Returning to Work After Knee Replacement

I have been back at work for a month now.  I am officially on modified duties at my part-time job as a Recreation Facilitator in a long-term care home.  Over the years, I have had so many health issues that the tasks I do at work are usually a little lighter duty from a physical point of view.  My favourite activities to run at work reflect my personal interests. I love art and food programs, and I particularly enjoy leading reminiscence, discussion, and sensory-based programs. The younger coworkers take on the physical programs such as bowling, exercise programs, and adapted sports. For me it is also about bingo, movies, and parties.

This time, the plan was for me to return to short 4-hour shifts for a couple of months while I continue to heal and hopefully build up more stamina.  I will be back to my normal shifts in 4 weeks and no longer have any modifications other than avoiding the stairs.  I really depend on the elevator in my 9-story workplace!

 Let me tell you- this knee replacement has taken a toll on my energy, and it challenges my sleep and pain management.  I am at five months post left knee replacement now, and I walk and move well, and my leg feels very stable.  I don't have that sharp pain anymore, but I do have a lot of soreness and moderate pain most of the time. One tricky thing is that my knee was so bad that my leg was bowing out as the joint was collapsing. My body tried to adjust to that bad arthritic knee and changed to compensate.  Now that my leg is suddenly straight, everything needs to shift back again so my leg muscles and other knee are struggling.  My ankles aren't too happy either.

I am still doing my physio exercises, I am back in the pool attending a water based arthritis program, my daughters go on walks with me, and my job is also part of my therapy. I move around in so many different ways at work that it can't help but strengthen many muscles. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted but it is getting a bit easier as the weeks go by. I sometimes  get questioned about why I want to keep working at my job and doing the other things I struggle to do. I could retire at this point, and believe me, I have thought about doing just that. It sure would be easier to hang out at home than struggle to reclaim my ability to work.

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a person who is living with severe limitations related to her health. She told me that we need to realize life can go wrong and that we need to accept our lot in life. She has access to physical therapy but says she doesn't do the exercises because there is no point. She is making that choice.

 I choose to keep moving forward.  There are days when I pout or even cry. Maybe I choose to curl up in bed and watch a romance movie that is guaranteed to end happily. Then I remember that there are things I like to do and I still want to have new experiences.  I pout a little longer while planning how to move forward.  Next I get on with it and start to build toward my goals.

Should we accept our lot in life?  Instead, how about reaching out and taking steps to achieve what you can and make the best you can of your life?

How can you possibly know what you are truly capable of unless you choose to take action and then put real effort into finding out what you can achieve?

I Finally Got My Knee Replacement

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 I finally got brave enough. I now have a new knee.

Hello Everyone! So many little things have been going on over the past year, and a few big ones, so please forgive me if I play a little catch-up on the blog over the next while. I am home recovering and have the time and, hopefully, the energy to start blogging again. I certainly have a lot of ideas and experiences to share, and I will start with my latest joint replacement.

 My knees have been bad for over 10 years, and I was scheduled to have my left knee replaced in January 2021. Unfortunately, I dislocated my hip under 3 weeks before I was to have the knee surgery, and then broke my other hip September 2021! 

On May 19th, 2023, after a two year delay I finally got my brand new left knee.

My pain management was complicated because of allergies and my poor medication tolerance. I was in the hospital for 4 days while all that got sorted out. I have been home for almost a month and working on recovering.

The surgeon warned me from the beginning that this would be a rough recovery and that it could be much more painful than hip replacements. He also was very frank in saying that a large percentage of people are dissatisfied with the outcome of the surgery. Yup. Not reassuring. The nurse doing the presurgical orientation at the hospital a couple days before surgery was a little more optimistic. She said I would spend the first two weeks post-surgery thinking the knee surgery was the worst decision I ever made. She said that within 6 months to a year, I shall be glad that I made the decision to go ahead with the surgery. 

I didn't feel like I didn't have much choice about going ahead with the surgery. My knee was very unstable and gave me pain daily. I reached a point where I was telling friends and family to go places and do things without me while I stayed home, which is not like me. My lower leg bowed out due to the knee collapsing inward. It was so severe that I started to have real trouble with my ankle. The doctor said I could eventually wind up needing an ankle repair.

The other consideration was that I had been on a shorter wait list with the physician because of the cancelled surgery. I was also on a health department priority list because my surgery that got cancelled when I dislocated my hip was also through the period of Covid when the hospital closed its surgical wings. I had postponed so long that I was about to get bumped to the end of the list, and it could be over two years before I got another chance. When talking to the surgeon, he said my knee was so severe and breaking down so fast that the surgery could get more complicated and result in a more difficult recovery.

Yes, this has been a pretty miserable recovery so far, and the exercises are more challenging than the hip ones were. The last two hip replacements were due to traumatic events, so the pain was probably worse than the average hip replacement. I am finding the pain level is not that different from what I experienced with the last surgeries and recoveries. Happily, this time, there was progress in finding workable solutions to pain management for me, so that helped at the beginning. In terms of managing my activities, it is a LOT better without restrictions about bending or living with the fear of another dislocation.

My life currently revolves around doing my physio exercises and icing my knee. More on that next time.

Happy New Year!

 Here's to a Fantastic New Year! 

Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

I have had a low-key Holiday season this year and have not gone out very much at all. I have only done a little shopping in the past month! I think it is time to start getting things done around here and to also find time to have some fun! 

How do you feel about a fresh start in the New Year?

 

I have had a tough time in the past couple of years with broken hips, arthritis, financial concerns and, oh.. a world with covid. I have found myself feeling increasingly negative.

 Now I don't normally see myself as a negative person, maybe a bit of a pragmatist or perhaps a bit critical. I'm always looking for solutions and improvements, but I'm not pessimistic in my outlook. I am hopeful and believe tomorrow will be a better day. 

The fact is that it will only be a better day, better month, and better life if you actually do something and make changes.

Yesterday I watched a video about work productivity, and it firmly stated we must make a list of what needs doing and start with the hard stuff first, like getting the bills paid and correspondence taken care of. It also said to try and have meetings later in the day. My thought was- what if the hard part of your day IS the meeting?. What if not having the meeting at the beginning of the day leads to confusion because everyone is not fully aware of things they need to know? You doing your hard stuff in the morning might make everyone else have a hard afternoon.

See? I can overthink things! And I really don't even set up any meetings! Ha.

I do agree that making lists, and adding to them as needed, is a smart move. It helps you keep organized and prioritize your time in the ways you need and want.

Your lists need to be more complete than the productivity expert in the video suggested. Life is not a to-do list of correspondence, bills and meetings. It is not about getting the laundry done daily, having the shiniest windows, or cooking gourmet meals every day. 

Your lists should include making time for fun, lifelong learning, for spending time with friends and loved ones. Consider putting your spiritual life on your list. Do you take the time and care of your health? 

Are you planning your days to have a full and satisfying life? 

• Do you focus enough on yourself?
• How about focusing on others? 
• Perhaps you want to be more involved in your groups and communities?
• What do you do to keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy?
• Do you build skills to support your personal interests or look toward your future projects?
• Do you have peaceful, restful moments in your day?
• 
  

I have been a Girl Guide Leader for a long time, and a traditional song at the end of many Guiding and Scouting events is called Day is Done. I truly embrace the sentiment of the song. 

 

Softly falls the light of day, 

As our campfire fades away.

Silently each Scout should ask 

Have I done my daily task?

 Have I kept my honour bright?

 Can I guiltless sleep tonight?

 Have I done and have I dared 

 Everything to be prepared?

 I wish you success with all your Hopes and Dreams for the coming year!

The Best Chocolate Chiffon Cake

My Mom made the most delicious cakes for special events like birthdays, or Valentine's Day. When I saw the angel food pan coming out, I knew that we were going to have either a delicious Angel Food cake or her favourite Chocolate Chiffon cake. It was going to be a special day. 

Mom would have had her 98th birthday this past week. She passed away from cancer when she was only 54, and I was 20 years old. We should have had so many more celebrations together. My kids never got to know her, but I keep trying to tell little stories and memories about the Grandma they never met. I thought I would like to celebrate her birthday this year by making the Chocolate Chiffon Cake for my family.

My mom, Josephine or Joey, as everyone called her, was born on a small farm in Saskatchewan during the 1920s. She was the 10th child born, and they had already lost 3 of the siblings to infectious diseases that swept across the prairies in those years. 

The day she was born was her older brother Jim's 9th birthday, and he was very sad because no one was paying attention to him. It was not being such a special day, and there wasn't going to be a cake or any presents. He just sat out on the step for a good part of the day. Later their father came out to him and handed him a little bundle and told him that she was his new little sister and that she was his present and the very best present he could have wished for. He took this very seriously, cared for her, and loved her deeply. She told me that she followed him around like a puppy! They remained very close and always tried to keep in touch, despite living far apart, right until my mom's death.  

Happy Birthday thoughts to Uncle Jim and Mom on their day.

Jim and Joey

My mom and her parents.

This vintage cake might sound harder to bake than it really is, so I hope people just go ahead and give it a try. Trust me, the taste is worth it! I like to approach it one bowl at a time, and then the combining part is quick and easy. This is all about keeping it light, fluffy and yummy. 

Chocolate Chiffon Cake 

• 1/2 cup Cocoa
• 2/3 cup Boiling Water

• 1 3/4 cup  Flour (sifted) cake flour is ideal
• 1 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 1/2 cup Cooking Oil
• 7 Egg Yolks (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla

• 7 Egg Whites (room temperature)
• 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Clean a 10-inch angel food tube pan with soap and water. It is important not to have any grease on the pan or it won't rise as well. I also like to cut a piece of parchment to fit in the bottom of the pan. The eggs have to be at room temperature so that they whip up to maximum volume. 

In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder with the boiling water and stir so it is well combined. Now just put it to the side so it cools down..

The second bowl is for the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

The third bowl has the oil, egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

In the fourth bowl beat/whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until it forms very stiff peaks.

Next, we gently mix the cooled cocoa mixture into the oil and egg yolk mixture. Don't beat it, just combine it.

Now, using beaters we mix the cocoa and oil mix into the second bowl with the flour mixture and beat until smooth. 

Carefully use a rubber spatula to fold a quarter of the egg whites into the batter and repeat until all the egg whites are folded in and combined. Be gentle and just fold, do not stir. You want it mixed, but you really want to trap as much air into the cake as possible.

Pour into the ungreased tube pan. Bake for 60 minutes at 325 degrees or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Let it cool upside down in the pan. 

When cool, turn it run a knife around the pan and remove the cake!

We like to dust it with icing sugar and serve it with ice cream or whipping cream. Fresh raspberries make a particularly nice garnish.

Enjoy!

Walking in Winter

I would love to be walking outside, at least on the slightly warmer days. I tried to work on walking outside at the beginning of December when I was getting ready to do a 1k walk called the Santa Shuffle hosted by the Salvation Army.  I was walking outside short distances each day with my daughter despite the icy, snowy sidewalks. Everyone, including the physiotherapist, was warning me to be extra careful and not fall again.  My cane has gripping spikes I can pop down when needed, and my sweet sweet friend Mindy even sent me some grips to put on over my boots to help keep me from slipping! I was very excited to reach my goal and participate in this virtual charity event, at an indoor location of my choice, but there was a downside.

 I still need to get my left knee replaced and when my physiotherapist assessed me a week after the official walk it turned out that my walking gait had actually gone downhill. She thinks that when I pushed myself to walk on the bad knee I favoured that leg in a weird sort of way that could cause serious damage to my hips as they continue to heal and strengthen. My gait has been less than perfect for almost 14 years, and so has my balance, but this is pushing it all to a new level.

 Soooo I have been just sitting around safely at home wayyy too much. 

My husband Bob and I finally had enough and went for a drive in our neighbourhood yesterday. We have had several big snowstorms so with the streets freshly plowed we decided to get out of the house at long last. We started our drive by going to the closest Salvation Army Thrift Store where we donated some clothes at their drop-off area. We followed that by getting a burger at a fast-food places drive-through and then eating it in their parking lot.  

I still wasn't ready to go home so we drove around and took a few pictures in our neighbourhood. It was around 4:30 in the afternoon and dusk was already beginning so the pictures have an extra grey and blue tone to them that I love. I personally think the short days are worse than the extreme cold we can face here in the middle of Canada.  Bob is an amazing photographer and I thank him for letting me share his photos. I hope you enjoy them. Look at the height of some of those snowbanks!