Day 2 was bend the knees day. Day 3 - I stood. Big tip: from before you go in just keep telling yourself they're just knees and you can stand. I've heard a number of people mention that they had problems standing because they could not get their heads around the thought of prosthetic knees. Unless, in the extremely rare event that they messed up big time, your new knees will hold you.
You'll need to keep on repeating this mantra as the physio shifts you out of your bed and gets you to stand - for me, with support of a walker. Legs were like jelly, it was sore and there were pipes all over the place (drains, catheter, intravenous) - however, I stood!!! And then sat down probably less than a minute later. That afternoon I took my first step in the walker - ain't science incredible!!!
Two great tips: whilst lying in bed keep on flapping your feet up and down as often as you can - helps with the circulation. And use the icepacks constantly - really helps with the swelling and pain management. Furthermore, as soon as the pain and discomfort allows, try to start bending your knee up to your chest. In all likelihood there may initially only be a millimetre movement but its all in the head and the head's going to be the thing that you have to convince that you can actually move your leg/s.
A big bonus was that I was moved to another room with my bed right next to the window - I am ever grateful to the sisters who decided to move me (their reasoning was that I was going to have to stay in longer than the others).
This was my new view from my bed - Table Bay peeping through the branches and ocean in the distance.
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| View from my new bed - beautiful! |
Physio was short but intense - just keep reminding yourself that this sore is good - you're going to be able to walk better.
Furthermore, laugh a lot during the session - real laughter using the belly. Belly laughter, where you engage the diaphragm, releasing endorphins in the brain, chemicals that activate the same receptors as drugs like heroin, to pain-killing and euphoria-producing effects (Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/14/its-no-joke-why-laughter-kills-physical-pain/#ixzz2O5BCEiU5).
By the end of the week I was walking short distances in the room with the walker. Early the next week I was introduced to my funky royal blue crutches (apparently the walker made me look old!). Initially I was nervous of balancing, but I soon got over this - what incredible freedom! By the following Tuesday, I was walking down the passage - about 30 metres ... Awesome!!!!
And then it was time to learn how to handle daily living - info about the stepdown clinic in my next post.
Tomorrow's a public holiday so I plan to do some gardening ... more than a year since I've been able to comfortably say that!!!
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| Table Mountain at night |
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| Table Mountain on a rainy day |
Physio was short but intense - just keep reminding yourself that this sore is good - you're going to be able to walk better.
Furthermore, laugh a lot during the session - real laughter using the belly. Belly laughter, where you engage the diaphragm, releasing endorphins in the brain, chemicals that activate the same receptors as drugs like heroin, to pain-killing and euphoria-producing effects (Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/14/its-no-joke-why-laughter-kills-physical-pain/#ixzz2O5BCEiU5).
By the end of the week I was walking short distances in the room with the walker. Early the next week I was introduced to my funky royal blue crutches (apparently the walker made me look old!). Initially I was nervous of balancing, but I soon got over this - what incredible freedom! By the following Tuesday, I was walking down the passage - about 30 metres ... Awesome!!!!
And then it was time to learn how to handle daily living - info about the stepdown clinic in my next post.
Tomorrow's a public holiday so I plan to do some gardening ... more than a year since I've been able to comfortably say that!!!
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