SPARE PARTS

I have been pretty lucky with my health thus far.  Most of my aches and pains are due to my previous life of horseback riding and downhill skiing.  There have been a few spills and falls that did cause doctor visits, hospitalization and a few operations, but thank goodness for the invention of replacement parts.  I have had my knee worked on, a new hip and a reverse shoulder replacement.  So you could call me Robot Girl.  

The airports love me as it gives those people in uniforms that just stand around, something to do.  Seems I always get in the wrong line that doesn’t have the X-ray machine.  Being unprepared for the process, shoes come off and I didn’t bring any socks of course, having the only guard available frisking me and announcing to the entire world, “I am going to touch you here and here, do you want to go into a special room for my exam?”........”No thank you!”  So this does help out with the airline employment department.

One nice thing after replacement surgery is you get to park in the handicap zone, and your certificate is usually good for 6 months.  I remember one time it was a cold winter, parking lots were icy and I was just recently off my crutches.  So I very carefully got out of my car, and walked into a strip mall to pick up a few things.  One of the sales ladies was going into the same store, I guess after her lunch break.  She saw me getting out of my car and walk w/o any device for my “handicap” status.  She yelled at me for using a parking space when someone in need should be using it.  I don’t think I, personally, have ever yelled at someone who got out of a handicap parking space and accused them of cheating.  But you have all kinds in this world, don’t you?

Another nice thing after replacement surgery is you don’t have to do anything for at least a few weeks, depending on the seriousness of the operation.  With my shoulder, lifting loads of laundry was dangerous, and with my arm in a sling, couldn’t do dishes, no sweeping, making beds, and cooking with heavy pans was difficult.  I couldn’t even clean up dog poop or cat litter boxes.  In fact, my husband got so used to it, he does it all the time now.  All surgery patients need this special time to watch others do their job.  It’s comforting.

So during your recuperation you can enjoy the many books that have been sitting on the shelf waiting for you to devour them.  I could still text and work the computer keyboard, send emails, watch TV and have my cats and dogs on my bed to keep me company.  This covalescent thing is the best part.

It is actually amazing what orthopedic surgeons can do nowadays with technology.  I am so grateful that I was able to have these inventions become part of my body.  I never take it for granted, however, as I have continued to do my therapeutic exercises daily even though I was told it wasn’t necessary after a period of time.  You need to keep them moving or who knows if they might rust.  Special types of exercises are of the utmost importance in keeping this body in top form after going to all this work to fix it.  I read somewhere it is similar to the wear on a car tire.  It seems obvious that a tire can withstand a lot of mileage with a sensible and careful driver at the wheel.  However, that same tire may wear out after only a few miles when a race car driver is behind the wheel