Water, Water Everywhere:

or Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Tuesday night, July 30, marked the eight-week anniversary of my new knee. That means eight weeks of taking showers instead of tub baths. Some of you might remember my blog post about my love of baths (here). In short, my opinion is that a shower is utilitarian - just for getting clean. But a bath - that is not only for getting clean, but is also a little taste of heaven.

In the beginning, there was no way I could possibly bend my knee enough to get into or out of a tub.  Now I have good flexion, but there's still no way to kneel on that knee. Almost as soon as I came home from the hospital, I began reading on-line advice about taking, or not taking, a bath following total knee surgery. Most of what I read said not to even think about it for several months. Some folks claimed they never could get in the bath tub again. But there were a few encouraging souls who said they were able to do it after two or three months.

So, on Tuesday evening, I decided to give it a try. First I called Dan into the bathroom and, with him standing by in case I needed help, I tried a dry-run. I stepped into the tub, fully clothed and without water, and managed to sit down without much trouble at all. Then I tried the scary part . . . getting back out. It was not easy, but I figured out a combination that worked and got up and out on my own.

That gave me the confidence to try the real thing - a hot, relaxing bath! I loved every minute of it, and the hot water really felt good on my knee. Although getting out was still a little bit of a challenge, it was worth it. Last night I enjoyed a second bath, and found getting out to be even easier.

I also started some water aerobics this week. I think it's helping me get back some strength and endurance. Today I almost felt normal again. Still some stiffness, and a little soreness, especially when first standing after sitting, but other than that it's feeling good.