First drive for a few weeks. Magic!

[Noodles6202]

After suffering for a couple of years with bad pain in my right knee i was finally convinced (by doctor and SWMBO) to have a Total Knee Replacement. (TKR)

Boosted by comments from differnt friends like "it will be a different sort of pain" and "you could be up and about and pain free in six weeks" and "a woman I know was climbing mountains in China two weeks after her operation". I took that last one with a grain of salt!


Okay. I'll spare you the rest of the details but suffice to say six weeks in and I'm still in agony.


However, What I didn't realise during that time was how much I would miss driving my 2002 D2 ES. For six weeks it sat under the carport and gathered dust and a family of Huntsman spiders.


Pathetically, I would wobble out every week or so and start the engine and try and relive the fun I had driving around when I was pain free. Then, just as pathetically, returned to the house wondering why I had just put myself through that?


All that changed yesterday!


I took the aforesaid D2 for a short drive, just to the local shops. But that was like a shot of morphine (medicinal grade).


All pain was forgotten for ten minutes. I'd forgotten how much I like driving my Land Rover.


This raises at least two questions.


1. Should driving your LR be recognised as a form of rehab? and;


2. Am I really that much of a tragic?

[TheTree]

Love it !!

Land Rover rehab :cool:

I hope you make a full recovery

Steve

[Noodles6202]

Thanks for your good wishes Steve!

[digger]

Glad you are getting up and about!

Hope the recovery continues well.

"OLRR"
Original Land Rover Rehabilitation

enjoy!

Cheers
Digger

[UncleHo]

G'day Noodles

I can understand your feelings,I had my left knee damaged,partly crushed in 1973 partially corrected in 83 and in 2011 had a Feroral Oesti-Otemy (split the bone and re-aline) that was 8 weeks of pain and shuffling around,but it healed OK and I'm pain free for the first time in 38+ years. It will all worth it.


And I am walking well.

[jx2mad]

I am 4 mths post op for left knee replacement. I had my first done 10 years ago and let me state that driving a landrover is certainly good physio. It is called MOTIVATION! Jim :D:D:D:D

[gavinwibrow]

You probably know this already, but its common for the pain to stay for 8 weeks (eg me) to 10 weeks (eg my brother), then almost magically disappear. Mine was left knee from a motor bike accident and the heavy clutch on my then Rocky was perfect physio.

[sheerluck]

The answer is no, you're not a tragic. I'm really looking forward to being able to drive 'officially' (:angel:) next week, since my back injury back in early Feb, and my operation nearly six weeks ago.

Hope the pain goes soon, my mother-in-law has just recently gone through a TKR after struggling for 4 years. After 7 weeks, she was on a plane to Portugal for a 2 week holiday, totally pain free and able to get around without her sticks for the first time in 3 years.

Don't rush it though, it'll come.

[ramblingboy42]

I think youre pretty normal mate...ie for a Land Rover owner.....I sometimes don't get into Grumble for weeks due to my job and proximity to all services I need.....then when I go to drive somewhere I open the door and sit in it for while....inhaling the smell..and forget where I was going for a moment....then kind of wake up , realise I was going to go for a drive , turn the key....listen to the fuel chanting away, watch the preheaters lights go out, start him up and sit there.....turn the lights on so I can see all my gauges and have a little play with the colour selections, then wake up again and realise why I'm sitting in Grumble with the engine running, so reverse out and go. Often whistling with all windows down listening to the cold rattle of the engine.....AM I ALONE IN THIS....AM I ALONE?

[Tombie]

Know your pain mate. Had both mine done same time.... Epic mistake!

Took 3 months to even walk semi normally.

I was back driving in 5 weeks though. A trip to Robe with friends!

[Noodles6202]

G'day Tombie.

Well, you're a better man than I am Gunga Dhin. (respectfully).


I must admit though I did toy with the idea, all but fleetingly, of having both knees done at the same time but I couldn't find anyone who had had the two knees operated on simultaneously, so I figured there was going to be so much pain involved it might be better to do them one at a time.


Even my surgeon said he would not do them together citing the amount of pain involved and I now agree with him. He suggested waiting six weeks before having the second knee done but I might try and stretch that out to at least six years or longer if I can.

[Tombie]

Nah mate, more a fool!

I thought I'd get it all over and done with - and I paid the price.

Neither healed properly and all I lost was mobility and all I gained was weight!

I wasn't this big by a long shot Pre-op

[Pickles2]

So when you eventially went for your drive, you didn't encounter any "animosity" from the Huntsmen?!
Glad you're OK.
Cheers, Pickles.

[Noodles6202]

Hi Pickles,

Lol


No animosity from the arachnids because I gently shooed them from their cosy squat on a weekly basis.

[sheerluck]

Well they obviously weren't very big Huntsmen then. The really big ones would have had the keys off you and gone for a drive on their own. :D

[Noodles6202]

Hi Sheerluck,

Again, lol


I never ceased to be amazed at the humour some of you guys are capable of.


I did mention I gently shooed the non paying squatters away, what I didn't say (because there maybe young ears around) was how big the shooing instrument was I used. I bravely balanced one one crutch and keeping a six foot distance away I waved the other crutch in the general direction of the (shudder) spiders begging them to leave.


I have to say I didn't get close enough to let them near the keys.


My next plan of attack was to call SWMBO. (Hanging my head in shame)

[UncleHo]

G'day Noodles

After you lose the crutches,I would suggest that you get,borrow or hire a walking stick,use it on the opposite leg to your recovering knee,it will then allow you to vary the weight you place on your recovering leg,until you can regain full weight and use.


Unfortunately my leg is permanently damaged and it is a stick for me,I have got to the state where I can get around well without it and keep hanging it up on things and walking off,most embarrassing in the supermarket.

[Noodles6202]

G'day Uncleho,

That sounds like very good advice and I will take it, thanks.