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

Most of the churches I’ve been in are really old buildings with heating added as an afterthought. So they have electric heaters under the pews and the backs of your legs burn while the rest of you freezes!

That sounds like our church Redcar!
Currently we have no heating in the sitting room and an out of order washing machine. Neither engineer before tomorrow! 😠

Nannytopsy you are twice blessed, walking to church to open it up. All I’ve been to recently have been funerals, just the age I’m at I guess!

Wow, we’re sliding down the health table at an incredible rate! Quick, how’s everyone doing? I feel I’ve reached another plateau at 12 weeks. Really miserable day weather wise here, grey freezing fog, not a bit uplifting!

There’s a very heavy hoar frost here this morning. We intended to put the cover on the car windscreen but forgot.
While I was asking Google questions last night, this website came up.
roh.nhs.uk/services-information/knees/total-knee-replacement
The information is brilliant, particularly all the information about what it’s like afterwards, and reassuring about what happens and why, eg swelling. There is some stuff that is specific to the hospital but I wish I had found this sooner.
Recommend it to anyone who is awaiting surgery.

Nannytopsy I am proud to say I think we have covered the vast majority throughout our threads, but it is good to see it all together rather than the odd question.

It is perishingly cold in London. I have not opened the curtain to see what is happening outside.

A lovely sunny day here, but very cold. I waited until the frost had cleared & the temperature was a balmy 3 degrees before going for a walk. Half a mile is getting easier, so I’ll try to increase the distance next week.
I drove a bit further yesterday to the opticians, then walked on crutches from the car park to the actual opticians. It’s an old building, with steep steps and sloping floors, so a bit of a challenge, but I managed it.
Take care out there everyone!

Just checking if anyone has used alternative medication like turmeric etc for arthritis of knee

I did many years ago, and it did zilch for me, but neither did the drugs I was prescribed for pain relief, so I took nothing.

Turmeric didn’t help mean, nor glucosamine

Well done Redcar, things are looking good. If you have them you might find sticks easier
to manage. I had pair if crutches from a German hospital a few years ago, which I took with me first my hip hop but was given sticks. I def preferred the sticks. Nowhere near so bulky, was slightly disappointed as my crutches were lovely shiny black but I have kept them. Who knows. I might need them another time.

I have tried 1000 mg of glucosamine over a decent period, but never felt it helped.

That was interesting to read Nannytopsy, especially as it’s possible I will be needing a new knee in the nit too distant future…well it will be distant given the wait list, but you know what I mean. 😢

Grammargran once the sun eventually comes out it will raise all our spirits.
Let’s hope this goes to the top of Active after my 4 separate posts. Every littke helps.

Turmeric does ease my joint and spinal pain as I discovered when asked to discontinue it a month before TKR. Apparently it can slow blood clotting, most surgeons want it discontinued for two weeks, mine was an extra cautious man and asked for a month. As we all react differently to prescribed meds so do we with things like turmeric. It was recommended recently by the physio trying to keep order on an escape pain course I was encouraged (forced!) to attend.

Well, the murky fog did eventually lift after lunch to a rather lovely day so did manage to get out for a walk. We’re keeping fairly level Redcar as I’m not quite up to the half mile but not far off. Well done you for the extra push to the opticians because it sounds really hard work with crutches. I was never offered them, just two sticks straight off. Nannytopsy that was a really interesting read you suggested. I guess most of it would apply to hips as well as I can’t find a specific hip one. Interesting that they recommend using a stick until you can walk as well without it as with it - and I’m quite some way from that yet!

silverlining and grammargran I have walking sticks, but haven’t used them for a while, I’ll have to try them again. When I had my last physio session on 20th December, the physiotherapist said I could go onto sticks if I wanted, but they didn’t supply them. I can get around in the garden without crutches or sticks, but will always need some sort of support because of my back problems. I’ve also go a rollator which is useful when I’m shopping, but it seems a backward step to use it! Some of the advice I’ve read indicates that real improvement will happen between 3-6 months, so a way to go yet!

I loved using a shopping trolley 🛒. It was better than a rollator and I could pop my sticks in it. I could easily have walked home using it if that had been legal!

I haven't been here for a while. Its good to see several of you reaching milestones.
It's now 5 weeks since my THR.
I have a physio appointment to look forward to.

I have driven the car - just a short trip to the recycle centre. I am busy clearing the house of things I cannot
take with me when I downsize.

My walk today took in a bungalow which is on the market. I have arranged a viewing next week when DD is able to come with me. It will be half-term.
I am also enjoying the sunshine and longer days.

Oh wow, that sounds great about real improvement Redcar as we’re at the three month mark now so hooray, does that mean we’re nearly there!? I obviously need to get down to Tesco’s Aveline, sounds a good place to get my walking practice in - could easily clock up a mile around those aisles.

I am seven or eight years post hip replacement, I never managed to use the crutches, I got a rollator as , like Redcar , I have back problems
When queried by the Consultant , I said I had back problems, he just said he couldn’t cure that !

aggie I gave my consultant the X-ray report on my back, he read it and said my back was a mess and agreed there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it!
aveline I’ve used the shopping trolleys in the garden centre, with my crutches in them, but for some reason I don’t find them very comfortable, but the rollator doesn’t have much room for a lot of shopping!

Redcar the shopping trolley on the smooth surface at Sainsbury's was wonderful. Just right for my height too.

Aveline I agree. I love using the smaller trolley with my stick in them. I would love to "borrow" it, but that is not allowed.

I think a rollator is next, but if they make folding ones, I would need one for bus trips.

I've seen folding rollators Charleygirl. Might be quite heavy to lift on to a bus though.