Few things are more boring than listening to someone relating their latest medical condition. However, since many of you are dealing with a physical challenge, I wanted to let you know I’m now considerably more empathetic.
Rattles and grinding within my own physical plant forced me to schedule total knee replacement, a fairly common procedure. My surgery (last Monday, the 26th) was viewed as a success. Nevertheless, other conditions developed that alarmed the medical team—pneumonia and my heart rate dropped to 30. Thankfully, no blood clots or infections to this point.
Total Knee replacement : AP view (Xray). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Since then, my body has shouted loud and clear that it resented the slicing, sawing, grinding, stapling, and re-aligning inflicted upon it. To enhance recovery, I’m forcing my body—every day—to assume habits and flexibility it doesn’t want, and in fact, fights against. (Much like writing.) Meds are on every menu, and I’ll soon have to wring those alien substances from my weakened body.
Don’t expect deep insights and provocative questions from this posting; this is only to alert you that my mental fog, fatigue and pain of recovery have slowed everything to a crawl. Today, the seventh day, has been the second or third worst. Nausea, then, just pain—of my entire left leg, up into the left side of my pelvis.
They tell me everybody’s different. I haven’t heard anyone say it’s a piece of cake. Instead, words like “hellish” and “an ordeal.” Empathy I can understand.
There are bright spots: physical therapy begins Tuesday. I know those guys are masochists but they make me feel better. And this evening, Dave Anderson came over and taught me how to play Spider, a card game I’d never seen. I forgot about hurting for awhile, and he and I and my wife had a fun time, laughing and telling stories.
Total knee replacement hardware, including femoral head, tibial plate, patellar plate, and meniscus replacement plate. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Speaking of … what’s yours? Do you have a favorite story about your surgery or aftermath?
Samuel Hall 
Hope you feel better soon!
Bud & Julie–thanks! You know how much support from friends means.
Hey Sam, I’m sorry this has been as much of an ordeal as it has. Who knew knee surgery would be such a pain in the, ah… gluteus maximus, as well as everything below it!
As far as surgery stories go, I can’t help you. At my last surgery I got a teddy bear and all the ice cream I wanted. I’m afraid Liz has hogged all of the surgeries- I couldn’t even begin to try to count them.
Herb, thank you. Humor lightens any burden.
Thanks for the update on your surgery and your current condition. Judy and I were very happy to learn that you are remaining strong through your pain. We can still see your wit and your insight shining through your difficulties. Through your writing Jesus is showing us that you are healing. God Bless You and Gloria. All our love, Morris and Judy
Thank you, Sniders! Gloria has been a champ thru all this, carrying me; thru your prayers, her strength.
Oh, Sam, how sad! I am thankful you let us know of your pain, dear friend. He tells us to bear one another’s burdens as well as to cast our cares on him for he does care for us. Praise God for the new body like his glorious body that is our heritage. Meanwhile, I pray you may grow stronger in the inner man and in your body.
Stan
Dear Stan, indeed, pleasant words are a honeycomb … bringing healing to the bones. Thank you.
Sam…..I shudder thinking about your body regurgitating from slicing, cutting…breaking!!! Yikes!! And now physical therapy..Enough Already! And it’s only day 7. we praying for you Sam as Your body makes all the right connections!!
blessings. Tim and Christine G.
My blessed friends, George, Maxine, Tim & Christine, thank you for the thoughts and the prayers.
My sister-in-law reminded me this evening that “It will get better!” She did say she wasn’t going to rush right out and have her other knee repaired, tho. At least not for another few decades.
Yet, these times are instructive, if I have the will to listen to God’s voice and sense his love for me. I’m humbled as I know many, many suffer far greater afflictions. So I try to remember to pray for those nameless ones. Ones who do not have friends such as you to encourage and lift them up.
We remember C.S. Lewis’ quote: “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Yes, I hear you, Lord.
I do appreciate knowing how things have and are going, Sam. Been a much tougher time than was expected. Ugh. I pray each day gets better from here on out. Friends, games, and laughter seems the right kind of help to keep your spirits in the right place.
Hang in there Sam. I’m sure it will get better soon. Praying for you. George and Linda.
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had such a rough time with this, Sam. I was thinking about you the other day. My writing room has been the catch-all staging area for the new house, but I am finally getting it in shape and I just hung the most beautiful photo of an Oregon Iris above my writing desk. I am praying for your speedy recovery, my friend.
Sarah, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Glad you liked the iris! Today was a much better day.