Week 2 Here I Come

This time last week I was waking up in hospital, doped up to the eyeballs, and being helped to walk to the loo. Now I am walking round the house with no crutches and managing the stairs just fine with 1 crutch still. My leg is all the shades of purple you can imagine, from a reddish maroon in places to a deep indigo in others - good job they are covered in the lovely thick white anti-DVT socks.
The pains are very bearable, especially with max doses of assorted pain relief tablets through the day. I have cut the codeine to just 2 tiny pills at bedtime. They do help me sleep but make me woozy daytime. I take paracetamol 4 times a day, Ibuprofen 3 times a day with meals, my usual diabetic tablets twice a day and statins at night, plus a stomach protecting yellow pill. Then there's some milk of magnesia to help counter the 'binding' effect of the codeine.  It's wonderful remembering what tablets to take when, but I have got into the routine now.
Yesterday my son's lovely partner and my grandson took me to the doc's to see the nurse for a wound check. It's all looking good! No sign of oozing anywhere. All clean and dry. The lovely little clips/staples are coming out next Thursday! I actually managed to get my leg up in the stool all by itself. Up until now, doing a straight lift of the operated leg has been a real affort and I've used my other leg as a support and 'helper'. I am working on the bending of the knee too - tough move. The nurse was pleased with progress.
I did get an extra unexpected bit of exercise, as my doc's surgery is on the first floor of the building, and they've got the builders in doing major works. This means no lift for reduced mobility patients! They have made a consulting room downstairs for wheel chair users and there was a small queue of people in chairs and buggies waiting to be seen there. I walked happily (if slowly) up the stairs to see the nurse, and safely back down again :)
While I was in there, Di took Alex to visit the bakers shop and he had a bacon and cheese puff pastry thingy! Good job he'd finished it by the time they picked me up.

 I needed to get some cash so asked Di to take me to a Tesco Express - the new one was just up the road and almost on the way home so we headed there. As I needed a few bits for the weekend, I did a shop there too all by myself. I think Di was a bit worried but I managed just fine. It's a bigger shop than my usual one and has a bakery section with loose rolls, croissants, muffins etc in baskets. Oh so tempting! I got a loaf, some bananas, eggs and... guilty pleasure... I bought 3 Malteaster bunnies!

 I gave Alex one and another to give his brother Jack, intending the 3rd to be mine....ALL MINE! I was in need of a chocolate injection LOL
I left the shopping bag in the back of the car with Alex and grabbed it after I got out of the car. Alex had scoffed his bunny and was looking at Jack's one so I made sure he didn't eat that too. Di helped me into the house and went off, only to return a minute later with my bunny! Alex had nicked mine out of the shopping bag! Cheeky monkey!
So I went in, made myself a coffee and sat down to enjoy the Malteaster experience! MMMMMMMMM tasted so good!

John managed to transport me over to the Wimborne Folk Singaround last night, at the Wimborne British Legion. It was a weird mix last night, having quite a few people who only turn up once in a while there. The music varied from the sublime professional classical guitarist duo, playing some Brazilian classic pieces, through some lovely well known traditional folk songs, down to a dreadful rendition of a song about 'Dogging'!!! The couple who sang it have not been for months, and they are not the best of singers, but they did have a go. I just wish they had chosen their material with a little more care! The song was rude, crude, badly sung, and not good to listen to :(
They often do country style songs and we join in happily, but this one should be buried deep and permanently in the vaults of bad taste.

I had a bit of a rough night last night. I think I sat too long with my leg bent during the evening, even though I went walkabout half time. I had trouble getting comfy in bed and managed to doze off for about 3 hours then lay awake watching the clock :(
I had to go to the loo about 5 and decided I'd be better off on my recliner chair in the lounge. I did sleep a bit more after wedging a cushion under my knee. I was wide awake at 6.30 and got up, letting Honey out and doing her breakfast. I had my first lot of pills and some breakfast then tried to doze off again. I finally snoozed as Jenny was getting ready for work. I said goodbye to her then promptly fell asleep in the recliner again! I finally woke up again about 9.30!! Now my body doesn't know whether it's coming or going.
Talking of 'going'... Taking codeine has stuffed up the plumbing but I have managed to get things moving again now. Lots of veg yesterday and some Milk of Magnesia worked well! TMI? sorry! LOL Hangover from the time in hospital when they were always asking if you'd 'been'!
Yes my leg did hurt, and still does, but the pain is lessening and is now more tolerable than the pain I had before the op. I will not hesitate to get the other one done when the time comes.
If you are faced with osteoarthritis ruining your mobility and making you live with constant pain then please do seriously consider a replacement op. Yes it hurts, but it will get better! The success rate is very high now and with considerate use, this joint should last as long as I do! I am not going jogging or marathon running, just some nice walking and maybe the odd sedate country dance :)
Getting more weight off will help the new joint last longer too.
I know for every 'success' story there will be someone who does not feel the benefit of the op and will continue to have problems and pain and maybe even a second op. You know the pain of osteoarthirits WILL get worse in time, and an op might just make you pain free!
I say YES to joint replacement when needed!
Hmm better get off my soap box now and get some lunch. I've been sitting too long here and getting a numb bum!

Here's to orthopaedic surgeons and joint manufacturers! CHEERS!