‘Serious ouch’: Kevin Rudd shares photo from hospital bed after knee surgery

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd is enjoying some down time in hospital after undergoing much-needed surgery.

The 61-year-old will be keeping his feet up over the next few weeks following a knee replacement operation to cure pain endured for years due to a “dumb injury”.

Taking to social media on Monday from his hospital bed in New York, Rudd asked his followers how many of them have had the painful operation.

“Any of you good folks ever had knee replacement surgery” he wrote on the post alongside a snap of himself in bed looking out to a gorgeous view. “I’ve put it off for years from a dumb injury a decade ago I didn’t get fixed back then.”

Any of you good folks ever had knee replacement surgery? I’ve put it off for years from a dumb injury a decade ago I didn’t get fixed back then. Just got it done here in NYC where I work. Thanks to all staff at HSS. Now home with Therese. Serious Ouch. pic.twitter.com/TdZxRU9Qjy

— Office of Kevin Rudd, 26th PM of Australia (@MrKRudd) January 21, 2019

The 26th prime minister of Australia went on to thank hospital staff, adding that he will soon be home beside his wife to continue his recovery.

“Just got it done here in NYC where I work. Thanks to all the staff at HSS. Now home with Therese. Serious Ouch,” he said.

Followers were quick to show their support to Rudd, sharing their own stories of operations and how they managed through the pain following surgery.

“Amazingly painful isn’t it! Had mine reconstructed after this judo injury. It is horrible, but to all of the physio exercises religiously, even if they are agonizing [sic] – your knee will come back stronger than it ever was,” one person commented.

“It’s bloody sore but you need to push through it and do all the exercises regularly. If you can get hydrotherapy do that, it really helps,” another added.

While a third explained: “I had mine replaced nine years ago and despite what I said back then, it really was worth it because I would never be doing things like hiking up mountains now if I had not had it done”.

Read more: ‘You don’t own Australia’: Kevin Rudd lashes out at Murdoch in heated speech

Rudd, who served as prime minister from December 2007 to June 2010 and again from June to September 2013, has been living in the US since 2014 where he was appointed a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Since then he has held many positions including Chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism and member of the Global Leadership Foundation.

The father-of-three currently lives in New York, where he works as the President of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Have you ever had surgery on your knee?