Something about this whole hip-replacement deal which is very cool (and which I didn't even think about until tonight) is that the pain that she was living with is instantly gone. I guess the idea of surgery is so attached to the idea of pain in my mind that I had just been assuming it was going to suck for months afterwards. But it makes sense--the parts that were grating together have been cut away and replaced with machined, quality controlled, high precision steel parts (which don't have as many nerves in them). It's definitely a load off of all of our minds, since we could see that she was fighting a lot of pain on a daily basis for the past couple of years. She doesn't know it yet, but we're planning on making her hike some fourteeners this summer as therapy.
I haven't written in a while...let's see...what's happened... Well, last weekend I did my first serious long run in preparation for a long race this spring. It was really surprising to me the difference between how I feel at 1:30 and 2:00. That extra half-hour totally changes things. The hard part about the whole distance thing for me is mental--I tend to get about 90% done and then sort of just give up. I'll still run, just not with the same intensity...and the thing is--I know it's not because I can't, it's just because I know the end is near. I'm working on that, though.
Oh, and here's something else cool that happened this weekend. After my run, Elly and I were just sitting around watching TV when these Superbowl specials came on the Food Network. There was one about tailgating and barbeques and stuff, and within five minutes of seeing it, we both decided that we need to find a rib place urgently. I didn't know any local places here in Boulder (other than stupid chains), so Elly picked up the phone book and found The Rib Place in Longmont. It was awesome! The food was great, and it was nice to get out of Boulder for a little while. The restaurant is in one of those new sustainable neighborhood places. We really liked the houses and apartments we saw, except for the ridiculous price tags. I'm sure they're very nice, but paying $300K for a two bedroom apartment in the middle of the prairie seems crazy to me. Actually, the architecture made us want to move back to Europe more than it made us want to move to Longmont...
I guess that's all I should write for now. This was supposed to be a quick update and it's turning into a novel...
February 9th, 2005 at 05:05 AM there is this bbq joint on canyon that i always wanted to try... at least i think its on canyon. maybe its on arapahoe. hmm.. heck i guess it could be on walnut too. anyway.. it looks like a total crap hole. but in a 'bet the bbq is tasty' kind of way. i wish i could remember the name. hmm.
February 11th, 2005 at 05:03 AM You go GIRL I suppose it won't be too long and I will need a new knee. You will have to walk me through it...get it ...walk me through it. Sorry. I am glad for you and I know you will be in much less pain. Sorry Doug for using your blog to send a message to your momma:)
March 2nd, 2005 at 11:50 AM Thanks Lardawg for the message. I am working on getting outside and through the snow on crutches. It ain't working...
April 2nd, 2005 at 05:58 AM I hope some day that you will read this, I have a teacher I know at school that just had a knee replaced and she is really having a time of it. It is just taking a long time for her. It does get stiff and I think that is because she does alot of standing and not enough moving, but the pain is getting less and less for her which is good. I think that you are one in a million because it seems that you have not suffered alot of post operative pain. So I am very happy for you. I also think you are more determined to get going something I think this lady suffers with. She also has Lupis. So there you have it, thank God that you are recovering nicely. Hey meet you in the mountians and we will do a hike...hahahah