ALL DID NOT GO WELL FRIDAY EVENING

 MOURNING DOVE

So, let me get the unsavory part of today's post out of the way before I continue with Saturday's happenings.  I'm not going to go into detail but I will give you the basics and if you care to fill in the blanks, it's up to you because I'm sure we all have some stories to tell.  Before the operation Tuesday morning my last bowel movement was Monday morning.  Due to the pain meds, the natural flow of food through my body stopped working early on, and here it was Friday night five days later.....and I was plugged up.  Several commenters had warned about this and by Friday evening I was bunged up tighter than a shrunken lemon at a Rolling Stones rock concert.  So much so that an increasing level of painful cramps in my abdomen continued to ramp up.  At its most unbearable time, I seriously considered having Kelly call an ambulance.  I had taken stool softeners and a powerful laxative but no relief was coming my way.  And then at 11:25 Friday night, on the verge of a phone call, with another painful cramp stampeding through my lower gut I became aware of a slight movement in my abdomen.  Now, keep in mind, I can't travel too fast with my walker yet but amazingly, I did make it to the washroom in time and hurriedly fastened our toilet's seat belt in case I was blown off the toilet seat.  And then, just in the nick of time, it was as if the Hoover Dam slowly broke!! ---- You can fill in your own blanks here.  Through the night this was to happen three more times and this morning sitting here typing this I am feeling like I have been run over by a road grader.  All my muscles are so sore from straining and it's a miracle that I never popped any of my surgical stitches and staples.  But no matter, much to my relief right now I am feeling much better and functioning normally again......... So, why write about this unsavory subject you ask??  Well, because just as a few readers had cautioned me I feel it important to pass this same caution along to other readers who have had to take certain pain pills, etc. before and after surgery.  Be aware, and take whatever precautions you have to take to prevent this from happening to you.  You do not want to ever get yourself into this severe constipation situation.  Not ever, not never, and not even once!!!!!!

 WE HAD NEARLY A FOOT OF SNOW OVERNIGHT

Okay, it's Saturday morning, it's cold, and we got a dump of snow overnight. (funny how I used the word 'dump' eh) So much snow in fact that our driveway snowplow guy (Roland) was on the job shortly after 9 a.m.  Under our present circumstances, we sure did make the right decision to have our driveway plowed this year.

 ROLAND OUR SNOWPLOW GUY

Working as a team this morning Kelly, Pheebs, and I managed to get our front yard critters fed.  Kelly had the tough end of the job having to slog through the nearly foot-deep snow to retrieve a couple almost empty bird feeders.  Handing them back through the door to me and my walker on the inside, I quickly re-filled them and passed them back out the door again and Kelly re-hung them.  Of course, Pheebs was right out there with Mom chiding ....'that's not the way Dad does it,' and 'you don't have enough seeds on that stump,' or 'don't forget to put out some corn for the squirrels'!!

 THIS BLUEJAY CAN'T GET AT THE BIRDSEED UNDER ALL THE SNOW

 AND THERE COMES KELLY TO THE RESCUE AS SHE SWEEPS OFF THE BIRD STATION

 YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH IT IS SNOWING AND BLOWING HERE AND NOTICE THE EMPTY BIRDFEEDER ON THE RIGHT

 THE BLUEJAYS WERE ABLE TO GET THEIR SEEDS AGAIN

 PHEEBER TRACKS ACROSS OUR SNOWY FRONT DECK TODAY

Happy that my weight has been steadily dropping over the past month or so, imagine my disappointment when I stepped on the scale this morning and my weight had suddenly jumped up six pounds in just a few days.  I figure it must have been a six-pound iron and steel hip joint device they put in.  It's the only plausible answer, right??  Good thing I didn't weigh myself Friday night before my impending constipation explosion or I might have been tipping the scales around the two hundred pound mark.

 IN MY SUNROOM RECLINER SNAPPING A FEW BLUEJAY PHOTOS TODAY

 I LIKED THE COLOR OF MY MORNING SMOOTHIE AFTER KELLY THREW A HANDFUL OF BLACKBERRIES INTO IT

MY TEMPORARILY RE-RIGGED 'NO WHEELS' COMPUTER DESK CHAIR

I walk like a duck and anyone walking behind me knows I walk like a duck,  I have been walking like a duck for nearly 80 years.  Even the Physio people at the Sarnia hospital could see I was walking like a duck.  Duck walking is when you walk with your feet pointed markedly out to the side.  That's okay if you are standing on the deck of a rolling ship in heavy seas but it's not so good if one has just had a hip transplant.  The Physio lady kept telling me to turn my foot inwards.  Easy for her to say....but this may become an issue for me.  We'll see how it goes.     

Al's Music Box:)) Perhaps Love is a song that John Denver wrote and recorded as a duet with Placido Domingo. "Perhaps Love" was addressed to Denver's wife Annie Martell (the eponym of his #1 hit "Annie's Song") while they were separated and moving towards a divorce. In an interview the day after Denver's death in 1997, Annie said that this was her favorite song of his,  Milt Okun, the album's producer, first suggested that Domingo, an opera singer, pair with the famous folk singer on the song. The producer worked hard to promote the song after its release.  An independent radio promoter told Okun at the time, "It's very beautiful, but there's no chance at all of this getting on the air." To both men's surprise, one of the top five radio stations in the United States in Philadelphia began playing the song every hour on the hour, greatly contributing to its success and the willingness of other stations to play it. 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Three priests died and came up to St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter looked up the priests and informed them there had been a mistake; they were not supposed to die for another 10 years or so. The priests were upset about this and asked St. Peter what could be done. St. Peter said that he would send them back to earth in any form they wanted until the problem was fixed.St Peter asks the first priest, " What do you want to become?" and the first priest replies," I always wanted to be an eagle and see all of God's creation from above." "Done." St. Peter snaps his fingers and the first priest disappears. St. Peter asks the second priest, "What do you want to become?" and the second priest replies, "I always wanted to be a dolphin and see all of God's creation from under the sea.""Done." St Peter snaps his fingers and the second priest disappears like the first. St. Peter asks the third priest, "What do you want to become?"" and the third priest shyly says, ""Well... my wish is kind of sinful." "No matter. You can choose any form you want." St. Peter says and the third priest replies, "Well, I always wanted to be a...stud, you know?" St .Peter replies, "I don't see a problem with that." St. Peter snaps his fingers and the third priest disappears. Later, Jesus asked St. Peter, " I heard there was a problem with three priests being here before their time. Where are they?" St. Peter explained, "One is soaring high above the Grand Canyon. The second is swimming in the North Atlantic. The third is on the left rear tire of a Chevy Blazer."

------------------------------------

Did you hear about the old man whose birthday one year lasted only one minute?
It was his sixty-second birthday.

------------------------------------

An incompetent counterfeiter spent all day making his funny money. At the end of the day, he realizes he spent all his time making $15 bills.  He figures that the only way he will get anything from this batch of money is to find a place where the people aren't too bright and change his phony money for real cash.  He travels to a small town and walks into a small Mom and Pop grocery store. He asks the old man behind the counter "Do you have change for a $15 bill?"  The old man replies, "I sure do...How would you like that? An eight and a seven or two sixes and a three?"

-----------------------------------

=========================

THE BOTTOM LINE FOUR DAYS OUT FROM MY HIP SURGERY

 A FILE PHOTO FROM LAST WEEK

Upon reading over my Thursday post I felt the first paragraph was a bit strong and I could and should have worded it better.  But, it was how I felt at the time I wrote it.  I have to keep foremost in mind that everybody's experience with this kind of thing is going to be different.  Some will have more difficulty than others.  Different people, different methods, different hospitals, different personnel, different Doctors, and different circumstances all make for different results.  And, I think there is a difference between a total hip replacement and some kind of hip injury whether it be major or minor.

Okay, so how did Thursday go you might ask.  One word.....Good:))  Some soreness which is to be expected but no sharp shooting pains at any time.  Of course, I am taking things very slow and carefully.  

 KELLY CHECKED MY SURGERY SITE THIS MORNING AND WITH NO GREEN BLOOD OOZING OUT I GUESS MY MARTIAN SECRET IS STILL SAFE

Being the type of person who prefers to do as much as I can by myself I come at this whole thing from that perspective.  If I drop something on the floor I will go find my 'Grabber Stick' and pick it up rather than have somebody pick it up for me.  I also see that sort of thing as a necessary and welcome snippet of extra exercise.

 PUTTING ON CLEAN UNDERWEAR THIS MORNING AND NOTICE HOW SWOLLEN MY LEG IS

 NEXT COMES MY JAMMY BOTTOMS

My biggest post-operation fear is of carelessly falling so I am extremely cautious in every move I make.  I well remember the terrible pain in the recovery room and at my first physio and I don't want to ever have to experience anything like that again.  A painful fall would result in an emergency ambulance ride and a grinding hospital stay with more surgery likely.  There is no way I want that to happen.

My sturdy walker at the moment is my best friend followed closely by my 'Grabber Pick-Up Stick'.  When moving around I try to think two or three moves ahead to where I'm going and things to do along the way.   I find it kind of a fun challenge to figure out different ways of having to do things.  

 BESIDES PHEEBS, HERE ARE TWO OF MY BEST PALS AT THE MOMENT.....MY WALKER AND MY GRABBER PICK-UP STICK WHICH BY THE WAYS HAS TWO TINY MAGNATES FOR PICKING UP DROPPED SCREWS AND NAILS

I concentrated most of my efforts Thursday on simply walking, and today I began concentrating on my exercises.  I was able to get my leg up onto and off the bed with no pain and I was able to work my way through my exercises with no short sharp pains.  I have some slight soreness but keep in mind I  am still taking a pain pill (percocet) every 6 hours.  Thursday night I had a good sleep with minimal discomfort. 

ON MY BED WORKING ON MY EXERCISES AND YES THOSE ARE PRESSURE STOCKINGS I HAVE TO WEAR FOR TWO WEEKS TO PREVENT BLOOD CLOTTING IN THE LEGS

 PHEEB WANTED SO MUCH TO GET UP ON THE BED WITH ME BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO JUMP THAT HIGH ANYMORE

Before surgery, it was hard to know where I would be sleeping or sitting when I got home after surgery.  It has been trial and error seeing what fits and feels right.  What's good and not so good quickly made themselves evident so here is what we have come up with.  With the aid of strategically placed pillows, I am happy to say I am still sleeping quite comfortably in my good old living room recliner.  With pillows built up, I can also sit in my sunroom recliner to read as well.  We temporarily replaced our desktop computer chair on wheels with a steadier 'no wheels' chair and that is working well too.  And it goes without saying that a raised toilet seat has made things much easier in the washroom.

I KNOW MY LIVING ROOM RECLINER LOOKS WONKY BUT IT WORKS

One thing that has been a bit of an unexpected challenge has been to keep all the new meds straight.  When to take what pill and trying to remember what pill to take when.  It was Kelly to the rescue on this one as she soon organized all that.  And, speaking of Kelly, she has been doing a superb job despite the inclement weather of keeping all the birds, squirrels, and bunnies in our front yard fed.  I had worried about that. And today in this stone cold weather she even managed a trip to Goderich for prescriptions and blood work.  

 KELLY'S PILL MANAGEMENT FOR ME

Pheebs has been sticking to me like glue.  She was so happy to see me when I came home Wednesday afternoon and I was so happy to see her as well.  We are a pair of inseparable best Pals.  The only problem we are having is that I am unable to bend over and rub her tummy every day or give her her daily scruffles, squiggles, smooches, and hugs.  She's trying her best to understand why I am clomping around the house with a big aluminum tube Mossmagator in front of me. 

 PHEEBS LIKES TO STAY BY MY SIDE

Now, a question was posed to me a couple days ago that went something like this, "if you had to do this painful hip surgery all over again, would you do it?"  I had to hesitate for a few seconds with my answer.  There was no resounding yes or no but comparing my pre-op condition and future to my post-op condition and future there is no doubt I made the right decision.  Pre-operation, my future mobility was grim.  Post-operation, my future mobility has a bright outlook again.  So, the bottom line as of right now four days out from my hip surgery is, I'm doing fine:))))) 

KELLY TOOK THIS PHOTO AND MADE ME PUT IT INTO THE BLOG

Al's Music Box:)) Wagon Wheels The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music performers and remained popular through the years. Since 1933, through many changes in membership, the Sons of the Pioneers have remained one of the longest-surviving country music vocal groups.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A journalist assigned to the Jerusalem bureau takes an apartment overlooking the Wailing Wall. Every day when she looks out, she sees an old Jewish man praying vigorously. So, the journalist goes down and introduces herself to the old man.  She asks, "You come every day to the wall. How long have you done that and what are you praying for?" The old man replies, "I have come here to pray every day for 25 years. In the morning I pray for world peace and then for the brotherhood of man. I go home have a cup of tea and I come back and pray for the eradication of illness and disease from the earth."  The journalist is amazed. "How does it make you feel to come here every day for 25 years and pray for these things?" she asks.  The old man looks at her sadly. "Like I'm talking to a wall".

-------------------------------------

- My wife said she wanted to see "Fifty Shades Of Grey".  So I showed her a picture of her hair.

- What's the difference between toilet paper and curtains?  I don't know.  So it was YOU!

- What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup?  Anyone can roast beef.

------------------------------------

A woman phoned her dentist when she received a huge bill.  "I'm shocked!" she complained.  "This is three times what you normally charge."  "Yes, I know," said the dentist. "But you screamed so loudly, you scared away two other patients."

---------------------------------------

============================

IT WAS QUITE A COUPLE DAYS FOR MY HIP REPLACEMENT AT THE SARNIA ONTARIO HOSPITAL

 I AND OTHER PATIENTS RECEIVED VALENTINES DAY CARDS WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL....I THINK THEY WERE MADE BY LOCAL SCHOOL KIDS AND THEIR MOMS OR TEACHERS WERE DELIVERING THEM

Just to let you know, this is a very long post.  Well, where do I begin.....First, a personal opinion.  If anyone ever says to me that a hip replacement is no big deal, a walk in the Park, a non-event, or a piece of cake I, when my hip is better, am going to hunt that person down and give them the biggest swift kick in the ass that they have ever had!!!!  Now, let's get on with it.

One of my biggest pre-op worries was a simple one.  Having to get up a 3 a.m. was I going to hear the alarm clock to wake me up.  What if I didn't, and slept in.  I worried about it so much that I woke right up at 2:45.  My next worry was the weather.  Pulling back the curtain was I going to see a winter storm going on.  I didn't.  So, with those two things out of the way, I quietly slipped out of the house with the last thing I saw being Pheebs on her couch with her head up watching me with her puppy ears on.  Next slight worry was, is the car going to start, what if a tire is flat.  With those additional worries out of the way, I was good to go.  I have said many times in my blog over the years how I like driving at night and my journey to the Sarnia hospital was no exception.  What a beautiful night to be out and with the Subaru's Sirius XM satellite radio tuned to 'The Spa' I happily cruised through the countryside.  For a third of the way I drove the posted speed limit and for the rest of the way I doddled along below the speed limit because I had allowed myself lots of time to get there.  With hardly any traffic on the road anywhere I arrived at the hospital at 5:20 for my 6 a.m. check-in. 

From check-in, I headed up to the third floor and checked into 'Day Surgery'.  I was led to an area of beds and curtains and told to undress,  put on a backward medical gown, and lay on the bed  My little cubical had a couple big windows facing East.  Cold winter air radiated through those windows where I waited about half an hour for my first nurse of the day to appear.  And, it was here in this cubicle that the best part of my day happened.  Through the East-facing windows, I was able to watch a beautiful sunrise.  The nurse came in and checked my blood sugar, pulse, heart rate, and all those things nurses do.  And yes, that meant that 'ouchy thing they do when inserting the intravenous thing into a person's hand.  

 THIS IS WHAT I LOOKED LIKE AFTER MY ENCOUNTER WITH THE FIRST NURSE PERSON I SAW

Next, my bed was wheeled around half a dozen corners into another pre-op room with others awaiting their surgical fate as well.  And, this is where the first set of wheels on the train 'wobbled'.  My surgeon guy, Dr. Garash stopped by for about thirty seconds to see how I was doing.  He told me I looked good and I thought 'ya sure'.  The room was so dark I could hardly see him.  Next came the anesthesiologist with a host of questions for me.  And then here came the 'wobble.  He said there were two ways to administer anesthesia.  Number one was general anesthesia with a breathing tube and number two was a spinal tap to numb the hip area.  A couple weeks ago at a pre-op meeting in Sarnia we had talked to a different anesthesiast and she suggested the spinal tap plus a couple other folks had suggested that as well.  As soon as I said to the anesthesiast guy that I preferred the spinal tap his demeanor changed and I recognized it instantly.  I could tell that he was not in favor of that and if I had been faster on my feet I should have said right away, 'hey that's okay, I'll do the general anesthesia,  But, I didn't and it was soon to cost me.  From the pre-op room I was wheeled around through a number of corridors again until we reached the operating room itself.

Now, anyone who has ever been in an operating room knows how cool they keep it.  The operating word there was 'cool'.  Well obviously this operating room had not got the memo.  It was so cold in there that I thought I saw icicles hanging from the ceiling.  It would not have surprised me at all if the operating room staff were wearing snowmobile suits.  I was transferred from the bed to the operating table with its big humungous space-age lights hanging overhead.  I laid on that cold slab in my flimsy blue gown for at least 10 minutes before I heard the anesthesiast guy behind me somewhere bruskly say, 'sit up on the table, swing sideways and drop your feet over the side'.  Ya, easy for him to say as two nurses assisted me with that little chore.  Next, he had a nurse stand directly in front of me and place her hands on my shoulders.  I was told bend forward and down as far as I could and not to move.  I felt a burn in my lower spine which I figured was maybe the freezing going in.  But then, things got wonky.  I could feel him pressing and pressing and occasionally asking me where I was feeling it.  This went on for long time and so long that I heard the nurse who was pushing me back from the front say to another nurse, 'can you take over, I'm not feeling well'.  So another nurse stepped in and took over with my face about an inch and half from her scrubs.  Then all of sudden I heard a short sharp screeching sound behind me and that was the anesthiastis pushing his stool back with the words, 'thats it, that's enough of that, we're doing a general anesthetic.  I quickly agreed with him and said that would be fine.  On my back again a lady put something over my nose and mouth and that was it, I was gone.

I don't know how long the surgery lasted but when I came too I was in 'excruciating' pain!!!!  Worst ever.  The pain was so bad that my body was shuddering and a nurse beside me kept telling me she was adding more morphine and more morphine and something about a cocktail.  I don't know what that was.  Through my haze of pain I did hear her say that I had been in the recovery room for about an hour.  Now, let me interject something here......I emphasize this is what happened to me alone, not you.  I'm sure other people have different stories about pain levels or a lack thereof.  I don't know how long I shuddered and shook in the recovery room but I remember them wheeling me to my room later as the pain level finally began dropping.  And, even before entering the room, I knew I was going to like my roommate.

 I'VE JUST ARRIVED IN MY ROOM AND I AM ALREADY A WRECK

It was two nurses who wheeled me to my room and at the door, one of them said to a person inside, "we've got a roommate for you Bill so you won't be alone."  I heard Bill answer, "that's okay, I like being alone".  I knew right away that  Bill and I were going to get along just fine.  And we did, he never bothered me and I never bothered him.  Luckily for both of us it wasn't a four-person room with the other two being yakky doodles.  Bill, an elderly gent had a smartphone and would occasionally call his wife for a little chat.  I could hear the whole conversation because he had her on speakerphone.  At one point his wife asked him if he had a new roommate yet to which Bill replied, "yes, and he's an old fella too'.  Well, I almost had to hobble over there and give Bill a little talking to.  Imagine, referring to me as an older fella!!!!

 A VIEW FROM MY BED WITH A TRAY OF FOOD I COULDN'T EAT

Twice through the day I had a tray of food set down in front of me on a swinging bed table and twice I could not eat anything.  I tried to sip some tea and managed one spoon of strawberry yogurt.  My appetite was totally gone.  They got me out of bed once to hobble to the washroom about 10 feet away.  And it was here a mistake was made.  I found out later from the physio lady that they should have had me out of bed more in the morning and walking in the hall to get that hip moving.  This was to cost me the next morning.  The rest of the day was kind of a blur of nothing, but I caught a pre-planned break in the evening.

 I SPENT FOUR ENJOYABLE HOURS LISTENING TO MY FAVORTIE MUSIC

Knowing beforehand I would have hours to kill I took my Kindle reader with me as well as my iPod which I hadn't used in over a decade.  iPods were popular little mobile Apple device many years ago for storing music on so I had a library of my favorite tunes with me.  The iPod comes with stereo ear buds so the sound quality is good.  The only problem I had with the earbuds is that they kept falling out of my ears every five minutes so you can imagine the amount of times I fiddled with that in the 4 hours I laid on my bed listening to music.  They were too big to fit snugly into my ear sockets.  It was about 11 p.m. when a nurse came in to check on me.  Now keep in mind, I had not eaten anything for over 24 hours so I quipped to her, 'say you don't suppose you might have a couple of peanut butter sandwiches rolling around out there anywhere do ya'.  No she replied but we do have turkey, egg salad, or chicken sandwiches.  Well, I couldn't believe my luck.  Five minutes later I was happily chowing down a turkey sandwich.

 AN ACROSS THE ROOM VIEW OF MY BED

Wednesday morning breakfast came in and I wolfed down the whole thing, even the crumbs.  And what a surprise, I washed it all down with a great-tasting cup of hot coffee.  A great way to start the day and I was optimisticly looking forward to physio.  And then, things took a bad turn.  There was a nursing shift change and another mistake was made.

 A VIEW OUT MY WINDOW AND I THINK THAT MAY BE THE OLD SARNIA HOSPITAL OVER THERE

 BREAKFAST...AND IMAGINE HOW HAPPY I WAS TO FIND A HEATED BLUEBERRY MUFFIN IN THAT TINFOIL...AND YES THOSE ARE MY FEET STICKING OUT WITH MY VALENTINE DAY HOSPITAL SOCKS ON

 BREAKFAST MENU

Around 10:30 a nice lady from physiotherapy showed up and said she was going to walk me to the gym and put me through the paces so off we went with me moving slowly with my walker.  My hip was hurting and of course, why wouldn't it.  But, I plodded along with her right behind me.  She told me several times I was doing good.  Piece of cake I thought to myself but little did I know what I was in for just moments away.  In the physio gym she had some steps for me to go and down.  No problem.  Then, it was over to a bed like thing.  She had me slowly sit down and then with her help try to swing my legs up onto the bed.  And then it happened and everything fell apart, 'Zap' I was instantly again in excruciating pain.  Things did not go well from there and no matter what they tried to do with a few exercises the pain was so bad I couldn't take it and they couldn't continue.  I said to the lady, I wish they had given me something for pain to which the lady replied, when was the last time they gave you pain medication?   I said about 6 a.m. they gave me two Tylenols.  It was no 10:30.  With that, she wheeled right around and headed for her desk and I assume made a phone call.  Meanwhile, the pain in my hip had me nearly through the roof.  Minutes after that a nurse I recognized hastily came into the room carrying a little cup with two pills in it and some water.  With one gulp I had those pills down.  I think they were something much stronger than the Tylenol pills.  With pain still coursing through my hip they got me off the bed and into a wheelchair and hustled me off back to my room.  I had visions of me not going home Wednesday.  Apparently during the shift change one of the nurses in the confusion had forgot to bring my proper pain medication to me before my physio time.  That nurse later came to my room and apologized for her oversight.  I was actually feeling bad for her because she was feeling so bad about forgetting me.  But, there was more bad news to follow an hour or so later.

 WHEN THEY BROUGHT ME BACK FROM PHYSIO THEY PLUNKED IN THIS RECLINER

 HEY, AND MY WINDOW EVEN  HAD BUTTERFLIES ON IT

The intravenous tube was still in my left hand and I kept ouchily catching it on things.  The physio lady said that that tube needed to be taken out of my hand because there was a bit of blood on it.  Back in my room, a young nursing assistant took it out just as her supervising nurse came in and told me I was not going home until the following day.  She repeated that twice and then away she went.  Well, you can imagine how I felt.  And then, more confusion.  

It was at this same time that I was finally able to locate my flip phone and call Kelly.  When I told her they were going to keep me for another day her heart sank and she said there was a big snowstorm coming in for Thursday.  Now we were in a pickle.  I certainly didn't want Richard and Gail driving Kelly through a snowstorm to Sarnia and then Kelly having to drive me all the way back to Bayfield.  What a dilemma had just transpired.  And then there was more confusion.  Kelly phoned the hospital, I phoned Kelly, and the hospital phoned 'dial a prayer' and then I called the Prime Minister and McDonalds phoned the hospital.  And then the Physio lady came in again and told me that 'I was going home' that afternoon and with that at 1:15 p.m. I was taken by wheelchair back to the physio gym where I was put through the required exercises again and this time with just a minimum of discomfort....thanks to the pain pills.  Wheel chaired back to my room I was able to hobble around collecting up my stuff and then in walked Kelly and from this point on everything went well.  

MAKING MY WAY SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY BACK FROM THE WASHROOM

 GETTING MY STUFF TOGETHER

 YES, WITH HAT, COAT, AND SHOES ON I WAS MORE THAN READY TO GET OUT OF THERE

I was discharged and wheelchaired down to the front entrance of the hospital where Kelly wheeled around with the Subaru and picked me up.  My hospital ordeal was over and we were on our way home on a beautiful sunny afternoon.  A stop at Tim Hortons in Forest along the way for two cups of coffee and two apple fritter donuts just like we used to do every time we came home from the Southwest in the Spring.  We finally made it home and things went downhill from there.

 KELLY PULLS UP TO THE HOSPITAL'S FRONT DOOR TO LOAD ME IN

 PULLING OUT OF TIM HORTONS ON THE LAST LEG OF OUR JOURNEY HOME

We were both totally beat and I was in a big mess due to bladder problems I had at the hospital.  I was anxious to get myself out of my urine-soaked clothes and cleaned up.  That done and with clean dry clothes on again l loaded my clothes into the washer and turned it on.  Of course, I had forgotten to take things out my pockets so I now have a sparkly clean jackknife and a very soggy wallet.  From there I headed for the sunroom and sat down at the computer and wrote a short post.  And then it was me who made yet another mistake.  I mistakenly took two percocDet pain pills instead of one and an hour later I was sick and stayed that way until a sleeping pill helped to finally put me out of my misery somewhere around 10 o'clock.

 HOME AGAIN I CAREFULLY MADE MY  WAY ACROSS THE ICE AND SNOW TO CLIMB UP OUR FOUR PORCH STEPS

HEADING INTO THE SUNROOM AND NO THAT IS NOT AN OLD BULLET WOUND IN MY BACK

FIGURING OUT HOW TO SITUATE MYSELF AT THE COMPUTER

 AND OF COURSE, YOU ALL SAW THIS PHOTO OF ME IN WEDNESDAY'S POST AND ARE WONDERING WHAT THAT YELLOW THING IS I'M WEARING....WELL I DON'T KNOW BUT KELLY DREDGED IT UP FROM SOMEWHERE FOR SURE

Now I know that this post is way too long so I will wrap it up here and tell you about how I made out today.....tomorrow:))      

Music Box:)) I Can See Clearly Now is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash.  It was the lead single from his album, I Can See Clearly Now (1972), and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972  After Nash wrote and composed the original version, he recorded it in London with members of the Fabulous Five Inc, and produced it himself. The song's arrangements and style are both heavily laced with reggae influences, as Nash had earlier collaborated with Bob Marley and his approach drew strongly from Marley's reggae style. (this one was for you Deb way out there in that Arizona place)

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Jerry was sitting down for breakfast one morning when he was astonished to see in the paper an announcement of his own death.  He called his friend at once, "Jim, have you seen the announcement of my death in the paper?"  Jim replied, "Yes, and exactly where are you calling from?"

---------------------------------

During a performance for the high school talent show at the local theater, a hole was cracked in the stage floor. Subsequent acts managed to avoid the damaged area until little Freddy, juggling bowling pins, accidentally stepped through the hole up to his knees.  He apologized to the audience for his clumsiness. But a heckler in the back of the theater shouted:  "Don't worry, Freddy! It's just a stage you're going through!"

---------------------------------------

=========================

I'M HOME....BUT JUST BARELY

 THIS PHOTO KELLY TOOK OF ME LATE THIS AFTERNOON IN OUR SUNROOM SUMS UP  HOW I AM FEELING

I told you all I would be back tonight and I didn't want to break that promise.  All did not go well and I am in a lot of pain right now.  I had a poor night's sleep and all I want to do tonight is nothing.  I am hoping to put a post together Thursday detailing the past couple of days and the mistakes that were made.  Believe me, if I could put a post together tonight I would.  A big thanks to Kelly for the post she put in last night.  I didn't know she was going to do that.  And thanks to everyone for all your kind words and support.  I've never had so many unknown friends in my whole life.  Kelly did a marvelous job driving me home today under sunny skies.  And then, after she dropped me off she had to go to Goderich's Walmart Pharmacy to fill pain medication prescriptions   A big special thanks to our good friends Richard and Gayle for driving Kelly to Sarnia today to pick me up.  Until tomorrow..............hopefully.  

Update on Al

 I know I know, it's not Al. 

   It's me the other third of the Bayfield Bunch.

Let me tell you, I have never seen anyone so prepared and organized as Al has been for this surgery.

   oops, he likes bigger and bolder fonts. :)

Al went out and bought everything he could think of for the next month, so I wouldn't have to shop as much.

What a thoughtful guy.

   He lined up his good friend Richard to give me a ride to the Sarnia hospital to pick up the car and Al tomorrow.

    We have all the health aids needed to help his recovery go smoothly. Thank you to Jeff Bezos for bringing them right to our door. It amazes me what he keeps in those warehouses. 

 Pheebe has been searching everywhere for Al. The house, carport. bird stations and all the paths.

  I guess I better get outside and feed the birds, they are looking in the sunroom windows for him.     Update at bottom of post.....

       

   

   Our first dog Max in the picture.

   ****I called the hospital this afternoon for an update. Nurse said he got back from recovery around noon. They were going to get him up at 4:00 for a bit. Physio in the morning and then if Dr. oks it discharge around noon. Oh, and the nurse asked him if she could call someone for him. He said no!!    That's Al, he wouldn't want to bother the nurse with extra work. 😄

Currently listening to https://youtu.be/GxldQ9eX2wo

Thanks for reading.  

Kelly