Sunday, July 06, 2008

The Holiday Weekend, TV Briefs and Da Knee




Every year I have a front row seat to the 4th of July parade which passes by my apartment. Sure, the street is closed off for hours, cars parked overnight start getting towed at 5 AM, no one can enter or leave my block by car from about 10 AM until noon. But, hey ... it's a parade. This year it didn't feature the marching band from Washington, DC which has been a part of the parade for more than a few years, but the local high school marching band, several floats, clowns, stepping groups, all of the local youth sport groups, rap groups, salsa, fire companies, reggae groups, police departments, Ronald McDonald and his NYMetro Ronald McDonald showmobile, church groups, scouts, and more joined in. My personal favorite each year is the black cowboys on dancing horses.

My knee wasn't quite up to standing through the entire parade this year and due to the elevator being out of commission because of an electrical storm the night before, I couldn't manage getting a chair down to the front lawn. I watched most of the parade from my recliner chair looking out the window. But I did go down long enough to snap some shots of the black cowboys and a clown or two. I live in a rather rough town in NJ, but this annual parade is always a celebration of family, children, and the diversity of folks who live here. To me, that's a big part of what being an American is all about.

TV Briefly
  • Groomer Has It - I actually missed having this show on my Saturday night schedule last night. When it was down to the final two last week (Jonathan and Artist), I was rooting for an Artist win even though I think Jonathan is technically a better dog groomer. I didn't think Artist had any chance to win but I adore his personality and how he seriously worked to improve each week. He has a good heart and sometimes chose the hard route intead of the easy win. On the other hand, I found Jonathan a bit too smug and arrogant. I was thrilled for Artist when he won the big prize. Yay!
  • America's Got Talent - So far, i'm not overly thrilled with the talent. Sure, the sword swallowing guy was cool -- you don't see that every day anymore. I think my favorite so far was the guy who sang "Walking in Memphis" last week or the week before. One thing I enjoy about this show is seeing Jerry Springer out of his typical element. I don't watch his show, but I have to give the man kudos -- he's a very intelligent guy, ex-mayor of Cincinnati (I believe that was his city), and has turned trash TV into a personal fortune.
  • A rerun of Crossing Jordan - On Thursdays I have to go for my blood draw for my weekly dosage levels of my warfarin (Coumadin). I've found that Crossing Jordan is on A&E at 8 AM weekdays and tend to watch it as I missed many of the episodes when they aired. This past Thursday, they had a mysterious case. Uh-oh, the guy was poisoned by (as they said it on the show), "Warfarin, rat poison!" Eep, I needed that reminder on my blood draw day, right?
  • So You Think You Can Dance - I haven't been surprised by the people who have left each week, not yet anyway. I still favor Twitch as my sentimental favorite, but I'm enjoying Joshua more and more each week even though I think he's a bit chunky for a dancer. I find Thayne's smile increasingly annoying and wish he'd stop it. Gev's solo this week was amazing! As for the girls, I think Katee is my favorite. I'm not sure how Comfort slides by each week -- I don't think she put much effort in her solo at all this week.
  • The Late Show with David Letterman - Grr, reruns all this week. Grr.
  • Mad About You on TV Land - Argh, just when I discovered they show it, it seems the scheduling has been cut. It's now on in the middle of the night. Maybe the fact that I'm haunted by insomnia is a good thing. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this show before they ruined it by bringing in a baby.
  • Third Watch - I never watched the show faithfully, but I have found it at 7 AM on A&E. I'm now remembering why I wasn't faithful. Oh my gosh, this show is just way too busy! I recall some years ago I was in Little Italy (Manhattan) and watched them filming the show. To this date, I've never seen that episode and still wonder if I might be in the background of some of the shots.
Da Knee and Da Health
I still have eight visits left of my physical therapy to complete the twenty visits allowed by my insurance company. That translates to four weeks as I'm now going twice a week. I'm going to try to appeal for more but I'm not too optimistic about them allowing it. The extension (leg out straight) is perfect and that's actually more of an obstacle than the bend in this surgery. Many folks have problems with straightening the leg and that results in a limp. I have no problems with that.

My bend unaided is usually still around 115 with 120 being the goal and more bend possible. Technically, anything 90 degrees or more is considered successful. But the more bend, the more you can do. Despite the horrible condition before the surgery, my bend (range of motion) was good. So, it's expected that I should achieve higher than 120 degrees. That Baker's Cyst on the back of the knee seems to be what's holding back the bend -- I get to a certain point and it's agony. On the other hand, I'm doing well with the exercise bike and my strength is improving.

Although I'm walking most of the time unaided, I still bring along either one crutch or a cane when I expect to be on my feet a lot. When I walk, the knee isn't painful, per se. It's a bit unstable, wobbly, stiff, and weird. It's after I do a lot on it that it's painful. It's still bigger than my other knee, but it's not all that swollen anymore. I still have odd pains coming out of nowhere at times and the huge numb spot on the lateral side of the knee, The scar itself loves to change colors -- in the morning it's white and really looking good, by evening (or after exercise), it's reddish-purple and angry-looking.

Then there's the blood clot and rat poison er, ... Coumadin/warfarin issues. I still have pain in my left calf (the knee replacement is on the left, too) from the clot. They tell me that might last for my lifetime. I've had some adverse reactions to my dosage of warfarin and they're still jockeying it about each week. Although my return to work isn't expected anytime soon, I will have to be cleared by the vascular surgeon as well as the orthopedic surgeon. In the meantime, all I can do is watch the dietary restrictions, have my blood drawn weekly, follow the dosage, carry my medical alert card, try to avoid cuts, and let the doctor's office know if I exhibit odd symptoms. This is just about as much fun as a knee replacement!

So, there you go. I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! The weather has been stormy here, but it held off for the parade on Friday.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

So good to hear from you and get a progress report,Miss Jackie! Isn't it a kick in the pants when you get all these side effects when just dealing with the knee surgery would be more than enough? I hope this will soon all just be a memory
and your new knee will make it worth it. Coming out of it with that achy calf is not a good thing,but I know,all too well,that sometimes the cure has it's own set of drawbacks. We're all wishing you the very best. Continue to heal and it's good you feel more like jumping in here and joining us.

I think I mentioned before how I've become hooked on Third Watch. I guess it is a little jam packed,but life in NYC has to be that frantic at times,no? It touches me almost every episode.

Weather today is almost perfect and it's been a good weekend,no rain for four days straight now! I'm set for Design Star,Food Star and In Plain Sight tonight,after Password,of course. I could do without Regis,but this was one of my favorite shows back in the day.I'm still voting for Neil Patrick Harris and Rosie as the best star players so far.

Anonymous said...

Jackie, great you got to see your parade and that you shared your pixs with us.

Darn, I forgot Groomer was on also! I liked Artist the best of the two. Glad he won, I bet Jonathon was fit to be tied. Need to see if I can catch a repeat.

I watched 3rd Watch when it was on network. It was a fav of mine at that time.

Today, I am watching USA/L&O SVU marathon. The cheerleader from Hero'es is on this episode.

I basically did nada over the weekend. My Dad and Conny sell fireworks in their store and they were occupied, all last week. Kids were in FL, so I just vegged out.

Yippee, we are ONE WEEK away from BB. Need to watch CBS Morning show, Mon. to see the cast and Weds to see the house. It will not be long now.

Zoetawny said...

I'm always delighted to see a post from you, Jackie. I'm glad to hear that you did get to enjoy some patriotic celebration this weekend. How cool is it that the parade goes right by your apartment. The photos you managed to shoot were great.

I hope the elevator in your building is working fine now. I've wondered how many floors up your apartment is. It's incredible that you can manage the stairs so soon after your surgery. I knew nothing was going to to keep you down for long. ;)
WTG!!!!

As I mentioned in my email I did look up Baker's Cyst on the net. I know it's causing you pain and limits your range of motion. Has your OS suggested any treatment for it? I know taking the Coumadin is a PITB but it's good your doctor is monitoring the dosage on a weekly basis and you didn't ignore the unusual symptoms you were having. I'm sorry to hear about the pain in your left calf but hopefully it might dissipate in time. All in all, I think you're doing very well. You deserve kudos for going through all of this independently. You ROCK! Hey, you started that line and it locked in. :)

Back to the shows...

I used to love Crossing Jordan and still catch some of the reruns if nothing else that interests me is on. How ironic the episode mentioned "warfarin". If only "rat poison" wasn't associated with Coumadin it might not have such a stigma. ;) But, I love how you've interjected your "Letterman" humor into your entire surgery ordeal.

I did watch SYTYCD last week but never got around to commenting on it. I always seem to agree with your opinions. I couldn't believe that Comfort stayed and Kourtni was eliminated. I read rumors that the other dancers didn't like Kourtni but I have no idea why that would be. Comfort is out of her element and out of her league imo. Gotta love Twitch even though the mattress routine was criticized by many. Every time I see Thayne I tell him (the TV screen) to wipe that grin off his face). I'm not sure why but it is just plain irritating. It's like he turns it on and off like a light switch. Gev's solo was fantastic and I like Katee even more each week. I didn't like Nigel's reasoning for voting out Matt. (Maybe I should have posted my comments on SYTYCD over on the other link.)

My husband likes to watch AGT but it just doesn't hold my interest. It doesn't help that I just don't like Hasselhoff.

I can't wait to see America's Greatest Dog and of course, BB10.

OK, you east coasters, which one of you is sending all this humidity to CA? LOL All joking aside, prayers go out to all those facing fire dangers in northern CA and to the brave firefighters for their tireless efforts. I haven't watched the weather in the rest of the country today but I hope everyone is storm safe.

Jackie...

Keep up your great spirit. Thanks for taking the time to post more regularly. We love hearing from you.

Jackie S. said...

Zoetawny - I'm only on the second floor which isn't too bad. The problem is that every time the power flickers (as during a thunderstorm), the circuit on the elevator shuts down. Then we have to wait for someone to come. Alas, it's still out as it happened the evening before a long holiday weekend.

As for the Baker's Cyst, not much can be done. It can be drained, but will fill up again.

joy n said...

Everyone loves a parade! And Uncle Sam! And the clowns! I'd love to see those horses in action. They look very well groomed. I'll bet those riders absolutely love what they do!

Sounds as if you're showing improvement, and at the same time, coping with some very pesky side effects of your surgery. I hope things will improve more quickly for you. Getting back to a normal routine at this point would probably feel comforting. Keep thinking positively, Jackie. I know I've said it before but this, too, shall pass. (Wishin' it would pass a bit quicker, though, heh?)

Anonymous said...

OOPS...houseguests revealed Tues morning on CBS Morning Show. Holidays mess me up with what date it is!

At Joker's there is a email to the finalists on what they need to do once in LA and the hotel. Is it real? Who knows but made for interesting reading.

Anonymous said...

hi jackie....it is always good to hear from you!!! your attitude and sense of humor are so inspirational! keep up the good work. you have so many in your corner!!! thanks for the pics. it was my only "celebration" experience this year!

Anonymous said...

Say it ain't so.....no religion and politics on BB!! If I want to watch that I will go to CNBC or Fox. I think the show will get boring very quickly if that is the "diversity" they have chosen. How many weeks will people watch debates about those two subjects??

I would like to see more diversity in age and culture....just some "normal" people.

The holiday weekend is over. Our weather was moderate and we had LOTS of fireworks. I'm glad I came home early on the 4th to be with the dogs.

We took the grandkids to see Kung Fu Panda and Wall.E They loved KFP and just liked Wall.E---the whole storyline of ecology and saving the earth from too much garbage went over them. They didn't quite get most of the "messages" the movie was sending. KFP was just cute! Lots of action and "kid humor".

We also painted our deck. I still have about 50 2" square rails to paint. In a few weeks we will tackle the house. I think someone asked if my hubby settled on a color.....I showed him my three choices, he said which one he liked, I explained the reasons my first choice was best, and that's the one WE picked!! LOL

Glad The Bachelorette is finished tomorrow. Deanna is starting to p*ss me off!! Just choose and be done with it!

Jackie--it is so good to see you posting again every few days and of course, your pics. I'm sure your patience is about worn out with your knee, PT, and blood draws. Hang in there, and remember....

Chocolate solves any problem!!

Gotta go get some ironing done(yes, people do still iron!!).

Anonymous said...

I too just found the Mad About You reruns! I love the show...but I agree about the baby. It went downhill from there. I am a lactation consultant, and I use a clip from one of the last shows in a class I teach. Jamie is on the couch nursing and Paul wants to be part of the feedings and not just the diaper changing. He is asking in everyway he knows how, "When will you stop nursing?" and the only reply he gets is "soon."
Take Care Jackie. Looking forward to BB coming soon!
~Jamie in Ohio

Anonymous said...

I am looking forward to BB and hope the differences in politics and religion were just ways they used to pick people who will have to find a way to get along in the house or be voted out. Kaysar of season 6 (was it six?) was of a different religion than the other hgs and it wasn't a source of argument in the house. In fact, to get a diverse cast would mean they would have to bring in people with a variety of belief systems. I am hoping for the best this season.

Anonymous said...

Loved the 4th of July Google symbol but the one up now is odd. I can't figure out what it's representing???

Good day to all--gorgeous here--no clouds, gentle breeze and 78!!

Great day to finish painting--guess which dog ended up with a gray tail?? Yep, my Josie!!
She just had to get close to me and ran by the paint pan with her tail wagging.Once the paint was on her tail it got splattered everywhere!! Gotta love her! LOL

Anonymous said...

nana, I went, I looked, I am puzzled too. (google heading) If you run your cursor over the image though, it might explain it. Who knows for, though.

Anonymous said...

Jackie, Good hearing from you. I LOVED my PT sessions when my back was out - they just didn't help alleviate the back pain. My insurance was quite liberal and I went 3 days a week for a month and they would have paid for another month, but I said no to continuing since the sessions weren't helping my pain. I also liked Mad About You and occasionally see an episode in the morning. Looking forward to reading your posts more often now that you are recovering.

PlaidChick said...

I agree with everyone here. If I want to watch the screaming and yelling about religion and politics I'll watch FOX.

Crank up the organ music.

Yes set your TIVO's to see the Early Show Big Brother Cast reveal Tuesday morning. It'll be followed up on Friday with a house tour.


Zoetawny this is for you:

From bbdish:
Evel Dick posted on his myspace blog that he's looking for a few good creative types with video making skills. Here's the gist of it:

I want your creative skills and comedy skills here....
Make some parodies of Big Brother, any season or any person that has ever been on the show. Make it good, if you don't need to say who you are in it, and everyone who knows the show knows who you are doing (you know what I mean, you dirty minded perv's) you have done a great job.
Maybe a great fight from the past. Maybe a great one liner. Something that will always stick with you about a particular season or person that was in the house (Jase primping.)
Try to go back a bit too. It will be too easy for you to do someone from BB8 or BB9. You are welcome to, but put some thought into it. Don't make me suffer through shit either, well the interns they are sending me anyhow.
I have ideas too, so they better be better than anything I come up with.

SEND YOUR CONTACT INFO ALONG WITH THE DVD...
For the rest of the necessary details, please visit his blog directly.

www.myspace.com/eveldick

Hot and Humid in D/FW it's July after all!

Anonymous said...

marc chagall was an artist that lived to like 100...did some cubism stuff and fiddler paintings...i don't remember much more about him, he was never one of my favorite painters...hope that helps explain the google logo

joyzjenn

Anonymous said...

plaid..that was fun to read. About Dick and his contest. why do I think he won't find anything funny that doesn't contain at least 80% profanity? I don't know who I would pick to lampoon. Maybe an audition tape that included the various 'types' we always see without any of them being actual past hgs. After all there are usually a Bible thumper, a squeaky voiced blonde, a gay guy, a loudmouth egotistical so and so, a...well, you get the idea.

Tom`S said...

Jackie it's good to hear from you. It's hot hot hot over in Texas, this weather is actually making me feel as if I'm in a trance!
Okay I'm exhausted, I'll tell you all later about heat trances Haha although briefly twice last week in our city there have been individuals who literally appear spaced out as they await a green light at intersections, in fact one lady stopped at a red light as if it was a stop sign, while the light remained red, she proceeded to drive unto the middle of the highway, the craziest part not a single person honked they're horns, I almost followed until I realized the light hadn't changed from red to green!

Tom`S

Anonymous said...

Love the hood. Reminds me of the Janet Evanovich books.

Sydney said...

OMG, totally suspenseful finale of the Bachelorette tonight!!!! Thanks for the Meet Up sidebar Jackie.

lynn1 said...

I hope that BB10 won't focus so much on politics. I personally was looking to BB10 as a diversion from the politcal madness that will invade our airwaves this Summer and into the Fall in this election year.
I can only imagine what the house guest will say about the canditates.
If it gets too bad there is always animal planet!

Tom`S said...

Good Morning

Anonymous said...

Lynn 1 -- I'm with you! I'm sick of politics already! I hope that's not a big part of the show. I can switch over to the cable news programs if I want to hear people argue their views.

Tom 's -- our part of Texas has been a little cooler this week due to the rain showers around. So far the rain has missed our area, but with it all around the temps are down. Something to be thankful for!

We are heading to our lake cabin for a week. If the satellite dish and the tivo aren't working up there, I am going to be MAD on Sunday night! Will be checking in here late at nights. We have the world's slowest dial-up there and it seems to be a bit faster after midnight. Looking forward to our new season!

Jennasmom

Delee said...

Was not impresses with the new house guests. Like the 75 yr old great-grandfather, but doubt he will hang long?

Mostly seems to be under 35, is that a diversity of age??? Jessie, the body-builder is to be our eye-candy, not for me, no stud-muffin. Keisha looks like Danielle to me and a Hooter's girl to boot!

Less than 5 days...bring it on!

Anonymous said...

Deele---I thought the same thing about the hooters girl....
The hairdresser from N.O....She doesn't look 53. I am from N.O. and can't wait to see how far she goes....Maybe i can get my hair done...
I didn't know there was a gay rodeo circuit. I am not trying to sound ignorant...
As for age diversity there really isn't. They just threw two mature people in there.
At least no one knows the other. I am glad it is back to basics.

Sydney said...

Not that it has anything to do with TV (more for movie fans) but Matthew McConauhey had a baby boy last night and I think yesterday as well Nicole Kidman has a little girl.

joy n said...

Nicole and Keith named their daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. I like the name Sunday Rose.

Sydney said...

me too joy. Didn't know that. Knew the kidman urban thing. That sounds like a nice hip furniture store, lol.