Anne Haden

 Partial Knee Replacement

As a botanist I get out into the countryside to look for rare and interesting plants and to monitor sites where special plants grow.  Some plants grow in bogs, or down cliffs, or up steep rocky hills. The terrain can be bumpy and walking difficult in many areas.  When my left knee started to give trouble walking became painful. I found it difficult to go out recording plants in areas where the habitat was rough.  I really enjoyed being a botanist and had been appointed as recorder for Jersey, a job that entailed being responsible for monitoring rare and unusual plants on the island.  So when my painful knee started to give me trouble and curtail my activities I was very upset.  I had found this new pastime to keep me active and contribute to citizens science in my retirement and now this new life that I was passionate about was causing me distress. My new life was no longer so attractive, I felt frustrated and had to take painkillers every time I went out walking and could only manage to walk short distances.

Mr. Ian McDermott operated on my knee and within three months on was walking again virtually pain free.  Now four months later I can spend the whole day on my feet looking for plants in tricky terrain and walk several miles recording the plants that I see. I feel that I have got my life back again.  Not only am I back enjoying my passion for plants but I am able to contribute to the botanical knowledge of the island.

 

Anne Haden, July 2017

July 2017