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.