saturday morning

quiet beginning to the day.  Snowing like mad, Dog and C out for a long walk, Dog loves the snow, chases snowballs and the snow shovel as C cleans the drive.
As far as I am concerned it was a terrible night.. probably healing.. getting comfortable keeping ice on the knee, lying down rather than sleeping sitting, up three times in the night.. talking with canes and carrying cold packs in shopping bags..

Hot shower, hair washed  grippy stockings off, clean clothes.  now sitting in blazing sunshine, but air outside very cold. Family off to Annecy for Xmas Market  These are wonderful things to attend and am sorry I cannot go with them… There is a great display of goods .. handicrafts, items from other countries and jewellery, food and much more. There is always entertainment.

Fire is being laid and a supply of wood brought in for when the sun goes down the room loses bout 4 degrees quite quickly, exacerbated by the wind.

physio friday

Well, starting next week the physio can come daily, and that will make a difference.  She has a wonderful technique for lightly massaging the leg .  But she also corrects the small errors that creep in without supervision.  Also.. I am so used to pushing on, one forgets that this is not a good thing to do when one is recovering from surgery.  Really the pain, discomfort is there for a reason.. ignore it at your peril, sort of thing. .

To day we walked quite a bit, up and down the stairs.. there are 10 of them up and the banister was draped with something so I had to use the canes for both directions.  Then sitting up exercises and clenching, which I thought I was doing corruptly but not quite.  Anyhow. at the end of the hour I was ready to go back to bed,   icing up my leg and fell sound asleep.

Up to that point I was ready to take over the kitchen but think I shall give that up temporarily until I have these exercises down pat.

We are now waiting for turkish guy , who is the nurse…they work very long hours these people, his last appt is at 2000.    We are expecting him around 1730.

If I am Limping?

Walking from time to time without sticks one pays attention to not limping! If u r u r DOING it wrong

Did not do stairs today. Lots of muscle clenching tho

friday 29th nov

well this seems to have been a very long month.  Cannot believe that it is less than a month that V drove Anna and me to Vancouver for the flight to Geneva.
It is snowing here again, and C has taken the the twins to purchase new winer boots, they do not have to be in school until 1030  .. dog does not like the change of routine.
I have just finished reading one of the book from our Library without walls, called Breadwinner, a prize winning little novel written by a canadian Deborah Ellis..   it was a surprise.  I liked the little write up about it, but did not know that essentialy it is a book for young readers.  As I got into it I enjoyed it more and more and have now ordered for xmas theBreadwinner series  in hard copy to give to my gchidren.
We could all read it and be horrified and cheered and dismayed at the same time.

Awaiting the physio therapist this morning, am feeling quite well, not so frail looking.  Those weird dreams have stopped.

Flowers. They do bring their own cheer

My friend M from the island said she sent me some flowers ad so for a couple of days have idtrning for the sound heralding a delivery.

This morning woke in a state, bad

 Tempered and desolate..cannot say it is hormones..abut it may be the blood thinners which make you sweat...like a lathered horse...especially If u take them at night

 So to help redirect my mood I asked for a job, C set me to making salmion chowder, all was laid out on the kitchen table I just had to cut and chop et 

Having that in hand. And just sitting down the dog began to bark like a banshee!!!! Voila a magnificent bouquet

Of flowers but the most amazing feature, the tag looked exactly as if my friend had been to the French shop and written it

Children, dog off to school.  Dog knows the routine.  When C comes home she will light another fire

The wind is still penetrating  and cold

thursday much later

Desperate to get out of that mood of early morning I asked C to get me a job,   "give me something to do"  boredom.. must  mean that I am getting better?

We discussed lunch and as C schedule is always full any helping hand is welcome.. I will make salmon chowder.. get out the stuff and leave it at hand .. she did.. and then took off for her various chores for the morning… 

I felt quite rejuvenated after producing an interesting chowder, with delicious scottish salmon of which she had a had a large chunk.  I made a spicy chowder and left the rest for fish cakes for her to tackle.. had a  slung got dressed.. and managed to conquer the TV.. to watch the mindless  stuff they serve up in the day.  BUT there was the british parliament  live. 

A great deal of discussion about putting cigarettes into plain packages.  So a bit like a plain brown paper package.. with with 10, 20 30 etc cigs.  No advertising.  

The stroke  foundation had suggested photos of lung transplants //

the  shadow minister for health for the opposition a beautiful looking young woman, who should still be in school.. but that may reflect my age.. was interviewed, more or less supporting the govt.

Mark Carney now the head of the Bank of England announced that the emphasis was going to be away from individual home mortgages, but on to small business.  This is to start in January of 2014.  I could imagine the real estate agents getting geared up for home buyers to get on with it.. before the rules tighten. 

I wonder what the  tobacco companies actually think and IF the plain packages will deter anyone.

I have not heard of this being discussed in Canada. 

LONG NIGHTa

not for any particular reason  was up a great deal, tossed and turned and hurt and could not get comfortable and was in a uproar in my mind.
Reviewed past deeds and future wishes and wonder why one was even trying to get ahead.  One does ones best and then something happens where nothing seems enough and the meaning of it all disappears into the recesses of an unhappy mind.
Really ,I feel a sudden slough of despond

 One if the twins has just come into the bedroom for a morning hug and as we bill and coo the dog comes from wherever and puts her nose in-between us..

Maybe it i a good thing to feel like this. maybe it is normal after the

English

After several trips between living room and my bedroom I was told that it really would b helpful if I got up!

So I did 

We made a poem up using metaphor and similes

Anna

Was the subject , the other twin wrote about Hares

It was actually a nicewat to spend the afternoon

Grandma can you help with English homework?

Anna checking me out

Picker upper

A very useful tool which can be used to straighten socks or pick up anything

Just out of reach

clever daughter/cold shower

well the pain from the tight bandage became quite nasty so C phoned the nurse who said to go ahead and change it, previous to this C had read as much as possible about cleanliness , sterility,  frequency etc

so at about 0830 we decided that I would have a hot shower, and change into clothes for the day and C would put a new bandage on that was put on while my knee was bent at an angle.
So turn water on in shower, hop and fiddle with the taps.. lukewarm became cold quickly.. cannot find the hot water said  I.. Oh.. forgot said daughter kids having large bath…!!!hop out of shower..as water became icy.  Goodness.. just what I was not wanting.

So We dried me off and C put on the hair dryer and in a way showered me with warm air  while I shivered into a warmed nighty.  Then wrapping me up well we took off the tight bandage, replacing it with another put on at an angle.  Hurrah.

C made me a little porridge.. nice and hot.. and am now back in bed, anti thrombosis stockings put on, hot water bottle on back and ice pack on leg.  Hot cup of coffee in hand.

I am a blessed woman with a wonderful child.  I know her siblings are grateful as I certainly am.

wednesday morning

well into week two.  Funny officious man in tight blue jeans came yesterday to change bandage. He was a young guy, a trained nurses and seemed to know what he was doing.  He will come again on friday, but my only complaint is that he put the bandage on while my leg was straight out and therefore when I bend the knee it is like it is held in a vice.  It is a long bandage.  Then at the end he proceeded
to wrap sticky plastic wrap around it saying that I could have a shower now.
Am not quite sure what to do,  will consult with C.  It is only after 6  in the morning, Dog and eldest gchld and C have gone for early morning walk, in a freezing wind.

Like in so many places winds have names.  In Calgary, everyone is familiar with the Chinook, which I think in Germany that has a similar phenomenon , is called a Fone.. (there is an omlot somewhere)But  here the nasty cold wind which sweeps down over the mountains is called The Beeze.

And that is what people are talking about , when they meet and greet sort of thing,

C has just brought me a creamy yoghurt tasting of wild strawberries,  delicious.

typing errors spelling etc

When I post something using the iPad  and then I review it after it has been published I see dozens of mistakes of various kinds..and now recognise that  they occur mainly when I am posting using the iPad.  One of the islanders wrote to say she thought maybe it was the effect of drugs, .. and maybe that is the case, but mainly it is clumsy fingers on a picture keyboard. so I apologise in advance and backward for all those funny mistakes.. some are evidently just that , but in some cases the error results in a change of meaning..
My toronto daughter says she loves reading it as she knows exactly how i am.. if possible she gives me wring just before dashing off to work.. so it is of some use.

Fire place set and burning bright,cozy

TV all afternoon?

This being Tuesday and a hectic day for all I thought

I wld watch daytime t v

Often there is an old movie or whatever

Aso finally everything short of pop corn turnon the box and there is no signal. This often happens when there is a strong wind which is exactly what is happening   

Aso back to reading or trying to snooze

After physio this morning the knee is a little tender. Walked up and down stairs. Exercised the knee with bends and clutching of muscle.

Just talked to an old friend of c ,this girl was born incalgary and used to e a futures trader

So she and I often talked TheTalk, of course much has happened to her since those times,she married a Swiss banker who met her on business they gave been married for,years built a wonderful house inswitzerland. On top of a mountain with a view

She is now gone back to university to learn about business wifi this climate of global warming, water shortage, over population etc

She sAys it is fascinating.

She already has a master in business  but his new course which has only been around for 3 years. Is cutting edge.

Hedgehog eating egg

tuesday morning/hedgehog

It is the week anniversary of the op date.. I feel like it is a milestone in the road to recovery.  The physio yesterday pointed out that the canadian canes were useful for walking in such a way that i bend the op leg at the knee joint, otherwise , thinking myself smart I was swinging my op leg out and around instead of walking normal .  I guess this why you have professionals come to instruct you.

I am expecting her to come at about 11 this morning.

The dog is looking very fluffy and I guess it is due to the very cold temperature outside, she loves the cold and her fur stands out around her like a broody hen keeping the chicks warm.  She knows the routine of the house now, and waits patiently while children get ready for the walk to school It is brilliant sunshine and with her hair all fluffed out on end, when the sun shines on her the silver tipped ends just glow.  

Great excitement… there is a hedgehog all curled up and asleep
in the chickens nest.  He/she must have been there all night.  The hen run is left open during the day so we can only imagine that it climbed in sometime during the day, curled up and fell asleep.. which means that the  chickens tolerated it and slept with it.. hedgehogs are small porcupines of a sort.. C is to take a photo of it.. and I shall try and post it on the blog.

Last year about this time I was in Istanbul, falling in love with all things turkish, C tells me that my nurse who comes today is turkish.  He is also a mid wife.. a sagefemme. as it is called in French.   In the Ordannace ( prescription) the surgeon orders the state licenced infirmiere ( nurse) to come every two days to change the pasement ( bandage).

This is a busy day for the family, lessons in all directions, deadlines to be met as everyone is dependent on others to keep appointments.  C teaches most of the day.  It does not stop until about 9 at night.

the morning of my op the porter who came for me said he spoke english, he was from Guadaloupe .  When he asked me a question in english someone had to translate it into french as I could not make out his accent.

C has just brought me a scrambled egg which I must say i can hardly eat.. it is tasty but I do not have much appetite.

The garden such as can be seen outside by bedroom window has two large crows who are clearing the garden of walnuts.  Their formidable beaks break them quite easily.  but they work the garden quite systematically, good militarists I would say.

Snow gone from hill abandoned sledges for the next snow fall

One can still see snow on the mountain top

monday morning 6 days after surgery

walking around… I find that I am able to traverse corridors, kitchen and bathrooms without sticks.. I find the sticks awkward.. have been up for 2 1/2 hours so am now back in bed, hoping to catch a few winks.  I have the oddest dreams at night, even so I wake every two hours or so, wake up uncomfortable
and sweaty.   if it is only 2 hours since taking  pain killers then I have to will myself back to sleep.  This is very difficult, but recently I have been dreaming of putting together and taking apart large bags, some of these are shopping  bags, some are suitcases, some are computer cases etc.  I spend the hours in a semi comatose state emptying and fitting the  bits back together.

I have lots to read some of it just trashy which unfortunately does not absorb me enough to distract.  So I am now into a history of women in the medaevial ages.. that helps, you actually read the sentence to come to grip with the meaning.    most of the fanciful romance easy read stuff can be put down and picked up several pages on and you have not missed much.

I think I am going to have to visit Spain and now Portugal in the autumn months.  EVery time I read more of the Wheelers blog I am blown away by the beauty of the country side and the architecture.

Note lift on left knee

Can stand at sink rising up on my toes holding and then on to heels

Backward view

Bigger and bigger Terpsichore

Walking without sticks 6 the day after surgery

Leaping dogs

Dog jumped on to bed after morning walk with c

Had to be very alert. That she did not leap on o sore leg

Gave up on couch now in raisedbd

Hanging behind. Me is of Peru

Champagne in my bedroom

Back listening to the sax

DDriving home ,sitting sideways

With a strong cross wind jerking us around was quite. Nauseating g

Terribly glad to get out of car

Walked up those terrible stairs with little problem the kids had made crumpets

Dog relieved to see me

Computer ,miraculoislycure d

Fire on 

children on Skype on   tTv

It is now 1730 or so 

Dog being walked

Leavs taking

Writing thank you letters in French trying to remember all the.   Staff

C came with Aveline chocolate which r only sold near Geneva

Ans or. Translatorwho went beyond the  extra mile we gave a year subscription to the guardian weekly 

Still  an independent newspaper she is learning her English at the British council

So we think that will be a great to improve

Bon dimanche. Dimanche is masculin. Should have been Bon

To walk or not to walk

The day of the excitement it was decided to order me an ambulance to carry me home 

But now it am walking normally (a relative term)

C wants to drive me home

How to cancel??

Charming nurse

Mother of two small children she is always smiling and careful she is the head nurse

Leg supports

These u shaped affairs were under my leg for the first 24 hours they r slanted in a particular way

The small things of comfort

Snow all gone back to a football field

They keep me clean and happy

Her spirit fills the room

Bonne dimanche she said

Bonne. Dimanche

It always is a bit like Xmas morning Sunday morning eith every one shouting out to bonne dimanche
Which means good sunday
The two women who bring in your food tray,remove them, wash your floors etc agreed to have their photos taken
The smaller person is so full of energy she just lights up the room
When I first got here and had to have that Bentadine shower she urged me on  telling whe my orange hair was disappearing
She seems to be willing to assist one however
When the night nurse came to enquire as to how I slept she left saying over her shoulder
bonne.  Dimanche

Disgusting supper but

My son in law has gone shopping for lots of tempting morsels

The medicaments

Make u feel yucky.  

Have just watched he'd theHobbit on this little screen. Somehow the grizzly bits seem worse

I am walking around this bedroom with no sticks or walker

It hurts to sit but nothing terrible.   This has been a much better day re pain and no scary

Rises in temperature

A new day nurse who just works odd weekend wants to practice her spoken English

Will see,so far their 12 hour shift has not given her any spare time

Have any of seen theMOM song set To the music of THE LONE RANGER

Will try

And append it

The flowers that came on. Monday r still looking ok not marvellous but ok

My walking sticks

They kept referring to these canadienne canes

I presumed ithwas some,thing to do with me personally but no they are called Canadians canes

They tell me that the type of crutches which fit up into toy armpit are not allowed in France

The cause too many problems

I have taken a photo of them

Fancy stockings

The anti thrombosis stockings must stay on for a month

This morning when I had my shower they offered to remove them

Of course being independent I said no I will manage.  But getting it off my op leg was impossible

So I washed it at the same time

The nurse just came in and she laughed and laughed as she fitted the non op leg with the stockings

They r amazingly comfortable.

Benjamin the physiotherapist came and we marched up and down a stair well which I must say was freezing.  Climbing up not too bad but  when turn around and look down it is daunting.

All physio have this expression lgoing up to paradise leading with your good leg 

Going Down 

is into "infer" leading with your bad leg.

Watching the hobbit on my iPad. Not a wonderful experience

Shower

Yeah a shower. Today

The bandages are water proof, ! Just have to have help with the taking off and the putting on of the stockings

Physics to the rescue

My eldest granddaughter loves engineering and physics,yesterday when I spoke to DrDemayabout my recovery he says he is trying to work on something so that the nurses wld not have to bring me a continual change of ice packs.  

C thought that this cld b an interesting robotics project.  I am to ask what the temperature should me maintained at..the trick wld be get tubing that wld not crack,a small enough refrigeration unit to be efficient

Anyhow two lively minds are going to take a look at the problem

Right at the momentum granddaughter is working on a robotic sumo wrestler!

Avez - vous. Faire pipi?

Book under non op knee

Book under op knee

Left knee

Saturday early morning

We'll u can IImagine the night ,nurses in and out all night temp et it all is well
The surgeon came last night at about 8 and says he will come ah
Gain tomorrow,
We met his older colleague who was a interest
Ed in my reasons for coming to france,
Of course for me there was a obvious reason with having family her,  but why would someone else come.?
If u have benn reading my blog I think it wld be sufficient to say that the level f care has been outstanding!
Dr Demay says they are working on reducing pain and infection ans blood loss.  They use a particular drug which slows bleeding (if I have the story) correcy, they do not put in drains nor will they change his bandage for quite a LNG time.
Every time you change a bandage you risk infection.

When one reads about the Cipio group that there goal is to cutting edge

If you were here I think u wld be impressed   about the my operated knee which is not horrendously swollennot  swollen





Like so many hospitals now the food is mass somewhere and delivered,it pretty dreadful so yesterday in the middle of all this medical muffle my translator Isabel went out a fought some lovely canapés and pastries
The canapés were so "flavour fill"it reminded me that food could have taste

I was not quite up to the desserts especially the mont blsnc which are purred chestnuts mixed with cream and topped with chocolate,  c took them home on the train the children will be delighted

Lyon is famous for good food and plenty of it

Keeping ice 24/7 is a challenge Dr Demay spoke f better methods besides ice packs and it is something
He is work on,
I have a nice pack on me knee all the time and notice when it begins to warm
The ice pack is essential.

Good results

IT is difficult

To keep up to date

To summ up after X-rays,Doppler,scan.  I have nothing horrendous wrong with me

But it put me back a day with physio as I was not allowed out of bed.  Just in case!!!!

They think I was probably finally having a reaction to the surgery

So at 7 this evening Benjamin came again 

I am learning to walk on sticks with elbow supports and now tomorrow will learn to negotiate stairs

C had a long talk with the

Anesthetist about this surgery and why  I am  not in  such terrible pain as has been described.

He reported that rather using a femoral block they flood the entire area with anesthetic

Thus reducing a lot of pain and then they keep the patient well anti pain medicine d up

I wld suspect we do not have it entirely correct but u get the idea.

Echo ography

We'll they lost no time in ruling out nasties

No thrombosis

They brought a portable echo ography

Machine

To the bed

It is still snowing like mad

now for my lungs

My computer

Although it is fully charged all I get is a black screen

You can tell it is in as the green light shows up for Caps

The iPad workd but not so easily

Snowy landscape

Computer

Ran out of juice because plug is loose

Do not have energy to get out of bed to fix it

Someone will come and I shall have to beg a favour

This is Thursday day 3if u count the op day

Lots to keep one busy but in between u just sleep

Physio gave me crutches which he says are mine and I will not be tahini  the pusher home

Ewe walkedupdown thecorridor using the crutches. They r the sort where you brace your forearm

I was carefully  the ground but he said

No look straight ahead.  It will take some getting usefhen on to the exercise machine for half a n hour bringing my knee back to100degree angl

Qtomorrow we do stairs.

C has 12 steps up to her porch or I will have to walk around to other side where the land just inclines,

Preparation for going home

I wonder what happens to people who do not have family

Here

I am now walking on sticks with elbow rests. These are mine to keep.  Although there is a walker it stays here. Benjamin the physio says these sticks provide more stability. At the moment I would not believe it

But up and down the corridor we went,back to the room for lunch which I cannot eat some fromage frais and apple sauce in edible fish and more haricot vert

But there was a green salad and right on the top of the menu is a big sign saying gluten free. Right n top of the piece of bread

Oh Benjamin is to return with the exercise machine

Normally in the French health service. One is driven home by ambulance

But as we r private we wld imagine it to be pricey

Also normally one goes into rehab hospital for 3 weeks

If I went this route it wld be 360 euro a day

New bandage

The rather itchy wrap around bandage has bee removed it

Held together with clips has been removed and now I have on those famous stockings

They put one on for thenon operated leg. And tied the other stockings to end of the bed but that is 

now on my operated leg

It feels nice.

Did not have the greatest of nights leg throbbed bait like it has been doing

They wereverygood about giving. Pain pills. Dolipran which I understand is like. Tylenol 3

It is still snowing.

Like most hospitalshere is lots of activity in the morning

Cleaners coming in and our beds to be

Made

Wish there was a mid morning  cup of coffee

Z

My friend from Paris phones regularly and I am finding my French returning,also some of the nurses speak English but cleaners etc no. So I am coming along 

T

a little cocky

got up this afternoon,moved around, sat in chair with legs down but knee slightly elevated. waited it out for an hour and now am thankful to be back in bed.. taking some pain killers..slowly slowy must remember…

a confusing thing

the blog listed as confused.. is out of sync.. would delete it if i knew how  

A little confused

I have been adding to blog  with laptop and now am using the iPad because it has photos. Usually they sync.
We'll I must say at the mment I am feeling ok  the pain at no time has been any worse than what I have had for months
That of course may change as I do rhab
Have to get up to use the toilette dying to brush teeth and wush I had a second cup of coffee

Dog is apparently watching my daughters every move. And occasionally gives enquiring yips
Which reminds me of a time long ago when I had to cross canada on a mission for he YWCA
Was away for 4 nights, dog walked around our bed growling at my husband . Don't look at me. I hav'nt done anything with her. He said
The dog was not impressed he said.
When I finally got home the dog sat beside me taking my hand into her mouth!she did this for at least two days

The hospital food is just that!,,,,just tasteless
Will make me appreciate my daughters cooking when I return

blood pressure

Before the operation all the time I was being measured for my blood pressure it seemed very high, but ever since the operation it has been absolutely normal.  What a relief.  Like a jeune file.  i.e. teenager,!!! I am getting lots of I.V.  antibiotics.. every four hours they drip something into me.. as everyone knows infection in the bones is nasty.  So they do their best to hit it on the head I guess.   Also they keep up with a cold pack on my incision The surgeon felt it and said. this should not be allowed to become warm, and went off to speak to them.  I wonder if he is as charming to them as he is to me.  I hope so.

Dr. Demay

Well my knee surgeon came for a visit.. it is bout 1430 apologising for being late but due to the snow all his patients at the clinique were also late .  
He said I am doing very well.. and confirmed what he told me last night when I was a little groggy  the the knee was full of osteoarthritis including the patella.. he said the TKR was absolutely necessary.  He examined my knee and exclaimed favourably about going to 80" with the machine.  I said not bad for an old lady and he laughed.  He also said my haemoglobin was excellent.. they measure on a scale of 4 to 14 and I was 14.. so that is great.
Nice to know that essentially I am healthy.
His english is excellent and he told me trained with a fellowship for 9 months in Sidney Australia.. so if he could conquer the aussie accent he probably can do anything. They apparently are good with knees.

I am dozing and listening to mozart quartets..  the snow has finally stopped.

lunch

well this was a better meal.. poached fish cooked in some sort of bouillon.. it was delicious,  beans.(french )  a piece of cheese and then a salad  of leeks with a nice sauce.
for dessert
sugar fee apple sauce..

I am feeling quite cheery.. the snow continues like made.. so have cautioned C not to venture here, I shall be fine and I hate the thought of her being caught in this mess.
Unfortunately it is not really cold, for good driving you need at least minus 8 or so.. but it hovers around minus 2.. so the roads are slushy and slippery.

I honestly have never seen snow like this for ages.   Snowing since I awoke at 5 am and it has not stopped, there is a bit of wind with it. but it is building up on my little balcony.

I cannot emphasise how nice everyone has been .  Nurses, the cleaners.. the wonderful physio  are all helpful, charming, kind and patient.  What more could you want.  

The pain in my knee is now not as bad as it was earlier, the exercise helps, the physio said that since this new method of TKR people do not suffer as much and they heal quicker.  He manipulates the knee and then pronounces that all is well.  He spent about hour  with me.  You saw the machine.. what a nice thing it is, without any effort your part your leg is gently lifted up, ones knee is bent and then gently returned to a prone position.. this is repeated often.

I have just been visited by the dietician to discuss tomorrows meal.. I have asked for gluten free food as I find I am no longer very good with pasta and I knew they would give me lots of that as it is cheap and filling  This clinique is owned by the Swedes and they apparently have a lot to say about happens in this place.  They are putting their stamp on it.. They encourage  nd support research, but not glamour. not a bad combination.

Another angle

Have had a good wash one of the nurses came and wasgedmybackand then gave me alittlemassage

Iwalkeddown thecorridor and back they r fascinated with wher ilive and why I am here

The most common procedure is for obese people where they put in a ring f sme sry. Or they do a gastro by pass

It is this hospital that retrying to do heart valve replacement in day surgery withoutcuttin

G the stern

Nun

65'thismachi e lifts my legto 65degrees it willdothisfor 5 minutes

Benjamin will return in five I utes and then he willincreasethesngleofbend on theknee

night nurses

The night nurse who I have had the most to do with came in to say good bye.. she took blood, temp blood pressure etc. and then brought 2 pills for the "douleur"  

she is off at 7 will not return until friday.. wished me well. and was so good. 

She is dreading going home through the snow, but takes the bus she says.  The sow is till falling and the is very unusual for them here.  Even a little bit of snow makes the road treacherous…i remember living in vancouver in 1961 and the snow bringing  traffic to a halt. 

people are so nice and kind… they all try  out their english on me.. some much better than others.. just like all of us. 

The wonderful person who is looking after my house is having  trouble with the mink.. has anyone any suggestions.. this one lives in the front door basket, I suspect it is a female finding a nice spot for babies.. which will make it even worse for people checking the house.. 

will post photos soon.. 

snowinf

i am awake st about 5   have been awake off and on… the pain is not any worse than what it hs been and so I am hopeful , 

I cannot tell you how very caring everyone has been.. the nurses, the porters.. in the waiting area before going in people kept stopping by and chatting to me. then in the o[perating room everyone ws introduced.. great shaking of hands the anaesthetists 2ho had been to see me often saidll now i want your dream of something you like doing.. so i thought of the tango.. yes he.. and with someone with a barbe  ire that unshaven look… next thing i knew I was in recovery ..and again every one ws solicitous.. what level of pain.. et .  then .. that is no hard to say.. in a level of one to ten  it seemed alike a 5.. but as i was only semi consciousso they appeared with a shoot of morphne.  

early in the day the anaesthetist put in to my had two interesting needles, with little tops, they are colour coded and have lid of them.. then attached all manner of things to these openings.. I saw one woman with a series of them on her face .. they looked odd  but they are very useful. as everything is injected through these two portals. 

i am sitting her in the dark but the blinds are open and the snow is falling visible by the street lights.. it reminds me so much of being on the prairies, walking home as a little girl standing under the street lamps looking up into the swirling flakes.  

cleaner

puis je arrange yore chamber madame.. and in came a lady to clean the room, she scrubbed the sinks and toilet, washed the mirror, damp dusted the floor and noticed I was working on my computer on a low chair and fetched a computer table for me and set it up..

nice eh

computer inept

well if you are reading this you will see that the disappearing note has been published.. oh well.. a mother cliff hanger but not bad…

things i now remember

when the doctor came last night he talked about the type of prothesis.. C had mentioned that she had read there are 2types, one that moves or less just up or down, and another that does that plus side to side.. yes.. he said.. we will get the one with the 2 directional.. up, down, side to side.

He also says he is going to replace the patella… which is like a little plastic button.. he cold feel my paella moving about and said no doubt it is not functioning well.

having had an amazing night sleep, due to some knock out stuff,  my brain is remembering stuff.

The maids that pop in here try out their english which is mainly thank you and good morning.. but nice

 to hear

everyone I meet is charming.

long lovely emails from two of the canadian children, one of whom loves physics, altho she says that she getting some painting done and lots of piano.  Her engineering group she joined is something shelves,  and in one of her classes they are building something

disappearing titles

well I started a post and left it for a moment and now it has gone into the mystery land of things that disappear. 
I think I ws writing about what the surgeon said.
when we discussed prothesis C asked him what kind, and how would it move, apparently there are two kinds ,, probably more, but we only knew 2,  one that just moves up and down and another which does that plus side by side  yes .. I will be getting the 4 movement one. up, down, side to side.   He thinks think prothesis should last at least 15 years, depending on the activity.  I am not a foot baller…etc. 
The one they use has a long track record.. chrome  plus.. something.. 

I have lots of nice email s this morning, two from canadian children  full of chat, the eldest who loves to paint ws full of her great excitement over her physics class and  her engineering class.  I will just paste into this message her chat about her robot package. 

" have to build a robot and compete in a sumo-wrestling robot competition. Along with the robot, we have to keep blog-entries of all the times we get together to build it. Here's the url if you want to see the site, and by december we should have some pictures of the robot up
 vsauce4.fraschetti.ca

Lots of messages from on and off island friends  thank you all.  Will soon have to go and wash my hair with this beta dine stuff..

I woke up very disoriented,  lights on, both nurses looking at me, speaking french, taking blodd pressure, temperature etc.  for a few moments thought it was dog and children..

weak tea and funny juice have arrived.. would imagine that is it.. until sometime later.

it is now 0945

thoughts on the french system

Well so far things have been quite different from what would or might be normal at home
The no towel thing for example.
The building seems shabby, but C explains that this is very french .  They  have a good medical reputation, their operating rooms are first rate and they are very concerned with infection. She pointed out that while I was having my ECG and Echo, the doctor chatted with her and our translator about restaurant, parties he had attended, food he liked etc.  She said, that they often show this in movies but it is not unreal, but actually what usually happens.
They prioritise their spending.. making a luxurious waiting room is not their style.. or a luxurious entrance way.. instead it is all very utilitarian.

I am in this nice very clean room, with a pretty uncomfortable bed.. but it does have the ability to go up and down top and bottom.. there is a colourful striped cover .  There are no pictures on the white walls, nor carpets, it is probably fake hardwood floors, like my kitchen.. there is a small desk with a chair, a large stool and a comfortable large chair. A small night table and a closet.  You have he feeling that it is pretty germ free.
  The doctor when he did come in said he was sorry to keep us waiting but he had had a clinique with unpredictable hours due to the variety of the patients.
He shook my hand and then spent half an hour talking to me and
c about the method  and what he hopes will be the result.  He examined my knee thoroughly and then said that he thinks the only option is to replace the knee..

this word replace in french which has a similar word confused the anaesthetist.. who thought I was having the old prothesis out and a new one put in..

But at least my last name seems to have taken hold in the minds of my immediate care givers.

I have had my bentadine wash for the night, and a nice night nurse came in to introduce herself  and to give me a sleeping pill.. she said do not take these after mid night.

I have a buzzer and a control for the blinds and a control for the lights.    It is after 9 at night and I have been awake since 3 am. I think I may take this pill.

ps  supper.. an omelette, green beans, horrible soup and two oranges..  we dumped the soup down the sink as the smell alone finished us.. but the rest was good.
(no wine, no coffee, no tea)

Bentadine wash

we have just. Checked with our translatorwho tells us that we should HAVE AN ANTI BACTERIAL SCRUB

Or I should .

This stuff is antibacterial and when it goes on your hair it turns orange, you rub it until it goes  white

Ok let's do this says daughter , but there r no towels and no hair dryer

We're we supposed to bring them?

If you r not careful u end up with bacteria free orange hair, wet orange hair?!!!! One is supposed to do this twice, morning and evening or in my case evening and morning

YIKES

Flowers and anaesthetists

But I have been sent a lovely bouquet of flowers which actually smell like flowers

The building is simple this room is without any thing xtra and it is less than 2 years old

Have had X-ray

Major worry was rto get two sign on codes for the internet,they only allow one device per code

The guy who does the gas came ,general anesthetic not a spinal,  the length of the surgery should be less than 2 hours,more like 90 minutes

A fast  surgeon is usually a good one

The op will be computer assisted

My daughter asked about the timing,i, that's quick ,yes ,because he is a good surgeon, do you have any doubts? No he said, if I have doubts he said I say nothing!!!!!

monday moring

Should be decent weather for the drive, hardly slept at all.  will write more when I get into the room

Before construction

clever cousin

My cousin and her husband came to BC last september and I know fell in love with where we live.  They cooked up a storm for us giving us wonderful italian cooking lessons   I know that some of you are using the recipes.
The money we raised was for the charity started by my cousin.. and as you can see she is working steadily for seemingly months on end in the region.  She has written to me recently including some photos, but telling me that she sought after for helping people to learn about better hygiene.  

new toilets in Laos

monks on the Mekong

My cousin who is
working in Laos to increase an awareness of hygiene sent me a series of photos, and I have by some miracle managed to get them on to the blog.. or at least Ihope so..
those of you who took  italian cooking lessons with me will remember her "toilet"project.

Add caption monks on mekong