It has been a week since my knee surgery, and almost two weeks since my rotator cuff surgery. I guess I can say that I am doing as well as could be expected, given the circumstances.

Leah took me to a post-op followup Wednesday. They took out the stitches in my shoulder and took off the bandages and leg braces to get a look at my knee. This was the first time I had seen it. The incision is about six inches long, from my lower thigh, all the way across the knee. There are 28 staples holding it closed.

The staples are supposed to come out next Wednesday. The doctor is also going to set up some physical therapy for my knee at that time. In the meantime, he said I can use my half-walker and put some weight on the knee, as long as the brace is locked at full extension.

I have not had significant pain from my shoulder or my knee. I was taking hydrocodone for my shoulder, and was supposed to continue that for my knee. I was taking two pills at bedtime for a couple of days, but I stopped that Monday night. Not only am I not having enough pain to need the medication, there are also some fairly unpleasant side effects from an opioid like hydrocodone. I’ll be glad when that stuff is out of my system completely.

All told, I guess I can’t complain too much about my condition right now, especially since Leah is having to do all the work, plus deal with her own pain issues. Her laminectomy in December didn’t resolve her nerve pain issues, and the pain medication is not doing a very good job, either. That is very much a work in progress.