👯‍♀️ 👯‍♀️ Hips and knees Part 5 👯‍♀️ 👯‍♀️

Many years ago, the hospital where I had both knees replaced was giving away frames, perching chairs, and commodes. My shed is full of these gadgets, which are spare crutches and sticks, which hopefully I will not need.

Now, of course, that hospital wants everything returned three months after the patient is discharged.

I had an ankle pinned and plated in 2009, and those items Zimmer and ctrutches were picked up three months later.

cornergran I used a frame when I came home from hospital after the first hip replacement, but the hospital wanted it back. I knew I’d need one after the second hip replacement, so bought one. It folds up and at the moment is in the corner of the spare bedroom. I hope I won’t need it again, but it was very useful going to the bathroom in the night.

Charleygirl5, marginally over the age of thirty, hahahaha …….

Thinking frames, although walking steadily with sticks I was sent out from hospital with one post TKR. I was horrified. The physio was adamant, I’d need it if I wanted the bathroom in the night, just for steadiness. She was right, far easier than hunting for sticks. I only needed it for a week, our son visited and up into the loft it went as the hospital didn’t want it back. It will come down again when the other knee is ready for surgery.

I was very fortunate and sailed through TKR, little pain and soon mobile again. Even so this thread was very useful for normalising things. Good to keep it going. Goodnight everyone. Sleep tight.

Redcar I know roughly what type of rollator I want, but I have had no experience using one hence hiring would be ideal.

The sister of a GN friend of mine is looking for an indoor motorised wheelchair. What she saw online cost £2K, so I suggested Google, which I did. They live in a large-ish city, while I live in London, which has some advantages.

I would say you overdid it with all the superwoman stuff Redcar. Take care. It's still early days.
My back objects too when I overexert.

I wish the weather was better. Going out for walks is not a nice experience.

Enjoy your physio appointment grammargran

Mine just showed me exercises and watched me doing them. I went home with a leaflet

charleygirl there is a disability shop about 5 miles from me, but they don’t rent out rollators or mobility vehicles. The shop isn’t on a bus route either, I bought my rollator there, parking nearby was difficult! A fiver for life sounds an excellent deal!
It would be useful if you could try out a few different rollators.

Our council lends out mobility scooters from a very inconvenient location in the town, also with little parking outside. It is close to bus stops though, so I could get a bus there. I don’t know how many mobility vehicles they have - or how many people use the service. It would be disastrous to get there & find all the vehicles were already being used!

Redcar I was aware that a Mobility Shop was a bus ride away, so I must visit that.

I also discovered there was another in an indoor car park at the local shopping centre about 2 miles away. I am going to visit there because they rent out rollators etc so it would be a good way of getting around without paying the huge amounts when buying and also seeing and trying what is available.

Apparently, for a fiver (for life), I can use anything they have freely available to shop.

Many people hire powered chairs because the council, in its wisdom, decided years ago to remove all transport, and I can no longer walk the vast distance (for me).

Have you googled to see if there is anything available locally?

charleygirl I don’t normally do that amount of exercise and housework in one day, and certainly not every day! I’m fairly busy (for me) this week, and those tasks needed doing.
maizie all my other muscles, especially my thighs and back, have had very little exercise for the last 18 months or so, so it’s a rude shock for them! That said, I do have problems with my back anyway, so not surprising it gets upset.
grammargran I hope your new physio can help you, and isn’t too energetic! I need to see a physiotherapist to supervise my getting onto my knees, to hopefully do some weeding when the weather improves.
I do like to have a walk most days, with crutches or sticks, whichever is more comfortable at the time. I’ve also got a rollator that I use if I intend to walk a longer distance, or if I want to go shopping. It feels like a backward step, but if that’s the only way I can go into town and browse the shops, then I’ll have to do it.

grammargran I hope she is not too young and enthusiastic.

You would be better off with somebody with practical experience who knows what it is like to have joint pains when we are marginally over the age of 30.

Sometimes a change is as good as a rest. Good luck.

“Redcar”, my back is certainly the first part of me that protests if I’ve overdone it and since its major protest at Christmas I’ve learnt to respect its judgement. Onward and upward, physio on Friday morning with new lady (I drove the last one into retirement.). I quite look forward to these sessions now - I’m like a child seeking praise 🙄🙄

I had a Zimmer frame at home, but I am also determined, so it was not long until I was using one stick again, which is for my L) ankle. I still use the stick, but because I am giving up my car, I am thinking of ways to get to the bus stop and on the bus.

Most things improve with age but not this old age lark. I get daily reminders.

My hips survived very well, just a little ache now and then, but my poor back has reminded me that I’m definitely not superwoman!

Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? Other muscles have got used to not doing any work either in the years or months before the op. They need rehabilitation, too.

It’s taken me quite a while to be able to bend down to pick things up (like the dog’s ball 😆) without a back muscle or two protesting. I found pilates a great help.

As for the riding, I’ve been told in the past I’m a bit of a determined woman… and was I determined to get back on a horse…

I think a zimmer frame would be the worst possible thing to have. One could so easily get totally dependent on it and scared to let go. I had one in hospital, but I was sent home with two sticks (now completely redundant).

It’s such a reassuring group to be part of. Thank you all!

Redcar I am amazed your hips stayed the course without many problems. Please tone down the work- you do not want to end up a slob like me but that was too much even without surgery. Please pace yourself.

The dog would enjoy your company more as you were not able to do much or go far except give it cuddles. Please take it easy for the rest of the week.

I’ve found this thread invaluable, I know that if I’ve mentioned a possible problem, someone on here can give me encouragement, advice and reassurance. Yesterday I obviously thought I was superwoman, walked half a mile with one crutch, cleaned the shower tray then vacuumed the hall, landing and three bedrooms (all with new fluffy carpets). My hips survived very well, just a little ache now and then, but my poor back has reminded me that I’m definitely not superwoman!
I’ve been resting it all day at DD1’s, keeping their dog company. I’ll take it easy tomorrow, I’m sitting with a hot wheat pack on my back at the moment.
grammargran I’m pleased you’re now doing without your stick indoors, such good progress, definitely on the outskirts of the woods! Keep posting, I regard all you regular posters as friends and it’s so good to know you’re all there.

We probably helped a few more lurking in the background, not wanting to come forward but still happy to pick up tips.

I found that the time of year I had surgery made such a difference. My first knee was in November, and the second was in June, so there were no worries about icy pavements.

I only disagreed with one person about surgery but guess who won?

Absolutely right grammaretto.

Thanks Silverlining it's certainly helped me. Even if you did know people in RL who had had a new hip or knee you wouldn't get the breadth of experience and anyway we don't
always want to be boring our family and friends with our medical histories. 😉

And to celebrate, we are no. 1 in the Active list. Three cheers
Hip hip ha ha 🤣

So pleased this has helped you Grammargran. I know it helped me.
Every day is a day closer to feeling back to normal, and as you say you are nearly there. Well done x

Well I know I just couldn’t have managed without this thread. When I first posted 13 weeks ago, just five days after my THR I really thought that I would never walk again without a frame ever! My entire leg felt as thought it was set in concrete, I wasn’t sleeping and I just couldn’t get comfortable. The support and help from that moment on has been priceless. And I’ve come to regard the regular posters as friends, Silverlining, Charliegirl, Aveline, Grammaretto, Redcar, Nannytopsy, and, of course, MaizieD and her horse riding (so impressed with that after 16 weeks). Apologies if I’ve left anyone out - but here I am now, around the house without my stick, albeit a tad wobbly when I set off, and it’s not far from my side - but sooooo far from where I was all those weeks ago. Thank you all, please keep posting, not out of the wood yet, but nearly on the outskirts!

W hich is why I am splitting my post into four in the hope we reach the top end of Active.
And send ……

We have so much experience and knowledge in here but if course if we dint appear in Active very much people may not find us

There is no need fir anyone to read through the nearly 6000 odd posts but they can post their own questions and concerns here knowing they will be answered by an army of helpful grans and grandads too perhaps,🤔