More milestones! Thursday, I enjoyed my first glass of red wine in almost three weeks, 15 days after surgery. Small, about 5-6 ounces (150-175 ml). It was delightful; a return to our normal, daily life. I sipped it slowly, savouring it, while re-watching Beyond the Sea, a biopic about Bobby Darin. Great film with a good cast and almost Bollywood-like in its dance/song skits. I started watching while I was doing some of my new exercises and the music made me want to dance along. Fortunately for my new knee, I only wiggled my hips. Kevin Spacey does a remarkable job as Bobby Darin. I was surprised to see Brenda Blethyn as Polly Cassotto. Blethyn is the main character in the British TV series, Vera. Quite a different role for her, I thought.

The medical advice was to avoid alcohol 24 hours before surgery, then for two weeks after. In part, I believe, it was to avoid compromising the antibiotics received during surgery. Plus, I was not very steady on my feet at the best of times and a clear head helped me navigate with greater confidence. Now I have recovered somewhat, a small glass of wine is a delight. Some people experience nausea after surgery, but. didn’t. Still, I was not always at my best, and did not really feel like a having a drink for those weeks. Even now, I don’t feel like a lot, just enough to taste and enjoy…

Last night, I managed to sleep a few hours on my left side. Unfortunately, when I got up to pee, I was unable to get myself into a comfortable position that didn’t bother my leg, and I ended up on my back again. But it was a first, and I’ll try again tonight.

Today (Friday), I decided it was time to liberate myself from the walker, and spent the entire day using the cane only for moving around. A bit challenging, but certainly do-able. After two weeks of depending on the walker for everything but stairs, I had to teach myself some things, like getting up and down from the toilet and couch easily. But my strength and flexibility is coming back, and I am happy to say I managed all day without the walker for mobility.

The only thing I need the walker for is the step-up/step-down exercise that, at the moment, requires both hands on a solid surface. Stepping down is simply too tough right now, although I can step up okay. As I progress with it and build my strength, I hope to reduce my dependence on the rented walker enough that I can return it around the end of next week. I admit that it is a bit more tiring, at least on the first day. A couple of muscles complained, but compared to the pain after surgery, they were whispers.

I can also shuffle around the house short distances without the cane, although never too far from a surface I can grab if necessary. If anyone ever saw me, they’d think I was doing an impression of a limping penguin. But unassisted walking is the goal. And doing it without a cane improves my balance. Or so my thinking goes.

And also today, I walked outside for the first time (aside, of course, from short trips into and out of the car to various medical appointments). Susan walked with me for a full two blocks, taking our dog, Bella, along. It was damned slow, of course, with me hobbling on my cane, but I managed to walk the entire distance, about 800m, without falling (despite some gusts of strong wind). That might have been pushing myself a bit more than necessary, but again, walking outside is a goal. Weather permitting, I hope to be able to repeat that journey tomorrow, or something similar.

Still don’t have the flexibility to tie my shoes. I can finagle some loose socks on, with some groaning and invective, and get my feet into my widest shoes, but the laces remain for Susan to tie. My independence grows every day, but some things are still outside my reach for now.

Today has been a good day for my morale. Every milestone, every achievement is something to celebrate.

PS. Let me add a note of respect and appreciation for the staff at the CGMH and especially its physio/rehab department staff. They have helped me in my recovery, treated me patiently, and taught me to help myself.

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