THE SURGERY SAGA CONTINUES

It’s Good To Be Home . . .

But the knee is showing a stubborn streak

Leaving Lamalou at last — sort of (photos by author)

Sorry, yet another knee story. I promise I’ll move on to more interesting topics soon, but my knee is the drama queen of the moment and it’s hard to think about much else. Although the celebratory lunch my partner and I had with a friend yesterday did manage to distract me. A second festive lunch today — following a check-up with the surgeon — provided further distraction. As did an excellent bottle of rosé. That sort of thing usually does the trick.

The knee is functioning perfectly, the surgeon proclaimed my extension capacity was formidable, it means the same in English. Essentially, I can bend my bionic right knee just as well as the left one I was born with. I’m very happy about all that, the surgeon looked pretty pleased with his work too.

What we’re both less pleased with is the surgical incision’s stubborn resistance to closing. I did try Ted Jones suggestion to visualise it closed, sorry to say it didn’t work. Fine though if you want a celebratory pain aux raisin anyway, Ted — I’m sure you can find plenty to celebrate other than my recalcitrant wound.

Age (old of course) fragile skin from years of cortisone use for eczema and poor circulation are all possible culprits. No infection, but with an open wound, there’s always that possibility so in addition to a nurse coming in daily to change the dressing, a nurse specialist will also visit to drain the wound — or something like that. Hopefully, you’re not reading this over breakfast. I’m not sure how long this will go on, until the wound shows signs of closing, I guess.

(Perhaps I should rename my knee, Biden. Sorry, Joe, but enough’s enough.)

Anyway, I’m hoping this will do the trick. I did succumb to the temptation to consult Dr. Google who had a variety of suggestions from turmeric poultices to honey — but I only had to imagine the look of horror on my surgeon’s face to abandon any ideas of alternative treatment.

Flowers blooming thanks to my partner

So is anything else going on in the world besides my gaping knee? Silly question, of course not. Well not in my immediate world. My partner has done a magnificent job of keeping the garden watered while I’ve been lazing around in Lamalou. The weather has turned hellish and without his intervention the roses would have fried. As much as I’d like to go down to check out the blooms, the heat and fear of some insidious bacteria sneaking into my wound have kept me inside the garret.

My friend Kit’s daughter is getting married in California today, Kit and I finally came up with a Mother-of-the-Bride speech she approved of. As the happy couple head off to Costa Rica for their honeymoon, Kit will be assembling her wardrobe for a September Med cruise (the first she’s taken without Jerry, hard to believe it’s now almost a year since he died.) And in October we’ll meet in Rome. And if my wound has not closed by then I might consider sewing it shut myself.

I’d disinfect the needle of course.

OK, no more knee stories. Unless there’s really a (k)need.

Sorry.