It is spring time here in NZ. The days are getting longer and the weather is improving.
My right knee is going well and is nice and strong. I am still making progress - but can't yet manage to get up from the floor elegantly. Apparently it takes at least a year for the tissue to heal and become less sensitive so that you are able to tolerate kneeling. I recently went along to an industrial safety wear shop and bought myself some industrial strength knee pads (only available in "noir"). And I have been practicing kneeling and standing up when I go to the pool in the mornings - in the kiddies swimming pool.
Incredibly, the bruising around the scar remains but isn't sensitive or sore and the gruesome dark hairs seem to have receded.
In my last blog post, I reported that I was planning a visit to see the surgeon about my left knee because it collapsed when I go walking and is really painful.
The left knee doesn't give me the same degree of pain and discomfort as I had this time last year when I was in constant pain, more or less house bound and couldn't sleep. But it means that I have problems walking without a limp /waddle and this makes my hips and back really sore. I tend to use my walking sticks when going any distance to reduce the limp. I am still reliant on anti-inflammatories to manage the pain and the left knee is very swollen and puffy. My cycling at the gym has become very painful and I am now concentrating my exercise on pool based activities. So it really limits the progress I was making with my new right knee.
Peter, the surgeon, was pleased with my right knee - I now have full range of motion. He prodded my left knee - making it creak and grate - and viewed the X-rays. He said that the left knee is in the same condition as the right knee was prior to surgery although it is more flexible than the right knee was. After talking it through - I have booked in to have the left knee replaced on 4 November.
So I will be fully bionic (and hopefully dynamic) by Christmas! And I look forward to getting back on my bike to enjoy some summer cycling.
Post script:
In the last month, the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine have released the video of a key note presentation I made at their Evidence Live conference in June 2016. In the presentation I talked about my experience of getting good reliable information to help me consider my options for managing the osteoarthritis in my knees.
Here is a link http://youtu.be/62N9cFMmhJ4
No comments:
Post a Comment