It is now 34 days since Jill had her operation – she has certainly made some improvements since then. There have also been some days when she would have said “why did I have this done”. She tells me the pain was worse than child birth. Each morning when I enter the hospital I am usually greeted with ‘take me home” but as the morning passes and she has showered and had a visit from doctors, cleaners, nurses, morning tea attendants, meal attendants, physios etc, she forgets and joins in the operations of the day.
She likes the visitors even though she says she can’t speak to them. She’s had, Pat & Keith each week, Lorna, Jean & Joan, volunteers from the Uniting Church, Barry & Margaret and of course our family Chris, Nicole, Allison & Michael.
Her progress is slow, up one day down the next, the medication is being reduced and that also makes things difficult. The physios are pleased with her progress. She is able to take her weight (I am putting on weight sitting in this chair) on her new knee and that allows her to walk using a gutter frame. The information board above the bed now reads – movement via gutter frame – under supervision 10 meters.
To make coming home closer Jill does everything possible – 2 physio sessions each day, a group physio session after lunch and them in the last couple of days a walk with me in the passage out side her room. These are followed by a coffee as an inducement to do more.
I have been allowed to bring her home for a few day stays, pick her up in the morning and back before 5pm. We did this over Easter when the family were home and although Jill was reluctant to go back it worked well. I picked her up yesterday and will do the same this morning. We are using the Maxi taxi – which has wheelchair facilities. On Saturday I arrived at 8.30am to help with Jill’s shower and dressing – another requirement to facilitate Jill’s move to home. On arrival at home she insisted on walking the length of the passage – just to prove she could. She actually walked to the bedroom, rested in a chair before the return trip. I noticed she was favouring her right leg (not the new knee). She had not had any pain medication and the knee was aching. I am hoping that this will be better today.
Well it is about 8.30am and I had better head off – will be in the bad books if I am late.
See you next week on the net.
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