Looking out the Window
“Slow living is about intention, spending more time on things that are important and less on things that aren’t.” – Brooke McAlary
For nearly two weeks now, I have spent much of my day in the sunroom of our house icing my knee. As some of you might know, I had knee replacement surgery early this month, and the long rehab has started.
My surgeon shared with me that the entire rehab process will take up to 12 months. If I do my math right, that’s about a year, which is a long time.
The good thing is that you are technically mobile for an hour or two after surgery. Once I awoke from the anesthesia and I looked semi-able, the nurse showed me to my brand-new walker.
I was off-and-running!
Let me change that … very slowly walking.
What I am Learning
#1: Who is the surgeon?
For those of you who are planning to have knee replacement surgery, here is the #1 question you will receive from family members, friends, and even strangers …
“Who is doing your surgery?”
Apparently, there are some notable surgeons in each city, and I guess they perform most of the surgeries.
My surgeon was not one of the notables, but he did a good job. I liked what he said to me right before the operation …
“I will use robotics as much as possible to limit nerve damage, which means pain management will be better and faster.”
Yet another great benefit provided to us by technology!
#2: The pain endured is subjective.
If you speak to anyone who has undergone the surgery, you will hear one of these two extremes:
“Wow! This was the most painful experience of my entire life!”
Or …
“I took the pain meds for a few days, and then weened myself off them. After that, I was pretty much good to go with almost no pain.”
My experience to this point is somewhere in the middle. I am taking all the pain meds as prescribed to this point, and when the Hydrocodone wears off after about 4 or 5 hours, the pain in the left knee returns.
I’m sure some of you know that Hydrocodone is a narcotic and a semi-synthetic opioid, which means it can be addictive. I am fully aware of the potential issue here, and I plan to stop using it very soon.
The good thing for me is that I have zero desire to take it other than for pain. For me, this medication reduces the knee pain and makes me drowsy. That’s it!
Looking out the Window
Let me get back to the original topic.
While sitting in the sunroom, I’ve had some wonderful experiences.
Because I am usually up at 5 a.m. or so, I can see the beautiful sunrise each morning. I can also hear the birds chirping, as if they want us to wake up and enjoy the day.
The other day about mid-morning, we had a terrific rain here in San Antonio that lasted a few hours. I enjoyed seeing the water come down to nourish the trees, plants, and grass.
When I work upstairs from my home office, I do not get this beautiful view. But from downstairs, I get the full experience of what nature has to offer.
The other key benefit of spending more time downstairs is that I get to spend more time with my family. Each morning during the week, I have a short conversation with our 16-year-old daughter Helena as she prepares her morning breakfast before school. Because she is part of the dance team, she walks to her car with at least two backpacks!
There is no doubt that the knee replacement surgery recuperation process will be tough, but the unanticipated blessings of spending more time with family and nature are just what the doctor ordered!
I will keep you posted, my friends.
Thank you for your prayers.
God is good! All the time!
Inspiring Quotes
“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.” – Lily Tomlin
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: What beauty is around you when you slow down?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.