Following my knee replacement, it’s taken a little longer than I’d thought to get back at normal life. The first week after surgery, I was graced with a period of intense vomiting. Turned out I couldn’t handle the pain meds the doctor had prescribed. But Tylenol does nothing for me so I’ve been way too slow doing my rehab and getting around. Now, I’m trying to make up and yesterday did a little too much. Oh well, give and take, right? Thankfully, Will and our friends, Mike, Dara, and Sherri, have been taking up the slack, helping with chores and seed orders for our little seed business.

I’m a little rough around the edges but getting back at life.

Slowly, I’m getting to be more “Jackie” and am getting caught up on our emails, messages, and other business stuff. I’m even getting in the shower. Hooray! Boy, am I ever looking forward to spring and getting over this pain and incapacity. I page through my spring catalogs and have already picked out some new perennials to plant. When it’s -28 degrees, those pretty pictures lift your spirits! — Jackie

60 COMMENTS

  1. So glad to hear from you! I have been wondering how you were doing. Knee surgery is rough! Glad you are doing better. Prayers for pain control and a full recovery.

  2. I was starting to get concerned. Thankfully you are on the mend!!!!! Have dealt with knee surgery (mangled ligaments, not replacement)……… I received the seeds I ordered….. and then got super busy then winter storm “Mara” hit…… 4 days of ice! I need to get the tomato and pepper seeds started like 2 weeks AGO (I am in TX).

  4. glad to see you back in the land of the living so to speak. Ive never had knee surgery but my mom did and she was in the hospital & rehab for 2 weeks. Take your time healing, My chickens started laying at 4 months & I thought that was kind of early. Any thoughts – anyone.
    Glad to see you are improving Jackie.

  5. Glad to hear you are getting back in the saddle, so to speak Jackie. I, like the others have been concerned and praying all was going OK. I can feel your pain about pain medication, I have similar reactions. I generally suffer with them a couple of days and then go back to ibuprofen. If you take 3 to 4 tablets at a time they equal the prescription doses of Motren. I had carpal tunnel and it took 8 years before they finally did the surgery. The only thing that kept me going was ibuprofen. It’s an anti-inflammatory as well as pain medicine at the 3 or 4 pill dose level. Long term it can cause liver issues, but not fir the length of time you would need it. Anyway, maybe talk to your Dr about it.

    Take care of yourself, we need our Jackie in our lives ?

  7. Surgery is never fun. So glad your back online. I was getting worried. And yes, the seed and flower catalogs keep my spirits up, too. We had ice last night and the trees look like glass. It would be great if it were Christmas and not near Valentines! So I browse the flowers pictures and it lifts my spirits.

  8. So glad to hear you’re on the mend, Jackie! A knee replacement is a doozy of a process. Sending healing energy and prayers from Minneapolis.

  9. Such a relief to have you back. Knew you were having problems when you weren’t writing. Prayers will continue.

  10. Jackie!! So glad to see your face. Try to be very very patient with yourself going forward! Spring is coming and rest is never a bad thing for our old bodies! God bless you all.

  11. Glad to hear you’re on the mend. It’s a blessing to have help to keep the homestead turning while you heal. Follow Dr orders & you’ll be kicking those dirt clods in no time! Blessings from nw wisc.

  12. So glad to hear you mending!! It is a ruff haul after knee replacement please do as you’re told so the final outcome will be good.

  13. So glad you are back!! We have missed you!!Take care and give yourself time to heal! Its going to be gardening time very soon!! I’m ready!

  14. Jackie, It is so great to hear from you again! So sorry about your severe pain. Don’t over do until the pain gets under control. Then you can revisit your therapy plan. Meanwhile, be safe!
    and trust that your fans are all praying for you! Cathie

  16. So GLAD to hear from! hopefully doc has got your meds appropriate. so much good advice has already been offered. i just want you to know i an your many fans/followers are happy you are mending( we all just wish a more painfree recovery. take care
    Mary

  19. So glad you are recovering. Knee replacement is the worst! I had both done, one at a time, and I swear it is worth it! Hang in there! Keeping you in my prayers.

  22. As one who has had two partial and one whole knee replacements I understand what you are going through. At one time I too had a adverse reaction after surgery. In my case it was a reaction to the anesthesia, tell them next time and they can mix up a special one that won’t effect you. The patches behind the ear work, again, tell them. Pain. My first partial the doctor prescribed opioids. I was worried about getting “ hooked” but he said don’t worry, if I got “hooked” they would unhook me. What was important was totally controlling the pain was vitally important to the healing process. Both partials were done like this and were comparatively easy. The whole replacement was done under the new thinking that opioids were bad and just Tylenol was prescribed and the pain was horrible and lasted weeks. I would not recommend the Tylenol process to anyone. It does not work and makes recovery worse. Much worse. I know that many will not approve but after several weeks of Tylenol I tried CBD oil. It worked to greatly reduce the pain, not completely, but made it bearable.

  24. So glad you are on the road to recovery. The nausea patches do work something to keep in mind for the future. Blessings on therapy and continued healing. Hang in there girlfriend!

  25. Glad you are back. I don’t get sick from pain meds but opioids have done nothing for me since shortly after my back surgery. I have been taking indomethacin a prescription NISD for joint pain and it works for me but you have to take it with food and in some people it causes gut bleeding.

  26. Glad to see you back.
    Sorry to hear of your
    Misery with modern
    Pain meds. It will get
    Better. Takes longer
    Than predicted. Looking
    At those catalogs will help

  27. Hi Jackie,
    It sounds like it’s been a challenging time with pain after the knee replacement surgery.
    I’ve not had this type of surgery but my mom has and it was hard for her to take the pain meds too.
    I pray your recovery will continue well and pain will be a lot less for you as time goes on.
    I know your very thankful for Will and everyone who comes to help out.
    You’ll get back in the swing of things soon. It just takes time.
    Thoughts and prayers for you.

  29. Thank you for the update. Have been thinking of you and wondering. I, too had those meds problems with pain meds after my recent hip replacement . Anti nausea med Zofran saved the day. You’ll be up and around before long! Hang in there and think spring! By the way just mailed my seed order.

  31. So glad to hear you are on the mend. Don’t over do it or you will pay for it the next day and the PT will not go well. So glad you have help with the seed business and all the other chores. Stay warm with the arctic blast hitting the Northland. So nice to have wood heat when it is so cold outside.

  32. Glad you are on the mend.
    Have you thought about taking some anti-inflammatory supplements?
    Your body has been traumatized from surgery, and sometimes things like curcumin can help.
    God bless!

  34. Can’t keep a good woman down. Slow and easy wins the race. I’m happy you’re past the hump. Keep getting better.

  37. I think I speak for us all when I say we are SO happy to see you back! You have been missed! Slow and steady wins the race! Take care of you!

  38. Thank for update , I know all your followers were anxious for news. I certainly was and so glad the worst is over.

  39. Better half has had the same issue with some pain meds (non-opioids) re: stomach issues. I figured that like me, you’d have a cast iron stomach! But glad you’re on the mend. We got 7+ inches of snow last weekend followed by the Arctic express. It’s up and down this week for temps/wind chill. Un-homed cat was banged up for a bit during our first round of cold weather. He holed up in his tote (thankfully) and I’ve been giving him some vitamin-mineral gel with his food. He recovered quickly and has come through this round of cold weather. Deer are appreciating the small ears of corn I’ve been putting out (I pick up the cobs in the morning).
    I see Good Friday is April 7 this year. Like it or not, climate change is here and here to stay. I’ll have my potato seed ready to meet Grandpa’s planting day provided Mother Nature allows me to do so. If not, I’ll roll with the punches like Grandpa did. I so miss my Grandpa.

  40. Glad to see you back. It will get better but slow & steady wins the race. Take it one day at a time, rest when you need to, do your exercises, and keep moving forward. You have really been missed. I’m a year out on knee #2 and I’m glad now I had them both done but those first few weeks I really thought I must have been out of my mind!! Guess pain does that to you. Good luck during recovery.

  41. Hi Jackie- it is wonderful to see you posting again. I’ve been checking each day and delighted to see you back in the saddle so to speak! Continue to take good care. These things definitely take time to heal. You must feel relieved to be home and with such wonderful support from Will, your family and your dear friends to begin to start preparing for the next growing season. All the best for your continued recovery!

  43. + Jackie, so thankful that you are on the road to recovery. There is tolerable ‘nuisance’ pain that one can sometimes ignore if there are activities for distraction, and then there is intolerable PAIN! A tip from back and other surgeries: Opiods (Percocet, etc.) gave me severe nausea also. Then a kind anesthesiologist placed an anti-nausea patch behind my ear–huge difference! (I did quit the Percocet after about four days, in hope that Tylenol would help. Nope–by then I’d tossed the Percocet.) After that, it took several weeks for the pain to drop to tolerable–in retrospect, i wish I’d taken the Percocet a bit longer, WITH the help of that anti-nausea patch!

    In any event, praying that the Tylenol will soon be enough. God bless you!

  44. Medication reactions just add insult to injury – NOT fair! So, so glad to see that you are inching your way back toward your very full life. Healing you has to come first, so thank goodness for Will and the dear friends who are picking up the slack so you can focus on that. Welcome back, Jackie!

  46. Jackie, so glad to hear from you again! I really missed your blog! Pain meds have never agreed with me either, so I sure understand! May you continue toward a speedy recovery, and God bless you!

  49. Glad to hear you’re doing well. Vomiting from meds is the absolute worst. Hopefully you found a suitable medicine to help.

    I need to order seeds from you still. Haven’t gotten it it’ yet. My grandpa has a stroke Monday and it’s not good. He is on hospice and has been for several months. Not a good time. ☹️

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