he was in it for a while. Aloha, Jerry.

Pimp my walker!

Yea, I'm that bored. I pimped my walker a little - with hand-knitted doodads, of course!

First I used some extra yarn to put a little color on one of the front bars.




Then I used some other extra yarn to make hand grip covers. I think it's felting as I use it. I do have some good callouses on my palms, now, but it still helps pad things.






Then I decided I needed a pocket for my phone. I made this with leftover fingering yarn. I should also be able to keep using this after I'm done with the walker, which is nice. I think 2 small buttons on the front part will allow me to close the flap, then I can use the cord to hang it around my neck of attach it to a belt or something.



Then I crocheted a holder for my water bottle. I'm going to make more of these in cotton. This one was just from the closest yarn at hand.

I can tie this to my walker, but it is actually easier to just grab the little ring and carry it separately.

A friend of mine thinks I can make bucks by making these things and selling them to Retirement Home gift shops. I doubt I'll have time for such things once I'm back to work, but it's something to keep in mind for the future. Also, if you are ever laid up and have to use a walker, let me know and I'll help you pimp it out!

This last pic is just to show you Rosie, playing with her plastic fork. It's one of her favorite toys. She tosses it around, plays, jumps after it, etc. A few weeks ago, she set it down at my feet. I tossed it a few feet away, and she went and fetched it! She deposited it at my feet again 3 more times! What a good little kitty!

Things my mother has taught me

After reading this blog, I decided that trying to list stuff Mom has taught me is a pretty good idea for Mother's Day. Happy Mom's Day, MOM!!!!

• Always be friendly and kind to people (even the icky boys at school).
• Always wear clean underwear.
• Don't chew with your mouth open. (some of these are, of course, from Mom and Dad)
• It is possible to go to school, work full time and have 3 kids (but who the heck would want to do that?)
• Volunteer when you can (but hide sometimes so you don't have to risk not saying "no" when you're asked)
• Don't be afraid to say what you think.
• Send thank-you notes (I didn't learn this one so well, sorry)
• Sometimes staying up late to talk around the kitchen table really will solve all your problems.
• Appreciate nature all around you, and take pictures!
• It's always a good time to try a new craft!
• If you wrap your own presents early enough in December, you'll be surprised on Christmas morning, even if you bought them for yourself. :)
• Maintain a good sense of humor - you'll stay married longer. (Love you, Dad!)
  
• Be generous with your stuff (including money).
  
• Never stop playing, even if you lose all the time.
• Dinner doesn't have to be fancy food to serve it on the fancy china.
• Use the good silver/china/tablecloths - it's worth it now.
• Being smart is cool, and sexy.

So much of who I am is because of my parents. I love them both dearly, and I'm very blessed to have them both around. I wish we weren't 3 hours away from one another! I'll have to start a list to have ready for Father's Day now, huh?

I'm also very blessed to have 2 great in-laws! Again, sorry that they're 3 hours away (in the opposite direction from my parents), but it's still great to have them around.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom and Jennie!

Walk Walk

Don't have much to say, but a friend sent this link to me via twitter, and I have to admit it makes me smile - I think it's my new theme song. Some of the lyrics are hard to hear, so I also listened to the Destiny's Child version, which is very clear, but not quite as snappy, IMHO. And besides, I think pigs are getting a bad rap at the moment - this is great positive publicity for the little darlings.

Many beautiful things

I've not posted in a while, and I figure I have a lot of good things for which I can be thankful, so I'll share some with you.

1. My fancy new knee brace makes a good support for my laptop.
2. I'm walking more each day, including going w/o the wheelchair in my house.
3. Getting behind the wheel of my car (did I mention it matches the color of my new knee brace?) and driving for the first time tonight.
4. Although the weatherman predicted a rainy weekend, it's been sunny and thoroughly beautiful both days.
5. My son, of whom I"m so very proud, mowed the lawn today.
6. The smell of garlic wafting in the windows as Si mowed the garlic that has sprouted in the yard (overflow from the garden).
7. Lilies of the valley are blooming! They, also, are taking over the lawn in teh back. I'd be happy to have an entire yard of flowers, to be honest.
8. Sitting in the park this morning with a couple of good friends (and Mike and Si) and playing a few songs (me on mando, Bu-ying on her Chinese flutes)
9. The sound of Bu-ying's gourd flute wafting "Amazing Grace" through the woods.
10. So many kind friends willing to take me to PT.
11. My brother is engaged to a really nice woman! Yay love!