John Farrell's blog

Our swimming pool has been wonderful during the recent high temperatures. Yesterday afternoon it was 102 in the shade under the deck beside the pool. To our complete surprise and joy, Donna’s Dad, a.k.a. Pappy Spangler, came out of the air conditioned house in his swim suit to join the crew in the pool.

He went into the pool in his clothes a couple months ago so Donna bought him a swim suit, which he used for the first time yesterday. His usual practice is to start the day in a tee shirt and shorts to walk his dog and check out his flowers in the gardens. He must have had fun yesterday because this morning he came down wearing his swim suit so he would be ready when it was time. At 89, he still has a sense of adventure and a great sense of humor.

Six weeks ago today, I underwent surgery on my right knee – the 4th operation in the last 5 years. I was frustrated and angry that this operation had to happen but the results have been quite remarkable. The doctor cleaned out debris from pieces of cement that had broken loose, and he exchanged the plastic pad for a thicker one – 2 mm thicker. Consider that 2mm is 5/64 inch, slightly more than 1/16 inch. It’s not much but it made a world of difference. The doctor told me that he is finding the joints loosening after replacement. In my case, tightening the joint this small amount has made a remarkable difference to reduce the pain and increase the physical functions of the joint.

Now, the joint is not completely healed so there is still pain and swelling but the rate of improvement is encouraging and my expectations for recovery are greater than they have been for more than 5 years. I can comfortably walk 3 miles and perform exercises not done in a long time. For all this, I am very thankful…

We have two house cats – Ava and Niki. Ava is affectionate but low energy. Niki has more than enough energy and curiosity for them both. Last Friday evening, we realized Niki was missing. She couldn’t be found in the house in any of her usual hiding places but we waited until Saturday to be sure. We searched inside and outside the house to no avail. We didn’t see her in the woods near the house nor across the street in the barn with the other neighborhood cats. With the wildlife in this area (raccoons, foxes, hawks, buzzards and outside cats), we were concerned because she has lived her life within the protection of the house and is unlearned in the ways of the wild.

By Sunday evening, our hopes were taking some hits when continued searches and food left outside were not attracting her. We were having dinner at the picnic table in the back yard when we saw her come out of a bush at the back of the house. She panicked when we came toward her and ran back into the bush. Mike successfully extracted her from the bush and brought her back into the house – scared and hungry after more than 48 hours in the wild.

Perhaps her curiosity about life outside the house is satisfied? The backyard is a favorite meeting place for raccoons during the night, and we’ve seen foxes passing through the yard on numerous occasions. At least she found a good hiding place in the bush, which is dense and close to the house.

Finally, the reception she got from her sister, Ava, was unexpected – not friendly at all. Perhaps Ava is jealous that she missed out on the great adventure or the attention Niki got when she returned? They are getting along better as time passes by.

This story has lots of the elements of the Biblical story – interesting…

I had knee surgery on Friday, June 11. The surgeon cleaned out the debris and replaced the plastic pad with a slightly thicker one. My first PT session was June 16. I’ve been 3 times and have been doing exercises at home. I have a PT session on Wednesday, and see the surgeon on Thursday, June 24, to remove the staples 14 days post surgery. That is a milestone event because after that I can shower, and probably swim.

The knee is responding good. I am regaining strength and range of motion faster than I expected. The incision looks good, and ready for the staples to be removed. I’m tempted to do it myself – I have the experience and tool for the job but doing that would upset some people so I’ll wait…

The best signs are the knee is bending smoothly and the old areas of pain are greatly reduced or gone – time will tell for sure. I am encouraged and optimistic but cautious because I’ve been here before. The old adage says the third time is the charm. We’ll see.

Thus far, things are looking good!

This picture shows, left to right, Ralph Smith, Ernest Smith, Robert Farrell, and Roy Farrell in 1940. These 4 are first cousins – their mothers were sisters. Robert is my father. Roy was my namesake.

Ernest was the oldest and had been inducted into the Army before WW II started. Robert Farrell was 15 at this time. His younger brother, Roy, was only 13 in this picture. After WWII started, Robert enlisted in the Navy when he was 18. Roy enlisted when only 17 by lying about his age. He was a medic in the Navy Marine Corp. Not long thereafter, he was killed in the invasion of Guam helping the wounded. Ralph, Ernest and Robert all survived the war. Robert is the only one still living at the age of 85.

Sarah and Mike are expecting their first child, and our first grandchild, on Christmas Day! We can’t think of any better gift to receive. The following picture is the sonogram at 7 weeks.

We’re all excited and looking forward to this blessed event.

The surgery on my right knee went as scheduled on June 11. The minimally invasive arthroscopy was not sufficient so the knee was fully opened to clean out debris and replace the plastic pad with one 2 mm thicker. The doctor said he was confident he thoroughly cleaned the debris and the edge the cement came from. He said this is one of the risks with revision surgery. I’m not sure I see it that way but it apparently is in this case.

I have a foot long incision – really 8 inches – across the front of my knee with a gazillion staples – really only 24. The staples can be removed in 2 weeks. I can begin PT this week. I should be able to drive again after 4 weeks when I see the doctor for his post-op exam. The pain level is not as high as I expected but it is still uncomfortable. I’m taking intermediate level pain meds, which only make me mildly crazy.

All in all, this experience had not been as good as I hoped for but better than I expected it to be, at least, so far…

The old proverb says something along the lines that when life throws lemons at you, make lemonade. Well, lemons are heading our way. We’ve just finished some big projects and were taking a short break before starting some more when my right knee replacement joint developed a problem. We’re thankful this didn’t happen earlier in the Spring.

On May 17, I heard and felt a loud snap/crack sound when standing up from my office chair. There was no pain, only noise. The next day, a similar thing happened walking up stairs. On day 3, the pain started. On day 7, the joint locked up while asleep – the pain woke me up. The lockup loosened by itself. On day 10, x-rays were taken. The PA’s thought scar tissue was tearing – the surgeon is out of town for the week. On day 14, the surgeon reviewed the x-rays and listened to my story. He thinks a piece of cement holding the prosthesis to the bone broke off and is a loose body in the joint. It is about the size of a 3/8 inch nut. It has to come out or it will wreck the prosthesis.

It could be a relatively minor issue or become a major setback, so we’re taking timely action to try to keep it minor. Surgery is scheduled for June 11 at Union Memorial Hospital. The first technique will be minimally invasive to try to remove the loose body and inspect the joint for damages. If necessary, the knee will be opened through a large incision to find the loose body and/or repair damages. Of course, we’re hoping and praying that the minimally invasive treatment is successful!

It’s been a couple months since my last blog posting. Several noteworthy things have happened in that period.

First was Easter morning. Donna and I wanted to participate in a meaningful sunrise worship service but couldn’t find any near where we live so we had our own. With our friends, Rosemary and Jim Kestle, we watched the Sun rise over our Folly’s Quarters neighborhood in Reisterstown, MD. It was a chilly but beautiful morning as we each read a different Gospel account of the Resurrection, which was very meaningful to us.

Second, the Winter of 2009 – 2010 was especially hard with record snowfall and cold weather. An unexpected benefit of all the snow was a spectacular Spring for blossoming trees and flowers. Maryland is always a beautiful place in the Spring but this year everything was extra special.

There are more pictures of our Folly’s Quarters neighborhood to see at this link.

Third is the major transformation of our house this Spring. After 19 years living in this house, it needed some improvements. The short version of a long story can be seen in the following two pictures:

The house as it looked for the past 15 years, or so...

Starting in March, the work was completed in May. The primary improvements were refurbishing the front entrance and residing the house with vinyl siding. The transformation can be seen below. Special thanks to American Remodeling Corporation for their quality work, on-time and on-budget.

A new looking house in the Spring of 2010

Everything is now ready for a restful and enjoyable Summer. The swimming pool was refurbished in September last year so we can enjoy this new look for a while.

Looking at this picture, it’s hard to remember that only three months ago there were 51 inches of snow covering everything!

Taken February 11, 2010

Family and friends are always welcome!!

Yesterday at 1:32PM EDT Spring finally arrived. Right on schedule, flowers and trees are blossoming all over the place. This picture is of crocus at the side entrance to our home. One month ago, the snow was more than 3 feet deep at this spot!

We also have dafodils starting to bloom. Around our neighborhood, the early blossoming magnolia trees and pear trees are busting out. The sunshine and warm weather of the past week has sparked all this. Gotta love it!