Just came down from my first foray upstairs to the sewing room since knee surgery. 18 steps up, 36 steps down (seemed like it). Had a great stitchout of a horse on denim shirt, then made a quick pocket hankie to match the colors I used -- actually, I pulled the colors from the hankie material. For an acquaintance who volunteers faithfully every year at the help desk when our organization meets. I kept asking her questions - favorite fabric - denim, favorite artwork - anything to do with farms, two favorite colors - purple and green. Ever tried to do a horse with green and purple? The leather on his reins is purple, except the brassy part. The handkerchief picture frame around the horse is green with white flowers. And the pocket kerchief is a small green and purple plaid, cut from a Salvation Army shirt. Finding that shirt in that color combination was the biggest part of the project!

I know what its like to want to do and can't, so I am happy for you to be stitching again. Is there any way to have your machine elsewhere, so as not to have to do stairs? Guess if it was, you'd have done it by now....Is this your second knee surgery? I know you had fallen on the concrete one time and another time you were having to do your flowers a hard way....I just got my husband to mow down two of my beds I can't keep up. I asked kids to till them for me, for Mother's day. I would buy the dirt as they needed to be built up and I would also buy the bedding plants, for them to plant. Mother's Day came and went, so now the borders are taken down and hubby mowed the beds yesterday.

1 comment

by graceandham 07 Jul 2017

Problem is by the time I store all the patterns, threads, computer, 3 machines, oops 4 plus the vinyl cutter, and 4 cabinets of folded fabrics, boxes of blanks to stitch upon, it's a roomful. I don't have a room for it down here. I considered bringing one machine into the living room (a nice living room) with 10 colors of thread and some blanks, but decided to take the time off rather than start filling the living room, too.

Great to hear you are healing well. But, remember not to over do it.

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by graceandham 07 Jul 2017

Thank you. There is a fine balance between hurting enough in therapy to recover and hurting too much so knee blows up like a puffer fish. Still trying to figure how much physical stuff I can do in a day.

It's wonderful to hear you are doing steps know. And great work on being so sneaky!

Hurray for you. It's been hard work but you are now reaping the good from it. Keep it up. And what a nice reward to be able to stitch again.

WOOHOOO! Congratulations! Well Done! Good onyer Champ! You DID IT!!!

I'm so very happy for you climbing those stairs, doing something you love will be a great help in your recovery.

I did leave a message for you on my last post but didn't know if you saw it.
Going up should be good leg first, going down use bad leg first. My surgeon told me he doesn't expect anyone to walk DOWN stairs normally for at least three months after TKR.

It's now 8 weeks for me and I drove my car today for the first time, it's a manual so I was quite wary using the clutch but I have been using a mini stepper for nearly a week, so I managed it really well and am very pleased. I still can't bend my knee more than 95* so more work is needed in that area.

I'd love to hear how you are progressing. Hugs hugs n roses, Meg

2 comments

by graceandham 05 Jul 2017

"Up with the good. Down with the bad" is how they teach it here. I'm still mumbling it to myself as I take the steps between the car and the house.

by meganne 06 Jul 2017

Yep, I was already walking stairs that way for years before my surgery.
Now I'm walking up and DOWN normally already, walking up is easy, but it isn't pretty to watch me coming down. LOL!!!
Stairs are good physio, along with mini peddles or an exercise bike.
I have been doing full rotations on my mini peddles for weeks now but still can't do it on my exercise bike. :-( I'll keep trying until I can though, as that knee bend is crucial to being able to live normally. I can't possibly continue to be a good bowling coach if I cannot bend my knee to demonstrate to my students.
Huge hugs and I'll pray for your continued improvement.

wow, it must have felt good, you were able to go the stairs again ( even if it was hard) but it must have been great to do another project again. hope you will post it soon , so we can see your creativity that was possible after the knee surgery. But don't overdo. Take care :)

I'll bet you felt like planting a flag when you reached the top! I'm happy for you.

I am so glad you were able to do some sewing. As hard as those stairs were I understand just how needed your stitching time is and how greatly it is missed. It is so very therapeutic! I know the volunteer will be very appreciative for your gift so thoughtfully thought out and created just for her. Hope that each trip up and down those stairs helps your strength and flexibility, just be sure to stop in time, so you have the energy and not too much pain as you still have the stairs going down once you are finished. Feeling like there were double the steps down, likely means you pushed yourself a bit too far, but I am so very thankful you had fun creating! Pam

Congratulations on your achievement. Getting back upstairs and returning to your embroidery machine. Are you going to share a picture of your work in projects. My younger daughters mil had the same op as you about the same time. It takes a while to recover from these ops. Hopefully going up and down stairs will be easy for you. Enjoy your birthday today too

The shirt sound lovely, keep on moving... they say it gets easier over time.

It must be a great feeling to be able to stitch again. Are we going to see pictures of it? How long has it been since you used the stairs last?

1 comment

by graceandham 04 Jul 2017

Some time in March - I was pretty hurty before the surgery.

How sweet it is...congratulations on conquering the steps...I hope your knee continues to heal....

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by graceandham 04 Jul 2017

Not sure I conquered, but thanks!