My mother's going to have surgery tomorrow

[cleolinda]

... and so I'm pretty anxious right now, to the point of not really being able to focus or get much done. It's actually a pretty routine surgery--Mama de Cleo is having her entire knee replaced, because there's just no cartilage left. She's been hobbling around bone-on-bone for three or four months now, because she couldn't take off work until this month (and kept insisting that she should wait until November, when things would be less hectic at work, which horrified us all). She's not even 60 yet; it's just that Family de Mama de Cleo has crap knees. She's got a really good surgeon who specializes in knee surgery, and it'll involve her taking six weeks off work to recuperate, but she's a trouper, and she'll do her rehab exercises scrupulously. In fact, when she had a minor knee surgery (other knee) a few years back, we caught her up and mopping the kitchen floor later that afternoon. You cannot keep my mother down; you can only hope to contain her.

It's just that... you know. It's surgery. Sometimes, things happen. I've been dreading that aspect of it for weeks now, and even though some stress will be involved in the first two weeks of her being home and not able to do much for herself, most of it will pretty much evaporate as soon as I hear that she's out of it okay. I might hear as early as 8 or 9 am; I might not hear until later in the morning. Who knows.


ETA (Tuesday morning): She seems to have come through it all just fine and is Resting Comfortably, as they say in the hospital business.

Comments

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Sending you and Mama de Cleo good vibes. Hang in there! Hope the surgery goes well and improves life 1000%.

[technoinfidel.livejournal.com]

Best wishes to Mama de Cleo - the knees in my family are similar.

[nicolars.livejournal.com]

My mom had a kidney transplant, and the whole week beforehand I just shut down. I was so worried about something going wrong that I could not focus on anything else. In the end, everything turned out fine and I probably worried needlessly. Watching goofy movies definitely helped me take my mind off things though.

Cleo, your mom has always sounded like a very strong lady, and I'm sure she will pull through the surgery just fine. I send her my good wishes.

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I'll pray for Mama de Cleo, and for you too. Best wishes.

[maetang.livejournal.com]

All the best to your mom. I hope it goes smoothly.

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

I'll pray for her (I don't know how religious (or not) you are, hope that wasn't offensive). And I know a woman in her fifties who had knee replacement surgery about a year ago, and she is so happy that she did.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I always appreciate prayers, or good thoughts, or whatever people choose to call them. Thanks. : )

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

Lord, your mother = my mother.

My mother, who once carried on walking around on a broken leg because she didn't possibly have time to visit a doctor. I think there's like a breeding programme for mothers somewhere that makes a certain type.

I have a sneaky suspicion that your mother will be like mine, and back and up and doing things far earlier than is good for her.

[redcoast.livejournal.com]

Are you going to the place with her?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

My stepfather is; I'm staying home to take care of the dogs (and Bad Cat). I'll probably visit her at least once before she comes home at the end of the week (assuming she lets me; she is very NO VISITORS WHILE I HAVE NO MAKEUP ON, but I probably don't count on that one).

[alliancesjr.livejournal.com]

*relaxing hug*

Your mother sounds like my mother. Major surgery two hours ago? Shit to do now? She is up and about like she does not care. Though she always does her physical therapy when given.

Does Mama Jones have a mutant healing factor too?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

More like a mutant stubborn factor.

[bakednudel.livejournal.com]

I shall be thinking of you and your mother tomorrow. So funny to hear you say her side of the family has crap knees. I have crap knees, but I thought I was the only one! Back when I was young and in college my knees would seize up just going to a movie...so I see knee replacement surgery in the not too distant future.

They've been doing this surgery for many years now and I'm sure your mother has had all kinds of pre-surgery interviews etc. Heck they do surgery on 90+ year-olds these days.

But by this time tomorrow, she'll be out. Her relative youth for this surgery can only be a plus for her recovery.

Good luck!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Speaking of movies, she really wanted to go see Inception but couldn't, because she didn't think she could keep her knee bent (i.e., in a theater seat) for two and a half hours. I'd love to find her a DVD-quality screener (I mean, I know there are camcorder bootlegs, but I doubt she'd be having with those) of the movie to watch while she's home, but... those don't really grow on trees. Certainly not legal trees.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

My dad had a knee replacement last fall, and once we convinced him that it was not weakness to take pain meds, he did really well. It was LOADS of fun to talk to him while stoned, and I highly encourage posts or tweets of "Things Mama de Cleo says while on morphine."

I am having ACL reconstruction surgery in three weeks, and I've never had surgery before, so I, also, go through periods of being totally freaked out. (Of course, in shades of the "more determination than sense" type, I injured my knee on June 1st, and got on a plane the next day to go to London for a month with a hop into Paris. I'm the idiot who did the Paric Catacombs while on crutches, and clambered all over the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge and the HMS Belfast in one day with a cane and a then-unknown ACL tear. So yeah.)

Good thoughts sent!

[leia1912.livejournal.com]

sending good vibes to your mom and to you!

[supersyncspaz7.livejournal.com]

Yikes. As someone who also comes from a family with crap knees (also on my mom's side), I'll keep my fingers crossed and send some good vibes your way.

[nochi_san.livejournal.com]

Sending Good Vibes to both you and your mom. I hope everything goes well!

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

*runs around freaking out*

Um. I mean, she'll be great!

Don't let them give her one of those discount knees.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

We'll get her the best knee MONEY CAN BUY.

Actually, she's very excited to have "a bionic knee."

[fading-october.livejournal.com]

I wish for Mama Cleo the best of recoveries and continued made-of-awesome resilience.

My boyfriend's mother recently double-knee surgery and she was boomin around in no time and she works as a Park Naturalist roving trails and cliffs.

[puredeadthingy.livejournal.com]

All my best to you both :)

[thrupenny.livejournal.com]

Best wishes to you and your mum, Cleo.

[windancer.livejournal.com]

Good thoughts, wishes, and prayers to your mother!

[robinmc.livejournal.com]

Sending lots of good thoughts to you and your mom and your whole family. Good luck and hugs!

[glinda-w.livejournal.com]

Goodthoughts for your mom (and you, and the rest of the family).

[avaserenity.livejournal.com]

Best wishes to your Mama. Anytime anyone has any type of surgery it's a nerve-racking but she'll be fine. :)

[crowsilike.livejournal.com]

Lots of good thoughts to you and Mama de Cleo! I have grandparents that are well over 80 years old, so trust me when I say I get the worrying part.

[chulacabra.livejournal.com]

Sending out many good vibes to you and your mom. If it makes you feel better, everyone I know who's had a knee replacement was thrilled afterward.

[bludrummergrl.livejournal.com]

My mom's got a pretty bad knee problem too. Both of her knees have tears on either side. So far she's had some injections but as of yet no surgery is needed. *knocks on wood*

My aunt just had an entirely different surgery altogether today. Thankfully all went well.

I'm sending good thinky thoughts your way.
Hope your mom feels better afterward. A speedy recovery to her!