Here I Go Again

Well, it’s been a long time since I updated the blog, so I thought I would try to find something interesting to write about while we’re here at Laguna Woods.  My many fans are missing the posts (all two of them).

My hip is like a brand new hip.  The pain is completely gone, and the Doctor said I can do just about anything I want to do except for yoga, which could cause a dislocation.  As many of you know the chances of me taking up yoga are slim.  He doesn’t want to see me for 4 months, which we thought was a good sign.

One of the things I want to try is playing golf again.  I don’t have any clubs right now, so I’ve been perusing Craig’s List to fine a used set that will work for me.  I went to Golfsmith, and they had a section for old geezers like me, so I noted the brands and I’ve been using that as a guide.  Who would of thought I would reach this point so fast that I’m looking at the senior’s section.  Oh, well, such is reality.  I don’t turn down senior discounts either.  They have a 27 hole regulation golf course here at the village, plus a 9 hole par 3 course.  The green fees are $8 a round plus $10 for a cart.  It motivates me to get out there! When I play my first round I’ll take some pictures for the blog.

We drove out to Temecula to attend with Matt & Suzanne the 3-D ultrasound of our new grandboy.  It amazing what they can do with technology now.  Here’s a couple of the pictures.We both thought that he looked like Matt and had Suzanne’s nose.  But who knows.  We’ll find out when the baby is born at the end of September, or when he turns 18.  It was a very neat experience and we’re glad that Matt & Suzanne opted for this. 

It’s Been Five Weeks Today

It’s been five weeks today since my surgery, and I’m feeling really good.  In fact, I’ve retired the cane! Today I rode the stationary bike for 20 minutes, going about 6 miles.  And I walked an additional 2 miles back to the condo.  I wonder how I’ll feel tomorrow.

This last week we’ve done a few things.  I’ll start with the important things, Linda got her hair cut and styled and I got a haircut.  Linda looks better than me, but then again she always does.  We also had to take Pearl in the Vet, as she’s not doing real well.  It turned out she had a urinary infection.  So we go some antibiotics and some additional pain pills for her hips.  It seems we’re all going to the Doctor for some reason.  On Wednesday evening we went to the Spring Fling dinner for the RV club in the village.  They’re a great group, but we wish we could go on a rally with them.  The timing is always wrong.  Now they’re not going anywhere until the fall. 

On Thursday Linda went out to Hemet to help Suzanne close down her room at the end of the school year.  There’s always a lot of cleaning up and putting stuff away for the Summer, and Linda was happy to help.  And she didn’t have to put up with me all day, a real dividend.

I’m volunteering in the camera digital lab as a supervisor a couple of times a month.  It’s fun to play with all of the neat computers and printers, and I might be able to help some of the other members.  And I might start printing some of my photos for our walls.

Linda is getting active in the beading club, and we’re starting to attend some of the committee meetings to find out how the village operates.  I went to a broadband meeting today that manages the cable TV network and the Internet access.  The big issue today was that they turned off two of the Spanish stations because of a change in the fee structures.  They not only wanted fees, but also wanted it retroactive 18 months, which would be over $200,000.  A lot of the residents were unhappy, but when they heard about the fees they calmed down a lot.  The cable system is included in the HOA fees, so the channel lineup is always a difficult decision and no matter what is decided, someone is going to be unhappy.

So that’s all the news lately from the Hubers.  I have been to inactive lately with the surgery, so I’m planning to step it up a bit with more hiking, and maybe some swimming.  They have 5 pools here that are real nice.  I’m only afraid that someone will make a mistake and think a whale has invaded the pool.

Linda’s Green Thumb

Here in Laguna Woods Village all of the maintenance is provided by the HOA, including all of the common areas.  It doesn’t leave much space for gardening, but Linda’s found a few areas to get her hands dirty.  Here’s a little planter box.

And here’s a little area by our patio.  If we add plants to the area we have to maintain them. We planted some marigolds for a border, but they’re almost gone as the bunny rabbits seem to really enjoy them.

The have garden plots that we can lease, but there’s a long waiting list and we don’t seem to be moving up fast.  It’s amazing how many people enjoy gardening.

As for my new hip, it’s healing really well.  I’m driving the car again, running errands, and starting to ride the stationary bike for my PT.  Everyday I try to do little more, but I don’t want to rush it and face a setback.  Slow and steady, that’s my game.

A-OK

I went to the Doctors yesterday for a follow up to the surgery.  It’s been 2 1/2 weeks and I can’t believe how well I’m feeling.  I even drove all the way to Santa Monica and back.  It felt good to be getting back to normal.

They took an X-Ray, and I saw my new hip for the first time.  It was very interesting.  Here’s an example I found in Wikipedia. As you can see, the bottom slides inside the femur, which surprised me.  My incision is longer than a standard hip replacement because they had to remove the previous plate and screws.

It’s healing very nicely.  The only precautions I have to be aware of is the chance of a dislocation.  So I have to careful not to cross my right leg over my left.  He cleared me for hiking, bicycling, and swimming.  I didn’t ask him about golf, because I didn’t want to put any pressure on it yet with the twisting.  I know I can play golf(or try to play) in the future.

So that’s the good news.  I have to be careful not to overdo things right now, but I’m feeling better than I’ve felt in months.  I don’t have another appointment for 7 weeks.  Like I said, everything is A-OK.

A Trip Back to Los Angeles

We headed back to SoCal on Wed., 2-4, for a few days. On Thursday John gave a wine seminar for his Mom's church group. It started with a delicious lunch, then John was on. He was planning on a 45 minute presentation, but it stretched to 90 minutes. He sure can talk a lot about wine! There was some good questions, and good discussion. The leader said it was the best attended function in years. We told you the food was good.

The big surprise for both of us was the attendance of Pastor Birner and Freida. Pastor Birner married us 40 years ago, and was our Pastor during our high school, college, and early married years. He also married our son Matt, and his son David was in our wedding. Freida bought some pictures so that we could catch up with family news. David is a serving in the Missionary area managing many of the Lutheran overseas missions. It was so much fun learning of our friends life's.

It was enjoyable staying with John's Mom in Laguna Woods. It's a senior active living development similar to Del Web, with lots of activities. John's Mom works with ceramics and makes many beautiful pieces. In fact, while we were there she gave us a beautiful wine chiller. She also cooked us one of Linda's favorite dinners, pot roast. Thanks, Mom, for a great time.

On Friday we had to leave because John had a Doctor's appointment for his hip. It continuing to heal, but it's still sore and John has a limp when he walks. So he'll have to return in March for another checkup. It sure takes longer to heal when you're old.

One of the Christmas presents the family gave Linda's Mom was a home makeover with the labor provided by the Grandkids. Since we were in town, we used this weekend for the projects. Michael & John put in a new dishwasher, Linda, Donna, Katie & Tif pulled all of the old wallpaper out of the bedroom and bathroom, then on Sunday Michael, Matt, & Suzanne painted the rooms. It turned our really nice, and Lois was happy with the results. And everyone had a great time!

On Saturday John headed out to Perchanga Resort, where Matt works, to attend a wine festival. There was over 80 wineries represented and the event was sold out.

There's was a lot of great food from the 7 different restaurants in the resort, including the new grill at the recently opened golf course, Journey.

There was also a silent auction for the Red Cross, cheese tastings, and more. The event was so much fun, John was glad to learn they're planning to repeat it next year. You can see more pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/winequest/PechangaWineFestival#

After the event, John went back to Matt & Suzanne's house. They recently had some work done in their yard to put in a patio and grass. Some of you readers may remember our entry when John helped Matt put in the sprinkler system. Now the project is complete, except for some plants.

As you can tell, every time Matt works on his landscaping, it pours down rain!

But it did turn out really nice. Now Matt & Suzanne can get a dog!

So it was a busy 5 days, but very rewarding. On Sunday night we headed back to Surprise and Happy Trails to relax and recover.

Results from the Doctor-Good News

John had his follow up appointment with a new Doctor located in Santa Monica. Dr. Ehrhart had worked with Dr. Larson during his internship at St. John's hospital, so there was good communication between the Doctors, and we were confident that Dr. Ehrhart would give us a good follow up examination.

After filling out all of the forms and getting insurance clearance, we went into the exam room. John had to go out for another x-ray to check up on the healing process. Everything is now digital, so there's now waiting for the film to develop, and the results are available on a computer screen. For you technical types out there, they had an interesting system where the x-ray is on a portable tablet PC, which is slipped into a docking station. and a large LCD screen gives the detail view of the hip.

The hip is healing well, and John was told he could put total weight on his right leg for the first time since the Sept. 5. The Doctor then spent time with John showing him how to walk and encouraging him to put more weight on his right leg. It was a difficult transition because John is still using the walker for stability, and he naturally wanted to take the weight off by supporting himself with his arms. But, he began to get the hang of it. He'll use the walker for another week, then he'll transfer to a cane in his left hand. Linda's still concerned that John will try to do to much to fast, but she'll keep him in check. One of the benefits is that John is now the designated driver again. Linda is a great driver, but she doesn't like driving on all of the freeways and traffic in SoCal.

We'll be going to Chase's baptism on Sunday, then we're off to visit our friends in Turlock. Through our good friends and old neighbor, Dave & Jean Drayer, we'll be able to stay in their pool house so we can drive the Pilot. Linda has really been giving a deep cleaning to the MoHo, including all of the closets. We'll both have to do some clothes shopping when John gets to walking better.

Good News & Disappointments

We went to John's orthopedic Doctor today for a follow up. The good news is he gave John permission to drive so that we can leave Port Angeles and start heading South. The disappointment is that John still can not put any weight on his right leg. Everything is healing well, but the Doctor wants to be cautious. Linda agreed wholeheartedly.

He knows a Doctor in SoCal for a follow up appointment in 2 weeks, so that's where we're heading, slowly. We'll bypass Turlock on our way down, but after the appointment, we'll head back up to Turlock. So we'll still be able to visit with our friends.

So that's it. John still has to use the walker, which is driving him crazy. But as Linda says, we don't want to go through another surgery because John rushed it. As usual, Linda's right.

An Average Day

The last couple of days have been average days, almost like we had when we had a stick house(we don't go to work however).

We started on Tues. by getting our oil changed and having the Honda checked over. We found out we need to get new tires. We might wait until we get to Oregon, because they have no sales tax (and the Mo-Ho needs tires too...).

After that we drove to Sequim to shop and do our laundry. We have a small combination washer/dryer in the MoHo, but it only holds a couple of shirts and one pair of pants at a time. So we still go to the laundromat for the sheets and towels. While we were in Sequim we went to Costco (which John always likes ), then onto the laundromat. John sat in the car and read his book and waited.

Then we headed back to the MoHo for dinner and to feed Pearl. We're currently watching a mini-series called "War & Remembrance". It's quite good, but it's long, using 12 video tapes.

Wednesday John had an appointment for a bone density scan. Linda & the doctor thought it would be good to check this for the future. We won't know the results until his doctor appointment on 10-9. It's an easy test, so everyone, not just women, should get one when they reach their 60's.

Linda took John back to the MoHo for a final appointment with his physical therapist, and then ran some errands and grocery shopping. The therapist gave John some written instructions on exercises to do when he can put weight on his leg. He's going to have to learn how to walk again, and build some muscle back into his right leg. We've been very blessed with a great medical team here in Port Angeles.

So now we're sitting here listening to the Dodger-Cub game. We're having a little trouble deciding who to root for because of our son Matt. He's a very devout Cub fan, to the extent that he wears his Cub's jersey when he goes to a Dodger game. Linda & John are old Dodger fans, going way back to when they were dating and going to the nose bleed seats at Dodger stadium. So whoever wins the series will be great with us.

We don't have anything planned for the weekend because the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy. But we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, so a quiet weekend might be good.

Out & About

The Doctor and the physical therapist both suggested that John get out more. So, with Linda driving, he began to venture forth (this is a hard thing for John, since he usually does all the driving).

One day we went to the Sequim to visit the local Costco. They had one of those scooters for riding around the store, and John got the hang of it right away. He enjoyed getting out and looking around the store. One of John's enjoyments is sampling new food that is offered a Costco. And he was able to check out the cameras, books and wines. Of course he couldn't drink any wine because of his pain medication, but he still looked. And he bought some Jelly Bellys to enjoy.

After Costco, we stopped at Safeway for our groceries, and they had a scooter too. John's getting a whole new perceptive by shopping from a different level.

The outing perked John up and we think that the Doctor was right, he needed to get out. And we think there will be more outings in the future.

A Progress Report

John left the motorhome for the first time since he returned from the surgery on Wed. 9-17. He had a Doctor's followup appointment to see how the hip was healing. The physical therapist gave him instructions and practice on climbing and descending the stairs in the motorhome, and he made it to the car with no problem.

We first had to stop at the hospital for a blood test, then on to the Doctor's office. John hates getting stuck, and he always tells the nurse what a chicken he is, so they take special care on the blood draws.

Once in the Doctor's office, they took x-rays of the hip from all different directions. Then the Doctor reviewed them with us and John got to see the plate and screws for the first time. Everything is healing well and the Doctor was pleased with the progress. The good news is that John will not have to wear the support stockings he had been using to reduce the chance of blood clots. John was thrilled because they were very tight, and had a tendency to itch at night. The bad news was that he still can not put any weight on his right leg. So he still has to use the walker and be very careful.

Our Doctor, Dr. Larson, is a very young man with great credentials. He graduated from Oregon Health Science Center, worked in Albuquerque, NM, & Santa Monica, CA, before coming back to his home town of Port Angeles to raise his family in a small town environment. We're really glad he's our Doctor.

So, 4 more weeks of healing, then maybe John will be able to put some weight on his leg and start walking again.