Queen Margrethe II, Current Events Part 2: June 2020 -

[Blog Real]

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visited the Queen at Rigshospitalet earlier today. This is confirmed by the royal house to BILLED-BLADET.

The Queen got up for a short walk and therefore has already started rehabilitation, explained Lene Balleby, head of communications for the royal household.
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelig...hos-dronningen

[Archduchess Zelia]

Magnificent! Fast mobilisation is key! And nice to hear she's had visitors. Hopefully some of the grandkids will pop by to see her as well. Isabella's school is right nearby.

Originally Posted by Prinsara

Or because it's a well-known facet of a highly public royal figure and subject to discussion here like almost anything else? (Not that Daisy is not a huge self-admitted nicotine junkie. She is, and so naturally we wonder what happens now.)

Right, but the obsession with her smoking habits in relation to her surgical procedure – practically insinuating that she'll be jumping out of bed hours post-surgery for a smoke is perhaps a bit much

[ricarda]

Well, perhaps that's what motivated her to get up for a short walk and start rehabilitation already (just to get out of the smokefree hospital as quick as possible) ��

[Prinsara]

Originally Posted by ricarda

Well, perhaps that's what motivated her to get up for a short walk and start rehabilitation already (just to get out of the smokefree hospital as quick as possible) ��

I don't think it would surprise a single person if that ended up being her reasoning.

It's fortunate that she seems to be fine, otherwise we couldn't joke about her smoking.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Prinsara

I don't think it would surprise a single person if that ended up being her reasoning.

It's fortunate that she seems to be fine, otherwise we couldn't joke about her smoking.

Indeed.
Especially as QMII herself has a keen sense of humor.

Been browsing the news today, so far haven't seen any details about the procedure.
That QMII is up and about is to be expected. Today you are literally tipped out of bed as soon as at all possible after the surgery, despite you screaming and protesting.
It would be worse if it was announced that she was still bedridden.

[kalnel]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Indeed.
Especially as QMII herself has a keen sense of humor.

Been browsing the news today, so far haven't seen any details about the procedure.
That QMII is up and about is to be expected. Today you are literally tipped out of bed as soon as at all possible after the surgery, despite you screaming and protesting.
It would be worse if it was announced that she was still bedridden.

And if she's walking, that may suggest the surgery didn't create any spinal injuries. Always good news after back surgery!

[Izzie]

They get you up to walk no matter what. It is to prevent blood clots. A long time ago it was realized that having someone stay in bed for days after surgery caused blood clots (esp. in leg and lungs) that would lead to strokes and brain aneurysms for example. So, now they make you walk even if you feel like death and they also use the leg compression wraps on your lower legs to keep blood flow going (talking from personal experience re all this).

And getting up and walking is not really the beginning of rehabilitation, it is really the start of the recuperation post-surgery. Rehab is usually when PT begins after a period of recuperation.

[hereditarytitles]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Indeed.
Especially as QMII herself has a keen sense of humor.

Been browsing the news today, so far haven't seen any details about the procedure.
That QMII is up and about is to be expected. Today you are literally tipped out of bed as soon as at all possible after the surgery, despite you screaming and protesting.
It would be worse if it was announced that she was still bedridden.

Absolutely! That is a very good sign, whether it is , as some people here assume, because she wants to smoke a cigarette as soon as possible, or she is still strong at her age, not to forget almost 83 years old, it is a very good outcome.
And, believe me, if you are a smoker and had extensive surgery, you have no interest in smoking for a while after that.

Therefore I believe she is still in very good condition.

[Muhler]

https://www.bt.dk/royale/ekspert-eft...gt-i-gang-igen

A BT article where a former professor and specialist in back-illnesses is giving his opinion. - You may wish to look him up: Tom Bendix.

He too says it's a good sign that QMII has been up walking a little.
He, as the rest of us, does not know what exact procedure QMII underwent but he does offer a qualified guess: A follow up on an operation for spinal stenosis that QMII underwent some 20 years ago.
(Now, I don't really know what that is and there are surely members here who can explain much better than I can, so I won't go further into that - possible - procedure.)

Tom Bendix expects that QMII may already feel better know (pain-wise) than prior to the surgery. He also expects her to be committed for about a week.
However, this being her second procedure (Provided it is spinal stenosis) means that her recovery will take longer than after her first procedure. As I read this between the lines up to six months may not be far out.

His advise is to quit smoking while recovering and retraining. Smoking does no good at all, on the contrary!

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Muhler

https://www.bt.dk/royale/ekspert-eft...gt-i-gang-igen

A BT article where a former professor and specialist in back-illnesses is giving his opinion. - You may wish to look him up: Tom Bendix.

He too says it's a good sign that QMII has been up walking a little.
He, as the rest of us, does not know what exact procedure QMII underwent but he does offer a qualified guess: A follow up on an operation for spinal stenosis that QMII underwent some 20 years ago.
(Now, I don't really know what that is and there are surely members here who can explain much better than I can, so I won't go further into that - possible - procedure.)

Tom Bendix expects that QMII may already feel better know (pain-wise) than prior to the surgery. He also expects her to be committed for about a week.
However, this being her second procedure (Provided it is spinal stenosis) means that her recovery will take longer than after her first procedure. As I read this between the lines up to six months may not be far out.

His advise is to quit smoking while recovering and retraining. Smoking does no good at all, on the contrary!

Since the smoking issue has been brought up not only in this thread but also by every expert asked about this surgery here are a couple of links re the risks associated with smoking before and after surgery.

https://www.who.int/news/item/20-01-...-after-surgery

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/f...igarettes-now/

I have family that have had major surgical procedures of the lower back and the rehab takes time. And my family member was in their late 50s early 60s. They took steps forward and steps backwards during their rehab (no pun intended). When they tried to do too much they had setbacks which even required some small surgical intervention. They also needed to use a walker for some time.

Speaking in general terms about having major surgery, she is probably still under the affects of the anesthesia (general and local) so there is likely to be numbness. Then most likely she's under heavy pain medications and antibiotics. She may not be feeling much of anything right now tbh. Once the numbing, pain meds wear off and the inflammation begins to go down that's when pain sets in.

[Tarlita]

That is very good news that she is able to get up.
Her physio has a big job to do.

[Archduchess Zelia]

Originally Posted by Izzie

They get you up to walk no matter what. It is to prevent blood clots. A long time ago it was realized that having someone stay in bed for days after surgery caused blood clots (esp. in leg and lungs) that would lead to strokes and brain aneurysms for example. So, now they make you walk even if you feel like death and they also use the leg compression wraps on your lower legs to keep blood flow going (talking from personal experience re all this).

And getting up and walking is not really the beginning of rehabilitation, it is really the start of the recuperation post-surgery. Rehab is usually when PT begins after a period of recuperation.

Well yes, taking a walk is the ideal in fast mobilisation but it isn't always possible to achieve that one day post surgery (and then the physios will usually do muscle pump exercises with the bedridden patients and nurses will mobilise from bed to chair and back with patients who are a little less poorly). Which is why it's brilliant that QMII is in a state to take a walk! Shows that everything is going according to plan.

Since Balleby explicitly mentioned in her statement that QMII has begun her rehabilitation and not just recuperation, I see no reason to question that.

[Susan D]

Wow. It was her knees or knee a few years ago. She doesn't seem to be keeping great health.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Susan D

Wow. It was her knees or knee a few years ago. She doesn't seem to be keeping great health.

She's (almost) 83.

When you pass 50 you begin to need regular repairs here and there or at the very least more careful maintenance.

[Prinsara]

And it was probably her knees because it was linked to her back... because she's seemingly had some lifelong issues with balancing or at least not falling (and we don't know exactly what the deal is there). But it's cumulative, not new.

She also has some remarkably good longevity genes from her mom's side that she hasn't managed to do much to by smoking for most of those 83 years, so on the whole she's probably healthier (certainly sharper) than most of her contemporaries.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Prinsara

And it was probably her knees because it was linked to her back... because she's seemingly had some lifelong issues with balancing or at least not falling (and we don't know exactly what the deal is there). But it's cumulative, not new.

She also has some remarkably good longevity genes from her mom's side that she hasn't managed to do much to by smoking for most of those 83 years, so on the whole she's probably healthier (certainly sharper) than most of her contemporaries.

The balance issue is due to her depth-perception that is off. (A result of the car-crash when she was a child perhaps?)
She started smoking when she was seventeen.
- All that according to herself in the recent portrait book.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by Prinsara

She also has some remarkably good longevity genes from her mom's side that she hasn't managed to do much to by smoking for most of those 83 years, so on the whole she's probably healthier (certainly sharper) than most of her contemporaries.

Queen Ingrid also smoked like a chimney and Queen Margrethe has told that it was her parents that offered her her first cigarette in 1957.

[rominet09]

Originally Posted by Muhler

She's (almost) 83.

When you pass 50 you begin to need regular repairs here and there or at the very least more careful maintenance.

Oh yes and no one escapes this, whatever your status in life unfortunately.

[Prinsara]

Originally Posted by Muhler

The balance issue is due to her depth-perception that is off. (A result of the car-crash when she was a child perhaps?)
She started smoking when she was seventeen.
- All that according to herself in the recent portrait book.

I don't think it can be from the crash, because doesn't she also mention how her sisters/friends would chide her about inevitably falling down and ruining her clothes? I think that predates it. And though she talks about a lot, I don't think she says anything was different in the wake of the accident. So if it's her brain , she's always had it. I don't know why I thought she might have very slightly unequal legs. I'm probably getting mixed up.

Originally Posted by JR76

Queen Ingrid also smoked like a chimney and Queen Margrethe has told that it was her parents that offered her her first cigarette in 1957.

Right. Her mom had the sort of very good immortal Bernadotte longevity genes that you can chainsmoke with and get away with it.

Her dad smoked heavily and died pretty painfully from it, to the point that even his daughter who got the throne much, much sooner than she wanted said it was a mercy he didn't live any longer.

Margrethe likes Russian roulette, I guess — or nicotine addiction is that strong, I'm told.

[Archduchess Zelia]

I think it's pretty safe to say it wasn't the tobacco alone that killed Frederik IX – especially as it is more or less an open secret that he was also an alcoholic for many years – so to allege that he died from his smoking habits is a bit misleading.