28th February Back to the real world

Knee joint replacement: MedlinePlus ... 

So after the fun of the Caribbean, it's back to the real world today because TOM is having a knee replacement. It's a long story but its something TOM has been waiting for since 2020 only to have it cancelled numerous times with Covid derailing things completely. Thankfully, as I type this, today is the day when it finally happens.

Now having been a physotherapist in a previous existance a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing especially when that knowledge is approx 24 years out of day. Back in the old days anyone having a knee replaceement would expect to be in hospital for at least 4 days and possibly longer.

There would have been twice a day physio, the use of ice cuffs and continuous movement machines, the need to get at least 90of movement in the joint plus the ability to go up and down stairs safely before discharge. 

Having taken TOM to the hospital at 6am this morning he is expecting to be home later today with his 'bionic knee' but also with what appears to have been almost no pre op physio input and no idea when this will be arranged after the op. A very different scenario to the good old days.

So I sit and wait for the phone call sometime this evening to tell me to drive from Matlock to Sheffield to pick him up and then begin my shift as Florence Nightingale...with all the love and patience I can muster. I / we might well need your prayers...lol.  

But it will be more than worth it if it means TOM is in less pain and is able to increase his mobility to get more able to get out and abouta lot more in the coming year. 


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