We have had a lovely warm, sunny and optimistic week here in the Hawkes Bay with far less rain and drama than last week.
The garden is blooming and I have been making great progress with my new left knee. It is now more than a week since the staples were removed and the scar is looking really great.
I have been looking back at my blog from the right knee replacement and this scar is so much better when I compare it with my right knee 3 weeks post op. The left knee has far less bruising and swelling than the right one shown below.
Other comparisons between the two surgical events:
- The left knee now has 110 degrees range of motion - the right knee only had 100 degrees
- I can now walk around inside the house "crutchless" - after the previous op I was relying on one crutch. I generally still use the crutches when I am outside so I can fend off people in the street and the crutches also give me confidence walking over undulating paddocks.
- I am doing about the same amount of walking each day - around 3 kms
- I can now sleep for 6 hours at a stretch in pretty much normal sleeping positions. With the previous right knee surgery I was barely able to sleep more than 3 hours at a stretch and wasn't able to start sleeping on my side until after one month.
- I have been to the gym and the Physio. I did some very low impact cycling and general stuff at the gym (actually it was mostly chatting if I am honest). There wasn't much the Physio could suggest I do - she just said do the same exercises as last time. She thinks that given how well the scar is healing I should go ahead and have a bath and I can also get back to the pool next week - so that is a week earlier than with the right knee replacement.
I drove home from the gym today and that seemed to go pretty well. I don't feel quite ready to drive for more than 10 minutes as it requires a lot of manoeuvring to get my left knee into the drivers seat. It was easier to get into the drivers seat last time as I installed my body first and then only needed to bend my injured knee a small distance.
In addition, I have been feeling great - better than I have felt in such a long time. The decision to have the surgery has been so positive. Hard work - but positive.
When I was at the gym I caught up with an older gent in his 70s who has been waiting for knee replacements for more than two years. A few months ago I helped him get his GP to refer him for a specialist assessment. The surgeon thought he needed bilateral knee replacement and he was booked in to have the first operation about three weeks ago. A day before the operation, the public hospital phoned him to say he was no longer eligible for surgery and he now has no expectation of getting replacement knees. I felt so disapponted for him - he lives by himself and is unable to get out and he can't sleep because of his knee pain and he has no insurance nor the funds to pay the $27,000 per knee replacement. Now that I know what a change the surgery can make to your life, I really question why there isn't more public access to this surgery.
As you will see from my recent X-rays - it is very invasive surgery and there are considerable risks - but the potential for positive impact on your life is huge.
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