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Hi Bonesmarties
I've been away for the past week, enjoying beautiful Devon and staying in our touring caravan on a fantastic camp site. We got lost several times, and ended up travelling down very narrow lanes where the hedges were touching the car on both sides - good job the caravan wasn't behind us at that time! Jo's adventures when trying to find her dentist come to mind when I think about all the navigation problems we had. :hehe:
The knees have been behaving well. We visited several very old castles with ancient spiral stone staircases winding their way up and down inside ancient walls. Apart from being rather slow, I managed them all as well as anyone else. I also did quite a lot a walking. I'm now finding that I don't need any sticks or canes on level ground, but they are VERY useful for going downhill, especially on rough tracks. They are also useful on steps where there is no handrail. I've also done lots of driving but need a break for a stretch after an hour and a half or so. :thmb:
Now I have a problem, and cannot find an immediate answer by looking through the 'search' facility. After my first TKR I found that I was able to get back into a bath, and get out of it again, without too much trouble. However, now that I have two bionic knees, I am really struggling. At the moment I'm not too bothered, as in the summer (and we have had it really hot here) I prefer to have a shower, which is no problem.
However, when the weather is cold, or when I just fancy a nice long soak in bubbles etc, only a bath will do. I tried doing this about four weeks ago. As Brian mentioned in one of his posts, I did the same as he did, held on to the grab bars we have, but had to drop the last bit. Then to get up ...... real problem. I found myself really pulling on my shoulders to heave myself up. Guess what - I've now got two very painful shoulders. I've never had problems there before.
Next time I tried the bath, my shoulders were so painful I had to get hubby to lift me out!!!!! He is very willing to do this, but he has a tendency to back-ache, so I don't think that is a permanent solution. I haven't dared get in since.
Turning over onto my two metal knees won't work - I used to do that sometimes before I had any knee surgery, and that worked well then, but I wouldn't like to try it now as kneeling isn't really an option at the moment.
Has anyone a solution? The only thing I can think of is to buy some sort of bath lift. I've seen them advertised. You sit yourself on a seat that is level with the top of the bath, then it lowers gently (I hope) to the bottom.
When you are ready to come out, the seat lifts you up again.
I hope that I haven't done any permanent damage to my shoulders, and I am trying to give them a rest at the moment, but perhaps I should in fact be exercising them instead. Any ideas on that? :pzld:
I can't believe how much has been posted while I've been incommunicado. This forum is certainly getting well used! I'll never have time to read it all.
Off now to make some blackcurrant jam, having just picked lots of fruit.
I've been away for the past week, enjoying beautiful Devon and staying in our touring caravan on a fantastic camp site. We got lost several times, and ended up travelling down very narrow lanes where the hedges were touching the car on both sides - good job the caravan wasn't behind us at that time! Jo's adventures when trying to find her dentist come to mind when I think about all the navigation problems we had. :hehe:
The knees have been behaving well. We visited several very old castles with ancient spiral stone staircases winding their way up and down inside ancient walls. Apart from being rather slow, I managed them all as well as anyone else. I also did quite a lot a walking. I'm now finding that I don't need any sticks or canes on level ground, but they are VERY useful for going downhill, especially on rough tracks. They are also useful on steps where there is no handrail. I've also done lots of driving but need a break for a stretch after an hour and a half or so. :thmb:
Now I have a problem, and cannot find an immediate answer by looking through the 'search' facility. After my first TKR I found that I was able to get back into a bath, and get out of it again, without too much trouble. However, now that I have two bionic knees, I am really struggling. At the moment I'm not too bothered, as in the summer (and we have had it really hot here) I prefer to have a shower, which is no problem.
However, when the weather is cold, or when I just fancy a nice long soak in bubbles etc, only a bath will do. I tried doing this about four weeks ago. As Brian mentioned in one of his posts, I did the same as he did, held on to the grab bars we have, but had to drop the last bit. Then to get up ...... real problem. I found myself really pulling on my shoulders to heave myself up. Guess what - I've now got two very painful shoulders. I've never had problems there before.

Next time I tried the bath, my shoulders were so painful I had to get hubby to lift me out!!!!! He is very willing to do this, but he has a tendency to back-ache, so I don't think that is a permanent solution. I haven't dared get in since.
Turning over onto my two metal knees won't work - I used to do that sometimes before I had any knee surgery, and that worked well then, but I wouldn't like to try it now as kneeling isn't really an option at the moment.
Has anyone a solution? The only thing I can think of is to buy some sort of bath lift. I've seen them advertised. You sit yourself on a seat that is level with the top of the bath, then it lowers gently (I hope) to the bottom.

I hope that I haven't done any permanent damage to my shoulders, and I am trying to give them a rest at the moment, but perhaps I should in fact be exercising them instead. Any ideas on that? :pzld:
I can't believe how much has been posted while I've been incommunicado. This forum is certainly getting well used! I'll never have time to read it all.
Off now to make some blackcurrant jam, having just picked lots of fruit.