Run! It's a moose!

....my goodness, I have been remiss in posting.

I am now walking much so better; only limping when I've sat too long and stiffened up (or when I'm tired). I finally have a halfway-decent-fitting swimsuit so I can start water aerobics next week at the Y in order to build up strength and flexibility in my left (non-surgeried) knee. It's still giving me fits, even though a cortisone shot to that knee a couple of weeks ago really helped.

I am working on a 115-piece commission for the World Science Fiction Convention--the committee for next year's show in San Antonio is providing my enameled pins to everyone nominated for a Hugo or a John W. Campbell award this year. So far I have 30 pieces finished and will get another 15 done on Sunday, and I hope to keep to the 15-per-week schedule so I can get them done in time to make new work for ArmadilloCon. And then the Austin Craft Riot has a show in August...and since I've already committed to run the Pegasus table at Anime Overload, I can't do the Austin Flea this time. Phooey.

My new workshop space is working out splendidly. My landlady has a portable AC unit in the garage and we've bonded over all sorts of things, including BBQ and pie. I'm still rearranging tools and I'm having some friends make me a smallish sturdy table that I can hammer and do chasing on. (And if anyone wants to get me an awesome birthday present, I could use 5-6 lbs of medium pitch from Northwest Pitchworks...)

Movies: I've seen The Avengers THREE TIMES (and would see it again!). Saw Prometheus. Still don't know if I liked it or not, but boy was that ever a Ridley Scott movie! MIB3 was pretty good; Brolin does an amazing Tommy Lee Jones. Cabin in the Woods was a great deconstruction of a horror movie. Waiting on Brave, Magic Mike, Savages, Spider-Man, The Bourne Legacy...Batman not so much.

Saturday: Went to the coin show today and came back with some doozies, including an Elvis coin from the Marshall Islands and a couple of amazing ones from Bulgaria and Russia and Greece. Got bread and peaches and tomatoes and mini pies at the farmers market and then I did the base coat of clear enamel onto 30 pin blanks. Hit Whole Foods for dinner and called it a day.

I had my last in-home PT session today, and she graduated me to my cane! With any luck I won't have to use the stupid walker any more. I was able to get into my outpatient PT place today for evaluation and I start therapy tomorrow. My lovely friend G was able to give me a ride at the last minute.

I will still try to take my full 4 weeks off, since I want to be in decent shape when I go back to work. I plan on driving to the PT session, since it's less than a mile away and I desperately want my independence back! My friends have been AMAZING with rides and deliveries but by golly I want to get back into my car.

I'll probably be nice and sore tomorrow, but I'm ready.

And if you haven't read Let's Pretend This Never Happened yet, you should do so immediately.

It's now been 10 days since the surgery!

The incision is looking good; only a couple of drips from the bottom sometimes. The bruises on the back of my calf are turning that lovely yellow shade, very visible in the sunlight. MY PT person took me outside this morning to see how I would do on uneven ground and I was just fine.

After dremiel  came by with amazing veggie empanadas, bean salad, and watermelon (and teeny biscotti!), my friend L picked me up and we went to the International Gem & Jewelry Show downtown. After some adventures in parking in downtown Austin, we were right next to the entrance closest to the show (I called the convention center to find out). Went to the 2 vendors I was there to see--my cabochon dealer and a local findings vendor--with a side trip to one with good looking copper stampings that I may add to my gear earrings. In and out in about 40 minutes, which is something of a record for me!  Hit Schlotzskys on the way back and now I have my knee up with a cold pack on it. Will get on the CPM in a few minutes and catch up on my Pratchett (Tiffany Aching rules).

My friends have made this whole process bearable. dremiel , tx_cronopio (om nom nom nom thank you!). L, G (for doing my laundry!), tsarina . tehomet , for the card! My amazing sister-in-law. Even my goober cats.

I'm getting better and better every day. Thank you for all of your support!

It's been  a long day. I probably had about 5 hours of sleep altogether, Staff and such were in and out all day--PT, Occupational Therapy, Nutrition, etc. dremiel  came by and brought me chocolate and tea and grapes and lotion! J&L came by to check up on me and brought me a teeny Squishable bat (so cute).

I have been amazing everyone with my skill at getting up and moving about (with a walker). I'm motivated! The whole point of all this was to get MOVING again and I'm doing everything I can to help that along. My brother wants me to spend a couple of days in rehab after I get released, but I'm doing so well the insurance company will never approve it. :-)

I brought books but I'm a little loopy due to my pain meds. Thank goodness for free wireless in the room. Catching up on FB and LJ is about the extent of my attention span.

...OK, I just dozed off again, time for bed.

Three hours at the hospital this morning for pre-op stuff. Insurance, anesthesia, pharmacy. blood draw, urine sample. Then 1.5 hours of What To Expect After the Surgery, which would have been fine if two of the other joint replacement patients hadn't been complete Entitled Snowflakes.

The one next to me (left hip, Monday), kept bleating "I'm allergic to codeine!". Yeah, lady, so am I. I told the pharmacy nurse and the anesthesiology nurse and they made notes and it's OK. Why did you feel the need to bring it up with every person that came in to talk to us? The physical therapist? Really?

The one to the right of me (left hip, Wednesday, and coincidentally the only man having surgery in this bunch), kept muttering "Well, my wife is an RN. And MY doctor said.." You know what? My BROTHER is a DOCTOR and while he's a great family practitioner, he's not a surgeon. Yeah, he and his wife (an RN, buddy), have given me some great tips. But I'm here to listen to what the hospital nurses have to say. Since they, you know, specialize in this stuff. Please, both of you, quit interrupting every two sentences to ask questions they're going to answer in a few mintues! Lord love a duck, they were annoying.

Then I had to wait for 30 minutes for the X-ray tech to come down and shoot film of my chest. I treated myself to lunch at Central Market afterward. With cake.

That's over and I have to be there at 7am Tuesday. Apparently, like flying, you have to be at surgery 2 hours early. The Amazing Sister-in-Law will wait for me with my computer and my iPod and my books so I don't go insane for the 2.5 days I plan on being in the hospital. Feel free to call me starting Wednesday morning and if you're in the neighborhood feel free to stop by.

I do have a show in Burnet tomorrow and Saturday, then I get to see nwhepcat ! Whee!