[Rhodes22-list] I'm back from the hospital

[Rod Ellner]

Roger

That’s not so far from our old stomping grounds.  WHERE does she live…..

We’ve skied there many a time also😊 Mary and Rod

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 18, 2021, at 1:18 PM, ROGER PIHLAJA <Roger_Pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Todd,
> 
> Do they make snowshoes for walkers?  Maybe alpine skiing in the winter of 2022/23?  Seriously, my oldest granddaughter, Kaylee, got a downhill ski package for her 7th birthday on Nov 11th.  She was visiting for her birthday and I showed her my skis and boots after she opened her present.  I promised her I’d take her skiing at Cascade Mountain, near her house in Wisconsin next winter.  Her dad, Gary, and I have skied there many times.
> 
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 18, 2021, at 12:18 PM, Todd Tavares <tavares0947 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> GOOD NEWS Roger!
>> 
>> You'll be snowshoeing in the mountains this Winter for sure!
>> 
>> Get well soon.
>> 
>> 
>> Todd T.
>> 
>>>> On Thu, Nov 18, 2021, 10:57 AM Ric Stott <ric at stottarchitecture.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Roger - Thanks for sharing your personal story.
>>> I had both hips replaced 13 years ago.
>>> I suffered many of the same symptoms.
>>> I’m always amazed at medical science and would not be around without it.
>>> Stick with the PT and take your pain meds to get through it, especially
>>> early on.
>>> Don’t listen too hard to the oxycodone critics - you will come off the
>>> pain meds just fine when you’re ready - when your pain is manageable.
>>> I don’t think Stan has any replacement parts on/in his body.
>>> 
>>> Ric
>>> Dadventure
>>> 
>>> Richard F. Stott, AIA, LEED AP
>>> ric at stottarchitecture.com
>>> O -631-283-1777
>>> C- 516-965-3164
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Nov 18, 2021, at 10:36 AM, Michael D. Weisner <mweisner at ebsmed.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Roger,
>>>> 
>>>> The arrythmia issues following surgery are not too uncommon as the
>>>> anesthesia and nerve blocks sometimes play havoc with cardiac rhythms.
>>> The
>>>> problem is one of getting the systems back to steady state conditions
>>> after
>>>> perturbance.
>>>> 
>>>> I'm glad that you are on the mend. Take the pain meds that will continue
>>> to
>>>> slow your bowel functions, so that you may fully participate in the
>>> physical
>>>> therapy. PT activity is the single most important predictor of future
>>>> outcomes.
>>>> 
>>>> Be well and stay safe.
>>>> 
>>>> Mike
>>>> s/v Wind Lass ('91)
>>>> Nissequogue River, NY
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of
>>> ROGER
>>>> PIHLAJA
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2021 6:20 PM
>>>> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] I'm back from the hospital
>>>> 
>>>> Hi All,
>>>> 
>>>> My right knee replacement finally took place on Monday at Alma Hospital
>>>> after being delayed 2 weeks because of overbooking due to COVID-19
>>>> infections.  The procedure took about 1-1/2 hours on Monday afternoon.
>>> But,
>>>> I was in the recovery room for several hours.  I had some weird
>>> reactions to
>>>> the nerve block.  As I was coming out of it, I started uncontrollably
>>>> shivering, bordering on convulsions at times.  I wasn't cold, just
>>> shaking
>>>> from head to toe.  It took 3 doses of IV Demerol to make it stop.  Monday
>>>> night, the nerve block  caused my heart rate, BP, and blood oxygen to
>>> shoot
>>>> up and down all over the map.  I was hooked up to an EKG, auto BP cuff,
>>> and
>>>> blood oxygen monitor all night, with nurses in constant attendance.
>>>> Fortunately, by Tuesday morning, they had my cardiac issues stabilized.
>>> The
>>>> nerve block also caused my bowels to stop working for a couple of days.
>>>> But, I finally had a BM this afternoon.
>>>> 
>>>> Dr. Ware, my orthopedist, stopped into my hospital room early Tuesday
>>>> morning.  He said the procedure went well and that the incision looked
>>> like
>>>> it was healing nicely, with no leaking or signs of infection.  My right
>>> knee
>>>> area is swollen about 3 cm larger in circumference vs. the left knee.
>>> With
>>>> great difficulty and a lot of pain, I can get the knee joint to bend to
>>>> about 80 deg and straighten out to about 170 deg.  I had 2 PT sessions in
>>>> the hospital on Tuesday and another PT session in Beaverton today.  All
>>> were
>>>> very painful and exhausting!  But, the therapists say I'm doing well.  I
>>>> have my next PT session in Beaverton on Thursday morning.  I'm getting
>>>> around pretty well in my walker and I've figured out how to get in and
>>> out
>>>> of the Toyota minivan by myself.  I don't think I'll be able to use our
>>>> Subaru Legacy sedan for a while because the car is much lower and the
>>> doors
>>>> are not as wide.  Obviously, I won't be able to drive for several weeks.
>>>> 
>>>> I am on pain meds just prior to PT and to help me sleep.  As long as I
>>> can
>>>> keep the knee joint in a neutral position, the pain is not bad.  But
>>> lifting
>>>> the leg or loading it in any way is excruciating!  At the moment, I have
>>> a
>>>> hard time sitting in the car for over an hour.  I am using my COLD
>>> machine
>>>> to sleep and several hours each day.  It helps with the swelling and
>>> pain.
>>>> 
>>>> So far, it's no fun; but, about what I expected.
>>>> 
>>>> Roger Pihlaja
>>>> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>>>> 
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>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>>