Leaps and bounds..and two steps backwards

The collage is titled 'Leaps and bounds' not because the spiders were moving; these are really sedate spiders; they just kind of hang around unless they get scared then they can move real fast across their web. It is titled leaps and bounds because it shows my progress.  The pictures were taken the same day; from all different viewpoints; and different places.  I could walk around (a little)

but best of all suddenly I could bend and twist to get shots from varies angles.  Suddenly I have times of no pain even if it is still only rarely.  Mostly I no longer need to use my walker; my cane works well and I can walk around the house although for the most part I have to use the furniture to balance.

One of the best things about my new found abilities is being able to cook again.  I'm not up to big fancy meals but I can cook simple things.  My kitchen is such that I have to stand to cook.  We do have stools but they are to tall for me to sit on. But anyway now I can cook funky foods that only I like.  This is one of my favorites- Deluxe Tuna Melts- I make grilled cheese and substitute Provolone for American cheese and sprinkle Parmesan on the Provolone, then grill and when I flip, I put tuna salad on top and cover to heat the tuna.  It is a little strange, but I really like it, a couple of the kids think it's OK but not really enough to make it maybe more than once or twice a year and since only one child is at home it doesn't get made very often unless I make it.  This is a giant leap,comparing it to what I could do in the hospital; one of the things that you have to be able to do before you leave the hospital is to be able to brush your teeth.  Cooking with no support is a long way from having

to hold on to my walker for support to brush my teeth.

This has also given me the opportunity to go back on my diet.  I asked for Wal-Mart gift cards for my B-day so I can get the treats I like on my diet.  My weight stabilized while I was down with my knee but it's time to get back up and start again.

My two steps back in the title comes from my medication.  My laziness is not my fault; it is a side effect of the medications that I am taking and it is not just sleepiness or drowsiness; it is lethargy, that 'I don't care if I move Thank You' kind of feeling even if there is no reason for it.  I first talked to the pharmacist than the Doctor and they both agree that a great deal of my not getting things done is due to the medication induced lethargy, sorry about that.  Worse still is it gets worse as I cut done on my pain killers so as I feel better in some ways I feel worse in others. It's a struggle and sometime I feel like the runner who keeps falling down and than getting up only to fall again.  I will get up again and keep on going so please have patience with me. I had my knee replaced to improve my life and I have faith that it will especially with all the well wishes and prayers in my behalf.