3 months on...

29 April 2016: 3 months post op

It is Autumn now and three months ago I had a total replacement of my right knee. 

As I was walking into the swimming pool this morning I was greeted by a nice older man in his 80s who I chat to when we are in the gym on our exercycles. He is waiting for a knee replacement but can't get on the public waiting list for the operation and he doesn't have health insurance. He called out to me cheerily and said how well I was walking and what a difference he could see in me since the surgery. He said "your whole face looks 10 years younger without the pain you had before". 

It was a great way to start the day and a good start to reflecting on progress to date. Three months on:

- I am walking around the house without any crutches. I still use walking poles when I go out for dog walks with Lewis. I can easily walk 3-5km a day. 6km is still a bit too far.

- I am moving well except when tired I tend to limp - but the walking poles help keep me on an even keel

- the post op swelling and bruising has reduced significantly and the scar has healed well but is still creepily warm to touch

- the pain is much reduced. I get a deep kind of bone pain in my right thigh when I have overdone things. I still find it hard to stand still and chat to people - I need to keep moving rather than stand in one place 

-  my new knee hair regrowth is rampant

-  my walking and cycling in the gym is getting speedier and my I am able to do more complex and vigorous aquajogging. I can easily cycle 7km but 9 km is at present, too far  

- my cooking is improving - I have even managed to cook a couple of meals for friends. I tried less ambitious dishes that I could pre-prepare and that worked out well

- I can sleep through the night without pain

- I can get up off the toilet without having to lever myself up using the walls. (This is great progress!)

- some days I feel like I could dance!

I had a visit with my surgeon on Tuesday this week. He was also really positive about my progress. I had been feeling a bit disheartened that I am not fully able to enjoy the benefits of the new bionic knee because of the arthritis in my left knee gets sore when I get too active. He said he was expecting me to say that - given that my left knee is also very arthritic. He said that my new right knee would take another 6-12 months to get into peak condition. I should expect to still feel the bone pain and also the heat from the scar for quite a few more months. But that over time the new knee would become the dominant knee and reduce the strain on the left knee... So here's hoping!

I also really hope that my 80 year old gym buddy also gets a chance to have his knees replaced and that he has the chance to sleep through the night and to enjoy life again.

Nine weeks on - reporting in from England

3 April 2016 - 9 weeks post surgery plus a couple of days

I had expected to build-up to travel slowly. I expected that the first time I would be testing out my new knee would be travelling to a conference in England in June. So the current invitation to travel to England to attend Cochrane meetings took me by surprise.  

I can now report on how well my planning for this tour has worked:

- the graduated compression stockings were useful on the flights. My legs didn't swell and they were "good to go" when I arrived

- the wheelchair and mobility services provided in airports were well organised and reliable. It was initially a bit embarrassed to be in a wheelchair when I had spent the last two months trying to walk independently - but by being ushered through bustling airports was a massive relief. I would highly recommend this service

- I brought a crutch with me rather than a more subtle walking stick. I have been relieved to have the crutch to lean on - literally and figuratively. It has been great to use while standing up and talking to people at conferences. It has reduced my limping when I am tired. Plus it has been a useful signal to people that I need a little more space, I walk a little bit slower and that I need to take a bit of care with my mobility. People have been very kind and courteous - opening doors, finding chairs for me and being thoughtful about giving me directions with easier access.

I have tried to manage my free time carefully - taking taxis and hop-on hop-off buses so that I can get out and about and see new things but I don't waste my walking energy by getting lost and meandering around.

Yesterday after running some errands, I ran out of steam and went in search of a cab.  I was pleased to be invited into the Morse bar at one of the flashiest hotel in Oxford while the concierge hailed a cab for me.

During this trip it has been nice to meet  up again with old friends and colleagues - I had been a bit shy about telling people about the arthritis issues I was managing so now I feel no pressure to pretend I was not in pain.

I have also "knocked off" one of my big fears. I have just given a 20 minute conference presentation. I didn't use my crutch and was able to stand up and move around easily while talking. Whew!

I have significantly increased my walking. I have been now walking between 4-6km a day. In addition I have been standing around chatting (which takes a lot of energy). I was talking to Peter about this and how tired I am feeling and he pointed out that it is probably at least a year since I was able to walk 6 km - so it isn't surprising I feel tired.

I am finding ascending stairs quite hard. Last night we went to a dinner at Balliol college in their great hall. It is a huge and impressive building with a steep flight of steps. What I hadn't realised was that a trip to the bathroom involved going down and up the stairs (in the rain and darkness). And it is pretty near impossible to move quickly with crutches.

I am off to London this afternoon. It will be interesting to see how I will go in a larger city with vast differences and also larger numbers of people on the street.

My scar is coming along well although the hair is growing back quite thick and lush.

So - even though I am feeling tired, I am feeling good about getting around and managing travel. And I am pretty pleased that my capacity for distances is surely but slowly - increasing.