2 weeks since the operation

I thought I would summarise the current situation as things seem to change on a daily basis. 

Today I go to my local hospital in Holyhead to get the staples removed. It was a problem for my local GP as they didn't have the correct staple remover and could not get one. Do make sure that you bring the staple remover back with you after your operation!

Over the 7 days since my last full day in the Rehab Clinic I have had some really good times and some not so good. 

Sleeping is a problem as I like to sleep on my side and this causes issues with the flexing of the knee. I tend to sleep in periods of about 2 - 3 hours and then have to move and stretch my legs. I now retain a pillow for support under my left knee when I am lying on my right side and this reduces the pain around the knee area. This morning was a very slow start... 

The temptation to do too much is an obvious issue. The stability of my left knee is so improved from before that I am forgetting to use crutches at all in getting up and moving round the house. I am not lying down with my legs raised enough as I am so keen to get on with things. I have thus noticed swelling at the ankle and subsequent stiffness behind the knee. 

I have been good at doing the physiotherapy exercises in full and this does make a significant improvement on my flexibility but then if you sit in a chair for too long without moving everything stiffens up; so I keep moving about as much as possible. I tried several chairs in the house and hound that the best was this one from the balcony! The mesh provides comfortable support without pinching on any of the painful areas from the buttocks down to the knee.

The left calf is still "tight" and slightly shiny although Catharine has made some difference here with massage.  The intense pain in the thigh muscles just above the knee is much less now and I can lift my leg from the floor onto a support without it being painful.

In terms of pain relief I am only taking the paracetamol caffeine (Tesco Extra Pain relief) twice a day once in the morning and once in the evening. Although this does not reduce all the pain it leaves me in a coherent and able condition to do other things; like driving... I have an automatic, right hand drive, so my left leg is not used in the control of the car. 

The pains that I have noted are varied and change on an hourly basis; I guess this is due to the healing process and nerves re-connecting. Of late, as well as the general stiffness and the background pain around the swollen areas of the knee,  I get sharp electrical like pains on the outside of the knee joint but these last for only a few seconds and are not associated with weight bearing. 

When I go out for a walk I do use both my crutches at the moment. However crutches are not so good in loose sand!