Today marks three months since my knee replacement operation. It has been a long and interesting road.
Starting with being on the operating table, and after having been given a spinal and a good feeling Twilight drug, seeing men and women in space suits hovering around the table talking about, things I did not understand. Later hearing sawing and saying to anyone that would listen, “Are they sawing my bone or the prosthetic” then nothing, I guess they gave me more of the” Twilight” stuff. Then I noticed that all was quiet and waved my left hand behind me and said “Is anyone there” Someone said “They are finishing up now” I then said “Are they sewing me or using stables", then nothing again. I guess they did not want a chatter box asking questions, when there was serious work to attend to.
Next thing I knew was in the recovery room very cold and shaking. The nurse was saying “Don’t worry everything is OK, we will wrap you in a blanket to warm you up” then she said “The doctor ordered more pain killer” I did not know I was in pain, apparently I had been complaining earlier.
Then I was in my room very comfortable in a slight codeine fog, with my family smiling and telling me that I was very brave. The three days in the hospital is a distant memory.......to bad really, as I was in a very nice private room with a view. I do however remember that I was up on my feet the day after the operation for just a moment and the two physical therapists saying “She is going to faint, her lips are white”. Then the blood transfusion.
I have told all about the Physical Rehabilitation Center and Nurse Crachet in another post, so I shall not go into that here, if you care to refresh your memory click here.
Now the fun starts I am back home and got sick, you read more about that, if you are curious, by clicking here.
Once I started at Star Physical Therapy, progress came in leaps and bounds. Good days and bad days but thankfully mostly good ones. I can walk without a cane inside and outside, except for the times I go into a store or, where there are a lot of people apt to walk into me and knock me down....I am very afraid of falling......I have been told by those, who are in the know, that this is normal. There are fewer times when I walk like someone out of the movie “The Night of the Living Dead”. I try to walk as a normal person would, bend my knees as I walk and have my arms comfortably swing at my side. That is quite a challenge, I can tell you.
This is my last week of physical therapy, next a personal trainer.....my upper-body has been woefully neglected, I intend to remedy that.
One of my neighbors walks with me everyday during the week, she is very patient with me and leaves it up to me how far we walk and our walks are getting longer each day.
I go to lunch with friends, attend our neighborhood book club meetings....that are really eating and drinking parties, and just today I went to my knitting club meeting......and yes, we do knit, along with eating good and fattening treats.
My only challenge at this time is getting into and out of chairs that either have no arms or are low. I have the getting down just about licked however, the getting up still entails much thinking and or help.
I have been without pain pills for three weeks now.....that does not mean the pain is completely gone just that it is bearable and intermittent.
If you ask me whether I would do this all again, the answer is a resounding yes, as there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I will be Dancing in Denmark in July :) and wearing sandals with kitten heals as soon as I find them.