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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
 Posted - 06/20/2006 : 12:40:57 PM
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Well, three weks ago today i got my new knee in Seattle. Spent 3 days in hopital, another 5 in local hotel. Got to visit with Kory and neej, thanks, it sure helped pass the time.
Back home for almost 2 weeks now, doing bertter by the day. Kicked the walker a week ago, just on one crutch now. Actually mowed the lawn both Satruday and Sunday, about 3 hours each day (normally a 1 1/2 hour job total). And, yes, of course we have lawns....hard to keep them alive what with all the polar bear poop and seal slime all over them, and, yeah, we have to order a new one each year, but, hey, we need some color to add to the igloo. Maybe next year a bit of astro turf instead....
Ayway, happy so far with the new joint. Just now realizing there is no longer any joint pain on thea side. Still some surgical discomfort and swollen tissue that needs to flatten out and get re-stretched, but the joint is pain free. Anyone out there contemplatin a replacement, i'd be happy to lend an ear and maybe some advice. One thing for sure, if you go for a new knee or hip, forget about strengthening the legs before surgery...concentrate on the upper body, arms, triceps so you can hoist yerself out of bed or a chair or off the pot!!! That was my mistake. I can get up now, but for the first few days it was pretty funny to watch, and i needed lots of help.
Funny, while on the pain meds for the first two weeks, i wante d to play a lot of guitar for recovery, but it was pretty uncomfortable to sit up, and worst of all, i could only think of two songs to play!!! So i got bored easily. Only in the last week has my mind started to remember other tunes, and now i am back to playing almost everything i was before. Better living thru chemistry, eh??
Keep on pickin'
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Karl
Frozen North |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 06/20/2006 : 3:25:20 PM
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Glad its going well
Malama pono
Raymond |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2006 : 04:31:38 AM
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Karl, it sounds as if everything is going really well for you, and I am glad for you. You are one lucky dude (if you can belive it), as there are plenty horror stories about knee replacements, including one long NY Times article a few weeks ago. I guess you had a good doc and the doc had a good patient.
e malama pono,
Reid |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2006 : 09:10:00 AM
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Raymond & Reid,
I did some research of my own and interviewed several docs berfore settling on this one. All good references, nice person, not too arrogant, formere surgeon for seattle seahawks footbll team.
I try to be a good patient...makes things a lot easier
I had heard a few good stories of local docs, but also several bad ones about the same surgeons. In our small town they only do one or two such surgeries per month, in Anchorage one to two a week, in Seattle, the doc i used did 6 a week. I decide to go with experience and so far it has paid off
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Karl
Frozen North |
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Ray Sowders
Akahai
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2006 : 3:21:43 PM
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Aloha Karl,
Glad to hear you’re getting stronger day by day. My sister had a knee replacement and I know it is painful. Keep playing your guitar when you feel "discomfort" hopefully it will take you somewhere else more painless, and peaceful. A hui hou,
Ray
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2006 : 3:56:30 PM
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Karl,
It hurts less if you don't try to play with your toes. I only know two songs I can play with my toes too -- they are very short songs. Toerstyle kika ki ho'alu. Makes it easier to drink beer and play at the same time though -- you may have something there.
(Hey, someone has to fill in for Rik -- giving you a hard time -- while he is on hiatus) |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2164 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2006 : 04:12:28 AM
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Glad the gnu knee is getting back to normal. Also glad that you can remember more than 2 songs. Too bad you're so far away, it's great to jam with you.
All the best, Kory |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2006 : 11:12:35 AM
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Mike,
I like a hard time :) So, where's Rik these days??? Climbing another mountain?
Kory,
OK if i play your tune in my little gigs? And, if so, how do you spell the bugga? |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2006 : 11:38:42 AM
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Hi Karl,
Can we call you the Bionic Man now? Glad to hear you're on the mend.
And I did always wonder, why not an astroturf lawn? No mowing! |
Andy |
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Pua Kai
Ha`aha`a
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 5:51:34 PM
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Hey Gramps!
You shoulda checked out Don's place in Henderson. They all have astro-turf because they aren't allowed lawns in the desert. And how do you get seal poop so far inland? or are they making the pilgrimage to wish you well for all that you do for them? Gotta find Rik - brought T-shirt home from Slack key festival for him. So how bad is it really? I've been warned to expect it.... I'm not listening...
Hope to see you again one of these days. Plan to catch neeeej's Kanikapila in November - and have more down here as well.
Get better soon!!
auntie n |
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Ianui
Lokahi
USA
298 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 6:28:05 PM
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Hey Nancy you making fun of my grass. Its green all the time, no watering, no mowing, no fertilizing, dogs don't poop on it, and best of all I'm not out in 108 degree afternoons taking care of it.
Karl
Just had a neighbor get a hip replacement and it is not an easy time for them. Very happy yours went so well and I wish you a speedy recovery |
Edited by - Ianui on 06/29/2006 6:31:16 PM |
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slkho
`Olu`olu
740 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2006 : 11:33:55 AM
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Hey Gramps, (BTW, only I can call you Gramps) I should be back on the TP in about 2-3 more weeks. Been busy with the Ipu's, and climbing. (Shasta in early August is next) I've been periodically surfing the TP, but unable to participate in it, or even pick-up a guitar lately. (To all of you, thanks for your cards, letters, and calls...especially you Pua & Dusty) Anyways, all will be normal with me by the end of the month or so. Saw this thread and couldn't pass it up...soooooo, here we go.
Gramps-Gramps-Gramps, (or should I say, The Ice Man Break-eth) you have got to know by now if anything happens with you, I'm going use it in my next bit. Happy to hear your pet polar bear got a knee replacement, but your still pooping on your own lawn, (errrr, personal frozen-tundra-perma-frost lawn...how do you mow that anyway).
2-3 hours to mow a lawn!!! Yikes! no wonder, your supposed to use a ride-mower, not a Zamboni. It was a knee replacement, not a lobotomy right?
I imagine you'll have to replace the new knee very soon, that ball of ice they used should be melting soon, then you'll have water-on-the-knee again, and they'll have to start the whole process anew.
Good thing you weren't a horse, (or moose?) because we wll know what happens to them when they get a leg injury. (They shoot vets don't they?)
As to your potty challenges, I'm sure the double-bagged Depends you wear will last you between visits.
All this in jest of course; Gimpy, err-r, Lefty, err-r, Hop Along,err-r, Karl. Hope you recover quickly enough before the next Spring thaw to fertilize the back tundra.
~slkho
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2164 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2006 : 5:19:09 PM
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| Eh, Karl! Sure you can play da tune, ( or the chune in Bluegrass circles ). It's called "Nupepa Slack Key", named after "The Northwest Hawai'i Times", the local newspaper (nupepa) for Hawai'ian culture. |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2006 : 1:05:01 PM
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Rik,
You put enough fertilizer in that last post to keep the grass green up here for several years. Be careful how badly abuse me; I may make yo sleep in the outhouse when you come to visit. And it's just a one-holer. No door, either.
Glad to hear you are still around and haven't lot yor sense of humor. My doctor essentially gave me a life-time excuse never to have to run again, but he did say it was OK to chase down any young whippersnappers who couldn't hold their tongue....in an emergency, of course.
See you next summer?
Thumbs
Thanks for the OK on the song. I just added three more to my gig list, all in taropatch (Paniolo Medley form Ken Emerson, Pua Sadinia, and Mauna Olana from John Keawe) so not much practice in playing in the key of C. Although, our ukelele users grouop has been doing a lot of stuff in C and i am learning to play along on the Weissonetti out of taropatch tuning. Anyway, it will be a while before i feel comfortabe enough with Nupepa Slack Key to put it out over the mike. But, thanks again |
Karl
Frozen North |
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slkho
`Olu`olu
740 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2006 : 10:12:27 AM
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Dear Gramps... gotta make sure the grass is green for you when they put you out to pasture. ha-ha
A healthy mixture of grass, apples, & occasional carrot will keep you strong my boy! Next summer is a good possiblity.
~slkho |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2006 : 4:23:27 PM
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| Rik, this horse ain't dead yet. You'd better show up next summer; i've got plans for you, boy! |
Karl
Frozen North |
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