Things are Happening!

Wow.  It has been a LONG time since I wrote in here...but here are some updates about what's going on with my life...

FIRST, went for a mammogram on Wednesday last week and Saturday got a letter telling me that there was "no sign of any malignancy"  meaning, NO Cancer!!!   Wooo Hoooo!  To say the least, that made my day.

We had a marvelous summer, in spite of recuperating from two knee replacement surgeries.  As soon as I had the go-ahead to drive from my orthopedic surgeon after my second knee surgery, I took off for Utah to spend some time with my daughter and granddaughters and my son-in-law.  What FUN! 

Stopped to see my brother, Joe in Wyoming on the way back home. 

Went up to a cabin in Wisconsin for a week and went four-wheeling all over the terrain, and swam and sunned, and sat around the fire pit by the lake...great times!  Ben & Amanda came up for two days, and Casie came at the end of the week. 

Our biggest news is, after 32 years in this house, WE ARE MOVING!!!  We are buying Gary's parents' house in Andover, MN.  He helped his Dad to build it back in the early 1980's.  It will be much more roomy for having folks over.  It also has a large second garage for Gary to play in...I call it the "Man Cave".   It also has 2 1/2 acres of wooded land around it, so we get to sit in the three season porch and watch the dear stroll through the yard.  The closing is supposed to take place mid November, so we just might be in there for Thanksgiving! 

We put our house up for sale with Tom & Terry Wilkinson at Keller Williams Realty, and it sold in a week!  (five days to be more precise!)
My head is spinning.  Friday the inspector came out, and we passed, with a few requests to replace some electrical outlets...a snap for Gary to fix.

So now I am going through the aftermath of 32 years of stuffing things in closets to get ready for the move.   We will be having a garage sale this weekend!

Gary's parents have not yet found their new location, so we will be hoping for that to happen in the near future.  (We promised not to kick them out, though, if they can't find a suitable place).   We will have plenty of room!

My knees are doing great, I am walking without a cane now, and have no pain when I walk or stand...love it!  I have lost some weight now, because I am moving, and I feel so much better! 

Things are really looking up for us!  I got pulled through the knot hole, survived, and now I'm rarin' to go!

Love to all!

Mary

Not so much fun...

This surgery has proven to be the straw that broke the camel's back.  I guess, as my friend Sandy pointed out to me yesterday, I am expecting a lot from my body to go through so much so quickly.  Perhaps.  I am just anxious to be up and running again.  I was warned that this surgery might not be like the last one, and now I know they were correct.  I shall have to be a bit more patient with this process of healing. 

The surgeon said everything went well, and so I just have to deal with the extra pain this time around.  Actually, my knee looks better than last time...less bruising, but that has nothing to do with what goes on inside the knee. 

I am sure it will all work itself out, I am just weary of such a long period of my life being tied up in surgeries, medications, pain, fatigue, etc.  I have to fight off depression along with all of this, and some days, I don't fare so well. 

The days get long when I have no energy to do what I want to do, and life seems to be racing by me.  Oh well, it is only one week since surgery, so I need to take it easy, right? 

Love to All,

Mary

Back at Home

I am back home and doing well.  I am very groggy from the pain meds, and so I sleep a LOT. 

I will write more later when I am actually feeling awake!

Love to all,

Mary  =)

Here I go Again!

I am extremely excited to have my second knee surgery tomorrow...not for the immediate inconvenience it will cause, but because I know that down the road, it will bring me a better life. You never realize how much you take walking for granted, until you can't do it. My knee surgery has been a long time coming. I have been through a LOT this past year, and now I am ready to GET ON WITH IT! So here's to yet another "BUMP IN THE ROAD" (Hopefully it will smooth out for a time now). I would appreciate your prayers that all goes smoothly, the surgeon's hands will be guided, and it will turn out as well as my first surgery. (They keep warning me that it is not always the same way the second time around) I will hope for the best outcome, though. I am so grateful that the technology is available to create a new knee joint for people like me. I am already enjoying the lack of pain in my new left knee when I walk or stand. It is encouraging. I can't believe how long I have tolerated this pain. Now that I have something to compare it with, my old knee is really hurting. God Bless My Doctor! YeeeeeeHaaaaaw! A new knee Wednesday, June 6th 2012! Love to All, Mary

Hi All!

I was reminded by my sister, Helen, that my blog has been silent...so Helen, this is mostly for you. Keep an eye on your mail...I sent you a Mother's Day package. Thank YOU, Helen, for the card, and the poppy seeds! Will be planting them on Monday. Thanks so much! Love you! Teri, my oldest sister (I always have to remind her of that), also sent me a card for Mother's Day, and I thank you for that, Sis. I hope we will be able to get around to the gravesites on Memorial Day week to do the yearly cleaning, and leaving flowers in remembrance. It is a wonderful tradition you have begun, Teri, and it is so great that Tess and her daughters have joined in on it, too. It's astonishing how overgrown the stones get, especially the ones that lie flat on the ground. It is a good time to remember our departed loved ones as we do this small service. I have been doing quite well with my new knee. The old one is complaining about the added workload on some days, though. But I will soon remedy that with my next surgery on June 6th. Alergies have been far more bothersome than my knees as of late. Lots of sniffles, etc. I am very pleased that I can get out and about more now, and walk with far less trouble. I am even weaning myself off the cane, but some days the old right knee just can't get along without it. I suspect I will need it for a time after my next surgery, until my muscles get stronger. It is just exciting to imagine that one of these days, the cane will be a thing of the past. It has been a long time coming for this level of independence for me. Very exciting! Well, this is a short one, but I want to wish all of the wonderful women in my life, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Hope it's a day to be honored as Mothers, and a day to honor our own Mothers, living and dead. Love to All, Mary

One knee Done!

I have begun to truly recover from the effects of chemo and radiation. As time goes on, I am regaining my vitality! I feel more and more energy. I am actually feeling very optimistic about my future again. My left knee total replacement surgery went very well. When the surgeon came out to let Gary know that I was in recovery, he told Gary that "From the looks of things in there, she must have been in considerable pain". I also asked him to give me a shot in the right knee to get me through the interim. That has really helped. I got up and walked the day of surgery! The next day, I went to therapy with the walker, and returned with just a cane! I had been doing my therapy exercises for the month before the surgery, to strengthen my very weak leg muscles. A year of laying around fatigued takes a toll on the body. It seems to have made a lot of difference, because, I am recuperating at an amazing rate. In the hospital, I kept telling the nurses, "I'm amazed at how well this is going!" They were amazed, too. On my first visit to the therapist one week after surgery, he told me I could be the "poster child of recovery from knee surgery"! Even my chiropracter said I was an "anomoly". He said he has never seen anyone do so well so soon after a total knee replacement. I am just thrilled about it all! I continue to do my full set of exercises twice a day, and have therapy twice a week. Steve, the therapist, says I have reached the goal for leg extension, which is 0 degrees (straight). I have to get to 120 degrees on the flexion (bent), and so far I am at 116 degrees, so I am close to being done with therapy, too! I walk a bit lop-sided, because my "new left leg" is about one inch longer than my right leg. When I have had the second one done, I will be back to my original height of 5'3". (I should have asked him to throw in a shim or two to give me a little extra height!) I have already scheduled my surgery for the right knee on June 6th. I am very anxious to get on with it. I should be up and walking (without a cane) by August or September, just in time to go back to work. It can't come too soon, because Gary is wore out from working overtime to make up for some of my lost wages. I am so grateful I have had this time to spend taking care of myself, it has truly been a blessing. In the meantime, I will keep doing the exercises on the right side, too, and hopefully, my next surgery & recovery will go as well. Thanks for all the love and support, and especially for your prayers, because I truly believe I have been given a miracle! PRAYER CHANGES THINGS! Love and Hugs to All! Mary

Now the Knees....

Monday, April 2nd, I will be going to a hospital in Stillwater to have my first knee replacement surgery!! Can't believe how fast the time has gone! I will get the left one done first.

Then, pray that I heal well and quickly and physical therapy goes well also, and I will get the right knee done in 6-8 weeks. I should be up and walking by the end of summer and ready to go back to work!

I am SO excited about the prospect of being able to walk again that I can't even dwell on the down side of the surgery...I'm keeping my eye on the prize! Walking without a cane for the first time in several years!!!!

I have been cleared through all of my doctors for this, and got a clean bill of health from my oncologist. I am rarin' to go!

Yesterday my granddaughter, Fiona turned two years old, and we Skyped with her on the phone. She's so cute! It was fun to have Tacy and the girls come and stay with us for over a week. Loved that! Our dog, Kiita, got lots of attention from Fiona. Now she is asking Mom for a dog. (Don't do it, Tacy - you have enough on your plate with the little girls to care for!)

Just want to say THANK YOU! to EVERYONE for your prayers and support.

Love to all,

Mary