It has been two months since I had both knees replaced. Initially in pre-op I was very anxious about having such major surgery and worried about how much pain there would be. Looking back I need not have worried. Sure there was pain but there was also plenty of pain killers available when ever I needed them. The hospital was comfortable and I spent the ten days on the ward as best I could. There was a gym at the hospital where I went twice daily to practise exercises I would continue to do at home. Now I have an excellent local physio who comes to me twice a week. This has meant I don’t have to be driven over an hour to the hospital gym.
The two months looking back, has gone quickly. Physically I’m doing well with my left leg in no pain. The right leg is the painful and frustrating one so I’m working on it. Now I try to walk a short distance twice a day gradually increasing the distance. On Sunday I managed to walk one of the local beaches at low tide with the aid of my walking sticks. It was a stunning sunny day to be on one of my favourite beaches.
Underlying this time out of hospital I was trying to manage yet another bout of depression. At first it was extremely difficult, now thankfully my depression is manageable but not completely gone. My psychiatrist has recommended becoming part of a Ketamine trial in Sydney. We are at the very beginning of the process so I can’t tell you yet what will happen. Ketamine is a drug used to help people who have ongoing episodes of depression that are severe and or drug resistant to other antidepressants. I’m hoping of course it will be successful. If you want to know more you can check out the various links on the internet.
These are my knees covered with ice packs a few days after surgery.
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