TKR Hello from the UK!

[patient 99]

That's it. I'm taking my toys and I'm off. AND I am telling on you to Josephine and Dorothy. All that stuff about preferring workmans' boots. Being deficient in the chest department and 7lbs overweight. You haven't even got a dodgy knee have you? You are here in a charitable role helping the likes of me feel better about themselves.

ps: robynhood would you like a new friend? I'm going spare. A bit rough round the edges, but I'd be willing to learn to sew.

 

[patient 99]

No flies on you Carol

No, no you can't get round me that easily.

 

[Mutley]

Believe me when I say the " not lost" 7lbs seemed to have stuck itself to my chest! Thank goodness that blouse had the bits hanging down the front cos I popped the covers off 2 of the buttons & they kept coming un-done! As for the shoes well they were hidden in a Debenhams plastic bag PURELY for the photo cos my girls were wearing sky scrapers! Even the youngest was taller than me wearing flat sandals So, to re-cap, a good 1 1/2 stone over weight, normally wearing Caterpillar boots & maybe not a dodgy knee but lots of duff bits are hindering it including a duff hip!

 

[patient 99]

Oh alright then. Lets hug (or as Dorothy would say `bug') and make up. The girls take after their Mum. They are stunners. What's Roni and Andi short for?

Jaki I had a really bad day yesterday. Today quite the opposite. Something has changed. When I bend my knee I can feel the band stretching. Its never done that before. I'm all excited. c

robynhood you can still have me as a new friend, but now you will have to share me. Sorry.

 

[Mutley]

Not short for anything! With a name like Adams for a surname we had to go for something " unique"! Roni Simonne, Andi Marie & Kaidee Natalya. At Roni's graduation they had to write down how they're name should be pronounced. Poor Roni gets called Ronnie all the time. We had to put down " Row knee sounds like Tony"! Luckily the man calling out they're names got it right! I've ALWAYS hated my name...Jacqueline. When ever I was in trouble ( so pretty much every day!) my mum would shout, "JACQUELINE" & then I KNEW I was in trouble. I've wanted to be called Stevie for years but Matt ( husband) has always called me Mutley ( sniggering hound!) & I guess the name has stuck!
I told you that today would be a whole different story! Treasure the moment because you will have many more to come but probably a few not so nice days too. All I wanted was a glimpse of normality, so at least you can think it's happened today therefore it can happen again.
Wishing you a lovely evening & very pleased we are still friends

 

[robynhood]

Well got all excited for nothing. Still supose I dont mind sharing. And Mutley you look brilliant and your girls are beautiful. I love having three girls. Will try and put a photo of my three lovlies up.

 

[robynhood]

 

[Mutley]

Pat that's a bevy of beauties in that picture Gorgeous girlies all of you! X

 

[patient 99]

Hi Pat, real smashers all of you. Can't imagine what it must be like to have daughters and 3 of them. I have no kids and neither does my sister. So obviously no grand kids either. They say what you've never had you never miss. But I'm not so sure.

 

[robynhood]

Ive got three older boys as well Carol. Never a dull moment in our house.

 

[speccybecky]

Lovely photos....even high heels!
Hope you managed to 'hover' today. Fortunately we had the sun so no 'hovering' here!

 

[patient 99]

robynhood 6 children! And unlike TKR with an approximate 6-12 month sentence, I understand being a mother (six times over) means you're a lifer whether you do your exercises or not. They must bring you a lot of fun. C

 

[Mutley]

Mine are like my 2 dogs...I LOVE THEM when they are all ASLEEP Was out just after 6 this morning wearing my Caterpillar men's working boots, walking the mutts! I just had rabbits & deer keeping me company. Leg was playing up but with " virtual Johnny" by my side we carried on, having a little sit down when we reached a water hole. Glad to get that out of the way before it gets too hot although I really don't mind if the sun doesn't come out for a 2nd day
How are you this morning Carol??

 

[patient 99]

Good evening Jaki, Penny has dropped I think. You don't have headphones and listen to Johnny when walking. The virtual Johnny comes along with you. You know I think there are flies on me. Does your husband mind you stepping out with another?

Your knee playing up again today. Tomorrow you go for your blood tests and hopefully it wont be too long before you get the results and some treatment that does the trick.

I am going to pass on `how are you this morning, Carol'. No particular reason, just a bit sick of myself. xx C

 

[Mutley]

9 MONTHS POST OP TODAY!

So, how do I feel about that statement??? Not a lot I'm afraid Would I have it done again? NO! Do I regret having this one done? Difficult to reply to that as I really didn't have a choice. However, if someone told me that 9 months later I would still have a knee that DOESN'T bend as much as the old one, that I WOULDN'T be able to straighten it properly oh, & that I would still be in pain, mostly at night & a persistent, deep nagging ache from my thigh to my knee, well, I guess the answer would be a big fat NO

A few things have put this " ordeal" into perspective this week. On Friday I found out that I didn't have cancer! People run down the NHS service but yet again they have looked after me well. The Jarvis centre in Guildford have pulled out all the stops to try & make this rather anxious time as quick & less worrying as they possibly could. For that I thank them from the bottom of my heart....

Yesterday a friends husband fell off a roof while at work. He narrowly missed a digger & 2 metal spikes. He's been told he's very lucky to survive & has just gone down to have 3 operations to mend various broken bones including shoulder, leg, arm, toes as well as a deep wound to his other leg & internal injuries. My friend has 2 very young daughters. She could have lost her husband yesterday & they could have lost they're daddy However, they haven't & in TIME he will recover, just like I will...one day. So what I'm trying to say is sometimes we need to focus on how good life is, how well we're doing & how far we've come RATHER than how crappy life is, what we haven't got & why haven't we got more. I guess all we need is MORE TIME.......

SO ON THAT CHEERY NOTE, HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYBODY

 

[patient 99]

On Friday I found out that I didn't have cancer!

Need time to take this in. I am shocked to learn you have been dealing with this. Got to get my head together. C

 

[Mutley]

Carol there is nothing to get your head around! I'm one of the lucky one's. 2 days after having my yearly mammogram a good friend of mine came round to tell me she had breast cancer. 5 days later I was reading my letter which instead of saying all good, see you next year was saying please try not to worry BUT we have made an appt for you to return for further tests. They were concerned about an area on the chest wall that had grown in size since last year. These have now turned out to be cysts. They've been aspirated & nothing sinister is lurking around. With our family history being so dire, it didn't exactly come as a shock. You just have to be philosophical and think thank goodness someone is looking out for me
I also think everyone should have a "cheeky one" today...just because WE CAN

 

[SAS]

Hi Mutley, we meet up again, I had my first TKR about the same time as you, I replied to you before when we were a few weeks post op . Since then I have had my second TKR and now nine weeks post op. This time things were totally different and I seem to be about a month or more in front of myself to last time. Sorry your not happy still with your new knee, have you had an MUA, I was so disappointed with my ROM like you, when I had the second knee operated on and I was under anaesthetic they did an MUA on the other knee. I thought I would feel pain afterwards, but I had none and the manipulation worked and my leg is now as good as I wanted it to be, but will never be perfect. I have a holiday booked for Mauritius in January, so really working hard at trying to get the legs feeling less heavy and up the walking. All in all I am quite happy with everything, but things will never be the same as having my own knees, but at least no arthritic pain which is good.

I am so glad you do not have cancer that is must be a real bonus and it does put life in perspective.

You take care and let us know at a year if the knee is any better, as they say it takes up to a year to heal.

Sheila

 

[patient 99]

Jaki, it hit me like a brick. I've just come back from a walk in the park and I couldn't stop thinking about you. I know you were reporting that you had the all clear, but it was the thought of you living through it, waiting for the results, when I was either moaning about something or being silly. And the uncertainty of all that on top of your bloody bad knee!

I know you say we have to be philosophical. You must belong to the Stoical school. I wouldn't get past the gate of that branch of philosophy. When I'm told to give it more time, I want to snarl `I'm sixty bloody six I don't have that much more time'. But whilst I cannot embrace your philosophy I do understand it. Anything that enables you to feel good about being alive has to be good.

I always knew you had star qualities. And this time you are using them to your own benefit rather than helping everybody else.

We are in to good drinking time now (all the cheese on the bar counter will have gone! ) Oops another little moan just slipped out when I wasn't looking )

May the force be with you. With your attitude you can't fail. Bugs Carol

 

[Lauramacky]

Hiya Jaki. First about your hubby...OMG! Geez, he's lucky to be alive!! And you are so right. You are lucky to be alive. We ALL are. There are so many worse off than us who don't have the means to even take care of themselves, and even if they do it's rough. Thank goodness Matt will get better IN TIME (yes, I hate that word too sometimes, lol). Please keep us posted on his progress.

I'm so sorry you've had such a crappy experience with the knee replacement. But you have such an awesome attitude. YES, sometimes we complain and complain and I think that's human and necessary to vent, so you can always vent here or to me. Someone gave this to me and I think it applies.

LIFEISNOWHERE

What did you read?

"life is no where"
- or -
"life is now here"

Life is how we look at it!!!

Big Hugs! (I think I'll post too...haven't done that in awhile.)