What a Day

43°f this morning, leading into a clear, sunny, breezy day with a high about 70. 

This knee recovery is an up and down thing, I am finding. But each day gets a little better. I seem to be trading surgical pain for muscle and nerve pain, although the bruises from the tourniquet they put around my thigh are still painful to the touch. (About that tourniquet: a nurse told me they put a band around the thigh, then use a ratchet to get it as tight as possible.  No wonder there are some stellar bruises!)

Current condition,  not too bad for 9 days after surgery! The bandage is pink so my leg really isn't inflamed.

Thankfully I am off the strong, addictive pain meds, and back to my usual Meloxicam. I have meds for the muscle spasms and nerve pain, so definitely making progress. I slept for 2 1/2  hours straight last night, which was wonderful and a big change from the one-hour stints. It's another thing no one tells you: normal sleep won't return for weeks in most cases. Muscle pain, muscle spasms, and nerve pain will be my companion for a while.

My husband stayed in bed a lot for the first 2 weeks after his surgeries, getting up to do his PT, and sometimes walking around inside. I am up almost all day, stopping to do the icing and compression several times a day, and getting my leg elevated. I think the new devises have made recovery faster. I am able to do small tasks like folding laundry, washing dishes, some dusting, cleaning up clutter, making coffee and tea, and this evening I am making a simple dinner of beans and potatoes cooked in venison broth, ham, and salad. I also cut up and froze a big bag of peppers before company arrived.

The company was something I have been looking forward to for a month: another granddaughter I had never met or even knew existed. This young lady did her DNA test after her older sister did one and found that the man she thought was her father was not. A, who is 24, discovered that the man she thought was her dad also was not. Her father was one of my sons, who dated her mother when in the Army in the 90s. He got deployed somewhere, I can't remember where,  and she was gone when he returned, because she was also deployed. He had no idea where she went, and she didn't know she was expecting for several months--and in that time had dated a couple other guys. Pretty common story in military life i guess.

The upshot is that A contacted my son, and they have talked daily since then. She is here to visit and to meet her 2 sisters and some of this (huge) family. She is lovely,  and I am so thrilled she found us.

So today we had 2 sons, one daughter-in-law,  4 granddaughters, two granddaughters' significant others, and 2 great-grands here. My ex is also here, but has stayed up at Sarah's cabin as he is not welcome in my home (still makes snarky, derogatory comments after 39 years of divorce).

It has been hectic and busy, but now everyone has left and it is so quiet. But I am more than ready for a little rest. Maybe even a nap!

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