Eight months post surgery update

1 October 2016: 8 months post TKR surgery on right knee

Spring is in the air. The blossoms are out and the grass is growing and there is the promise of longer sunny days ahead.

I have been noticing in the last few weeks that my new right knee has been making some subtle, slow and steady progress.

I went along to a meeting last week that started with drinks and meeting/ greeting small talk. In the past this was a hellish scenario that would have been painful and embarrassing. Happily,I was able to stand and chat to people and have a drink for 15 minutes or more without having to rush to sit down. 

In my last post I mentioned my difficulties getting up from the floor and kneeling. So every day at the pool I get into the toddler's pool and practice kneeling. I have been getting a lot more confident with the moves and so on an evening last week I decided to try out the manoeuvre on land. So I said to Peter - "watch this" and I slithered out of my chair onto the floor and then hoisted myself (relatively easily) off the ground while leaning on the coffee table. He was quite surprised. He has been watching my ungainly attempts to launch myself from the floor over the last few months - so it was a surprise to see me get up in a fairly swift move without cursing or rolling about laughing.

The bruising around the scar on my right knee is also calming down and the swelling still reducing slowly but surely.

Now that my right knee is coming into its own, I have been focussing on the 5 weeks until I have the left knee replaced. 

I have been thinking a lot about what that will mean for me. I am expecting that the recovery might be easier as I know something about what to expect from the surgery.  I will have the advantage of a good strong right knee to get me mobilised. I have started stashing away  meals in the freezer.  My tomatoes and sunflowers are planted in my garden hoping that they will be ready to fruit and flower in December and I am picturing myself back on the Hawkes Bay cycles ways zipping from vineyard to vineyard. So I am thinking 2016 will be a year of reconstruction and stabilisation - so I will be ready to enjoy the opportunities the new year will bring.

Bring it on!