Dunkirk NY – Recuperation is now one week old, and it’s getting to be old hat. I’ve locked myself into a very distinct rhythm and flow to the day. I get up at about 8 AM, and by 8:30 or 9 at the latest I have ice on my knee. Coffee, breakfast, and my usual information-gathering session on the computer are done by 10. From about 10-noon or so I will answer email, chat with my youngest son, write a post for the blog, or take care of some other digital errand.
About 12:30 starts another icing session. Then I may start either consuming some media, get into some other project that can be researched via computer. Yesterday I spent researching Fidelity funds for my son’s small Fidelity brokerage account, and I’ve also been looking up snow tires to put on the Kia (Blizzak DM-V2 was the outcome). I put in a two-hour session of Catch-22, ice the knee again around 3:30 or 4, and have dinner around 6 PM. Yesterday I took in a cricket match between the USA and Windward Islands; the USA lost pretty badly, falling apart during the late overs, going all out while trailing by 46 runs.
Evenings around 7 or so comes another icing session. Then my wife and I watch a movie. We went with Jackie Chan last night. The first attempt, Wheels on Meals, was a loser, and we only got about a third of the way through that before changing to Rumble in the Bronx, which was much better but still a bit of a muddle. I usually spend the last hour of the day sort of tying up any loose ends, and do some final icing. I get to bed around 11-11:30 PM. That’s the day. Nothing terribly exciting.
Today the knee feels a little more flexible than yesterday. I was able to place my right foot over my left knee and put my sock on, which is progress. I took three Advils before bed to sort of take the edge of the general ache, and perhaps that helped to reduce the inflammation as well. Tomorrow is my post-op appointment, and the stitches will come out, and I’ll be able to look at the pictures. I find that recuperation is really not so much about the pain as it is about preventing clots. I hope I can get to PT next week.
As noted on my home page, I am very interested in writing haiku. Here’s one I came up with last night before heading to bed.
Light fades; snow gently
falls, offering no promise
for a tomorrow
-twl