Had a knee checkup today at Mayo. The doc says we wait until the last week of Feb at the earliest, and more likely the scheduled date, March 12. The hardware removal surgery is healing fine, but the knee is still swollen and warm to the touch, indicating healing he says.
I had a nose hair swab to check for staph germs lurking there ready to pounce if I have surgery. Luckily, I have my Ronco pocket nose hair rotary clipper (also excellent for trimming mustaches, sideburns and getting ready for Speedo season) so I can trim down the staph hideouts.
He says 2-3 days in the hospital after surgery, a few weeks of phys therapy after that. He also said the knee surgery would be complicated with a good outcome not assured, but it could turn out OK. I told him that I couldn't see how it could be any worse, and he shook his head and said that he could see many ways it could be worse. He was lowering my expectations of having a perfect result.
The knee is pretty much not working for walking anymore. I found that by putting a brace to lock the knee totally and then putting on one roller skate (or ice skate) as the weather dictates, lets me bring the bum leg along pretty well.
I am stalling around at Mayo, sitting at one of their many free computers for patients to play on, waiting for my 1:00 pm class on what happens during knee surgery. It is so nice outside I went out and sat on a bench in the downtown Peace Plaza.
A bag lady was sitting near by with her possesions in her push cart, sharing swigs of cough syrup with a middle aged man, both kind of tumbled down looking. They spotted me, with my grizzled beard, old jacket and cane, and offered me a swig too. "I only drink cough syrup after 2 pm," I replied, obviously a little too haughtily, as the lady turned away mumbling something about "a one percenter."
Another man, who was dressed much nicer than we were, was at the bus stop shelter. When the bus came, everyone dropped their cigarettes to get on the bus, and when it cleared out he picked them up, pocketed a few and started in smoking an almost new one. It looks like you have to wait for about 30 minutes to get a whole pack of slightly used ones!
I am headed back to the plaza to pick up a few more survival tips in case Gov Romney gets elected. He is right, the poor don't need any help.
Comments and photographs from an old local historian and backwoodsman about life in the St. Croix River Valley
