New Knee Saga - Day 1 of Week 2

Jess had therapy this morning. He thought it was going to be terrible, but turns out it was fairly easy, concentrating more on upper body strength. Piece of cake.

Then he had a couple more hours of therapy this afternoon. NOT a piece of cake. The last hour was one-on-one with a physical therapist, and she put him through the wringer. Bend your knee and move your knee as far back as you can 10 times, then she “assisted” him to move it back even further 10 more times.

As Jess put it, “Here’s where things get serious.” Playtime is over, the real work – and pain – begins.

While he’s concentrating on that, I’m still helping with the more mundane tasks. He needs help making it into the bathroom, getting his bath, encouraged to eat and to drink plenty of fluids, and other stuff. Especially at night he needs someone to help him move in bed, go to the bathroom, and keep a fresh icepack under the inflamed leg. The nurses dole out the drugs, the physical therapist works on getting the knee functioning, and I do everything else.

I’ve also been known to upgrade his bandages. I fail to see the rationale of putting sterile pads over just part of the incision. Why leave part of it open to air? Seems to me it should be all or nothing, and for now, I vote for ALL of it.

The side of Jess's left leg - colorful, huh?

He hasn’t got much of an appetite, but the hospital food leaves something to be desired. Tough meat. Overcooked veggies. Strange seasonings. It’s not home cooking. For now I offer to go buy burgers or pizza or subs, and tempt him with snacks that while they aren’t exactly health food, at least get some calories in him.

In the meantime the assistant is getting tired. By the time I get him fixed up in the evening, for instance, with supper and bath or whatever, sometimes the food court is closed. And I, too, am sick of food from the cafeteria.

And while he takes naps off and on all day, I don’t have that luxury. I can’t nap in this chair.

We’re hoping he does well enough to go home by Friday. He’s ready for home. Some things will be more work at home, like cooking again, and helping with his therapy, but other things will be much better, like getting more rest (I hope).

I’m tired of being stuck in a hospital. Then I think of people here with serious diseases like cancer, not sure if they’re going to make it. I’m just helping out a dude with a repair job. I figure I’ve got it pretty easy compared to many others.

But I still want to go home.