Thankful Thursday

Today on facebook one of those memories popped up and it was a link to my blog, a Thankful Thursday post from 2012.  I used to write a thankful Thursday post every week!  Goodness, I think I have forgotten how to blog.  Since today is Thursday I thought I’d give this Thankful Thursday thing a try and maybe see if I can get the habit back!

Two weeks ago yesterday Wally had knee replacement surgery.  Both of his knees are bad but the right knee has been the worst.  He was kind of walking sideways, you know, waddling!  The doctor said the knee was actually much worse than the x-ray showed so it was good that he had it replaced.  Wally and I are both so thankful for the skill of the surgeon and medical team and all the care givers in the hospital; the therapist and all their knowledge to rehabilitate; the prayers and encouragement from family and friends; the healing and the progress!

Wally is doing very, very good!  He goes to therapy twice a week.  On our first visit the therapist told us that Wally’s knee is like one they see three weeks after surgery, not just five days.  Then he went on to bend and straighten it at painful lengths!  The goal is to have the knee straighten to 0 degrees and bend to 120 degrees.  I would have thought that laying the leg out straight would be easy, but it’s really quite painful.  Wally is already at two degrees so he does not have far to go.  The bending part will probably take a bit more time.  During therapy they have used their “special techniques” to bend it to 107 degrees!  At home, Sadie has her own special methods of rehab…play with me!

Today Wally had the bandage and the staples removed.  He’s also walking with just a cane.  He has to be able to walk using the cane but without a limp and to be off any narcotic drugs to be able to drive again.  Look out, he is determined!

I might have made it sound like Wally’s knee replacement has been easy.  But there is still plenty of pain.  You can probably see from the photos that the knee is still pretty swollen.  After he does his exercises he is ready for icing and it is amazing to me how it wears him out and off to sleep he goes.  The evenings are rough, I think because he is working the knee or walking and it takes its toll.  Sleeping is also hard.  We’ve been told it will be hard to sleep for two or three months.  All of that is just part of healing and being restored.  It’s quite a process.  And for all of this we are very thankful!