Everything ok.. .

Just a really quick post to let you know the doc appointment went well. Saw the physician assistant. She told me my knee looks good -- even though it's swollen (swelling's normal). . She measured it and I could bend to 100 degrees, which is much better than I thought. I guess all that pushing is paying off. . BUT she also said that my pain is abnormally high. Knee surgery is painful, she said, so pain is normal. In fact, she said knee surgery is the most painful surgery there is. And knee replacement surgery is probably the most painful knee surgery. So it's a big deal. But I have more pain than others -- probably due to a variety of factors, including having several knee surgeries, having taken some opiates (only on occasion) for chronic pain that's gone on about 15 years and maybe my nerve damage as well (I personally think that's a major factor). Anyhow, we did some medication adjustment. The goal is to get me off these opiates before I get the urge to rob a gas station. But in the meantime, I need them to be able to get through the day and night, let alone to do my rehabbing. . . Also, she's going to do her best to get me into the UC physical therapy program. That would make me feel better; I'd rather be in the same system in which my doc works. Yes, I'm still really disappointed and upset and sometimes angry that my doctor has been so hard to reach. But I am more focused on the bottom line -- the end result -- which is adequate rehab. Anyhow, maybe I'll write more about this stuff later. I'm exhausted and am not even totally sure what I'm writing right now. . . So long --Janet

ps these photos are from the staple removal last week. . . I don't think I'll be writing about it again so I thought I'd post them now. .