The long and winding road

As I prepare to enter week two with no energy, cold sores, aching limbs and a sore throat I now have a cough and a sore chest to add to the list!  Clearly my immune system is on strike, or at the very least a ‘go slow’  I am trying to justify this by remembering that my body has been through a bit of trauma this year and stuck indoors pretty much most of the summer.  I also believe that taking vitamin supplements is a waste of time and no substitute for fresh air, sunshine and keeping physically active (within your capabilities of course). 

I was due to see my knee surgeon for a follow-up appointment this coming week – it’s 8 weeks since my last appointment. However, when I rang to check my appointment time I was told he’d cancelled all his clinics until January to go on holiday, thanks for letting me know! 

I’m going to finish now – this exertion has tired me out.

You’re not going to believe this….

I’ve got flu! aches, pains, runny nose, cold sores – the whole works.  Now I am thinking has this been the cause of my aching legs over the past week or so?  I’ve been blaming my knee surgery maybe is wasn’t that after all.  Anyway I’m going to hibernate for a few days, feel sorry for myself and eat chocolate!

On the road again….

And what a day for it, a lovely winters morning, crisp, cold, bright just the way I like it!

About the knee – I can’t lie its still painful and I’m trying to work out why. I do think the amount of walking I have been doing without my crutch could be a factor so I’m not leaving home without it anymore! I’ve also reduced the amount of icing I’ve been doing – purely because its been so cold and I’m such a wimp so its back to basics as far as that is concerned.

I’ve been catching up with some really old friends this past week – some I had not seen for 20+ years. It was lovely and so ‘easy’ we just slipped into conversation as if it had only been a week since we last met, that’s my definition of real friendship. Of course the topics of conversation were very different….aches, pains, retirement, grandchildren, but we did reminisce as well……..

Business as usual!

I am pleased to say the enforced ‘house arrest’ has paid off.  My knee is feeling much better, the pain free periods are getting longer and the need for pain relief is reducing.  According to research I’ve done episodes like this are very common after knee replacement surgery, particularly if you have other physical disabilities to deal with, which of course I have.  My moods have been wide and varied this week, born mostly out of frustration so I need to think hard about any poor unwitting soul I may have taken it out on this past week and grovel! 

I’ve used my enforced withdrawal from society wisely by making lots of lists….. a Christmas one, a DIY one and a budget (which will be a complete waste of time)  I’m good at making lists and not so good at using them.  I always make a shopping list but I never look at it because I usually leave it in the car! I make great Christmas lists with who and what presents I’m going to give, never once have people got what I’d put on the list – this must be a syndrome of some kind 🙂

Anyway I’m out and about again and feeling very grateful that I am .

 

 

Armchair activites

Considering I’ve not been ‘out’ I’ve had quite a productive couple of days really.  My new knee (and to a lesser degree my ‘old’ hip) are still quite painful and its very dis-heartening 😦 although I am pleased to say my stump has healed and is no longer painful (one down two to go). I’ve re-visited www.bonesmart.com and some of the posts have reassured me just as they did pre- and post-op.  We humans are not so different – sometimes it pays to remember that.

However, internet shopping to the rescue! I’ve started my Christmas shopping from the comfort of my armchair whilst my lovely cleaner Claire is vacuuming  around me – why do I wish it was me doing the vacuuming?? I’ve also managed to ‘pin-down’ my son and make a start on his accounts for last year – if you knew him you would realise that this is no mean feat!

I have a follow-up appointment with my surgeon in 3 weeks and it can’t come quickly enough.  I know I could bring the appointment forward but I don’t want to ‘give in’ too quickly, I feel the more information I can give him about my mobility and level of pain the better answer I will get. I need to get past this lack of trust in my own instincts its not like me at all.

Back to the shopping – I have the obligatory list which I have yet to look at! but I have ordered some lovely handmade cookies from www.thecookiecollaboration.co.uk.

 

 

Mandy the owner is a very talented young lady visit her site you will be amazed. 

Still confined to base!

Now into day 3 of ‘house arrest’ so lots of thinking time. Admittedly my knee feels better and I can only assume that’s because I’ve been resting a lot more. My stump however is still sore and quite fragile. I’ve been asking myself the question who am I trying to impress? Dashing around ( not literally) saying yes to everything and even volunteering when I should say a polite no. However it’s hard to change the habit of a lifetime but I need to be stronger and firmer with myself if I am to heal properly and feel the benefits of a full knee replacement long-term.

Reading other peoples blogs is very helpful, particularly in the early post-op days because everyone’s initial recovery period follows a fairly similar pattern. It gets difficult when as individuals we start to pick up the pace of our pre-op life as this varies so much depending on age, level of fitness and whether or not you have any other physical needs or complications – this is where I fail miserably! I have tried my whole life, since losing my leg in an accident 40 years ago to lead as full a life as I can. I never considered myself as disabled even though it was quite obvious I was. Now I am older I am not able to do that because my needs are more. However I seem to forget that sometimes and end up right where I am now – confined to base!

All Ears

Turbulent Thursday – a very good description for today. Added to the stresses is the distress of having a really painful knee and an even more painful stump on my ‘good’ leg.  I know its taken a toll on me because all I want to do is sleep and its only 4pm!

So its back to basics for me I’m afraid – obviously being doing a bit too much physically and now I’ve probably set my self back – your body has a way of paying you back when you don’t listen to it….in future I’ll be all ears

Put your right leg in……..

Today has been momentous – my first bath since my knee replacement op, it was lovely but lasted a lot longer than I anticipated. Getting into the water was fairly straightforward, planning is everything and if my operation and subsequent lack of mobility has taught me anything it’s planning!

Getting out of the water required a little more thought – I had it all worked out in my head but putting it into practice was a very different matter, in fact I attempted it three times then topped up the hot water three times whilst trying to summon the guts to do it! I am so glad bathing is a ‘private matter’ my exit from the bath looked like a scene from an Houdini show. Not being able (or brave enough) to fully weight bear on my right leg from a seating position, and not having a left leg to ‘fall back on’ (if you’ll pardon the pun) equals a not very graceful manoeuvre.
Now all I can think of is what could have gone wrong – so tomorrow I will be shopping for a bath aid.

My husband has been decorating the lounge and dining room. I assumed the very important role of project manager (basically making tea and pointing out the missed bits of paint) Knee pain has been quite bad this week and I have needed pain-relief nearly every day at some point, otherwise I would have liked to help with the decorating which once I start I quite enjoy. It never ceases to amaze me how he keeps his paint brushes so clean – when I paint the handle has as much paint on it as the wall!

In fairness I have come a long way in 16 weeks, but I still have some way to go and as long as I keep moving forward I’ll keep positive.