...and managed (I think) to do a few things I've either not achieved since my knee op or been too scared to try.
Yes, I am a wuss. But I'd decided to make sure I felt confident before I tried something and failed.
That might sound negative but it isn't.
I was also conscious that I needed to be certain I wouldn't make things—i.e. the recovery of my knee any worse.
I felt I needed to think about the pros and cons—but not too much or I'd never do anything.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting I should do the hokey cokey or any similar thing. Try to do the in-out bit or the knees bend. Although bending my knees is on my lists of exercises and I do them—albeit not with the hokey cokey actions. Maybe I should?
Nor do I intend to try to climb the stairs backward—that was definitely not on my to try list.
What was were things I'd have taken for granted pre dodgy knee, and found harder to do once the darned thing gave me gip. (Standing on one leg, walking in a straight line one foot almost touching the other etc, etc.)
The hospital gave me a great list of exercises, and I can now do them all. Some a lot easier than others. It also advised about when to try things, and gave reasons why.
Therefore this week I have been trying the three month stuff and with great pleasure can say unless I know I'll be walking a lot, or uphill I don't need my crutch or a stick any more. It does come handy for the up and downhill stuff though and i'm not too proud to think, 'ah, better take one today'.
I can walk downstairs one step after another. I honestly didn't think how difficult that would be and how, the first time I followed with my dodgy leg not on the step I'd put my good leg on but the one below, how bleeping sore it would be. But now as long as it's not a giant step I can do that. It might not be a fast journey but I can do it.
I say so long as it's not a giant step because the other week we had a few days in a fisherman's cottage in Norfolk (UK) The stairs were so steep, it wasn't easy to go up and down one step at a time, let along one after another. I accepted defeat gracefully.
I don't need the painkillers very often, but accept if I do need them, to take them and not hum and hah until the pain is so bad I've lost an hour or two where I could have done something I wanted to do. I use my cool pack as often as recommended (ok maybe not quite that often now) and boy does it help the swelling, and take those ten minute to chill. (In more ways than one.)
And perhaps something that matters more in some ways—less in others—I've got back on a roll with writing. A slow roll, true, but the enthusiasm is back, I hope the ability is as well, and I've got a new ohh maybe a story about *** could work list.
I call this week a win win.
Long may it last.
Now, I do realise this post is a 'ohh it's all about me', post and feel free to ignore it, I won't mind. (Not too much anyway.) However, I really wanted to share a bit about where I was. Because it's amazing what the body is capable of. I'm celebrating and I wan't to share my happiness. Form a computer navigated op under an epidural to today. From the weird sense of not being able to move or feel sensation in my legs, but in my feet, as the epidural wore off, to getting out of bed unaided, getting on and off the loo, also unaided, to climbing the stairs and so on, my words of wisdom (?) are slowly but surely, you can do it. I did, and when I saw the list of what to do when, I was eh? Not a chance. But there was, there is and here we are.
Happy reading,
love, Raven xxx
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