What's the Point?

I was reading somebody else's blog. He was mentioning depression and said he felt like, "What's the point?"
It sounds awful to tell somebody else what the point is because nobody knows how somebody else feels. But I have considered the "What's the point?" question.
I finally decided that some days I really don't feel like there's much of a point. But the question is, how do I want to be remembered? Well, for my family, friends, former students, I don't want to be remembered as a loser. I want to be thought of in positive ways. So, for me, sometimes that's the point...not for me but for those I care about.

Pinched Nerve

Yesterday I had a pinched nerve in my neck. I couldn't bend over enough to keep from scraping my head on the car when I got in. I couldn't turn or bend or lean to one side or the other. I used the electro therapy and a heating pad off and on all day.
Last night I slept in whatever position I managed to collapse into. This morning it was fine! I don't know if I did something that helped, or if it just worked its way loose.
I was really happy to have some flexibility back.

Electro Therapy

I have a pinched nerve, I guess. I bought this a while ago for the next time I felt like I had a crick in my neck. I got it at WalMart for about $10. It's like a TENS unit. Today is the first time I've used it. I'd go to the chiropractor tomorrow except it's a holiday:(

So this little electro therapy unit, a heating pad, and Aleve is getting me through.

No Glasses

His eye surgery on the left eye was entirely successful. He is going to have the other eye done and that should be excellent. Right now he can see distant and close up with his right eye with glasses but nothing with the left eye. Without the glasses he can see distant with his left eye. This has to be disorienting, but soon he should be able to see with both eyes and no glasses except for reading glasses.

Very few people have ever seen him without his glasses. That is changing:)

Larry's Trip to Doctor

Today Larry went back to see his ophthalmologist. The doctor wanted to make sure he went for the second cataract surgery. He tested Larry's far vision in the eye that had the surgery. His distant vision tested perfect. He hasn't had distant vision without glasses since he was a child and possibly not then. The doctor said that when he has the other cataract removed, he will have perfect vision without glasses except for close work and a pair of reading glasses from the dollar store or Walgreens will be sufficient to remedy that.
He agreed to go back for the second cataract surgery and stopped by Walgreens to try out their reading glasses. He said he could see up close quite clearly. This is going to be much cheaper than the expensive blended trifocals he's used for years!

Cataract Surgery

The ophthalmologist has been telling Larry he needs cataract surgery for the past year. Today he scheduled it. They were very thorough in their explanation of what will be done. I'm glad he has decided to go ahead with it.

Released from Doctor's Care

The doctor said I'm fine and can resume normal activity with no restrictions except for squatting.  Larry said I can read and play freecell more:)
I asked how I had torn my meniscus in the first place and he said it was probably cumulative due to my age.  I was expecting to never do whatever it was again except I guess I'll go ahead and get older.

Not a Great Day

When I'm volunteering at the hospital, I usually have my blood pressure taken at the home health screening.  My blood pressure is usually fine.  Today it was awful...both numbers.  She had me sit for five minutes and then did it again.  It was better, but still high on both numbers.  So she sent me back on the floor and said to get one of the nurses to do a manual blood pressure reading with a cuff.  It was still high, almost as high as it had been on the first reading.
When I got home, Larry said I was still reacting to the surgery and can't do what I want to so frustration made it high.  I don't know if that is reasonable or not.
The nurse's explanation of I'm getting older made good sense, but I didn't much care for it.  I think I've been eating pretty consistently bad since my surgery.  Maybe that did it.

Wonderful Almonds

I've never cared much for almonds, but I read that they are good for bringing down cholesterol so I have been trying to eat them. 
I found salted almonds under the Wonderful brand at Sam's Club...in three pound bags.  So when I went to buy more, it took forever to find them.  When I got them home, I had not bought the right brand and they were raw, unsalted and pretty tasteless.
So I used my roasted pecan recipe and toasted them in the oven, buttered and salted them and they are edible.  Unfortunately, I bought six pounds of them so they should last me a while.

Not Cereal for Breakfast

I like cereal with blueberries for breakfast...especially when we have fresh blueberries.  So this morning I thought a couple of sausage patties and a measured amount of cereal and blueberries would be good.  Well, it would have been.
But I am out of cereal.  So I had two sausage patties and a bowl of blueberries with Splenda and cream.  It was very nice even without the cereal:)

You Can't Tell Us Anything

When I was at the doctor's office Monday, a man sitting beside me said they wanted him to have a knee replacement but he didn't want one.  He said his knee doesn't hold him up all the time but just gives out and he falls.  Then he can't get back up.  He lives alone. The last time it happened he waited for the mail man to come.  He was a large man so the mailman called the paramedics who came and got him up.
I asked if he could get up with a cane or a walker.  He said he has a wooden one.  I said I thought a walker might provide more support.  I asked if he has a cell phone.  He said he should get one.  He said, "I'm 68.  You can't tell us anything."
I said, "I'm 66 and I hate to fall and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to wait for somebody to happen by to get me up! 911 is pretty easy to dial."
I'll bet he was happy he decided to strike up that conversation.  I was just fine without listening to him, but totally unable to listen without then telling him possible solutions to his problems.

Volunteered Today

Today is the first day back to volunteering since my knee surgery.  The doctor said I can drive so I drove to the hospital to volunteer.  I'd only missed last week.  I saw a man struggling along with a walker and a bandaged knee.  He struggled just as badly with the walker as I had with the crutches.  I think his surgery was more serious than mine because he was in the hospital and I was outpatient.  But it felt lovely to see him struggle as I had and know I had come so far. 
The wall slides on the exercise sheet the doctor gave me is miserable.  It is for the quadriceps and makes both knees hurt. 

Both Knees

I had surgery on the right knee, but putting all the strain on the left knee isn't doing it any favors. I think I'll avoid stairs today.

Better and Better - Day 5 Post Op

I tried to explain to a friend that it was according to schedule that I had left off the crutches the third day...it was, after all, minor surgery.  She said that minor surgery is what happens to someone else:)
Yesterday I got 6,000 steps in on my fitbit and today I chopped tall weeds beside the road with a hoe.  Standing on uneven ground didn't hurt my knee today.
Yesterday my knee was a little tender as we picked blueberries in a light drizzle.  I decided it was because the ground was a little uneven.

Moth Panic

Last night I got into bed, at the last minute remembering not to plant my day 5 post op knee into the mattress  to literally "crawl" into bed.
I carefully settled myself into a comfortable position only to feel a small movement on my calf.  I halfheartedly swiped at it trying to decide if wildlife had settled in with me.
That was a firm Yes!  I hastily flipped over, flung the bedclothes back, and turned on the bedside light...only noticing then that I was on my knees!  I flipped back and saw a small gray moth fluttering madly.  I brushed it out of bed, turned the light back off and tried to decide if I had hurt my knee.  I hadn't.  Better and better.

My Knee on Tuesday - Day 4

I don't really know what is all right to do so that my knee heals well. The piece of paper said not to do heavy lifting, etc.  The attendant at the clinic said not to just sit with it propped up.  So I'm trying to move some. But it aches somewhat and has some swelling.  I have it up at the moment with ice on it.  Ice makes it feel better.

Sore All Over

Crutches are great exercise, if I can judge accurately based on how sore all my muscles are.

No Germs on those Hands!

Today was my first day off crutches.  We went to Memphis to see the dermatologist.  I made it fine.  The report was good and now I'm back on a once a year schedule.  After the melanoma I was on a three-month schedule.  Then six months, and finally I'm back to once a year.
The dermatologist's hands were really cold.  She apologized but liked it when I told her there was no way those hands could have germs on them. 
We ate at Cracker Barrel for breakfast and Casey Jones Restaurant on the way back for lunch.
We went in at Casey Jones, ate the buffet, and asked for the ticket.  The waitress said we should have paid on the way in.  So I went and got in line and explained we'd done it backwards but wanted to pay.  She said they'd only been doing it that way for about three months and they still get confused sometimes.
We were both really tired when we got home and crawled into bed for naps. 

Sleeping

I haven't slept well since the surgery because my knee couldn't find a comfortable position.  I did sleep in fits and jerks during the night, but I've napped, too.  That, too, wasn't especially comfortable until this afternoon.  This afternoon my knee was enough improved that the slight sideways pressure of sleeping on my side didn't hurt.  I had a wonderful nap.  I don't know if I've ever napped three days in a row before.  If so, it was so long ago that I don't remember it.

Fitbit and Crutches

I'm not trying to get any particular number of steps in while I'm recovering from knee surgery, but I am trying to move about enough so that my knee doesn't lose mobility.  I'm keeping a lot of the weight off of the right knee but putting it through the proper motions for walking.
I usually put my fitbit in my right pocket.  I looked, for curiosity's sake, to see if it was recording anything.  Turns out it records the steps if I have it in my left pocket but not so much in my right pocket.  Interesting.