Turning the corner on recovery

It's now approaching eleven weeks since my total knee replacement surgery--and I'm happy to say that I'm starting to feel like myself again. I turned the corner about a week ago when I was finally able to sleep through the night without pain waking me up. My surgeon is happy with the results, especially the fact that my right leg, which was quite bowed before, is now straight. That pleases me too because it gives me hope that better alignment will improve my walking and my other joints. I have pretty good range of motion in my knee and I'm told that it will continue to improve over the next year or so. Apparently it takes up to two years before the new knee starts feeling and moving like it's part of your body. They didn't tell me that beforehand, but maybe that's a good thing.


So onward and upward. I'm still doing exercises for range of motion, strength and flexibility and looking forward to getting back to Pilates and some of the Aging Backwards classes that I enjoyed a year ago. 

I'm now able to stand and paint at the easel for up to an hour at a time and I'm really happy to be able to do that. We've rigged up a stool with a cushion so I can paint on the high table too. I've started to work in a larger format and it's a different process.

Here's my latest painting. It's 24x36 and Im quite pleased with it. I'm working towards a group show in February at the Gage Artists Collective Gallery where I'm a member. And a solo show (yikes!) in late May.

Meanwhile we're planning another trip to Mexico in December. This time we're going with family--my brother and his wife and 16 year old daughter, plus my sister. We'll be in Oaxaca at Christmas time. Apparently it's the centre for some big fiestas then. I'm hoping that I'll be able to walk better with my new knee by then.