It's been one adventure after another for me since I last posted in March. April 29th was suppose to be my Independence Day! I was going to have the cast removed from my leg that morning and be able to walk again. That went smoothly and I got fitted for a walking boot and got the MD's note to go back to work part-time. Boy, did I have an ugly looking leg! Big, red, angry looking scars and dry, scaly 'reptile' skin. For the next week I left a trail of flaked off skin whenever I moved. I was wrong about the location of the brake. It was just above the ankle through both leg bones. The ligaments in the foot were torn up pretty bad. The orthopedic surgeon wasn't kidding when he said I really did a job on my leg! I've been exercising faithfully and have regained a lot of the range of motion already.
The 2nd appointment of the day was with the cardiac surgeon who again had to cancel, so I saw his PA. She ordered blood work when I felt the office and promised to call me with the results. About 1/2 hour after I got home I received a phone call from the surgeon telling me to get to an ER ASAP. It seemed the dose of Coumadin I had been taking wasn't large enough. The clotting factors in my blood were wrong and I was in danger of developing a clot on the artificial heart valve, having a major stoke and dying. So it was back to the hospital in Cooperstown where I was admitted, an IV with Heparin started and increasing large doses of Coumadin given, and where I stayed until Tuesday, May 5th when my INR (a clotting factor) finally edged up into the therapeutic range and I was released. All of this could have been avoided if someone had ordered blood work 6 weeks ago when I asked if it was necessary. Anyway, my clotting factors, now being monitored, are right where they're suppose to be and the surgeon recommended a new cardiologist. The moral of this adventure is to always ask questions!
My next adventure wasn't medical. It was mechanical, automotive in fact. I am the proud owner of an 1998 Subaru Outback with a wacky factory-installed security system that can be activated by any key-less entry remote except the one that came with it (oh, yes, it can!). While I was in the hospital this last time my cousin checked out my car so it would be ready to be driven again and it wouldn't start it. He assumed the battery was dead and decided to recharge it. But it still wouldn't start. He started talking about a new battery and I started wondering what was happening. When I got home on Tuesday, the charger was hooked up to the battery and the parking lights and dashboard lights were flashing. I knew immediately that the security system had been activated! (There wasn't an audio alarm going off coz the maintenance man at the library had cut that wire one day when we couldn't get the system to shut up/off!) After a couple of phone calls a very smart mechanic at the local Ford/Subaru dealership gave us the solution that was so easy I'm surprised no one told me about it before! Now I just need to be sure there is a pair of pliers in my bag. I drove the car up and down the driveway a couple of times to see how it felt. No problems I could tell except it wasn't easy to drive with a support boot on your right foot! I had thought I could drive myself to the Coumadin clinic at the hospital the next morning for blood work but quickly changed my mind.
It's great being home and sleeping in my own bed. I do (not) miss the lab techs who woke me up between 5 & 6 am most mornings for blood and the nurses who came at 7am for blood pressure and temperature and, of course, all of the 4 various roommates (old and young) who snored, snorted and talked in their sleep most of the night and who will remain thankfully nameless.
While I was in the hospital the staff kept coming in to watch me working on baby socks using Happy Feet from Plymouth Yarn and Melody from Jojoland. The pattern is from the Summer 2005 issue of Interweave Knits. It calls for size 0 dp needles but I use 2 16" size 0 circulars needles. Both yarns are self-stripping and because the socks are so small, the designs I get don't match but the socks are cute! I usually have a pair on needles in a ziplock bag with me for when I get stuck in traffic or waiting rooms. I had wanted to take the cardigan I was working on with me but I was having trouble getting the pattern established and besides, I didn't think I'd be in the hospital more than overnight, let alone for almost a week! When I got home the pattern seemed to just fall into place and I finished the sweater in a couple of days. The pattern, Spring Flowers Cardigan, is in the May 2009 issue of Creative Knitting. I used Shine Worsted from KnitPicks, a Pima Cotton and Modal blend, on 24" size 4 and 6 circulars. Now I've got an adult sock started on 2 16" size 1 circulars using Maizy, a corn fiber blend that has a nice soft feel to it and I just ordered more Happy Feet for 2 pairs of socks. I found a basic formula for men's socks on the internet at www.knitlist.com that I like and works up nice in self-stripping yarns.
While I was recuperating from my heart valve operation and with my cast keeping me from walking much or driving myself anywhere, a lot of family and friends pitched in to help. My mom came up with a great idea on how to thank the ones who checked in on us nearly every day and I started knitting thank you gifts. The cardigan is for our next-door neighbor and the socks will go to 3 of my co-workers who raked our 3/4 acre yard one Saturday. Another co-worker got an Aran sleeveless pullover from the Best of Worsted by White Birches in her favorite color. Since they gave their time, the least I could do was the same and knit something for them.
Today was my 1st day back at work at the library and I enjoyed it! Not all our patrons knew what had happened to me and I was surprised with a lot of different reactions to the (40 lbs) thinner me and the walking boot. One woman even assumed when I wasn't there for over 2 months that I had gone to China to visit Fred! Now, that would have been a heck of a lot more enjoyable that my adventures! I still have to have a screw removed from my ankle and while I'm not looking forward to that, that shouldn't be a problem. My short-term problem will continue to be getting yarn since right now, the only local store that carries yarn that I feel comfortable driving to is Wal-Mart. Oh, well, think of all the money I'm saving! Since I can no longer sit up half the night knitting, it's time to get back to my sock. I'm sure there is another adventure in store for me!
