Went to see the surgeon who did my TKR yesterday, at 13.00. He was pleased with my progress, walking wise, and said as soon as I felt confident enough to do an emergency stop, I could drive again, and last but not least I can return to work, when I feel ready. His only concern was the lack of bend in the knee. Currently only 80% of an expected 120%. He said it was perfectly understandable given the history of DVT and blood thinning medication that I have to take. I am to see him in a month and if the bend hasn’t improved enough, he will have to consider manipulating the knee. This entails knocking me out, bending the knee to the correct amount, while I am under, so I won’t feel the pain.

That frightened me a lot.

I then went to my booked physiotherapy session at the same hospital, where my physio Leon did some work with me. After warming the knee up by supporting my knee through repeated movements he then gently forced the knee and by gradually increasing the pressure, between us, we got it to bend a further 10%.

I explained that when I get up in the mornings I can bend it to 90%, but the knee then swells up limiting the amount of bend I can do. He then got out, what seemed like a car seat belt, clicked it around my left ankle, then looped in under the bench I was sat on, then over my shoulder, so that I held the other end in my hands in front of me. He then told me to pull on the seat belt like affair, causing my knee to bend back under the bench. I was to do this until it was as much as I could stand, then he held my knee in that position for 30 seconds. We did this three times. After which I could hardly walk, and it took all afternoon for the aches a pains to dissipate. That’s another OUCH with a capital O.

I felt a lot more positive after the visit to my surgeon and physio, though disappointed that the latter is moving on to another hospital, and I will have to break another one in on 2nd August. I see my surgeon on 16th August, which coincidentally will be our (her indoors and myself) 49th wedding anniversary. Doesn’t time fly!

That will be her (definitely mine) perfect anniversary present, if I am walking, driving and pedalling normally by then, without my moaning and being under her feet all day.

So that was my day off blogging yesterday.

But the walking continued today, down and back up the street and the same for Dr Thomas’ lane.

But oh how things have changed!

Gone are the tall grasses and flowers providing that heavenly smell, in order that the small brook could be dug out and cleared to work more as a water course. The chap who was driving the digger said it was because of the expected deluge on course to us over the weekend. Even the lane has been widened and those tall nettles I spoke of earlier in the week have been flattened out of site.

My walk therefore proved disappointing, but if the work done prevents flooding at the bottom of Merthyr Road, it will not have been in vain.

On returning home, I caught a glimpse of our pet cat Tipsy. Normally he has long thick fur, which in this heat it is unbearable for him. On top of that his age, lack of teeth and some arthritic joints has left him unable to look after himself as well as he should. So for the second year on the trot we have had his fur shaved, which makes him a skinny looking little thing more akin to those dogs carried by the rich and famous( he should be so lucky).

His best spot is in the gazebo, just outside the conservatory door on the shelf of a woven coffee table where he captures the draught above and below where he lies. Definitely a clever cat.

It’s back to the grindstone for me now another walk and some flexing on the pedals on my bike to nowhere. Hope the conservatory has cooled down.

Cheers.