Day 59.

Got the hospital bill.
For $32,978.88 you can either fix a broken femur or buy a nice house in Fargo, North Dakota.  Seems like a lot for either one.

Friday, 11 months after my bilateral total knee replacement surgery,  I had my one-year follow-up. Snooping around the examination room while waiting for the x-ray tech I noticed 'Katherine Swanson' at the top of the computer screen.  I couldn't believe it.  It was my 'chart'.   You know, the chart you never get to read?  "Should I be reading this?" I asked myself while putting on my glasses.  Line item 1 made me feel good...'Pleasant female'.  I smiled.  Then the x-ray tech entered and I didn't get to read anymore.

It was no surprise that my stiff stiff right knee got the surgeon's attention while my poster-child left knee pretty much got ignored.   We came up with a plan.
1. Aggressive PT for a month and if we can get the flexion to 120, we'll call it a day.  He says "it's only 1/2 of a degree a day".  Easy for him to say.  OR
2. If we can't get it to 120, get a cortisone shot and repeat #1.  OR
3. The manipulation.  Where he puts me to sleep and cranks on the knee to break up the scar tissue that's making it stiff.  Not a bad option except there is a chance the bone around the knee could break and you can imagine how the thought of that makes me feel.

Today was the first aggressive therapy session.  The therapist did all the work.  All I had to do was lie there and endure the pain which totally wore me out.  I got home and passed out for 3 hours.

Vinny the therapist's question-of-the-day..."now should I be working on the hip or the knee?"