That Darned Knee! And Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies - A New-to-Me Recipe

I haven't been posting regularly the past couple of weeks because we've had yet ANOTHER setback with The Knee That Won't Cooperate.  

After the first replacement, infection, debridement, wound vac, once-a-day IV antibiotics (administered by yours truly, about five minutes each time), removal of the knee implant, installation of an antimicrobial spacer, twice-a-day IV antibiotics (again, administered by yours truly, taking about 1 1/2 hours each time), and finally a new replacement, more infection was discovered three weeks ago.  So, out came the nice new implant and another spacer took its place.  

Now I'm giving yet another IV antibiotic, this time by the old-fashioned drip method, three times a day, over four hours each time, which means I have to do something with the IV every four hours, around the clock.  Can you imagine being hooked up to an IV bag twelve hours a day?  UGH.  I don't know whether I'd have the patience.

Anyway, it's getting really, really OLD.

And on top of that, my tomato plants are PRODUCING, so I'm also trying to fit in canning sessions.  I have a couple dozen of the monster tomatoes waiting for me on the kitchen counter, and a bunch more staring at me from the garden through the back windows.  The plants look more and more disreputable, and the tomatoes look more and more red, ripe, and HUGE every day.

But for something different, I decided to try a new cookie recipe.  After all, cookies are pretty quick and easy, and these just sounded interesting.  That Man has been scarfing them down, so I guess that's a pretty good endorsement!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/8 c (1 c plus 2 T) all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 c refrigerated butter, diced

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/2 c dark brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 c (7-oz bag) Decas Farms Julienne Cut Baking Cranberries

1 c white chocolate chips (the original recipe called for 1/2 c, but, hey, chocolate!)

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter, then add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.  Slowly add the flour mixture and blend.  Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets, leaving about an inch between them.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes.  Allow to cool on the cookies sheets before removing.

The Knee That Went Bad and Easy Black Bean Soup (A New-to-Me Recipe)

That Person With the Infected Knee Replacement has kept me super busy lately, so I've been semi-absent from this blog.  After several months of being hooked up to a wound vac, and the knee becoming more and more painful, the decision was made:  the replacement would have to come out.  So a couple of weeks ago, the surgeon removed the old prosthesis and put in a concrete spacer.

Yes, that's what I said - CONCRETE.

This spacer is impregnated with antimicrobial stuff to fight what's left of the "indolent" infection.  (Indolent:  sounds like lazy bacteria!)  It also has no joint, so it doesn't act like a "real" knee replacement.  It squeaks and creaks and pops (sometimes REALLY loud).  It's not cemented in, so it moves around some.  You should see the kneecap travel when it pops.  Eeeeeewww!

The spacer is painful, and That Person can't put much weight on it, so a full-leg brace and a walker are required for trips down the hall.  Going upstairs is doable, but coming back down is a real issue, so That Person sleeps, eats, and does exercises in the living room recliner.  I do a lot of fetch-and-carry work.

So I'm back into full-time caregiving mode.  Back to giving intravenous medicine again, this time twice a day instead of once, and it takes nearly two hours each time to administer instead of fifteen minutes.

But lucky you!  I'm back, yet AGAIN, and with another recipe.

I opened The Magic Box and found a package of chorizo sausage.  What to do with it?  In my copy of The America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook (the one with the orange cover) I found a recipe for Easy Black Bean Soup.  I make a lot of soups because I like them, they're easy to make, and the leftovers heat up well.  Remember, I'm all about leftovers - make once, eat twice (or more).  Good for the current meal prep trend, too.

Although I thought it was really good, I'm sorry to say this soup was NOT a hit with the rest of the household.  I'll admit it is not the prettiest dish to look at.  Not much color.  Well, black beans - duh!  Anyway, if you like beans and sausage, you'll probably like this one!

You can see there's not a lot of color
here, other than the red bell peppers.

EASY BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 T canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 oz cooked chorizo sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick
4 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 15-oz cans chicken broth
1 T fresh minced oregano (or 1 t dried)
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
1/2 c minced fresh cilantro

In a 4-quart dutch oven, combine the oil, onion, bell peppers, garlic, and chorizo and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.  Season to taste and serve.

New Year, New Knee (Part 3)

Our primary election is coming up, and we're lucky to be able to vote early the four weeks before the official day.  I was planning to be out running errands anyway, so I figured I'd go vote, too, and get it over with.  Efficiency!

I parked on the street and headed into the county courthouse.   I emptied my pockets into one of the dog dishes on the x-ray machine's conveyor belt.  The nice sheriff's deputy motioned me forward.

I stepped through the metal detector and about jumped out of my skin - the ALARM!

I patted all my pockets - what had I missed???

I turned around and looked at the deputy.  He said, "Do you have knees?" and I laughed. 

PROOF.

They really DID give me a new knee.  The x-rays were real!  What a concept!

New Year, New Knee! (Part 2)

It's been a while since I wrote anything, mainly because of the festive post-surgery activities.  One of my friends told me that physical therapy is a full-time job.  I thought I knew what she meant.  However...!

The day after I left the hospital with my shiny new titanium knee, I went to my first outpatient physical therapy session.  I've been going three times a week and doing my exercises at home twice a day since then.  After each exercise session, I've iced my knee to control the swelling.  It doesn't sound like a lot, but by the end of the day, I'd be wiped out.  After I ate dinner and cleaned up, about all I was good for was vegging out in front of the TV.

I progressed really well until three weeks ago.

I got sick.  REALLY sick

I had a couple of days I didn't dare leave the house.  Then, after I got over that, I woke up Sunday with a familiar feeling - hot eyeballs.  Fever.  As the day wore on, my eyes felt hotter, my head hurt, and my sinuses started draining.  I got a sore throat and started coughing and blowing my nose like mad.  I lost my appetite and all my energy.

The following Monday I literally dragged myself out of bed, to the doctor, and back home.  I couldn't eat anything but cold cereal.  Ugh.  I dragged myself to the pharmacy after my prescription was filled and dragged back home.  Again.

I didn't sleep well in bed because I was uncomfortable and couldn't breathe well, so I'd get up in the middle of the night and move to the recliner.  I wheezed with every exhale, then I coughed until I thought I was going to toss my cookies.  I was too exhausted to read any of the books I had stacked by the recliner (now THAT'S sick).  Good times.

I spent most of my time those two weeks in the recliner.  In addition to the medicines I was taking for my knee and my usual allergy stuff, I took a bunch more for the sinus infection - Augmentin, Mucinex, Robitussin, Sudafed, Afrin nasal spray, and Chloraseptic throat spray.  The meds have so many different dosing intervals I had to write out a medicine schedule just like they tell OLD PEOPLE to do.  Of course, I'M not old (!), but...  Ugh.

Robbie took over my lap.

Before I got sick, I'd started to dismantle the sickroom accessories surrounding the recliner, but I had to put them all back in place.  Here's my view of the world most of the day while I was sick - basically the same view I had a lot of every day since I got home from the hospital.  I'd been either in the recliner doing some of my exercises, in the recliner icing my knee, or in the recliner reading or watching DVRed movies.  With a cat (or two!) on my lap.  I had about as much oomph as an overcooked noodle those weeks from being so sick, so I hadn't done my exercises or gone to physical therapy all that time.

Bad, bad, bad.

But earlier this week, suddenly, I felt like a real person again.  So I went back to physical therapy and started doing my normal STUFF again, including dismantling the sickroom stuff around the recliner - AGAIN!

Maybe it'll STAY that way this time around.

New Year, New Knee! (Part 1)

Twelve days ago, I had knee replacement surgery, the most major surgery I've ever had.  I still have all my original equipment, except for one tooth (yes, I have ALL my wisdom teeth, thankyouverymuch) and my gall bladder.  Tonsils, appendix, spleen, and adenoids present and accounted for.  I had two tendons in my right hand reattached a couple of years ago after The Nasty Cat bit me.  The only other times I've spent the night in the hospital were when the kids arrived.

It has been an experience.

My knee had been incrementally curtailing my normal activities.  Walking more than a mile at a stretch was out of the question.  Don't even talk to me about running.  Ugh.  Scrambling around on the sailboat was nerve wracking.

Finally, late last summer, I stood up from a picnic table, and the knee betrayed me.  It refused to hold me up.  So, off to the doctor.  X-rays taken, surgeon visited, physical therapy evaluation performed, surgery scheduled, cortisone injection administered.  RELIEF!  I did my prescribed pre-op exercises.

Then the pain returned.

I REALLY started looking forward to surgery.

Things got interesting (and busy).  I visited the cardiologist and attended a joint replacement class.  I went to a pre-op appointment with my family physician.  I went to the hospital for pre-registration and a pre-surgical visit with an anesthesiologist, who performed a crazy procedure called "cryoneurolysis" on a couple of nerves around my knee.  He located the nerves using ultrasound, then used a probe to actually FREEZE them in a few places to minimize incision pain for several weeks after the surgery.  What will they think of next???

Everything's about preventing infection, so the night before, I had to take a super antibacterial shower and dry off with clean towels, then sleep in freshly laundered pajamas and sheets.  In the morning, I had to repeat the shower and put on clean clothes.  No breakfast allowed - wah!  We headed to the hospital - VERY early.  I got checked in, taken to pre-op, and handed a bunch of antibacterial wipes - more infection prevention!  Wiped down and got into one of those highly fashionable hospital gowns.  Then into surgery, knocked out, knee replaced, and back out again.  The dressing they put on my incision was impregnated with silver - more infection prevention. 

After surgery, it's about managing pain and swelling, and getting up and moving around.  I got up to walk a little - with supervision, of course.  I did pretty well that first day, but when they got me up to walk, I got lightheaded and had to sit back down.  The second day, I felt pretty good and did physical therapy but still couldn't walk far without getting dizzy.  My blood pressure kept dropping so I couldn't go home.  They had me on oxycodone for the heavy duty pain relief, and it did its job - too well, apparently.  The third day, when I should have gone home for sure, I didn't feel well.  I had no appetite, my brain was foggy, I wanted to sleep all day, and every time I'd get up, my blood pressure again plummeted, plus I started having chest pains.  Ugh.

Long story short, they did a bunch of tests (blood tests, EKGs, and a crazy non-treadmill stress test) and determined my heart was fine.  I had bad heartburn, and oxycodone is not for me.  EVER. 

It is an evil evil evil drug.  Avoid it at all costs.

So they replaced oxycodone with tramodol, and the fourth day I was fine.  No lightheadedness AT ALL.  I had an appetite.  The fog was gone.  The heartburn was gone.  I did my physical therapy.  I went home.  HOME!

Now comes the hard part.

Stay tuned!

HELP (A 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes Post)

Help!  I need somebody,
Help!  Not just anybody,
Help!  You know I need someone.

Help!

When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody's help in any way.
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self-assured,
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me.

And now my life has changed in oh, so many ways,
My independence seems to vanish in the haze.
But every now and then I feel so insecure, 
I know that I just need you like I've never done before.

     --The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney)


Today's word is HELP, and it's kind of a continuation of the earlier posts for ASK and START.  I wrote how some commenters have asked me how to start blogging.

To get help, you have to ask.  And it's hard.  As in The Beatles song above, when you're young, you often feel like you don't need anyone, and your independence is the most important thing there is.  That's just part of separating from your parents, and it's a normal part of becoming an adult - sort of.

A REAL adult realizes that it's okay to be independent, but there are times when you're going to need help.  There are people in your life who will be happy to help if you just express that need.  

For example, in January, I'm having knee replacement surgery, and I'm going to be less mobile for several weeks.  My church's women's organization is having an event in February, and I said I didn't know whether I'd be allowed to drive by then, and so wasn't sure I'd be able to attend.  The ladies in my group all jumped in and said they'd make sure I'd be able to get there.  Someone will drive me if I can't drive myself.  Now, stupid me, I never even thought of that possibility!  DUH!  

Apparently, I'm still learning myself.

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This post is part of the 31-Day of Five Minute Free Writes challenge link-up.  Today's writing prompt was for Five Minute Friday, "HELP."  For more information on the challenge click here.

WHY (A 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes Post)

Why?  Why me?  That's the typical reaction many people have when life starts handing them lemons.

I spent the beginning of the year fighting plantar fasciitis.  I could hardly walk, but I worked it out.  Now I'm dealing with my traitorous knee.  I got a cortisone injection yesterday, so it's feeling a lot better, but I'm facing knee replacement surgery in January.  Oh my.  No more running.  No more downhill skiing.  That's going to take a major mental adjustment, because those things are part of my identity.  I'll have to think about myself differently.  Why me?

But, because of these lemons life handed me this year, I haven't been able to walk naturally or ride my bike comfortably.  I've only gone sailing once this summer because I haven't been able to trust my knee, and hence, my balance.  Those are all part of my identity, too.  Once I get past the surgery and recovery, they'll be mine again!  So YAY me!

So, why me?  Well, why NOT me?  I'm nobody special.  We all have our challenges, and these are mine right now, and I'll get through it.  What doesn't kill me makes me stronger, right?

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This post is part of the 31-Day of Five Minute Free Writes challenge link-up.  Today's writing prompt was "WHY."  For more information on the challenge click here.

AFRAID (A 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes Post)

What am I afraid of?  I've been afraid of lots of different things through the years, but right now, I'm afraid of my right knee.

My right knee has decided to rebel.  It doesn't want to do its job - holding me up!  It's been giving me fits off and on for several months, but it always improved quickly.  Not this time.  It had been giving me twinges a few weeks ago, so I was careful about how I stood up from a picnic table.  I had gotten up a couple of times with no problem, but the third time, when I started to put my weight on my right foot, my knee betrayed me.  I could barely stand.

It has gotten a little better since then, but mainly because I've changed how I walk.  Normally when you walk, your knee flexes a little as you lift your foot off the ground, then extends as you step forward and shift your weight to that foot.  I can't do that without pain.  I've discovered that I in order to walk, I now have to pretend I don't even have a knee.  I keep it straight, and swing it forward like a piece of wood.

As long as I don't flex my knee before I step forward, I can walk, but it's slow going, and really awkward.  Since that day at the picnic table, I don't trust my knee, and I'm afraid to do a lot of the things I usually love to do - hiking, running, bicycling, sailing.  I'm afraid to walk on uneven ground.  If it's not paved, I'm not walking on it!  I use a cane ascending and descending stairs.  Suddenly, I'm walking like an OLD person!

Tomorrow I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.  I'm afraid I'm headed for a knee replacement.

So, yeah, I'm afraid.

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This post is part of the 31-Day of Five Minute Free Writes challenge link-up.  Today's writing prompt was "AFRAID."  For more information on the challenge click here.