Planning for Surgery

 Yesterday, the scheduler Michelle called from Dr. Culp’s office with a May 1 date for surgery and then a list of other appointments both before and after surgery.  She told me that an email would come with attachments to be printed up and brought to my appointments.  The email did not come for hours and I was concerned about that.  I followed up on the portal and it did arrive eventually.  When I told Michelle it would take me a few minutes to get my calendar, she told me not to hurry.  I appreciated her empathy and patience and responded to tell her that later in the day.

Jim and I watched the required video a few minutes ago.  It is overwhelming to think of all the cautions and procedures one must follow for success.  However, I am trying to remember that it will be one step at a time and there will be people to answer questions along the way.  I am thankful Jim will be here to be my support person and coach.  Plus he will allow me to stay off my feet or do the only 300 steps a day I am suppose to do in the first week.

I already have a walker and a support frame for the toilet.  I ordered a step counter and a “hip kit” from Amazon.  

I was a bit irritated that I received a text from Dr. Culp with a survey about my pain and ability to think and manage my life.  I had already answered all the prompts on the portal earlier.  Maybe they are checking to see if I am consistent.  Maybe no one really looks at these surveys.  I said that I thought my ability to answer medical questions was excellent.  I said my social relationships were very good.  My ability to do everyday chores not so good.  My emotional state was moderate and that may be rating higher than it is some of the time.  My pain levels are nothing when I am sitting—but moderate when I reach for things or get up and down from sitting.  I find dressing and undressing to be some of my harder moments of the day.  I did not anguish over my answers.  I will see if the doctor mentions them at my pre-op meeting on my birthday.  What a way to celebrate! 

Hip Replacement Surgery

 

We met with Dr. Culp this morning, three weeks after our initial appointment.  I had a list of questions for him written down as Jennifer had suggested.  He answered all of them in a reassuring way so that I felt better about this meeting with him.  He is scheduling surgery several weeks in advance but would try to get me in earlier with cancellations.  So now we wait until we hear from his office.  He said the surgery was minimally invasive, not cutting into muscle and entering from the anterior side.  He said I might go home the same day and I could get up the steps—as long as I did not have to keep going up and down.  He said he could guarantee 99% success-I told him I didn’t ask for 100 %.  The 1% was for complications which can happen with any surgery, I know.  So the process is started and I feel less anxiety for the moment at least.  His office will take care of the insurance process. He said something like he could feel the pain when he looked at my x-ray.  

We celebrated with the IHOP trip we have been talking about ever since we gave up on our Florida trip in January.  It was a senior breakfast of 2-2-2 for me and French toast for Jim and it was a very filling treat.  I emailed my friend Peggy who was praying for me—and emailed Jeff and Susan who were here Saturday when I was not doing well.  Jeff said he would refrain from saying, “It’s another sign you are growing up.”  That was our phrase for him as he grew older—another sign you are growing old in my case.  Maybe I will feel less old in three months—the recovery time Dr. Culp anticipated for full recovery.  

Chaos in Washington, DC

 Every morning, I read the Substack post from Heather Cox Richardson, a historian from Boston College.  It can be accessed free but I pay $50 a year to support her thorough summaries of the news.  It is not a pleasant start to my day.  It is a daily reminder of the chaos in Trump's circle with Elon Musk coming in with a chain saw as he said to cut out government waste.  But instead essential and needed programs are being cut with people fired and then sometimes rehired.  

And then there is the craziest story from Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of the Atlantic and the host of Washington Week which we watch every Friday night on PBS.  He was given an invitation to join a Signal group talking about war plans.  He thought it might be a hoax but he joined and realized it was a serious breach of security on a format that would disappear after a certain number of days.  So there would be no archival record as demanded by law.  That he was included was certainly not intended.  No one asked who he was and when he left no one asked why.  This is the result of having Fox newscasters in charge of cabinets and not qualified, experienced staff--Hegspeth in charge of Defense.  No one in Trump’s circle has admitted any breach or given any apologies.  And so far, no one has lost his job for what might  been worth a court martial farther down the line in the military.  

I hope the Intelligence committee in Congress gets some answers on this.  Trump of course just insulted The Atlantic as a losing magazine which it isn't and has nothing to do with this mistake on his people's part.  And Hegspeth insulted Goldberg when he only released some of the information when those on the post said it was not war plans or classified when it clearly gave time and place for hits.  

Our president has said he wants to take over Greenland—and has not eliminated doing so by force.  He wants Canada to be the 51st state—an idea not welcomed by Canadians.  And Panama too is a place he is looking to annex.  Vice President Vance and his wife were not welcomed in their visit to Greenland this week except at an American military base.

-------March 28. Today's Washington Post reports that the WSJ editorials are criicizing Trump and sees this as a reason for hope for our free press and democracy.  I hope they are right.  It will be interesting to watch Washington Week tonight.  

Every night I pray that God will give Trump and Musk and Vance each a heart of compassion and a stop to their cruelty and deceit.  I am ashamed of our country.  

April 2. The judge that Trump supported and Musk gave away 2 million dollars to voters lost in Wisconsin.  Hooray!  The two congressmen Trump supported in Florida won so the Republicans keep those seats in Congress.  However the margin was less than Trump’s margin of victory in November.  So there is some discontent.  

The cruelty of deporting a man in error and admitting it was an error saying he cannot be brought back from the horrible prison in ElSalvador is so shameful.  Where is the compassion and decency in this administration?  I grieve daily.

A New IPad

 

My laptop died this week.  Rather than get a new one, our daughter-in-law Susan suggested I get an ipad.  She helped me order one from the Apple Store yesterday and Jim went to pick it up today.  I began the process of setting it up connecting it to my iphone and then getting several Google apps.  

Jeff and Susan came over this evening and brought supper--and then Susan helped me with a "tutorial" on how to use my ipad.  I was about two or more steps behind her as she was swiping up and down and sideways.  But I hope I have learned something and it will become instinctive as I get more familiar with my little gadget.

An immediate problem was downloading this photo so I will have to ask her for more help.  But I worked around it, sending it to Jim, downloading it on his laptop, and then creating my blog on his machine.  Success!  And enough for tonight.  Not more screens until tomorrow!  

I am so grateful for my IT expert, my daughter-in-law, and her patience with me and the time she gave me out of her busy life.  

Slowing Down

 I have written before about being OK with a more limited life.  We have travelled a lot and have many good travel memories.  I am quite content with staying home with my laptop connection to the world, books to read, NYT puzzles to solve, and a husband to keep me company each day.  But I have also been aware that even in this smaller environment, my life is slowing down.

The walker helps me with mobility.  But  I can't jump up quickly from the sofa or bed to walk across the room to get something.  I get up slowly, making my way to the handles of the walker, and then steadily finding my way around furniture to wherever I need to be--the kitchen, the bathroom, the closet.  It is a more deliberate journey.  Carrying items while pushing a walker is a challenge.  Conserving steps by making two or three stops along the way is a goal.

I have yet to take the walker anywhere out of the apartment except for one short walk outside in which we picked up mud on the wheels.  For grocery shopping and church and our Lenten group meeting, I stuck with my easily accessible cane.  

I received a denial of benefits from United Health Care for 18 physical therapy visits but approval of 12 visits.  This is not a problem because I have used up only five visits and have just one more scheduled before I meet with the doctor to get more information about hip replacement surgery.  I assume they will approve of that with the doctor's recommendation.  And after that, I can use more of the physical therapy appointments needed.  I have happily paid my $25 copay for the assistance and accomodation suggestions Jennifer has given me--and the emotional support and advice she has provided too.  

 I am hoping that the day will come when I can walk without any assistance from a cane, a walker, or even my husband's arm.  

My Good Husband

 

My very dear physical therapist Jennifer at Princeton Orthopedic Associates suggested I use a walker instead of a cane.  I was resistant feeling like it was another blow to my pride as the cane was a year ago.  I had made my peace with the cane however and will probably be thankful for the walker too.  

I ordered the walker from Amazon.  It was inexpensive enough not to bother with getting a scrip and using insurance. It came within a few days.  I gasp when I open up a package and see that some assembly is required.  But I have a very patient husband and he went right to work and put it together in no time at all.  It really just needed the wheels to be put on and then adjusted for my short height.  So this is another big step in the aging process and a reminder to be thankful for kind and helpful medical people.  I can be thankful to be alive and will hope for an easing of pain.  I can stand up straighter with the walker and feel more secure.  I will have to try a longer walk outside tomorrow. 

I posted this photo on Instagram and saw that among the likes were ones from Jasper and Katie.  My grandchildren liked their aging grandmother's posts.

A Concert in our LIving Room

 

Last night we had guests for a pizza supper.  A former student of Jim's and her husband and son were in town for a conference so they were able to spend some time with us.  The son is 14 years old and is an amazing violinist.  He played a concerto for us and it was a joy to hear and to watch his fingers fly over the strings. 

 I was so bold as to ask if he had any pieces with piano accompaniment so that I could make some music with him.  They brought along Vivaldi's Four Seasons and I thought I could try the first page or so of the Autumn piece.  And I did--and although I missed one key change along the way, I kept up with him and we ended at the same time--no small accomplishment!  So some day when Joseph is a famous violinist, I am going to say that I made music with him in our very own living room!