My Story
Recent Articles
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Life in a Coronavirus Pandemic: Week One of Self-Isolation
As Italy attempts to control the second most serious outbreak of coronavirus in the world events move fast. Four days after my arrival there the whole country goes into lockdown. I escape to the UK on one of the last flights out of the country and head for two weeks’ self-isolation at home. The…
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Life in a Coronavirus Pandemic: Caught in the Italian Lockdown
On Wednesday 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization declared that the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak was now a pandemic acknowledging that the virus is likely to spread to every country on the globe. At the time I was being re-patriated to the UK on one of the last flights to leave…
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New Knees and New Adventures
Following the total replacement of both my knees I was delighted to find that I could still participate in my favourite activities at the same level that I had done prior to surgery. Now I was ready to find out how my new knees would react to trying new activities and experiences like bog walking…
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Skiing – After Total Knee Replacements?
When I asked the question, would I be able to ski after surgery to replace both knees my surgeon, Professor John Skinner responded that there was no reason why not. Conclusion, the knees had the technology so success or failure was up to me. As skiing is one of my passions I was determined to…
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A Trip to Myanmar
It had long been an ambition of mine to visit Burma (now known as Myanmar) and I was not going to let the fact that it was only a few months since I had undergone total replacement of both knees in the same operation put me off. I was still doing exercises every day and my range of movement was…
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Back to Work After Total Knee Replacements
After several weeks of prehabilitation followed by a simultaneous total replacement of both knees and then six weeks of rehabilitation it was time to go back to work as a tour manager. My first trip was a walking holiday in the Italian Dolomites. I was looking forward to testing my new knees on…
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Rehabilitation Following Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Simultaneous bi-lateral total knee replacement on 30 April 2013 and departed to lead a walking holiday in the Italian Dolomites on 07 July 2013, ten weeks later. I had decided, and prepared for, rehabilitation to be my fulltime job for the first six weeks after surgery. I followed a strict regime…
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Preparing for Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Decision made and date decided it was time to get fit for my total knee replacement surgery. As walking was becoming increasingly more difficult I took to cycling and swimming. Most of the hotels I stayed in on my travels had a swimming pool and a gym so no excuses.
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A Tale of Two Knees by Valery Collins
Working on a freelance basis my health and fitness is very important to me. When I was in full-time employment as a university lecturer in law a few days off on sick leave would have been a welcome relief from a career I was not enjoying. Now I was totally committed to maintaining my fitness in…
