tiff January 26th, 2010
The Decision:
::yes…i finally did it! i have been having troubles off and on for the last 6 months…but rick thinks that it has been longer and that i have just been tolerating the pain…and really that could be true…i have an enormous pain threshold & i don’t like to be a complainer, so i just deal! i think the final straw for getting my knee looked at was over Thanksgiving. We were playing in my brother, Timmy’s, backyard…you know a little “Bag-o”, a little Ripsticking(yes i was trying this), a little kicking the ball around…only to wake up the next morning limping around like an old lady…it was horrible! Then to top it off we stopped in Las Vegas and met up with our friends, the Carney’s, where we proceeded to walk the entire strip and back…that about did me in…and you know what Las Vegas is FLAT…FLAT…FLAT! I could barely walk the next morning…and i am only 41 years old…DAMMIT::
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so…i called for an appt. with a well known doctor in the valley, Dr. Liotta…a recommendation from a friend, Tamsyn, she had her knee reconstructed by him. I have been there done that in my early 20’s…another story for later. Anyways went in and had some X-rays done & a consultation…only to find out that I didn’t have any ligament damage, but definitely some crunching in the knee…so an MRI was ordered just before Christmas. MRI done, but now I had to wait to meet the doc to find out the “what next” options were…as the MRI technicians are not allowed to tell you anything…they just get to strap you in, put head phones on your head w/ your favorite music: Christmas of course at the time…then take photos or scans..I did good…didn’t even move…wanted to be out of that damn chamber…NEXT! I met up with my doctor the first week of January…where we reviewed the MRI scans…and that is where my problems showed up…I had quite a bit of fluid on my knee, two bone spurs, a torn in half meniscus & arthritis(which he lovingly called post traumatic arthritis, as if that makes it sound better…i heard or interpreted: you are getting old, you are over weight & your soccer injury has caused this arthritis…or better yet termed, “LIFE”) My Options: Ignore it. Shots. Surgery. I could not ignore it any longer…cuz’ if I could, then I wouldn’t have gone into the doctor…I didn’t want shots, as those are just temporary improvement…so surgery was my option…this will allow me a few years in life to do the things I love until the big surgery that I hope doesn’t have to happen for quite some time(like in 20 years)…a knee replacement…waa-f@#$*n-who!
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Surgery Happened.
Monday, Jauary 25th (on my sister-in-law, Jana’s, birthday)
My husband rocks…he took the day off to hang with me in the hospital…what a guy…as he HATES hospitals..he has been in to many…mostly for me…but also his mom…and quite honestly i think it is harder for the healthy one to sit & wait. Fortunately or Unfortunately the hospital has internet service, so Rick was able to stay connected with his school & catch up on way too many emails! So while he waited he was working…which makes it easier to not get too far behind. I on the other hand watched HGTV…I HEART it, but I am sure glad we don’t have cable service anymore…too addicting.
Pre Surgery:

scrub. scrub. scrub. w/iodine for 5 minutes the night before and the morning of surgery. we don’t want any stinkin’ infections.
Surgery:
I didn’t torture myself by bringing the camera to the hospital…unlike when Rohnan was in for day surgery last Spring….this is what you would have seen…a mama laying on her hospital bed wearing an o’ so cool Bair Paws gown w/ baffles in it, so that the hot air could flow throughout the gown…it is was beautiful. Then you would have seen me drooling as i watched HGTV w/ a very grumpy face…because i had not had any coffee…and my tummy was rumbling because the last time I had ate was at 9:00p.m. the night before. Oh and then you could have seen me in some very cool tight white socks so to prevent blood clots in my legs, cuz’ ya know I will be laying around for three days…After that was all set up~the nurse came in to put my IV in…her question “Are you a difficult IV patient?” my answer “YEP!” And so the process begins…two tries and you are out, then they have the Anesthesiologist do it…she did a temporary IV in a very, very small vein, as she was having trouble…so she told me that once I was out in the surgery room, then she would find a better vain w/o me knowing that she was poking and prodding…so YEP! difficult IV patient. Oh and I was not happy by the way…I thought I might cry~I believe that I must have hit that wall…but I didn’t cry…just looked over at Rick & he smiled…he really is a sweet man!

{i wish i looked that good in those socks…and i wish i had an ass like that…a girl can wish, right?}
Post Surgery:
I woke up to someone telling me to take deep breaths…then I was wondering where I was at…last time I was under anesthesia rick had to speak very loudly at me to have me wake up…that was when the doodles were born. I was in the surgery recovery room for what I recalled not a long time…thankfully. Lots of vitals taken…questions: my name, birthdate, how to spell my last name, how much pain i was in on a scale from 0-10, etc. I was doing good…no pain meds needed…a plus in my book! I was wheeled back into my personal room where Rick was waiting…after taking care of lotso’ school work, a meal with the a big wig from the hospital & a conversation w/ my doctor…oh that Rick always networking. It is a good thing I married him…smiles! The first thing I wanted was a cup o’ coffee…I know a surprise for sure…and then some salty crackers. I got what I wanted, cuz’ you know I am the patient…but fortunately the nurse takes care of you in the hospital, so Rick’s job was just waiting for him at home…i hate asking for help…did I mention that before…oh no it was i hate complaining..kinda the same thing. So I got the same questions about my pain…and for some odd reason I have no pain…not complaining…just sayin’…I think because I was in so much pain that this is a relief…do you think? The nurse said she knew I was tough cuz’ I lived in Alaska…I wonder if that is true of all women that have lived in Alaska…hmmm???? And you know it is a small world when the Surgical Nurse knows someone that volunteers for the Iditarod and we know him, as he has shared a number of meals with us in Elim & even showered at our house…strange world indeed. She must have had a lot of time to read about my bio…and then google us, as hmmm I doubt I wrote that down…that my husband ran the Iditarod…like the hospital needs to know this, huh? Well moving right along…I was only in my room for another hour just to come off my meds…and eat…and go to the bathroom…and have my vitals checked a million and half times…all was good in my world…no pain meds needed, 2 cups of coffee had, conversation w/ my husband that was not the grumpy tiff, but the happy tiff and saltines~nothing better than saltines. The saddest part…the walker that came into the room to help get around…really a walker…that is the photo we needed…I am sure it was quite funny to watch me in my oh so stylish gown, my non slip socks and my cool blue shorts made of hospital gown material hobbling around…but i did it with no help and thank god that walker stays at the hospital. We were discharged..WAA-HOO!
At HOME:
I am in my bedroom, as we have no comfy couch in our house & quite honestly my room is lit up w/ wonderful natural light…it is a happy place…and between my husband and my boys’ I have all the things I need for a sedentary lifestyle for the next 3 days. Rick has been incredible…he picked up my meds, got take out from Phat Thai last night, questions me every time I am out and about~”get back in bed!”, watched Weeds with me, dropped off a pot of coffee w/ a cup next to my bedside and he just emailed me & said that he is coming home for lunch…SWEET!

{by my side…all things that will get me through the day…even the crutches~when i waltz around the house~NOT!}


{this is what I look like hanging out in my bed…HOT, huh?…cool tights, cool socks, cool aircast, cool stitches on a fat knee}
It is all good…still no Pain Meds to take…I have some non-narcotic prescription pain meds, as I can not take any type of narcotics without throwing up…bummer for me…but good, as I don’t like to take meds anyways!
FRIENDS:
We have been so lucky to have such good friends…a number of folks offered to bring a meal over…but really Rick is a capable cook & quite good at it…whether he chooses to cook this week or not. We were lucky enough to pan our kiddo’s off on The Carney’s yesterday after school until after dinner…that was a treat & one less thing to worry about. And fortunately I have a very good friend & colleague, Carly, that picked the boys’ up this morning & tomorrow morning, as Rick has two early meetings & the boys’ have not taken the bus to school yet…cuz’ they are so lucky to have educators for parents that have to go to work early & they go with us. And lucky for me I have another friend, Kristin, who just went through this surgery in December, so she lent(she thinks she is pawning them off on me…smiles) her crutches. We are so lucky to have such fab friends so willing to help us in anyway needed. It sure makes it easier to have surgeries or emergencies when we can call out for help! WE certainly appreciate all the offers we have had from The Friday’s, The Hamilton’s, The Kuhl’s, The Petersen’s & The Small’s too!