I took it out for a spin today, and it did pretty darn good.

Just a few days ago, I was still relying on a crutch(es) to help me get around.  Then over the weekend, I started using my cane instead.

Well, last night and continuing today, my leg just kept wanting to move.

• Bend it.
• Straighten it.
• Bend it.
• Etc.
• Etc.

This afternoon, I finally did it.  I went to Wal-Mart, put my cane into the basket, my hat into the infant seat and started to walk.

Then I started to walk more, stretching the leg farther and farther.

First thing I did, was to pick up a can of Pringles, only because they were at the front door.

Next, I found a new water jug/mug, because my last one fell and shattered.  Which I mourned until I finally tossed it into the trash can and started using one of the ones everyone else in the house were using.  Unfortunately for me, the replacement was almost half the size and it was driving me nuts to refill so often.

Then I walked around here and there in the store until I realized my leg was going to quit on me, so I checked out and came home.

So, here I am typing, wishing that the muscle ache I feel will only be as bad as it feels now, but I rather doubt that.

I finally took note, just before I left, that the blood rush/swelling which I had been getting for weeks had stopped.

Right here, I need to mention that earlier today, I went out and clipped off all the dead heads off the mums I planted out in my tree stump planter. (I don't know if I wrote about taking my chain saw out and turning the tree stump into a planter.)

I had to cut the dead heads off because it wasn't watered well after my other knee was replaced.  The blooms that were on the plants when I put them into the planter, all wilted off.

Today, despite being in late September, the temp is close to 90 degrees F.  So, I'll have to water the plants tonight, just to make sure that they'll survive.

Perhaps I can get Ellie or one of the Misses to setup the sprinkler to get my planter?

Time to work... I suppose.

Before my first knee replacement, I tried to apply for state unemployment and I was denied because, "I couldn't work".

I complained that it was discrimination, but the chick on the phone seemed shocked that I would even dare mention that.  I had to say that because I was being denied because I wasn't able to work due to my disability and inability to work due to my arthritis and upcoming knee replacements.

Over the last week, I've been starting to work with my last employer's unemployment agency to look for work.

This week, I'm working on trying to get my state unemployment insurance payments going again.

Although, I am not sure WTF is going to happen.

I also need to work on getting an idea of what employers are where that can pay me close to what I need to keep my family and I living.

My last pay was about $83,000/year (~$41.00/hour).

I think we can survive on $50,000/year.  If I could find a job here in our little city for about that much, then I could probably walk to work most of the time.

I really, really would love being able to walk to work, instead of relying on a car.

Hell, maybe even riding my bike.

Well, I am about to dive into state unemployment website and bureaucracy now.

Wish me luck!

Must be "that" time again.

Well, maybe not the time you think it is, but perhaps it's the time for the monthly cycle sales...

Oh well.

Ellie has been getting pushed under a lot of stress, again, and she usually freaks out and starts to go totally berserk when this happens.

Don't think I'm over exaggerating, because while I am a little bit, but it's pretty true.

Yesterday, when she got home from work, she said she was absolutely tired and wanted to sleep/nap really badly.

Well, she couldn't.  The Misses are in two different sports right now, so they're on two different practice and game schedules.

So, she couldn't sleep because of that, then she started flipping out on me about something I did on Friday, which I shouldn't have done, but I didn't think anything about it when I did it.

I gave what I thought were a couple of "idle" threats to the physical therapist.  (I said I was going to punch him in the face if he didn't stop something because it was making my pain much much worse.)

What he did to warrant me saying this was that when he kept pushing my leg beyond where I could handle it, even after I said I couldn't do it and that the pain was already beyond what I could handle for the day!

So, on the way home, I got scolded by Ellie like I was 12.  That was not good enough, because she brought it up again yesterday.

Then on top of things again, she brought up, how she can't wait until I was off "the medicine", meaning pain killers.  Ellie said how she didn't want me to find a "new" way or "pain" so that I could keep using them.

You know what, that's a hell of an insult to me.

I'm the one who's cutting back on the pain med usage after the surgery right now, not her.  Not even the doctor is giving me suggestions of how much to cut back to.

When I cut back for about half a day, then I get nailed hard when my body's saturation level depletes and the pain completely hits me again.

Here, Ellie says, "Maybe you shouldn't have cut back so much?"

WTF!?

Ellie suggested that we go and see the marriage counselor again, which I am open to, because the marriage counselor is the same counselor I see in general.

When Ellie said I had to do it, I said that she could call the number on the back of the insurance card because it was the same phone number.

For whatever reason, this made her flip out some more.  "I don't want to do it!" she practically screamed at me.

Now, I wasn't telling her she had to do anything, I was just explaining how I do it.

I think Ellie just needs to see the counselor by herself.  Ellie doesn't handle stress well, and has bad anxiety problems...  Ellie will NEVER admit she has anxiety problems related to stress.  Nor will she ever take medication because of it, because "she's not crazy!"

I guess I'm one loony mother fucker then.

Now, I've been ragging on Ellie for most of this post, and it's only because I'm upset with her.

Mostly, I'm concerned about her more than anything else.

I Love Ellie!

Since I lost my job she's been riding on the edge.

Now going through the healing process of knee replacement has made this edge thinner.

Finally, working, and the kids going to school and sports, has made that edge a virtual piece of hair!

Yesterday, apparently, the thread she had been on snapped.

I love her, and I can't wait until I am recovered from the knee replacements and have another job.

The job can be any sort of hours right now, mostly because I want Ellie to struggle a little bit just for me to be employed.

It would be really good for her to struggle while I'm not at home to hear about it.

I'm sorry to say all of that Ellie.

I really, really love you!

The other one is installed and it hurts like hell... often.

The original replacement of left knee went well.

It straightens & bends well.  Muscles are in good shape, except for spending more time walking & using them.

Now that the right knee's replacement is done, things are quite different.

I wish that I had been logging entries during the entire recovery for the left knee.  Be it daily, weekly, etc.

The recovery of my right one is hard to determine how it's progressing because I don't have enough details per each milestone.

This is OK, as I am working at straightening the knee out more.  I hadn't been doing a very good job because the pain has been so fucking intense.

One of the things that really hampered the recovery of the right knee is an accident I had 6 days after my surgery.

I thought I had figured out how to get in and out of our tall bed by myself.

While everyone was out of the room, I thought I would get out of bed.

Instead of going well, the damn leg slipped and bent beyond what I was able to handle. (90+ degree bend)  This was VERY painful.  I slumped to the floor and had to have my family help me to the recliner, where I took the max pain killers I could take.

Since then, I have been guarding the knee so that I don't want to bend it much because I fear the pain, and keeping it straight scares me too because it hurts so damn bad that way too.

With knee replacements you need to work on keeping the leg as straight as possible all the time.  If it heals bent, then you usually need revision surgery to correct the improper healing.

I don't want that.

Well.  I took a hiatus of writing this to put my shoes on, then to walk back and forth in front of the house for a bit to stretch out my leg and exercise it. (Of course, duh)

I don't feel like writing tons more right now, so I'll stop.