Tuesday, April 19, 2022
I had a 7:30 PT appointment at Hawaiian Rehab with Katie. I had to make sure I got up early. Seven would be much too late. Besides my regular alarm setting for 5:30 am, I set another alarm for 6 am, then one for 6:30, the latest I could jump in the shower, and 7 am, when I had to leave. I was up before 6, walked Elsa, and was in the shower well before 6:30. I had time to make my bed and post the public blog for April 19, 2021.
I arrived at rehab early, hoping to have some time to read. Katie was there and ready to start. My knee had improved, and I had started walking more. Last night it throbbed as I lay in bed in the early morning hours. I applied tennis ball massage. The muscles running the length of my leg were tight, but the epicenter of pain was at the side of the knee. None of the pain was inside the knee. I also told her about the pain in my right side, which started when the acupuncturist did some moderate massage in that area. Katie did some work on the left leg. I asked her to check the pain on the right side. I was concerned I'd cracked a rib. She poked around and confirmed what I thought; the problem was with the obliques.
My body was ready for significant shifts and responded to the slightest push. That happened with the muscles on the outside of my left thigh. The acupuncturist did a moderate massage there, running her finger up the outside of my leg. There was a radical shift. I screamed in surprise. She was startled. She not only felt the shift; she heard it. No discomfort or pain followed the incident. However, when she did something minor on my right side, it hurt and never stopped hurting. Of course, I pushed it by crunching those muscles to raise the right hip and lower the left.
I grilled the acupuncturist for clarity on why she thought I wouldn't be happy with a hip replacement. Muscle tone; the muscles in my left thigh are atrophic. Second, I have osteoporosis, which can prevent the bone from embracing the implant. Katie also said the anterior surgical approach will force the left leg to be turned in. That's how it is now. What's the difference? Given my complications, I might have to stay a second night in the hospital and possibly in a skilled nursing facility rehab for a day if they had room. If not, I would stay in the hospital until I passed some physical tests. She said to anticipate pain from what she said, more than the average patient. She also said to expect the leg will feel longer. Everyone feels that way after THR. It feels like you're pole vaulting over the leg.
Despite the negative prognosis on the outcome of the THR surgery of my PT and acupuncturist, I was determined to go through with it. I wasn't happy with the way it was now, and I had a surgeon I trusted willing to do an anterior approach.
Kaiser won't release me unless someone accompanies me out of the hospital. (Katie said Kaiser doesn't care if the aide dumped me into a cab and abandoned me, just as long as their responsibility is covered.)
I had asked Judy to be my pickup person. She was happy to do it. But she has an incredibly busy life. She would have to take a day off. Since both Katie and my acupuncturist warned that I might have complications requiring me to stay in Honolulu longer than one day. If the day isn't predictable, her day off may be wasted. I decided to ask Lutz, one of my walking buddies who volunteered to help me while I was recovering. I knew he had no planned activities during the day. I called him to ask if he would be my pickup aide from Kaiser after the operation. He said he'd be happy to if he didn't have to pay for the flight. He doesn't; Kaiser does. Another piece of the puzzle is in place. Now I don't have to worry about inconveniencing anyone.
I went to Lex Brodie's immediately after PT. I need a car safety inspection. An appointment was required. I made one for 11 am. I stopped to get a car wash and then headed home. I planned to stop at Farm & Garden to return the horticultural oil I bought the other day. I was too tired and just forgot when I came to turn. When I got home, I napped, exhausted from the rehab work. I woke at 10:30 to my alarm. Time to turn around and go back to Lex Brodie
I drew a blank when asked for my 'paperwork," registration, and insurance. Ah! I found the registration easily. I found several copies of the insurance, one from 2020 and several more from 2021. Nothing from 2022. Gabby said, "Have Geico email you a copy of your insurance and then email it to me." I called Geico. It was an automated process. I never spoke to a human being. "We just emailed you your identification card." Sure enough. I forwarded it to Gabby. Done!
While I waited, I made a phone call to the principal of Anna's school. Someone from her school community sent me a Facebook invite. At first, I thought it was someone interested in my reading method. Nah. It was someone soliciting financial support for the school. It's a project-based private school serving preschool through 6th grade, with plans of expanding through 12th. A school with a project-based curriculum might be open to my reading method. It fits perfectly. Peter, Anna's father, said he spoke to the principal, and she was looking forward to my call. She told me that their curriculum coordinator would make any decisions on teaching approaches. I had a pleasant conversation with the principal. When she heard my name, Betty David Ross, she immediately associated it with Betsy Ross.
I told her I had only changed my name after two years of marriage. It only occurred that I could have become Betty (Betsy) Ross several years later. What are the chances that Betty David (Bette Davis) should marry a man with the last name Ross?
I spent the rest of my time waiting for my car check to be completed editing my article on my reading method before I forwarded it to Jana, the woman impressed with my teaching methods who asked me to mentor her.
When I left Lex Brodie, I made sure I put the container of horticulture oil on my lap so I would remember to turn at Hina Lani to go to Farm & Garden and return it. I did all of the above.
I was home by 12:30 and had my alarm set for 2:15. I had to leave an hour early to make my 3:15 appointment at the Waimea Kaiser Clinic to get my second Covid booster. I wanted to be as protected as possible before my hip replacement surgery on June 2. I had plugged in the car, so I had as many bars on the electric motor as possible. I had two bad experiences with the car running out of electric bars and dying on my trips to Hilo. This car is not ideal for these roads. We're always going up or down a mountain. While I may be heading up a mountain, our roads still go up and down like a roller coaster. I find driving the car any distance somewhat unnerving. I started with 9 blue bars. When I reached Waimea, I had 4 blue ones. That would be enough to get me home since it would be mostly downhill.
When I arrived in the Waimea parking lot, I couldn't figure out the directions to the building on my GPS. Fortunately, the first person I asked knew. He pointed across the lot to a building with a red roof. I made it there in time. The process was short and painless.
While in Waimea, I thought to stop at the Chinese restaurant in a neighboring shopping center. It had been years since I'd eaten there. I lusted after their chicken vegetable soup. I knew that Covid probably impacted the restaurant. The quality would be different from what it used to be, but I had to try. I order the soup and a chicken and broccoli to go.
On the way to Waimea and then back home, I noticed a surprising number of goats and sheep munching grass along the edge of the road. I called Judy to find out what was going on. She said she had noticed it recently on her many trips to Waimea for medical appointments. She had no idea what was going on. It didn't use to be that way. Neither of us could figure out why there weren't dead animals struck by passing cars.
I had the chicken soup from the Chinese restaurant for dinner. It was disappointing. So sad.
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