As I pick up from where I left the last blog update, I can say not much has changed. My recovery seems to be slower and much more troublesome than the last knee replacement. I've felt nauseous and generally crappy most days which sucks. The only thing I can think of is that the heavy duty prescription meds I am on are to blame. In addition to the prescription meds, I can take Tylenol so I've started cutting back. My aim is to only be taking Tylenol and Advil in the future but I cannot take Advil until I have finished the blood thinner meds. Needless to say, I've not been doing much. Steve has been getting out most days for his walk (I look forward to joining him again!) and picking up ice and miscellaneous groceries.
On Steve's walk Friday morning (June 6), he took a short 18 second video of the otters in the river off the airpark...
That evening Earl and Allison came over for dinner and to watch game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Very exciting game as the Edmonton Oilers win over the Florida Panthers 4-3 in overtime, tying up the series 1 game each. (Unfortunately for Canada, the Panthers eventually win the Stanley Cup.)
Saturday (June 7) and Sunday (June 8) were particularly bad days and nights for me. I did join Steve on his morning walk Sunday...he did his usual 45 minute walk while I just did 10 minutes. It felt great getting out for some good fresh ocean air but I'm not sure if it was a great idea by the way I felt later on.
Monday (June 9) morning, Steve packed the car and we were off back down to Rob and Angie's. I have my 3 week follow-up appointment with the surgeon tomorrow.
Although Rob's birthday was June 3, they have all been extremely busy with end of the school year activities, and hadn't really celebrated...so tonight we had 'Treatsa Pizza' from Dairy Queen. It's usually an ice cream cake but the ice-cream "pizza" is just as tasty!
Conner playing the ukulele and Bryce on the "spoons" as we sung Happy Birthday...
We had appointments scheduled this week...Tuesday (June 10) was with my orthopaedic surgeon for a 3 week follow-up. The nurse removed the dressing and then covered the incision with steri-strips. They will come off on their own. I can now shower without having to keep the dressing dry. The doctor said everything looked fine...to me, it looked like a big ugly scar down the middle of my kneecap! I told him how crappy I had been feeling and he suggested I try Tylenol with Codeine. Bottom line, I don't think it made a bit of difference, I just wanted to rid my system of the drugs.
Wednesday (June 11) morning both Steve and I had eye appointments. We got a complete check up and 2 hours later we walked out of the office with dilated eyes...and no sunglasses. Thank goodness our car (where we had left our sunglasses) was nearby!
Saturday afternoon (June 14) were the final league flag football games for Bryce's team. They won the first game no problem but the second game was quite a competition! In the end, Bryce's team won making it no loses for their team for the whole season!
An action shot...Bryce with the red ballcap...
16 second video of Bryce's game...
Having won the league championship, they now move on to the Island competition in a couple of weeks.
The team was so pumped! Pictures were taken with the coaches, Bryce has the eye black on his face...
Sunday (June 15)...and Father's Day!
Steve and I went into Sidney to go for a walk along the waterfront. It was such a beautiful day...
We ordered in Chinese food for Father's Day dinner...delicious! Thanks for taking care of the ordering, Angie!
At the Museum entrance...Rob and Conner on the right...
I'd been to this museum before several years ago, but the main reason for revisiting was to tour their latest static display, the historic Martin Mars Water Bomber...Hawaii Mars. The only other surviving Martin Mars, the Philippine Mars was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson Arizona.
The boys are finished school for the summer, but Angie still has another week (she is a teacher), so as we have done the last couple of years, we are looking after them for the week. Not really much to it, basically just having adult supervision around...and they are a pleasure to hang out with. Had I been able, we would have taken them out and done more...but that will have to wait until the end of August when we get to watch them again (Angie has to return to school a week before the boys start). Hopefully by then I'll be much more mobile!
Monday (June 16) morning they went out for a walk on the trails in the neighbourhood...
Tuesday (June 17) Steve and Conner spent the morning at the BC Aviation Museum at the nearby airport. Rob (as in our friends, Rob and Nancy) joined them.
Over to Steve...The museum has 6 fulltime employees and 200 volunteers...
Unfortunately the flight deck won't be open to the public until sometime in August as they are still
doing a lot of work to make the onboard tour safe.
Last August we watched the Hawaii Mars on it's final flight to the Victoria Airport as it flew by us...
Looking towards the tail...
The water tank is below that square looking structure...
These aircraft can only land on water and were never built with landing gear. These large wheel assemblies are attached by divers before being brought on shore...
I guess I'll have to return at some point when the flight deck is finally open...
Rob had to leave, so Conner and I continued on inside where one of the tour guides got permission to enter the Lancaster Bomber restoration area while they were working on it. It's a 10 year project and they are only into year 4. According to our guide 7300 were built and there are only two left in flying condition, one in Britain and another in Canada...
I've got too many aircraft photos to post here, so if you're interested in seeing what else is on display there, click here.
Wednesday afternoon (June 18) Steve headed off to Victoria General Hospital to have a mole removed from his forehead. He initially had it removed back in 2019 and it started to return about a year ago. It's right at the hairline and of course, they had to shave a bit of hair off. The outcome is quite a "dent" in his forehead with what looks like about 5 stitches. A biopsy is being done and they will let him know the results. This picture was taken a few days later...
A 1:29 minute video
It was a great walk and about the right distance for me!
That afternoon, Steve took the boys to nearby Wain Park where they could play basketball. Steve also took the opportunity to take his drone up...
37 second video of the boys shooting baskets...
After a lazy morning Friday (June 20), we drove out to visit Steve's sister and husband (Nadine and Mike) in Colwood, a suburb of Victoria. It was a nice visit catching up with them, but we forgot to get a picture...
Saturday morning (June 21) Steve packed the car up and after big hugs, we said goodbye to Rob, Angie, Conner and Bryce. It has been almost 2 weeks and we are anxious to get home...and I'm sure they will appreciate getting their privacy back as well.
It was a very foggy, drizzly day...
There really isn't much to report over the next week...basically settling back into the routine of morning walks for Steve, along with a bit of grocery shopping. For me...lots of sitting in my recliner icing my knee, along with doing the exercises prescribed by the physiotherapist.
Steve took this picture of the geese and goslings on one of his walks...
As far as my knee is concerned, it is doing much better. I do the exercises, ice my knee and sit in my recliner. Last time I was incapacitated, I crocheted a sweater...this time, I just haven't been interested in doing much. I have done a little knitting...oh and I started reading our blog from day one. That has been fun but I still have a long way to go!
I had a physio appointment and he was quite pleased with the progress. The main issue I seem to have is at night when my legs go "squirrely" with Restless Leg Syndrome making it difficult to sleep. That then leads to pain in my surgical knee so that no matter how I lay, the pressure is uncomfortable...basically a lot of tossing and turning and eventually getting up, sitting in the recliner for a bit, then the couch, then going back to bed, etc, etc. I plan on discussing this with my surgeon at my 6 week follow-up appointment in hopes he can suggest some relief. Needless to say, I have not been getting a lot of sleep! I am at least off all prescription meds, now only taking extra strength Tylenol and Advil so I no longer have nausea, so that's great!
Although work on the clubhouse here at the park hasn't started yet, they have started putting metal fences up between our sites. They did this for the new sites on the far side of the park and we were happy when they said that they would be adding them to all of the other long term sites. When we arrived home, last Saturday, all of the small cedar trees had been removed and the posts and frames had been put in. They were back bright and early Monday morning finishing our fences...and continuing up the line. We are site 2 so were the first ones being done.
Friday night (June 27) Steve and I finally went out for dinner to celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary (which was May 22 and my surgery was on the 20th). We had a lovely meal at Brown's Social House...
He spent the next couple of hours washing the truck, while I washed and dried clothes...such a fun morning! LOL
This afternoon, we decided to go up to the Gladstone Brewery for a brew...after all, it has been a very, very long time!
