Our Daily Spelling Bee

 Every morning, we open the NYT games site on our respective iPhones and do Spelling Bee.  Jim is kind enough to stop finding words at whatever point I stop.  He is definitely better at this game than I am and apart from seeing more words, he is better at finding the pangram—the word that uses all seven letters of the grid.  Today’s pangram was “hickory.”  Exactly seven letters. Sometimes the words are longer with duplicate letters.

Today I was amused to see the record the NYT has kept of our playing this game.  We have done 694 puzzles in which we achieved “Queen Bee” only 87 times—finding all possible words.  We almost always play until we reach “Genius” which is a percentage of possible answers.  We do what we can without hints but almost always go to the table of hints that gives us the first two letters of words and tells how many words there are with those initial two letters.

Is this a waste of time?  Probably, but we have time to waste in our retirement and it is a challenge for us.  I look forward to opening that game each morning, usually while drinking my coffee.  It is an activity that we do together.  We do learn new words sometimes of very little value however.  “Nene” is a bird; ”philhellenic”  is just esoteric.  We have learned to look out for three ways to spell one’s mother (momma, mama, and mamma) and to remember the often present “açaí” and if that is there, look our for “acacia” too.  

There is an active group on Facebook that complains often about the editor’s choices of words.  I posted once on that site when our local Dollar Tree had quite the display of bee-themed merchandise.  I didn’t buy anything but I had a lot of  “likes” on Facebook from the “Hive.” 

A Diamond and a Celebration

 

We were asked to save the date so we knew something good was going to happen.  But we didn’t know any details. 

There were 13 of us at dinner—hosted by Eli at Roots Ocean Prime in Princeton—adjacent to the Princeton University campus.  Eli included parents, siblings, Jim and me and Grandma from NYC.  We had a delicious dinner and got to admire the sparkling diamond on Katie’s hand.  The proposal took place at Plainsboro Preserve, a place that we have walked many times too.  

Now they will be off to Winston-Salem where Katie will be an assistant professor of teaching at Wake Forest University.  The wedding may be in the summer of 2026–a long time off!  

We are very happy for this wonderful couple—and they are very happy too!

June 9. A postscript:  Rogers (sitting between Jim and me) has tested positive for Covid!  We ordered up to date tests from Amazon—the ones in the closet were badly outdated—and they have already arrived.  Now we hope to be symptom free and disease free—ten days incubation period we read.  

June 15. 

After feeling like I was fighting a cold, with Jim’s help and the video of instruction, I did a Covid test and with the great drama of waiting 15 minutes, it was negative!  Hooray!  It’s strange how uneasy knowing that you have been exposed to someone who tested positive and waiting to see if you too are infected.  But so far we are OK!  Off to Jeff and Susan’s this afternoon to celebrate Father’s Day!

No WiFi

 Yesterday our Wi-Fi went out at about 4 PM and with some difficulty we connected with the Xfinity app and they kept postponing the time that it would be reconnected. Eventually it was connected at about 4 AM but I am still having trouble accessing things on my iPad, so I am writing this blog on my phone.

It was really enlightening to realize how much we depended on our Wi-Fi. We missed doing the New York Times puzzle together during our happy hour we could not watch any sports and at 10 PM Jim had to check the Mets score on his phone.

I found a book to read or to reread, and I think Jim was reading too, but we certainly did miss our Wi-Fi.

———Hours later—It wasn’t the end of the story.  Xfinity said it was connected but our devices said there was no internet.  Jim communicated with Xfinity via the app and they reset the Gateway device and it appears to be working—knock on wood!  

I’m Ready to Get my Life Back!

 

My “support person” and “coach” who has been 
Wonderful through this whole process!

I called United Health Care this morning and learned that I have unlimited physical therapy appointments available with a $25 copay.  So that will not be a reason to end PT!  But I felt yesterday that I was able to do almost everything at home without having to go in to the busy site two or three times a week.  So tomorrow I will talk to Jennifer about a plan going forward.  My suggestion will be to check in once a week for a while and I will see what she has to say.

Plus I am counting down the number of pills I have to take daily.  There are five days worth left of the anti-inflammation pill.  There are about the same of the 81 mg aspirin for clot prevention.   I have cut back on Tylenol taking two at night only instead of the nine originally recommended. So I have felt free to have a small glass of wine again with supper or happy hour.  

I am walking with the walker in the house but beginning to walk without it.  I have figured out how to avoid the early morning deep pain in my hip by getting out of bed and walking around a few times during the night—a few trips to the bathroom or kitchen has been enough for the last three mornings.  May it continue!  I had to figure that out on my own—when the PA offered another opioid (which I have successfully avoided!) and PT agreed that I needed to cut back on the exercise when it was making things worse.

My life has been consumed with this surgery since March 3 when I asked Dr. Delacruz what to do and he sent me for the x-rays which were diagnosed as “severe arthritis in left hip.”  I am eager for a more normal life!

May 29. Jennifer thought once a week check-in would be great for PT so that is what I will do from now on.  Progress!  

May 30. And more progress!  We went to Target together and got all our favorite Target bargains.  It was no harder than usual pushing a shopping cart.  I was glad to be home again but I always am after a big shopping trip.  And it was one more big step towards our normal lives.  

May 31 And another step forward.  I shopped at McCaffrey’s with Jim today—our regular Saturday shopping trip and I did it.  Always happy to be back in car sitting down again but we did it together.  Not sending Jim alone.  Hooray!

June 3. No more morning and evening drugs to take and record.  Progress!  Jim says I am “bustling about in the kitchen” more—not a lot but taking charge of meals more.  

June 12. It has been six weeks since surgery so I no longer have to sleep on my back which I did not do or keep a pillow between my legs if I sleep on my side.  I substituted a rolled up blanket but will be so glad not to do that any more either—always readjusting it if I turned over.

  The bad part about no more drugs (including Celebrex) is that my right hip started hurting and I can’t bear the thought of another surgery.  I am taking two Aleve a day and hope that helps.  I fell two days ago again—for no good reason which also concerns me.  I was plugging in my phone and found myself on the floor.  With difficulty Jim got me sitting in a chair and then up and around again.  I need to do those chair exercises and strengthen my legs! 

Dr. Katie Vanderkam

 We celebrated Katie’s graduation with a cookout at Jeff and Susan’s place today.  There were more than 20 of us with all of the VK family, Susan’s dad and sister, and good friends Michael and Roxanne and their children.  And Katie’s partner Eli and Michael’s friend Allie were there too.  It was so nice that Dan and Alex and all seven of the Conways made the effort to come to honor Katie.

Susan made one of her beautiful cakes and Jeff fixed chicken, burgers, and brats.  We contributed deviled eggs (Jim and I boiled and peeled 8 eggs) and some beer.  There was room for all of us on their spacious deck.  

We watched the hooding ceremony from our own living room.  That was far easier for me than parking a car and walking a long way.  Closer to bathrooms too!  We were thrilled to hear Katie’s name and see her honored.  

Then last night Jeff and Susan treated 12 of us to dinner at Metro North.  It meant a bit of a wait but Susan asked for a chair for me—as always, taking care of us!  I had the idea of toasting Jeff and Susan so Jeff quieted everyone down enough for my “speech.”  And I did it—and was happy to do it in front of their children, Eli’s parents, and Charles and Leigh.  I think it went over just fine!  

Three Princeton PhDs

26 years ago!

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Three Weeks Post-Surgery

 

After four weeks of abstinence!

Today is a milestone of sorts.  It has been three weeks since my hip replacement surgery and I am glad these three weeks are over.  I had another PT session with Jennifer at the outpatient site today and have three more scheduled for next week.  I may have to call United Health Care to see how many more they will pay for.  

Jennifer is so glad I had the surgery.  She remembers me being in more pain than I remember.  I do know that I could not even get my left foot into the pedal on the bicycle and now I have cycled for five minutes and the five minutes did not seem endless.  She stressed that recovery is a process and is not to be hurried.  She says my gait is so much better with the walker and it is best to continue to use it for now.  The pain I had in the early mornings was probably a result of doing too many exercises.  The best exercise is walking she said and I hope to take the walker outside again—if it ever stops raining.

I am learning that one gets mixed advice.  Shilpa said to put away the walker and the cane and get back to normalcy.  Jennifer says not to rush the process.  Monica said do not use the heating pad for relief of pain.  Jennifer says at this point, whatever helps is fine—and the cool pack was just too cold in the early morning hours.  It is a relief not to have to wear the compression stockings and to use the Spirometer several times a day.  I think I am past the concern for clots and pneumonia and infection.  

I have a three month appointment with Dr. Culp on July 14.  I have about ten days left of the many drugs I was assigned and will be very glad not to have to be checking them off every morning and evening.  I have not needed the OxyContin or at least I resisted taking it.  I have cut back on the Tylenol and thus have felt freer to have a small glass of wine with supper the last few nights.  I hate to think of all the medications my body has had to tolerate.

I am supposed to sleep with a pillow between my legs for six weeks.  We have substituted a rolled up blanket which is not as thick.  I find this uncomfortable and will be glad to have the freedom to sleep in whatever pose feels right at night—or in the wee hours of the morning.  

Jim has helped me with dressing—particularly getting socks on—and has helped me get in and out of the shower.  I have not needed the shower seat and will return that to Jeff and Susan.  Jim continues to help with household tasks and has taken the lead in many of them.  

I have been grateful for Jim’s kind and patient help.  I have been grateful for friends who have expressed concern and brought food and flowers.  I feel more a part of our church as staff and friends there have been in touch.  Dr. Culp said a full recovery would take three months and when I feel a bit discouraged, I have to remember I have made a lot of progress. 

We have several celebrations to enjoy next week with Katie’s graduation from Princeton with her PhD.  I have said on campus events may be too much for met yet but we will happily participate in a cookout and a restaurant dinner.  

May 24. Another major milestone.  I went grocery shopping with Jim today at Trader Joe’s and did well.  It was no more overwhelming than it usually is and we left with almost $150 worth of our bargains and favorite TJ items—coffee, almond coffee cake, a few new frozen items, not a lot of wine with my post-surgical abstinence, graduation cards, gluten free muffins to host the Moorheads for coffee, cheeses, etc. 

A note on the big margarita!  I had ordered a smaller one and the waiter said he would just charge us for that.  So I had to resist drinking the whole thing and I did.  The waiter asked if we wanted a to go cup.  I was amazed that was possible and so agreed to it!  It did not taste as good the next night!

May 27. I went to PT today and felt like it is time to quit that too.  Jennifer has so many clients at the same time.  I think I could do my exercises at home just fine except for the bike.  I will call United Health Care to see how many they are willing to pay for and that may give me a quitting motivation. 

Plus, through trial and error, I think I have found the answer to my early morning pain.  Two nights ago I made a few trips to the bathroom and the kitchen, and had no pain in the morning.  So last night, I I intentionally made a few outings from the bedroom and again, had no pain this morning.  If that is all it takes, I can do that.  I am restless enough at night.  I went right back to sleep each time.  And it was such a relief not to call Jim for the cool pack and to take more Tylenol.  Maybe I am getting ready for life post-surgery more and more!  

Recovery Continues

Again TMI for my readers, but it is good for us to remember this weeks-long process.

 Last night was the first night in a week that I did not call Jim to the guest bedroom to get me a cool pack for my intense hip pain.  It has been happening anytime from 3 am to 6 am.  I eventually go back to sleep after using the cool pack and taking Tylenol but it was quite painful.  I hope that this means whatever was happening is healed and will not happen night after night.

I am trying to walk in the apartment without the walker or a cane—and getting back to normalcy as Shilpa, my home PT, suggested.  But I am very uneasy after a year of using the cane and several weeks with the walker.  Shilpa pointed out that I had walked 78 years without assistance and it was time to go back to that.  She even had me walking outside—going down our 17 steps normally too—not one at a time.  Shilpa is tough!   But I can see after these five sessions with her that she had a plan of each time gradually getting me to stop using my aids and moving on my own.  I do wonder however if my skipping exercises yesterday was the reason I had no pain last night.  I will give myself today too—Sunday—as a day of rest and see if it is another pain free night

Then back to Jennifer, my PT at the outpatient facility,  on Monday.  It will be interesting to see what she has me do.  I wonder if I will be able to do the bicycle that I absolutely could not do pre-surgery.  

I just looked over the long list of medication printouts that were in the Meds to Beds bag we were sent home with from the hospital.  There are so many possible side effects but I have had none.  We are supposed to get rid of the OxyContin in a safe way—I am glad I avoided using it.  They charged Jim $38 for the whole bag of drugs—reasonable enough and very convenient to avoid having to make trips to CVS right away.  

Yesterday Jim dropped me off at the entrance to the library, parked the car in the parking deck, and joined me to help me find several books on the shelves along with the requested book they had for me.  He had previously said that if that was enough of an outing, he would bring me home and get groceries on his own.  It was enough!  I was glad to go home and rest.  It is a process of re-entering the world from the confines of a hospital room and then our lovely apartment.  

May 19. I am home after my outpatient physical therapy visit with Jennifer.  I am pleased that I was able to do the bicycle for the five minutes set on the timer so that is progress.  I had trouble getting my left foot even on the pedal pre-surgery.  However, Jennifer said my gait is much better with the walker and that once you develop a limp, it is hard to get rid of it.  So.. back to the walker.  And no assigned exercises because my early morning pain was non-existent when I gave myself Saturday and Sunday off from the exercises and longer walks.  She said I needed to give my body more time to heal.  Fine with me if I can avoid that early morning pain and any opioids. Right now I am very tired from the effort of getting to physical therapy and doing what she suggested.  

We got a statement from the cardiologist’s yesterday.  We owed $40 co-pay but the entire bill was $7884!  Between insurance coverage and adjustments that was all we owed.  I hope the surgeon’s bill, the hospital bill, and the anaesthesia  bills are similar.

May 20. Jim reminded me that Dr. Culp said recovery from surgery takes three months.  I am not even one month into that yet.  Most of the pills are for 33 days so I have 13 days to go there and will be very glad to not be taking so many each day and recording them.  I did not wake up with early morning pain—for the three days now so that is very good. Even though I used the bike and did some exercises at PT yesterday.   I can be patient about using the walker.  Eventually I will walk without aid and if not, so be it!