Needing a new Knee: 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.