Reflections - One month on

Sleeping is still a work in progress - but at least I can sleep with Peter for a few hours each night before I get up to prowl the house or read. I can now also sleep on my side which is a relief. I am not completely comfortable with rolling over yet as I don't have the flexibility to move or roll quickly.

I have had some other minor triumphs. 

27 February 2016:  29 days post op

I have been out in my garden harvesting tomatoes, garlic and basil to make a pizza tonight. 

The whole kitchen smells of summer. I am looking forward to making dinner and things are beginning to seem more normal.

The last month has been turmoltuous - sometimes time seems to have gone quickly and on other days, time drags.  I have been reflecting on what has happened in one month since the surgery.

Firstly, I am amazed at the healing my body has achieved. As you will have seen from the creepy photos taken one week after the knee replacement operation, my right leg was hugely bruised, swollen and engorged. Now one month later, there is a small area of bruising and puffiness, but the leg is looking far more normal. The scar is healing and the staple marks are disappearing.

I can now wear my normal clothes instead of baggy shapeless shorts that are two or three sizes to large.

I still find it hard to know what I can reasonably expect to accomplish. I am walking around 3 km a day. I can also walk around inside the house reasonably confidently without holding on to things, but I do tend to sit with my feet and legs up quite a lot. I use at least one crutch when I go outside to give me some forward momentum. However walking is still very tiring. 

I had a fantastic time at the pool yesterday morning. I was in there for about half an hour doing some gentle exercises but mostly gossiping with my buddies Margaret and Sue. However when I got home I was exhausted and went to sleep for two hours. I was a bit of a right-off for the rest of the day. So while I feel like I would like to be more active and get out and about, I am sabotaged by tiredness. 

I can now go up and down these two little steps to our front door without using crutches. It doesn't look like a huge obstacle, but previously (pre- op) I had to go down them side ways one step at a time. 

I have more independence and I can now cook and do stuff in the kitchen. I still need to sit on the stool when I am cutting up things, stirring things on the stove or drying the dishes. I have been making lots of salads and easy to cook things and I enjoy it. The pizza should be reasonably easy (I am using the flour and Greek yoghurt recipe for the base) and then lots of divine tomatoes from the garden.

I can also drive short distances. Up to 25 minutes at a time. I had expected I would have to wait 6 weeks - so this is great progress.

This morning we had a lovely, more or less normal, Saturday. We went for a walk to our favourite dog park. I went about 25% of the walk while Peter and Lewis continued the circuit. Then we went off to the Napier market to get our bread and veges for the week. I can't yet carry the groceries but it was lovely to be there. 

While we were at the market we met up with Vanessa (my fab Physio friend) and her husband Andrew. They hadn't seen me since the surgery so it was interesting to get their assessment of how I was progressing. Vanessa has been coaching me since October for pre-hab - showing me how to strengthen my muscles and get my leg ready to recover from surgery. 

When we met this morning, Vanessa said she was blown away by my recovery to date. She said that the excercises I was  doing before the operation have helped to train my body to willingly perform the retraining activities because they are now second nature to me. She said that so many people who have knee surgery are immobilised beforehand and have no flexibility. So it makes it very hard to learn new approaches in a short space of time. I am so pleased to have made that pre-hab  investment.

So much has changed in just one month.  It will be fascinating to see what has changed after 6 weeks and eight weeks. I will keep you posted...

Beauty bathing!

24 February 2016: 26 days post op

It continues to be very hot here - so hot that the chickens are losing their feathers! This is a shot of my favourite hen, Abby, moulting. She is looking rather  disreputable and she now has no tail feathers at all.

I am enjoying the good weather and beginning to feel more normal - in fact I am feeling really pleased:

- I just had a bath and it was fantastic!!!! I have been craving a bath for 26 days and it was a joy to soak in the delicious warm water. I was a bit concerned that I might not be able to get out of the bath again - but as it turned out all my arm strengthening exercises at the gym and with the crutches were put to good use and I was able to lever myself out without any drama.

- I am crutch-less! Well at least indoors. I have, on my physio's recommendation, cast aside my crutches and I can now wander freely. I thought it was going to be liberating but actually it is quite hard work. I am not feeling confident enough to walk outside unaided - so I will still use the crutches for a while longer when I am going out dog walking, on the farm or going to the shops. But it reflects good progress.

- I have 115 degrees range of motion in my knee. The Physio reported that it was an all-time record to have such good ROM after such a short time. I don't feel all that flexible - while I can bend my knee it tends to get stuck and locks up - so needs some more work.

- I have managed to push the pedals on the Exercycle all the way around! I know - it sounds a bit limp - but it was quite scary getting up on the Exercycle (I had to have the seat up extra high) and then wondering whether my leg was going to jam up. But no problem. So now I have to work on lowering the seat and cycling

and building up my leg muscles again.

- I slept for more than 3 hours last night - and on my side. That is the longest continuous sleep I have had in nearly a month. It felt luxurious. I can't wait to try again tonight. Sleeping on my side is also pretty good.

Here is the latest knee shot taken while I was sitting at the hairdresser's yesterday. The right knee is much less swollen and more of a normal colour now. 

The wound is healing well so I plan to go for a swim with my gym buddies on Friday morning.

Abby the chicken will grow new glorious feathers over the next few weeks and she will then look more normal. (I promise to post a photo of her new clothes on a future blog).

Like Abby, I am beginning to feel like I am morphing back into a more normal way of life and I am looking forward to some new knee adventures - starting with my swim on Friday.

Creeping with crutches #3

20 February 2016: 22 days post op

I am starting to be more independent and adventurous and have been leaving at least of my crutches behind when I am inside. I have also been getting more and more frustrated with even one crutch and have got to the stage where I can walk around the house without any support. However the Physio observed that I limp without the crutch so I try to keep using the crutch to help retrain my gait.

Given that I intend to be "crutch-less" very soon, I thought I should finish off my list of handy things that I have used over the last three weeks.

10.  A Spare Bed

It has been really great to be able to have a comfortable bed with lots of good pillows that I can retreat to. In the last week I have been able to sleep more - sometimes up to 3 hours at a time. When I wake up I often read or go for a wander on my crutches to try and tire myself out. 

Since I had the bandage removed from my wound, I find blankets aggravating on the scar. So I tend to leave my legs uncovered and just have blankets over my torso.

If you have read my other blogs you will also know about my frustrations with needing to sleep on my back. I can report that in the last few days I have managed to start sleeping on my side for up to half an hour at a time. The pillows are a useful support - and the surgeon recommended that I also wedge a pillow between my legs.

Frankly all these activities don't constitute very sociable behaviour - so I haven't wanted to wake Peter up by sleeping with him. So the spare room has been great - plus it is close to the bathroom.

11.  Soft short shorts

Ok - these don't look good - but they are seriously comfortable. 

I had some shorts that I had when I was heavier - so they are about two sizes too large. The shorts I bought a few months ago were great pre-op- but after the surgery my calf wouldn't fit through the leg hole - it became wide than my regular thigh - so I had to resort to these old baggy shorts. However they are really comfortable plus the legs aren't too long and don't drag on the scar.

12.  DVDs 

We took the precaution of buying a selection of DVDs prior to the op. We have seen the Village, Famille Belier and Series 3 of the Bridge so far. Just started on Jordskott. It is a nice indulgence.

13. An Apron

I use the apron as a kangaroo pouch to stow iPads, bottled water, ice pads, chicken eggs etc. It is a good substitute for the shoulder bag.

14. A Lantern

This lantern is really good for my nocturnal wanderings. It is better than a torch because it has a handle that I can balance on the handholds of my crutches and it means I can illuminate  my travels without waking up the whole household. 

I have come to the end of my list.

If you want to know more about what to expect with knee replacement surgery - one of the really good documents I read before the surgery was produced by Capital and Coast DHB.

It can be found here 

http://www.healthpoint.co.nz/download,403644.do

It has some really useful info in it for example

Finally, for those of you who thought I could write a blog without a current knee photo - you were wrong -  here is today's shot

It is looking pretty good isn't it!

Hopping along

18 February 2016: 

20 days post op.

I am down to one crutch! Yes! I am pleased to be moving more freely and to be making good progress.

I had my first post op appointment with a local physio yesterday. She was impressed with my leg bends (nearly 100 degrees). One of the first things she got me to do was a passive hamstring stretch which nearly made my eyes bulge out of their sockets

Oath! I could only manage 2 1/2 minutes. It is really hard. The Physio later recommended I do the exercise 2x a day - but just after I have knocked back some of my pain meds. 

I also did some exercises on the standing bike (I am not yet ready to push a pedal around the full circle) and I will start back at the gym tomorrow walking on the treadmill and doing some upper body work. 

It is interesting to see how much walking I am already doing. My iPhone has a Health app that tracks the distance I walk in a day. In the last four or five days  it has recorded between 2-3km for day. I am not completely sure how accurate this is - but it gives me an indication that I am getting about.

It feels really great to be getting moving. I even had a test drive in the car. Ten minutes was enough for a start. I will build up to longer distances slowly. 

I will hold off on the pool until the wound is completely healed - but it is coming along well.

The bruising has also gone down significantly.

The other glorious development is that last night, for the first time since the operation, I was able to tentatively sleep on my side. It was fantastic. I wasn't able to sleep in that position for more than an hour but it was a very welcome development. I have also doubled my painkillers at night (as recommended by my GP) and this means I am beginning to sleep for up to three hours at a time. 

The combination of more sleep, increased mobility, less bruising and managed pain is welcome and sets me up for more progress in the coming week. 

Good to GO!

15 February 2016:  17 days post op

I haven't been feeling great since the staples were removed last Thursday. My knee has been quite sore and still quite swollen. We have been staying on the Kapiti Coast since I was discharged but Peter and decided we were yearning to be home, so over the weekend we went home to Waipukurua to check on the chickens and to get back to normal.

Everything (especially the chooks) were fine and the weather was cool at night and plus 30 during the day.

We were only able to stay in Waipukurau for a few days because my GP wanted me to travel back to Wellington today to have my knee checked by the surgeon.

Early this morning we headed back for the three and a half hours drive to Wellington. We made it to the appointment with one minute to spare.

Because the swelling has made my leg hard to move, I was feeling a bit anxious about the appointment. 

No need. Peter, my surgeon, was delighted with my progress. He explained that the swelling is going to continue for the next 6 months. He was also very pleased with the wound.

My concerns over my flexibility were calmed. In fact he explained that I probably have 95 degrees of range of motion after two weeks. Apparently most people only achieve that range after 6 weeks. Peter also encouraged me to go swimming next week, start reducing the use of the crutches and  best of all - he said I could start driving again !!! Hurray!!! 

Peter made me promise that before I started driving, I would sit in the driver's seat with me eyes closed and check that I could move my foot into the correct pedals. He explained that he had significantly straightened my leg during surgery and my foot would be in a completely different place now and I would have to get used to using it differently.

So - great news. I don't feel confident enough to drive home tomorrow for 3 1/2 hours - I think I will build up by some small trips first. Perhaps my first visit to the Physio to start more rehab on Wednesday will be the ideal trial. 

A lot has happened in the past 17 days. It has been really strange to be so dependent and restricted. I have had a huge amount of support and help from Peter (my partner), my mother and friends over the last few weeks. It has been amazing! 

I am really looking forward to starting get back to a more normal routine back at the ranch  and beginning to stand on my own two feet. 

Watch this space...

The big reveal

Day 13 post op: Staple Removal day!

I had been looking forward to today - the day when the 60 staples would be removed from my wound. 

This week I have been feeling a lot more confident with my progress and the bruising and swelling around my leg, compared with last week, has been reducing. 

We set off for the GP's clinic this morning. I imagined that removing the staples would be a relatively easy painless process.  The nurse set about removing the bandaging and we all had a good look at the wound.

The wound itself seemed to have healed quite well. The nurse and the GP spent some time peering at my leg and poking it because they were concerned that it was still hot and swollen.

After showing them comparative photos of my leg from last week when we went to ED, they agreed it would be OK to take out the staples. Apparently the staples can't be left in too long or else the flesh grows over them...(yik).

The nurse had some very tiny sharp scissors that she used to cut each staple and to pull them out of my skin.

Frankly it hurt like crazy. I hadn't expected that. Maybe it is less painful if your leg isn't hot and swollen and you have a haematoma? The GP observed that my right leg looks about twice the size of my left leg -"it looks like it belongs to someone else". My foot put on a spectacular swelling display as well and puffed up like a marshmallow.

It took about 45 minutes to have all the staples removed...this is how the wound now looks.

And here are all the staples.

The wound has been re-bandaged (with the most fantastic high tech sticky plastic).

The GP and nurse are still both concerned at the heat of my leg and the haematoma so I am booked to go and see the specialist next Monday.

The good news is that the wound looks clean and healthy and the flexibility in my knee is improving.  I now have 90 degrees range of motion - which was my first target. This means that I can put my foot flat on the floor with my leg at a right angle. Both Sarah, my GP and I, thought that was fantastic.

Creeping with crutches #2

But wait - there is more- yes the list of helpful things continues....

5. The Lazyboy recliner

I bought my mother one of these chairs a few decades ago when she had her first knee replacement and she loved it. And we were impressed with how comfortable it is and went and bought some for ourselves.

I have placed a quilt my mother made me for Christmas on the seat as the leather gets kind of clingy in the heat and it is also softer on the inflamed skin of my leg. 

The chair has a built in footstool which elevates my feet and makes it great. I have also discovered I can push back into the chair and it is possible to sleep in the chair at night - useful instead of staying in bed when I can't stop thinking of turning over and sleeping on my side rather than my back (yes - it is becoming something of an obsessive thought especially in the middle of the night).

6. My mobile phone 

My trusty iPhone is my constant companion. Not just for taking colourful daily photos of my leg or talking to people, but I have also programmed in the times for taking my pills so I don't forget to take them. This was a great idea from my friend Heather. So now I don't forget to take my meds and I can keep the pain managed.

7 Velcro fastening sandals

I never thought I would be a cheerleader for Velcro shoes but these sandals have been great. You can see from the photo below just how much my foot and leg have billowed out. The sandals cope with the fluctuations in foot and ankle size really well.

The sandals are very sturdy (yet colourful)  and keep my feet safe and stable.

8 The covered coffee cup

As I mentioned in my previous blog, it is pretty difficult carrying things while using crutches - especially liquids that slop about. So it has been really good to dig this lidded coffee cup out of the back of the cupboard. It means I can take a cup of coffee to drink in my favourite chair :-)

9 The Canine Companion

Lewis is always fun to have around. Despite usually being a puppy lout, he has been surprisingly cautious and gentle. He accompanied me on my outdoor plods around the outside of the house and he regularly presents his favourite toys for my entertainment and enjoyment.  

On a couple of occasions he has carefully jumped onto my bed in the middle of the night and curled up tidily by my feet. He seems to know that I am tender and he generally acts with a great deal of caution when he is near me. but most of all - he is just great fun!

Creeping with crutches and other helpful hints #1

12 days post op: 8 days since discharge from hospital

Another hot gorgeous Kapiti day. I have walked to the end of the street (with my crutches) for the first time and I have also had a shower standing up (as opposed to sitting on a hospital stool in the shower). So I am feeling perky. Yesterday I met my new neighbour for the first time. Turns out he is at home recovering from a hip replacement which he had one week before I had my operation. We shared stories about using crutches and having difficulties sleeping - (I was reassured to hear that he also craves being able to sleep on his side).

With some of these shared observations, I thought I would put together a list of the  various handy hints and items that have been useful in my first week out of hospital.

1. Crutches

The hospital hires the crutches to patients and they are fitted by a Physio who shows you how to use them. The ones I have grip my arm and provide a leaning post for my hands. It has been quite tricky to manoeuvre around with crutches. It is very hard to go around corners and to back up. 

They are great for sitting down as they take the weight off the sore knee and allow me to lever myself up. However, it is a bit hard to co- ordinate lowering oneself onto the toilet  and then propping up the sticks so you can go "hands-free".

The crutches are quite bulky so I have resorted to finding all sorts of places to tuck them away so that we don't trip over them.

They are also surprisingly noisy. They have a dull clomp and rattle which make it a bit difficult when I "sneak" around the house multiple times at night to either go to the toilet or to go and get my ice pack out of the freezer. However I am getting quite good at stealthy creeping around the house at 2am. The biggest hazard is Lewis! 

It has been so hot in the evenings and Lewis tends to sprawl across the hallway and the kitchen entrance way so he can get some breeze from the Windows. When he hears me approach he lies completely passively and waits for me to clomp around or over him. He is completely inert and doesn't make any sudden movements while I am walking over him.

2  Ice packs

The nurses in hospital provided me with these ice packs which they used in my leg from day 1. They are fantastic and they cool the swelling and discomfort. 

I wish I had a leg sized one the covered the front and back of my leg. They are so wonderfully comforting I use them at night to get to sleep. I have two pads and they only remain cold for about twenty minutes so I tend to rotate them every hour or so throughout the day and about three times during the night. I just stuff the cold pack into a pillow case so it doesn't burn my skin and then it starts the soothing.

3 A rolled up towel

This sounds a bit weird - but I now either carry a towel with me round the house - or else I locate towels in the different parts of the house. 

The towel is a really handy way of moving my leg. I can use the towel to haul my leg off the floor onto the bed or chair, I can use it to increase the bend in my leg as part of my exercises and I can also use it to bend my leg to get into the car.

4 A shoulder bag

This strong, lightweight bag can fit a towel, an ice pad, an iPad, and a bottle of water and can be worn by someone sneaking around the house on crutches at night. It is really hard to hold things in your hands while using crutches so this is the perfect accessory....especially when navigating your way around a silver fox who won't move!

Craving a bit on the side

7 February 2016: Day 10 post op.

The knee replacement handbook is quite clear and direct about some the "normal" activities I should and should NOT be contemplating.

I have installed myself in the spare room in a single bed. The room is really close to the bathroom and I don't feel bad about waking up Peter when I can't sleep for more than two hours at a time or I want to read through the night.  

I have arranged a huge jumble of different pillows around the bed so I can sit up or prop myself up or elevate my leg.  

Ever since I got back from surgery I have been sleeping in my back and I have pillows arranged so that I can't twist (cos it hurts and because I need to keep my keep as straight as possible). I also have a secret fear that when sleeping on my back I am snoring like a warthog... Hardly conducive to good relations. But - what I am craving is some normality.

Some of the advice in the handbook covers what should now be considered normal

Forget sex. What I would dearly love to be able to do is casually curl up and snooze on my side as I have for the last five decades.

I had a tentative attempt last night. But the bruising on my leg is still lumpy, bumpy, tender and sore. 

The other weird thing is that I used to crook my right leg when sleeping on my side. I guess that is because it hasn't straightened in the last five years. However last night my leg didn't feel right slightly bent. Another reason to abandon the experiment!

So...I am guessing I will be on my back for another week or two...

They don't mention any of this stuff in the handbook! Perhaps the next edition might ...

Enjoying the sunshine

6 February 2016

Since the last blog (post hospital visit), we have had gorgeous summer weather. In New Zealand it is a long summer weekend acknowledging our national day - Waitangi Day. We have all the doors and windows open and the the neighbourhood is full of bird song and the sound of children playing.

In addition to the wonderful  warm weather, on Saturday I noticed that I was beginning to rush to the loo more and more as the swelling from my leg has begun to slowly reduce. All that fluid had to go somewhere.... 

It is now just one week after the surgery. The flesh around my knee that was close to bursting has begun to feel more normal (apart from some more dense tight areas around the scar). I can now more easily perform the rehab stretches and excercises that were restricted by the swelling. The bruising has started to turn a more purple colour and is reducing. 

Another delight has been the burst of sunshine provided by my friends and family over the last week. After having found difficulty getting out and visiting people over the last year, I have been deeply touched by the kindness and love of my family and friends. 

Friends made the time to pop into the hospital to say hi and make me laugh. Fabulous people many of whom I hadn't seen in ages. Friends on Facebook and overseas have sent me positive and encouraging messages of love and support. Local friends have brought nourishment- cheese scones, gazpacho, wine, macarons,  plums, cherries, coffee, mineral water, beads, hot pot, flowers, books to read and -  most importantly - their time to come and talk and laugh. Others have phoned and sent emails.

Today my mother and I had a lovely day hanging out together - including going for a hilarious drive to the beach. Mum levered me into the back seat of her car. At one stage I lost balance and fell back onto the back seat with my legs flailing out the side door. We were both laughing helplessly!! 

Peter has been a tower of strength. He has been wonderfully kind, thoughtful and patient. And he is a great cook too.

I am feeling on the road to recovery, positive and optimistic and full of sunshine.

Thanks so much everyone xxx

False alarm

4 February 2016

Over the last day my leg has changed colour quite dramatically and become very swollen and hot.

The bandage has also been looking oozy and gunky (a non technical term). 

My leg felt really tight and hot - it was getting hard to do the exercises I was able to do while I was in hospital. 

I read through all of the info I was given by the hospital. The booklet said I should expect significant swelling for the first few weeks after surgery. It also spent some considerable time highlighting the significant risks associated with an infection of the joint. In particular the booklet said that if the lower leg became sore and hot, contact your local general practitioner.

Over lunch with my mother and her husband Bob (both of whom have had knee replacements) we looked at my leg and they reported that their knees were not as swollen as mine. After lunch I took some photos and sent them off to my GP's nurse to ask her whether I should come. Her advice was that if the leg was discernibly warmer than the other leg, then I should get to the nearest emergency department.

Before heading off, we phoned our neighbours Colin and Ruth to ask them for additional advice. Colin is a senior physician at the local hospital. They popped over and Colin agreed that there was discernible increase in the heat in my right leg and that the bandage looked dodgy. He advised us to go straight into Wellington - the tertiary hospital emergency department on the grounds that they would have advanced infection control and wound care services.

It took us about an hour to get to the hospital, but when we arrived we were given excellent service. The triage nurse came out from behind her barrier to talk to me. I didn't have to wait long until they saw us and whipped off the bandage.

They reported that the wound was looking very clean and tidy and healing well. 

The nurse took blood to check for infection and after about an hour the results came back showing that there was no infection but moderate inflammation. 

The orthopaedic registrar phoned my surgeon and they decided that it is likely that the pain, heat and swelling is due to a haematoma. So I need to keep using ice packs on my leg and to go slow on the exercises if they are hard to complete.

So it is a huge relief that there is no infection. The booklet that I was given doesn't talk about haematomas - which seems odd given that from my surfing this morning, haematoma are a pretty common side effect of this kind of surgery. 

After discussion with the registrar last night, he expects that the haematoma will naturally heal up within the next week. So I will work on that assumption and keep hold of the excellent news that the joint has no infection. 

The service I got from Wellington A&E was great - speedy, professional, thorough and helpful. The Department seemed really well organised and equipped and the staff seemed very positive and well coordinated.

So today I will distract myself by playing games with Lewis, applying ice and relaxing 😄.

Home, home on the chair

3 February 2016

I am now at home and parked up on the lazyboy chair (as seen in the photo on yesterday's blog). 

I had a good sleep last night with a few breaks in the early hours sending Facebook messages, skulling pills and sneaking very quietly to the toilet (which is quite a challenge when you are using metal crutches on a wooden floor).

I have been enjoying being back in familiar surroundings with Peter and Lewis and the weather is perfect. Lewis is very careful around the crutches. He moves away with slow predictable movements. He is a little bit aloof - I probably smell hospitally - but still keen to have a stroke or scratch.

My "sausage" leg is still tight and blown up. There is sensational bruising in blackberry through to plum colours on the back of my calf. On the front of my leg, green and yellow bruises have appeared along with pinky red ooze seeping through the bandage. I haven't included a photo cos it might put you off eating for a few days.

This morning Peter went off to the supermarket and I went along for the ride as well for a wee walk down at Raumati beach. I managed to squeeze my leg into the car with the aid of a towel looped under my heel. I didn't think I could face the supermarket so I saved myself for our walk.

We moved at a glacial pace but it was great to be out in sunshine on a gorgeous summer morning. Dogs, cycles, babies in prams and older couples zoomed past me but I kept going with my stocatto walk for about 10 minutes. It was quite exhausting but a good way to start my home-based recovery journey. 

I have been doing more of my exercises (which are quite difficult because the swelling reduces the leg's flexibility) and also resting up on my bed. 

Showering is a two person job. We tried out the shower seat that we have hired from the hospital. It seemed to work quite well and  it is nice to feel refreshed.

I am looking forward to another lovely sunny day tomorrow and achieving more progress and flexibility with my right knee. I am hoping the bruising will start vanishing. Plus it is just slightly more than one week until I get the staples removed.

Hitting the road

2 February 2016

My stay at Wakefield had gone really well so I expected that the discharge arrangements would be just as professional. 

At about 7am it became pretty clear that the nurses were more interested in new patients than those departing.

It was ok that there was no one free to help me shower but it was very difficult getting into my clothes alone.  I had asked if the Physio could run through the walking exercises when Peter was there at 9.30. However they decided  at 8 am while breakfast was being served, that I should go and do my Physio exercises. So off I went to do more stair climbing then went back to finish breakfast and pack my bag. Then the surgeon came in and told me he was going to send me home with tramadol, paracetomol and aspirin - he would see me in 5 weeks.  A few minutes later the senior ward nurse came by and I asked her whether the meds should be continued to manage the arthritis in my left knee. She wasn't certain and checked and said - use aspirin,  NSAIDs, paracetomol and tramadol for break-through pain. I said I don't think that I should be taking aspirin with NSAIDs. So she grumped off and told me to wait.

At 9.45am a different nurse came back with a prescription and discharge papers. The prescription was for aspirin, tramadol and paracetamol. So I asked again what was intended. I was told we were back to the first plan for two weeks. Then back to the NSAIDS after 2 weeks. I found it very confusing and I wondered how others in my place would have got on.

I then asked the new nurse when my next doses of panadol and tramadol were due. "10am" I was told. I asked what the current time was - "4 minutes to 10" was the response. I asked "given that it will take at least one hour before I arrive home and get the prescription made up - perhaps you could give me my meds now before I leave?" She looked very surprised and couldn't think of a reason to refuse. So off I eventually clomped with my crutches, medicated and ready to hit the road, jack.

I managed to lever my leg into the car and we headed home. Lewis was pleased to see me. 

My leg is swollen and bloated like a boiled sausage.  I am parked up in a Lazyboy chair covered by ice packs. I have a range of exercises to do 4 times a day. On 12 Feb I get my 60 staples removed and then I can start on more intensive physiotherapist and bike riding at the gym.

It is nice to be home. And it was a lovely treat to come home to a fabulous bowl of cool and spicy gazpacho soup made by our friends Ruth and Colin. They have also whipped up a hot pot for our dinner. So kind.

It seems that so much has happened in a very quick timeframe. I am delighted with progress and I feel blessed to be surrounded by lovely family and friends - and Lewis!