Learning my limits …

Well, it is just over a week since I had my knee replacement surgery. I was told that it was one of the biggest and most painful operations you could have. However, I seem to have been managing well and the pain has not seemed too bad. The problem is, I think, that you can take the pain meds and they can perhaps lull you into a false sense of what pain potential there is in recovery.

Today, I was feeling a bit stir crazy and house bound and my husband and I decided to go for a drive and have a coffee. The last time I was in the car was for the very painful trip home from the hospital. Both getting in and out of the car was painful and the ride home – with every bump feeling like a major judder bar – being extremely uncomfortable too. So, we got me into the car today and while still quite painful it was not as bad as it was on Saturday. I need to remind myself, however, that that was only six days ago following major surgery.

We decided to go for a short drive down the road for a coffee at a favourite coffee spot. No big deal. Well, I didn’t think so. I thought perhaps a coffee then a look around a local Op Shop would follow. By the time I walked from the car, across the carpark and sat down outside – which by the way was at a snail’s pace – I was exhausted. We sat and had coffee in the sunshine and it was lovely. Then came the long, slow walk back to the car. Cue painful entry into the car and painfully extricating myself out of the vehicle once we returned home.

There was no way we could have done anything else and I felt I had run a marathon. I decided to have a lie down shortly afterwards and at first I felt OK. Then I started having pain in my leg that was pretty significant! Looks like I might have overdone it, even though it sounds like a pretty tame outing. I know I can be impatient and that the knee operation is not an overnight fix, but I must learn to listen to my body better and not do things too soon and set myself back.

I met a lady when I was limping up the ramp and she was striding down and she asked me ‘is this a temporary situation or permanent?’ indicating my use of crutches. I told her that I had just had a knee replacement. She told me she had also had a knee replacement as well as three hip replacement operations. Her parting words? ‘Don’t forget to do your exercises!’

I think perhaps, because so many people have emphasised the need to do my exercises post-operatively that I may have taken it a bit too much to heart so early on. I know – as with Parkinson’s – that the exercises are vitally important for maximum benefit and recovery. However, if I push myself too hard, too soon, perhaps it will be more detrimental than beneficial. I shall try to go a bit more gently for a day or so till I see my Physio and Surgeon next week. I don’t want to be getting myself too sore to function and unable to do my exercises at all.

Hopefully, with managing my exercise and expert advice, I will soon be on the road to more mobility and getting back to walking without aids in the near future.

Life is all about balance and I need to ensure that I am balanced in my approach to my recovery.