Tom's Journal.http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/tschuckman@aol.com
My friend, Steve, and my son, Andy, who recently painted my house BLUE. The un-kept, ill-repaired house to the right [behind my son and friend] is the neighbor's house that was never painted as long as I was here.... Ouch!
I wasn't going to post today-- to give you all a 'break'...lol, but something important came up. I went to the best Ortho/ arthritis doctors in Milwaukee at St. Luke's Hosp, and they took plenty of pix of my knees. The staff and doctors there are so nice and courteous! That's the place to go for major surgery where the 'Dream Teams' operate $$$. Although I asked the docs at the VA many times to please show me the x-rays of my knees and back and explain them to me -- they NEVER did that-- but just jerked me around on a silly goose chase! And the staff is usually grumpy, and you can see that they are there for JUST the paycheck, and that's all. I ought to know after going there for the past 30 years, mostly. But the knees are really bad, 'bone on bone' acute arthritis without cartilage at some points, and other bone spurs, as they showed me in the printed x-rays copies that I took home with me. They explained a lot of finer points to me and recommended that I get knee replacement SOON at the VA. There is not much more they can do for me except give me some salve to rub into the knee for some temporary pain relief. They said my knees looked 'very worn out' and that I surely did have tons of PAIN! So after I talked to a few of my smart friends and prayer, I decided to call the VA tomorrow to put me on the long list of surgery. I HATE surgery... and the fact that sometimes the goofy surgeons cut off the wrong 'anatomy', and a friend of mine almost died after knee surgery when some stupid nurse gave him the wrong medicine that messed up his kidneys! I would have sued those people down to their scivies!
So this is a big deal for me, an older guy, to be put under, but I called the pastor and made him laugh--- "if I die-- I will be in heaven!" I believe that in Proverbs it says, "There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors." Ha! I was trying to hold off until the Rapture comes, but i can hardly walk around to take care of my wife who might be in worse shape than me! It's scary to have been a strong, powerful weight lifter/ power lifter most of my adult life, and then loss that strength in a few years after retirement to become a cripple! Maybe the Lord needed to take the 'wind out of my sails' to get my mind right and follow Him! Well, it worked. Sometimes we have to cut off the hand to save the body.
The TV is working again, after the dude came late at 9:30 last night and replaced the mother board in less than a half hour on our Samsung that was made in Korea. I took Sharon out to the drive in for hamburgers and root beer, and then we drove down by beautiful Lake Michigan to eat in the air conditioned truck. Mama needs to get out of the kitchen sometimes for a treat. Our anniversary is this month too... and I am amazed that we made it this long! Ha! Just joking...
Pat S said: I have to agree - going into the hospital for "anything" is scary because of all infections one can get. When I went into Miami Valley after my accident - I got MRSA, VRE, cDiff and bacterial pneumonia. The accident isn't what almost killed me - it was all the crap I got infected with thanks to lack of hygiene at the hospital.
However - the actual surgery and recovery is not bad. I put the surgery off as long as I could because I was afraid what I might catch at the hospital. I had minimally invasive surgery. I also was not put under - instead I requested an epidural so I was awake for the entire procedure. I did the same for my two stage hip replacement. Going under terrifies me. I had bone on bone for I don't know how long before I finally went in.
My father's wife had regular knee replacement when she was 80 and breezed through it. Helpful I am sure that she was very slender and petite.
Housekeeper is here and almost finished with the task I assigned to her so need to go and get another one lined up.
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