1st Day Driving

Sarah01

Afternoon,

I hope everyone is well today.

I finally did it, 12 weeks to the day after my THR I got behind the wheel The physio said I could give driving a go as long as I wore my knee brace.

It was a little daunting as hubby bought a bigger car not long after I had my op so I had never driven it before. My friend came with me just in case I couldn't drive for long and she could drive home. I managed to drive to Sainsburys and then had a drive in the country to get used to the car. Did about 20 miles as I didn't want to overdo it on my first drive.

Overall I am very happy that I was able to drive and had no aches or pains afterwards. It has boosted my confidence 100% knowing that I can get out and about and I no longer have to rely on family/friends or taxis to get me to doctor, physio and hospital appointments.

Having a rest at the moment with my feet up and then later I am going to drive to the beach so my son can give our dog a good run. I will walk for a bit with him then sit in the car watching the world go by with a nice latte from this little cafe I know until he gets back. Thankfully I live on the coast so it's only a 5 minute drive

Sarah x

hileena111

Well done Sarah
I know how you feel....its 10 weeks post THR but a fracture in between.
I got into the car last week, did about 10 mins and felt quite confident. Then we have had all this fog since. I've only managed to do 2 more short drives.
Today I delivered a couple of Avon books and that's the lot.
I haven't got the confidence you have yet
Enjoy your freedom

Love Hileena

Sarah01

Thanks Hileena

You will get there and you have done great so far

Just about to send you a PM

Sarah x

barbara12

Sarah that is brilliant you must now feel so good, 20 miles is good for your first time..now its rest time till the next drive... xx

Fionabee

Well done Sarah, there will be no holding you back and like you say, it is so good to not have to rely on others (however kind & well meaning) and taxis. Lucky you being near the sea, we are truly land locked here in the midlands. Fionabee.

Sarah01

Thank you Barbara and Fiona

I hope you are both well

Think my son was more nervous then me and he was only a passenger both he and my friend were very proud of me and said I had done brilliantly

I've still got my feet up and just had a coffee made for me too, I am a lucky mum

Sarah x

kathbee

VERY WELL DONE Sarah
and yes you are a lucky mum but you deserve it.

I am 5 weeks after my second TKR and can't imagine getting back behind the wheel, and like you, my hubby got a new car a few weeks ago, slightly larger than the previous one, which I have yet to drive, although we always go for automatic transmission.

I think its a confidence thing don't you.
I feel at the moment I won't ever drive again but I need to get around on my own without having to ask my husband to taxi me everywhere.

Oh the joys of RA and OA mixed together.

Hope you carry on motoring.
Kath.

Sarah01

Thanks Kath

Our new car is an automatic too and I think knowing this has helped me get back behind the wheel.

It's definitely a confidence thing. I drove to the beach last night and again today so my son could walk the dog. The more I drive each day the better my confidence will be

I was the same as you, thinking I will never get behind the wheel but after nearly 12 weeks of being stuck indoors and relying on friends/family and taxis I knew I had to give it a try. I think it's going to be another couple of months before I can ride my motorbike again, that will be the big one to have the confidence to get back riding again.

Sorry to hear you have both RA and OA. I only have OA so can't imagine how bad it is for you or anyone else on here that has both.

You will get there with your driving and I wish you all the best with it and your TKR recovery.

Sarah x

dreamdaisy

The sense of freedom and independence is fantastic, yes? I resumed driving recently after the broken arm - the arm was fine but as usual it was the knees and ankles which played-up. :roll: Like you I live near the coast, it's a ten - fifteen minute drive for me but there's nothing like it, especially in the depths of winter which is my favourite time. I struggle to walk on our pebbly beaches (the joints don't like sandy ones either!) but I can sit and watch the waves. Gorgeous.

The more you do the more confident you will become - have you a 'turntable' cushion? I have, it means I can easily turn to get out of the car. DD

kathbee

Thank you Sarah, it's so kind of you to offer me some motivation to get back driving again.

Cos I have a lot of pain in my feet and hands as well as wondering how the knee will feel, it puts me off I have to say.

But after my appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday I shall give it a try.

You are doing really well - keep it up
Kath

elsa56

Well Done Sarah!!!
I'm 17 weeks on 14th April after my THR and have tried to drive but my leg hurts and starts to go numb, so hubby had to take over .
I didn't even manage 5 minutes.
Hopefully I will find out why next week when I go back to see my surgeon as he will have my scan results.
You keep up the good work
Elsa
xx

Sarah01

Hi DD,

I have to say that the sense of freedom and independence is the most positive feeling I have had in recent weeks. I'm loving it, popped to the shops this morning then off to the beach again tonight with my son and the dog.

I love the beach in winter, with the rough seas and the wind biting your face. I go down a lot in winter for a walk and then a nice cuppa to warm myself up

I haven't been on the sand yet as still on the crutch. I watch my son and the dog from the slipway before grabbing a cuppa to sit in the car with

I have a cushion that I can use to swivel in and out of the car and it's working well

Sarah x

Sarah01

Thanks Elsa

Sorry to hear you are having problems while driving. You will get there I was starting to think that I wouldn't be allowed behind the wheel until the MRI scan had been done which is next week and I see the surgeon the following week.

I was shocked and happy that the physio told me I could give it a go as long as I wore the knee brace. I was expecting to get some pain in my hip but thankfully, so far, I have had no pain at all. I still intend to do short journeys as I don't want to overdo it and end up in pain.

I would like to know how you get on at your appointment with your surgeon, if that's ok?

Sarah x

Sarah01

Hi Kath,

I am here if you ever need any more motivation or just a chat. I haven't had a TKR yet just the THR but I find talking about anything does help

I'm sorry to hear that you have pain in your feet and hands, is that with OA or RA? I apologise if I am being intrusive and nosey asking you this question as I know some people might not like to talk about other ailments.

Like my friend said to me, take your time with the driving and if you feel you can't carry on, stop and I will take over. It's a one day at a time progression. I was very nervous when I switched the engine on for the 1st time, I had so much running through my mind, could I do this, how would my hip feel, could my knee cope too? Still early days but enjoying every minute of my freedom

Good luck for Wednesday and I hope everything goes well

Sarah x

kathbee

Thank you Sarah

How's the driving going, - well I hope.

I saw the surgeon today and he said everything is fine, and added that if I am happy with the amount of knee bend then he is too. He told me he was a bit worried as because I have a small knee he may not have been able to give me the required bend. (I am under 5ft and petite - I aren't going to have huge knees am I?)

So on Friday I will give the driving seat a go, alongside hubby, which will be 6 and a half weeks after the op.

Feel ok about it so all should be well.

OH and the feet and hand pain is mostly the RA (diagnosed 15 yrs ago) as its both sides. There is also some damage to toes from OA first diagnosed 23 yrs ago.

Kath

Sarah01

Hi Kath,

The driving is going well. Still short trips at the moment, hope to extend my journeys slowly next week.

Glad to hear all went well at your appointment and your surgeon is happy with everything how is your knee at the moment?

Good luck for Friday I will be thinking of you and I hope you are able to get on with the driving. Will you let me know how you got on?

Sarah x

hileena111

Good Luck with the driving Kath

Love
Hileena

kathbee

Thank you for the good wishes
Sarah and Hileena.

Oh to be independent again.
Hubby 's bowling season has started so need to drive or I will
be stuck at home, not great in the summer months ahead.

Hope you doing ok and Hileena hope you are getting to full recovery now after your accident.
Kath

Doubleouch

Hi Sarah
Congratulations on your sucess with getting behind the wheel after your op.
So wish I could mirror your sucess, I've gone the opposite way, due to a neck problem have not been able to drive since Christmas, still one day!
Take Care

As5567

Great news! I know how great it can feel to begin driving again after such a long time being dependent on others. I was unable to drive for 3 months or so after an abscess on my leg, a totally different situation to yours but the same feeling of having that bit of freedom back.

20 miles for your first trip out seems a great achievement and a very sensible one too, I hope you continue to enjoy your freedom now you're able to drive again

Sarah01

Hi Kath,

I'm doing good today. Had my first weights session at the gym this morning. It was hard work but I am determined to keep going every day. The PT instructor has also thrown in some upper body strength weights too. So tomorrow it will be weights first then some cardio on the bike and treadmill.

Will probably ache later as I am at hip rehab class with the physio this afternoon. It's hard to believe how far I have come, it was only a few weeks ago I was really feeling down and fed up with my recovery.

How are you doing today and how is the knee?

Sarah x

Sarah01

Hi Doubleouch

Thank you for the congratulations

You will get there with your driving and I look forward to hearing how you got on when you do I was so sure it would be a lot longer before I could drive again, or that I would freeze behind the wheel and couldn't do it. I'm so glad I took the plunge. I felt like Mel Gibson in Braveheart when he shouted that one word "FREEDOM"

I drive to the gym every morning, it's only a 5 minute drive and same to the beach on a night. I can't wait to tell the physio I have driven to rehab class this afternoon.

Take care
Sarah x

Sarah01

Thank you As5567

Sorry to hear that you were unable to drive for 3 months due to an abscess. I hope all is well with you now and you are enjoying driving again

Next week I intend to increase my mileage a little more to get used to driving for longer. Hopefully all will be ok and I can keep increasing it every week

Sarah x

kathbee

Wow Sarah
I am amazed
Gym, weights thats excellent.

Keep up the good work won't you

And
Oh to be 5 minutes drive from a beach, now that would be lovely.

Kath

villier

Great to see things are going well for you Sarah, I know what you mean about the independence. I live on my own and after I had my Trapeziectomy done last November I couldn't drive for ten weeks, I was so lost without my car and was a relief when I could drive again. Keep up the good work you are doing so well.................Marie xx