Well....the great news is I passed my six week check up this morning with flying colours. I didn't see Gandalf (my wizard of a surgeon) but his trusted registrar (who I have called Legolas - a messenger elf, from The Lord of the Rings) who was responsible for stitching me up so neatly! And yes, I am taller than him!
What did I need to do to pass the test ?
- The wound, which looks like a zip line now, was scrutinised and declared to have healed very well.
- I had to hold hands with Legolas (very nice!) and stand on one leg and balance..each leg in turn.
- I said I could walk for 50 minutes. There were pleasing gasps of surprise and much praise from Legolas at this information.
- I demonstrated walking without sticks. Legolas said 'That looks extremely normal'.
- Legolas, WPH and I reviewed the 'before and after' X rays and concluded the whole operation had been a huge success.
So what can I do now?
- I can wean myself off the sticks.
- I can move back to 'my' side of the bed. Many thanks to WPH for the temporary lone of his side!
- I can have a bath instead of a shower......Oh the joy and rapture of tomorrow morning's bath!
- I can drive again when I have shown WPH I can do an emergency stop!
- I can sit on a normal height chair
Altogether I feel like a normal person again. I thanked Legolas profusely and offered to give him a hug (I was feeling very excited...even euphoric at this stage!). In the end we smiled and shook hands. And that, as they say, is it. I don't have to go back for any check ups...amazing. My cobalt chromium stainless steel and high impact polyethylene hip joint should see me through for the next twenty years or so....and may be beyond with luck.
I am one very happy Lady Hip and I am going to celebrate my good fortune. CHEERS!
I hope readers will forgive the constant reference to achievements but having undergone major surgery I suspect it's only natural to want to return to 'how I used to be' as soon as possible. Perhaps too, it is the thought of my follow up appointment with the surgeon next week which makes me concentrate on physical milestones. This week I have increased to twenty five repeats for each of my 7 daily exercises, as well as walking round the University Parks (2.2 kms) on two successive days in glorious sunshine. Gandalf (my wizard of a surgeon) has the power to allow me to drive again next week, so not surprisingly that is quite an incentive to do the daily leg therapy. WPH thinks it is like watching a ballet bar workout, although fluffy slippers don't look quite as good as ballet shoes! (NB -no picture here- just use your imagination!)
One impressive student jogger managed to lap me five times during my fairly brisk walk around the parks.....however I couldn't help wondering how his hips would be at my age!?
