I have just got back from the Yorkshire Clinic (well yesterday morning to be exact) after having a complete replacement of my left knee. The photo above was taken about 24 hours after the operation, just to show that you can be up and on your feet in no time at all these days!
But let me recap a little first.....
Having had an uncomfortable knee for about a couple of years, and being a male, and done nothing about it, hoping the discomfort would go away, it was obvious of late that something
(k)needed doing to it. The first step (no pun intended!) was to pay a visit to our local GP, who suggested that I needed an X-ray of it, which would show exactly what was causing the discomfort.
It transpired that old age (in the form of athritis) was the main cause. I was put on a course of painkillers and anti inflammatory drugs, but after a few months nothing had improved, so I revisited the GP and suggested that something more drastic needed to be done, as the pills and tablets were only masking the discomfort, not healing it. This resulted in me being referred to a Mr Thomas Taggart (a consultant at the Yorkshire Clinic - and a real bundle of fun he turned out to be, but more of that later)
At the initial consultation he greeted me with "I only know your name and date of birth so tell me about your medical history." Being the cheery soul I am I suggested that if he knew my date of birth he could send me a birthday card, which he promptly responded to by "making a note of my birthday" so he could do just that! After going through my medical history (all very dull and boring) I mentioned that I had had a replacement right hip previously. He asked me who had done it and I told him one of his colleagues Mr Jepson. His response was "Oh old Jeppo," and this was followed up by some recollections of how Old Jeppo used to treat his juniour colleagues." You should have let me do it! Well that's it no birthday card for you then!!, he said.
I also mentioned missing being able to walk our Chocolate Lab any distance, and he immediately got his mobile phone out and I was introduced to his Choclate Lab "Coco"
The day of the operation finally arrived, and I was wheeled into the anaesthetic room, to be greeted by Mr Taggart wearing what looked like a spcacemans helmet."Well", he said, "we'll just get rid of the ashtrays and fags before we wheel you through!"
I had been warned by the staff that I would be in for a free cabaret during the course of my operation, as I was having a spinal block, and would be conscious all the way through it.
After prodigious drilling, sawing and hammering - I kid you not, he poked his head round my side of the screen and said "That's it, we've cleared the drains now!" There followed more hammering and banging, during which I was bouncing about on the operating trolley similar to a dodgem car ride when he poked his head round again with "Congratulations you've just had a baby boy!"
He really was a laugh a minute and certainly kept me entertained throughout the operation.His concluding comment to all the theatre staff was "Hmm forty five minutes, Not Bad" (Apparantly it usually takes about an hour to do the operation!)
He popped in to see me at the end of his operating stint (He had two more operations to perform after me) and met Sarah, who was introduced as the Middle Daughter." So do you have an Upper and a Lower Daughter?" was his quick quip.
When he popped in to see me on the Thursday eveing to tell me he was delighted with my progress and I could go home the next day, I told him I had had a word with the physiotherapist who was also pleased with my progress , and I had asked him if it would be possible to stay until Saturday morning as we were in the middle of having a walk in shower fitted. His quick quip was "Now you've buggered up my ops list!" said with a twinkle in his eyes.
So here I am, at home, not allowed to do any strenuous walking just yet, and passing my time by typing this bilge on the computer!
No comments:
Post a Comment