Day 14 Visitors

Not much to write about today... a colleague came round this morning  and managed NOT to talk about work too much:~)

Then some friends dropped by unexpectedly this afternoon.

I now have enough chocolate and wine to keep us going until the weekend :~))

Day 13 One step forward - two steps back

Not much improvement since last week according to the physiotherapist this morning. When trying to bend my knee myself, I can only go so far before it becomes impossible to bend it more. She can push it gently half a centimeter or so further and hold it there.

Leo will have to help me three times a day from now on.

Walking it no problem, except that I seem to have an S bend in my spine !

Presumably all the years that my lower left leg was getting more and more out of the vertical (30º in 2007), it's affected my skeleton and each adjustment to a leg or, in the past, wearing even the smallest heeled shoe causes it to have to realign and this is painful.

It must be REALLY awful to have back pain all the time. Mine's usually temporary and a couple of massage sessions sorts it out till the next bout.

Day 12 Visitors

Maybe that walk on Saturday was a bit much, as I was kept awake by my knee and it was stiff all day on Sunday.

Plus 'cos I'm walking funny, my back gets put out and hurts as well - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, but today (Monday) it was OK again.. Typical me - 'all or nothing'

Luckily everybody seems to have noticed I'm bored and has been phoning about coming round to visit

The BiL and SiL came on Sunday, a friend was here today and a colleague on Wednesday.

If it goes on like this there will be a queue (orderly British style please)

The house is starting to look like a flower shop. The SiL has great taste in flowers and brought a really exotic bouquet with Celosia, or Cockscomb flowers in it.

Plus work sent a nice arrangement with huge sunflowers.

And there's Mil's contribution and things from the garden.

Day 11 Boredom Cures

One way is to take an afternoon nap, which Patsy thinks is a good idea too...............

My body is obviously still recovering from the surgery.



Then the Tour de France started today in Rotterdam, and was live on TV....

Then it rained all afternoon which cooled things down to make exercising easier.

And going for a trial walk up the road and back (400 yards), with Purdy

No it's not the newest version of  'Strictly Come Dancing'. This is the way to walk

There is a whole industry out there catering for crutch and walking stick users, like this gadget to 'park' your stick on the table so that it doesn't fall on the floor and cause even more users...

Day 11 Bored..........

I must be feeling better as I found myself being bored this morning. It's been so hot that I have stayed indoors all week since coming out of hospital and now the walls are closing in !

I've read several books, called a few friends, fiddled with the computer and can't, of course, do much in the garden except wave a hosepipe about while sitting in a plastic chair.

But the weather seems to be cooling down so a walk outside is on the cards....

Day 10 Crutches and a reprimand........

There are loads of variations on crutches ....

<< a sling

a wheeled trolley >>

Dali inspired supports

even motorised ones (not that I can bend my knees that far!)

But I got told of by the physiotherapist yesterday, that I am trying to run before I can walk.... the problem is if I take pain killers, I can do a lot without too much discomfort, but that only means I am probably forcing things. If I don't take the pain killers I'll feel pain and stop before going too far........

                                   

Day 9 Heatwave & Physio

I bet loads of you have been saying / thinking, "Lucky old Jenny, being able to laze around in the sunshine...".

That's not the case at all. I have never been a sun lover and have been staying indoors in the cool, except really early in the morning before the sun comes round the corner.


The forecast for for the next week looks like it might be the end of the REALLY hot weather and back to normal summer values. The garden could certainly do with some rain.

I picked a physiotherapist at random from the Google results for our locality, and it seems I've hit the jackpot !

Jacqueline is a typical down to earth Rotterdam lady and fully lives up to the Dutch saying of "Niet lullen maar putsen" = "Roll yer sleeves up and get on with it". 

I found these nice pics of how to go up and down stairs :~)

UP: Lead with the un-operated (good) leg first, followed by the operated leg and then the crutch/stick.

Down: Put the crutch on the step below, then step down with the operated leg, followed by the un-operated leg.



Walking with crutches is not to difficult but there are some interesting alternatives:

More variations tomorrow