Recently, someone very close to me had knee replacement surgery. She had had a sore knee for a long time (not one that actually slowed her down from what we could see) & she wanted the pain gone so that she could continue to be active in her life.
All that's good, but now that this person is home from hospital, she's had a turnaround of opinion & has decided that she's going to stay in her armchair and ignore all good advice about pain relief & exercise. She's afraid that her digesics are going to be addictive & she doesn't want to ride a stationery bike. The trouble is that at her age, this line of non-action will probably kill her!
I'm sorry to be rude or to rant, but to be honest, I'm both frightened and cross. I love her dearly & am not ready for her to give up on life.
The key is to keep moving but remember not to overdo it after any surgery! While this person can expect some good days and some bad days, she should notice a gradual improvement and a gradual increase in her endurance over the next 6 to 12 months if she follows the good advice of her doctors and physiotherapist, rather listen to all the scaremongering of the oldies at the place where she lives. It means that she should take pain relief & continue to do the exercises prescribed several times a day. At nearly 80 years of age, an addiction to digesic isn't really a worry (I wonder where she'd get an illegal supply after the doc stops prescribing it anyway). Riding a stationary bicycle can help maintain muscle tone and keep the knee flexible, but I'm sure that gentle walking will do if she doesn't want to ride the bike.
How do we help this person & get her off her stubborn butt?
Have you got any ideas? If so, email me.
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