Sago Palm's Surprise

Our neighbors Mike and Marcia have a beautiful sago palm.

At about 4 1/2 feet tall it's a fabulous speciman.

Sagos are a pricey plant at this size, probably valued at $800 to $1000

You can see the new growth surrounding the trunk at ground level,

but the plant has a surprise for you.

If you stand on Marcia's porch and look down

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And if you lean in a little closer

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And finally pull the fronds back

That cone is about 18 inches tall!

I did some research and yes - that's a male plant!

And a proud one too!

Killdeer Chicks

We have new neighbors down the street.

A pair of  killdeer and their four new chicks have taken residence.

They are so much fun to watch. The babies hatch running and looking for food.

They are a couple of weeks old in these photos, and can they ever scramble.

The mother and father are always close and watching. If you get too near they will suddenly develop a broken wing and thrash around on the ground, leading you away from the nest.

Another Knee Entry

I can't believe I forgot something so important in the last post.

This is a C P M device, or Continuous Passive Motion machine.

It is used to flex and extend the knee after surgery.

I was introduced to the C P M in my room the day of surgery.

I'd heard stories about this implement in the past; about patients waking up to incredible pain strapped to this remnant of the Spanish Inquisition.

I was already awake when they bound me to it.

Here you can see my foot velcroed to the foot brace. There's also a strap that holds the thigh to the top end of the machine. There's a hand control that allows the patient to adjust the angle of flex in the knee with a maximum bend of 120 degrees. It will also straighten the knee to an angle of negative 12 degrees. I had a better flex than most patients, but couldn't straighten my leg at first.

After 3 days in the hospital I went home to my very own C P M.

My P T tells me people tend to be evenly divided about the device. 

Some patients consider it torture and adamantly refuse to use it.

Others seem to endure it better.

Put me firmly in the LOVE IT!! column.

I fall asleep on the machine.

My daughter says nobody sleeps like that.

Her friends who are P Ts are stunned.

I should only use it twice a day, but would live on it if possible.

They are taking the C P M back next week.

I'm thinking of having a picture of it tattooed on my thigh.

About 22 years ago, I went to a Doctor Rice in Kansas City, Kansas for diagnosis of a knee problem.

I'd injured my left knee in my early teens and as predicted then the knee was giving up.

The orthopedic surgeon told me then my only solution was a new knee; that I should baby the knee as much as possible and when the pain became intolerable he'd replace it.

I later went to Dr. Roger Hood in Overland Park, Kansas and got the same diagnosis; the joint was worn out and had to be replaced.

I really didn't have that much pain with my knee. I stood for long hours cutting hair and the swelling was a problem, but not painful. I went to the gym 5 mornings a week with few issues.

As long as I was walking on level surfaces I had few problems. I decided to wait for the surgery. Every day the surgeon learned another trick and the prostheses improved. 

Last fall sometime in September something changed. As I was walking the dog down a slope I felt a new sensation; kind of a wobble side to side. Using the same action as I had in the past I ignored it. It soon progressed to a situation I had to address.

I decided to have the surgery here in the Rio Grande Valley. A lot of us geezers reside here in the Valley and we attract physicians who specialize in orthopedics. Hospitals also specialize, one a 20 minute drive from our home. The streets in our park are nice and flat with cautious drivers, and we have a lovely pool and hot tub. There is also a fitness center here that I could use before and after surgery.

I called Dr. Bassett in October. I saw him in February for the first time. I had surgery on April 11th.

Taken Monday April 28th.

It was 103 degrees when I took my walk.

You can easily see the left knee is still swollen.

I'm walking down the street in my jammies because............

I can.

This is Karen, my Physical Therapist. She's been in the business 37 years.

Sure, she looks like Mary Poppins here but when she says she's going to straighten my knee red lightening bolts shoot out her eyes. I see her three days a week and she's really done a marvelous job. Earl the cat adores her and has taught her how to turn the kitchen faucet on.

This is Belinda (pronounced Bell EEN da, not Bee linda).

She is my home care nurse who comes twice a week to take vitals and check my blood levels. 

I'm on Coumadin to prevent blood clots and it needs monitoring.

I have to say it's been a better experience than I was braced for. Three weeks out from surgery I'm seeing improvement almost every day. It's been harder on my poor husband. He's responsible for everything from cooking to pet care and he's holding up great. 

I see the surgeon's assistant on Monday. He'll evaluate my progress and I'll plan my next knee surgery for this fall.

Hey, I've already got the walker!