Knee et. al.

     Since the only thing new in my life is surgery recovery, AND since I haven't posted in two weeks, I guess I am left with nothing topical but my health status. I had my right knee replaced on 30 Nov, was released from the rehab hospital on 9 Dec, had three weeks of in home physical therapy and started outpatient PT yesterday. There was a side note to my first day of PT. Over the past few years I have done a lot of PT at two local facilities: Sports Plus, and the Balance Center. Recently the Roper St. Francis hospital purchased both of them from Clemson University. They consolidated them where the Balance Center had been. It was an amicable takeover and all the old heads are still there. Durelle accompanied me because I am not (yet?) driving. First, while I was still filling out paperwork, a couple the the male therapists came out of the orthopedic side with big grins and handshakes. Then! while I was on my back on a table getting my leg stretched, three women from the Balance Center came over, one at a time, with more grins and big hugs. First was the lead therapist, then the receptionist, and finally "my" therapist. Durelle was sitting across the room observing the parade with a smile (I think).
     So, recovery is well underway. On Tuesday I saw both the surgeon that replaced my knee and, in the afternoon, my neurologist. With the former it was all good news. The range of motion, the incision, the swelling, and the X-rays were all excellent. The neurologist visit was not so pleasant. I remembered that, ten years ago, his predecessor told me that I had an "idiopathic, incurable, degenerative neurological disorder". In layman's terms he said, "We don't know what caused your neuropathy. We don't know how to fix it, and it's going to get worse."
     Well, sure enough, it is getting worse. From an annoyance in my feet a decade ago, it has now moved up above my knees. The neurologist also said that when it gets above the knees, it sometimes shows up in the hands. There is no sign of that, but it is an unpleasant thought. So, since the neuropathy restricts me to using a walker, the therapy regimen for the knee is being substantially modified. 
     As a side note; this afternoon I will go to Senator Graham's Charleston office to help interview candidates for the various military academies class of 2021!!!. Of the four candidates I will be interviewing, all want to go to Annapolis. Half want Marine Corps Infantry. Oh well, I guess it's too late to dissuade them. Seriously, their credentials are outstanding. One is a track star valedictorian. Another is Captain of BOTH football and swimming at Myrtle Beach High School!...and that's a large school.
     Life goes on...largely with Durelle's help. I still plan to try out the Corvette with a few laps around the neighborhood.  It would be nice to be able to drive myself to my own PT three time a week so that Durelle would not have to watch those unseemly spectacles that she did yesterday.😉