Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - July 10, 2011

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic post looking back on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. If you're looking for Big Brother live feeds news, try a search on "BB13 live feeds" in the blog and you'll be able to bring those posts up.

I don't really have a lot of photos this week. Although I'm getting outside practically every day, it's not like last week when a parade marched by!

So ... how's the knee? Compared with the recovery from the last one, it's a world of difference. But I would guess that if this were my first experience I might be saying how rough it is. Thankfully I have the hard recovery to compare it with and, just thinking of that, this one is a breeze so far!

I went to my first two sessions of physical therapy this week -- a shout out to Triston Glynos and his Joint Motion Physical Therapy in Scotch Plains! He knows how I went into PT the last time and even has the numbers and progress to compare. He's as surprised and happy as I am at how well the knee is coming along already.

On my first day my bend was 105 degrees on my own, 112 if he forced it as much as I could take it. That compares with 77/82 last time. I could also do revolutions on the bike first time and did five minutes. Last time, it was almost a month into therapy before I could complete a revolution of the bike pedals! We did overdo things the first day of therapy, though. I was exhausted and my knee was painful and swollen causing me to take it easy, ice and elevate most of Thursday.

The BB fans know the snafu on Thursday night with Blogger not working during the season premiere. I really didn't need that. My concentration and attention span is off and it was definitely an unneeded aggravation. But it was better than my Friday!

Friday started out fine. The bus got me to PT about 50 minutes early. My plan was to go to the nearby CVS, transfer my pain prescription there and refill it. Then I would lounge for a bit in the park with a frozen sweet unhealthy beverage from the nearby Quik Chek. I'd go across the street to PT, then my friend Barb would drive me to Bound Brook to my surgeon's office to remove an errant staple whic was hiding under a steri-strip. Then I'd walk the block and a half to the bus back to Plainfield. Since life slows down to nothing with a knee replacement, this was a big day if all went as planned.

Sigh.

Instead of things going smoothly at CVS, they held me up a half hour then told me my prescription would be ready in two hours. Okay, that would be about the time I'm out of PT and Barb should be coming.

The PT itself was good. Triston told me he was worried that we overdid it some on the first day. Although for the most part I did the same things with a few new exercise machines mixed in, this time wasn't bad and my knee actually felt better when I was done after the final icing. I also made an older woman feel much better about her own knee replacement recovery. Apparently she's been very down and defeated with her recovery pace. I showed her what my first knee can do and explained my own bad recovery. Both Triston's PT and the woman were thrilled she met me. That was good.

Go to CVS ... not ready yet? Sheesh! It took them THREE HOURS to fill my prescription even though I was already in their system as Barb and I stopped at another CVS for my pain meds on the way home from the hospital!

Then Barb was running late. Then, once I got to the surgeon's office, the skies let loose with excessive wind, lightning, thunder and torrential rain. Then I waited nearly an hour between the waiting room and examination room waiting for my doctor to fix his mistake! Now, I do like him and he's a fantastic surgeon, caring man and all, but my patience was really growing thin ... and the storm wasn't stopping.

I ended up getting soaked despite my umbrella while I walked to the bus stop. Parts of the street were under a foot of water, the sidewalks not that much better. I stopped for a while in the shelter of an overhang at a church across the street from the bus stop. While there's a bench at the bus stop, there is no shelter except trees. Since trees and branches were coming down with the wind and lightning strikes, that wasn't an option. I decided to wait until five minutes before the bus was due and then cross over. Chances are that it would run late.

So, five minutes before it was due, I went to the corner and there was the bus coming! Ack! I looked at the light. It had a green light, I had a red and traffic was steady. No way could I crutch it across the street on time. No one was standing at the bus stop to be picked up. Thankfully people did have to get off! And then the light changed, so I made it aboard. Once I hit Plainfield, things were easier until I got to my apartment. The power had flickered during the storm and that tends to break the elevator circuit. So I trudged up the stairs. I was tired, soaked, completely frustrated and not a happy camper.

Saturday I decided I wouldn't even venture out despite the beautiful day. I'd do my BB13 live feeds updates, listen to music, watch TV, read, relax, nap and snack ... between icing and elevating my knee. And that's just what I did!

I broke down and decided to use Peapod for a grocery delivery. I have enough canned goods around, but I'm getting low on my perishables and frozen foods. The nearby bodega is good for staples but I'm not keen on their selection of meats, vegetables and fruits. I've seen Peapod come here to the apartment building before so someone in the building uses them. I need to complete my order and and set delivery for Tuesday when I have no PT. I figure the elevator should be turned back on by then.

I finally got my first short term disability check this week. I've been spoiled with direct deposit at work, but luckily there's a branch of my bank right by my PT. I also got a catalog of gifts for my upcoming work big anniversary. Not bad stuff ... the prices seem to range from $150 to $300. I'd love the big gas grill, but I have no place to get it. I think I'll take the LCD TV ... yes, I have working TVs, but not an LCD one!

I also received correspondence from the HR people at corporate regarding my leave. It's approved for a work return of November 2? Really? I thought the doctor would tell them three months which would put me back mid-September. I won't complain. He must have taken the rough recovery last time into things and estimated the longer leave. Of course, I can always go back earlier if he signs a release. I'll see how things go. I have to be 100% going back as I have to go back full time and be able to get back and forth walking and riding trains.

I've blathered enough. Onto the photos for the week ...

Died waiting to get a staple removed.

He was just hanging around the examination room on Friday.

I love John's Meat Market!

They can be a bit pricey, but this is one fine meat market. In addition to my Peapod, I'm definitely stopping in here next week after PT. They're just a few doors away. I hurt too much my first PT day and the second was my ill-fated Friday.

I talked to a bird.

Nifty little blue flowers

These are growing along the bottom of an unkempt hedge on Berckman Street. I never noticed them before.

In the park across from PT

Fountain in said park

Weird flowers!

Oh. Scotch Plains doesn't remove the Christmas lights from their trees in the park adjacent to the Municipal Building.

Flowering trees on Berckman Street

Comfy Vincent

If I'm at my computer, he's either on me or in his chair I set up next to me. If I'm in bed, so is he. Wherever I am, there he is. I think he thinks he's a dog. I'm healed well enough to carry him around on my shoulder at times. He's in heaven!

How was your week?