This Thursday it will be 7 weeks since my knee was replaced. Sometimes I get quite frustrated with the way things are going but then I remember its only 7 weeks. My consultant told me when I saw him just 2 weeks & 1 day post op that it takes a 'normal' person 6 weeks to get back to normal but it might take me somewhat longer given my pre existing medical problems. So 7 weeks later, I think I'm doing fine.
The scar is looking a lot better since all the nasty scabby bits have fallen off. I think it looks a lot better from my angle (from above) than it probably does from the angle of someone looking at me. Every time I take a photo the flash makes it look a little more severe that it is too. Here's the latest piccie taken today....
Last Tuesday I went off to physio at the hospital again. I'm not sure what happened on the way there but I began the day in a positive, cheerful mood but along the way my mood went down a bit. I hate being snappy and my mood dragging me down but shit happens I guess. I think it might have been the parking, or lack of at the hospital. MRI has an excellent ground level disabled car park with tons of spaces and usually I have no problems parking but that day, gahhhhh, it was awful and I had to drive round 5 or 6 times before finally finding a space. All that extra stress gets to me and by the time we arrived at the gym (10 mins late) I was feeling tearful and very, very down. My knee also felt very tight and I had trouble getting it to do the rotation on the pedals, bending enough on the 'slide down the door' exercise and the chair standing/sitting one I only did twice. Natalie measured my bend on the steps and sadly it was only 92 degrees again, same as last week. So no improvement in a 2 week gap between classes. I felt frustrated and even more teary. She had me lunging forward even more and everything was hurting so much so that I didn't really care how many degrees there were, I just wanted to go home and have a good cry. I got it to 94 degrees however and then did the plinth exercises (these ones I find easy - yayy). Shaun did some pushing my leg back movements on me while I sat to get it moving a bit and Natalie advised me to moisture the skin now the scar had healed which she insisted would not only help with the dry skin issue but would also help make the skin all around my knee much more pliable as I'd noticed how 'stuck' it felt.
So one week on from that physio, I have pulled myself together and given myself a stern talking to (even with finger wagging). The moisturising regime is going well. When I get out of the bath after a soak I have Nivea for my face, Dove for my legs and Flexitol foot balm for me trotters (ahem, feet). I must not get them mixed up!
Anyway back to the Dove moisturiser. I am remembering to apply it every day and as instructed I am not smoothing it on neatly but I am proper rubbing it in all over the scar and sure enough the skin is much more (is pliable the right word?), it moves more and when I do exercise it the skin doesn't feel as tight which makes exercise much easier, and I am all for easy exercise!
Anyhoooo, it got a bit of ahhemm.... shall we just say unexpected exercise last night and doesn't appear any the worse for wear. Nudge nudge, wink wink, say n'more.... ;)
This evening, having had a recent trip to the chiropodist, I decided to paint my toenails. This is not something I do very often as I don't flash my toenails off for reasons of not wanting to scare small children, animals and anyone with an ounce of taste. However I was doing my fingernails (which also doesn't happen that often) and thought basically 'why not'. There are only 4 nails on my left foot and 3 on the right so it doesn't take long!!
You can't see the beautifully polished nails very well I'm afraid but trust me, they are awesome! (unlike my feet - lol)
I have what I call Minnie Mouse syndrome when I have shoes on.
You know Minnie Mouse when she's wearing shoes has a ring
of leg/foot/ankle round the top of the shoe?
I have that!! It's not very attractive at all but it is what it is
Do you see what I mean??!!
Anyway I bet Minnie's toenails aren't as good as mine. That's if mouse even have toenails....
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