8 Week Update----Things are going well. Life is getting back to normal and I've tried more the last week to see what will/won't cause any pain or swelling. I'm still surprised I don't get sharp pains anymore, and I'm assuming it has to do with all of the arthritis being gone in that knee. Thus, I'm assuming the dull aching is all surgical pain. Swelling comes and goes based on activity or if I spend too much time outside in the heat/humidity. Other notable observations are:
1) Sleep is an annoyance. I can sleep just fine once I
get to sleep, but I'm in a nasty pattern of sleeping 2:15 AM to 8 AM, as I just can't fall asleep before 2 AM no matter when I get up in the morning.
2) My extension was perfect until the weekend. I sat a lot in the car Saturday while running errands, then again during a movie on Sunday. My calf and hamstrings tightened severely last night, and no stretching would help. I had gotten out of the habit of doing my one really beneficial extension exercise every day, and I'm paying for it. Back to the daily stretching I go!!! This is my knee and my norm. I'm not one who's motion just shows up to stay. I always have to work at keeping it the first few months after every knee surgery by biking and stretching.
3) I called my surgeon's office today as I have 3 days left of the Arthrotec (mega anti-inflammatory for joint stiffness and swelling). His PA says he won't refill it. I will be off of it for 6 days before seeing the surgeon for my post-op visit, which was worrying me. They actually want to see if my motion changes much in those few days. If so, I'll probably go back on my old Celebrex (that I took the last 5 yrs anyway before the TKR).....I know it's just paranoia setting in, but I'm worried my leg will stiffen up and lose everything I've gained these last 4 wks.
I plan on having my PT measure this Thursday, so we get the flexion measurement WITH medication, then next Tuesday (the day before the appointment) in case it drops considerably. That way I can argue it's NOT scar tissue, but swelling/inflammation. I shouldn't be so negative as to expect an argument, but I want to prepared for the awful MUA conversation in case it comes up. I doubt it will, but I'm a girl who likes to be armed with information.
I would never agree to an MUA at this point, but I also don't want the subject to even come up!!
4) I've just been in a funk the last week or so. Last Thursday was my mom's first birthday since she died at Christmas time, and it was rough leading up to the day. I thought I'd be fine afterwards, but nope---it just brought it all to the surface again. Time will fix things again though.
5) I'm still not handling socializing well. Church people and other friends wonder why I'm not back in the world yet. It's exhausting to keep explaining why I don't want too much activity adding more swelling and restricting my motion---especially here right before my post-op appointment when I'll be stopping the anti-inflammatory meds anyway. I'm trying to only get out to do what I absolutely have to.
This is the problem we "young-uns" face---people think at my youthful age of 46 I should have been normal by now. Apparently their parents/grandparents only needed longer to recover because they didn't have my "youth and vitality" on their side.
What a load of
!! It's like talking to a wall sometimes!!!
Sometimes it's easier to not answer the phone or show up on Sunday mornings.