Mount St Helena*

It's only about 4,300 feet high but it is quite a rugged climb and it does dominate the skyline above the Laguna de Santa Rosa. I took this picture from the parking lot of the orthopedic clinic. 
I think it rained a little bit during the night, but it has been a lovely, slightly chilly day. It didn't feel chilly though as I raced from the Pilates studio to  Redwood Orthopaedic for a visit with the knee surgeon's medical assistant.

Natalie looked at my knee and confirmed that the sooner I have the surgery the better because of a 'valgus deformity' (knock knee) which streteches and weakens the medial ligaments which are the main stabilizers for the knee. If they get too overstretched, it limits the choices for the prosthesis they use. I'm supposed to ride a stationary bike starting asap for 20 min a day. The fact that I don't have a stationary bike, nor do I have access to one didn't seem to be her problem. She  gave me a choice between staying overnight after the surgery or coming home the same day. I wasn't sure that was my choice to make,
 but said I'd just as soon come home the same day. She said the surgery center was very nice but staying overnight isn't an option. She also commented on the site of the still not totally healed skin cancer removal and said it had to be 'totally healed' before the pre-op appointment  or surgery would be cancelled. 

She then turned me over to the 'scheduler',whose name I've forgotten, who ushered me into a conference room...yes the kind with a big table surrounded by 8 or ten chairs and asked me to take a seat. She then sat at the computer across the table with her back to me the whole time. My surgery is now scheduled for Feb 21st in the surgery center, along with a pre-op appointment and instructions for a list of things to do before that appointment. Phew.

The phalanx of people one has to work one's way through to make all this happen leaves me a little breathless, but now I can spend the next three months getting used to the idea.

Maybe when all this is over I can climb Mt St Helena again....

*As opposed to Mt St Helens which is in Washington state. (thanks, Tookie)