TKR A Little Over a Week Out from Right TKR

I’m sorry you were so close and then got sick and it’s cancelled. :console2:
 
@ebungalow Thanks! I am hoping to rest all weekend and let the surgeon know how I am feeling on Monday. I am kind of on a time constraint with work. They have someone for 4 weeks covering me and so I can only afford a few days delay. I am already coming back to work in 4 weeks which is early and that will make it earlier. Even if they agree to let me stay out longer, hotels are busier in the spring. I need to be back when it is still slow. Sorry to sound like a whiner. lol If it's not done soon, I will have to scrub plans and try again next year. I was so hoping to have a new knee. :)
 
Hope thru the weekend with rest you feel better.
 
How did the weekend treat you? Crossing my fingers you’re feeling much better!
 
Thank you Celle! I've learned so much from this forum and I have prepared the items that have been recommended. My PT has called me and wanted to set up therapy the day after surgery. I called and set up my first session after my two weeks checkup. I intend to rest, ice, medicate on schedule, elevate and walk around the house every few hours and do gentle slides. I bet my surgeon will be pleased when he does the two week checkup.

Before this forum, I was thinking the quickest way to get back to normal was to work it and work it.

Thank goodness for you guys! :)
 
Hi @Softsong ,
We didn't hear much from you after your surgery was cancelled, back in 2019.
What's been happening to you since then? It seems a long while since the cancellation, but I'm glad your knee will soon be replaced at last.

By the way, I moved your post, above, from the January Jackpots team surgery thread, since that's a non-chat thread. We have to do that, as it would get so confusing if everyone posted updates in that thread. That's why we put this reminder in the welcoming post in the thread:
(Please remember that the team thread is primarily to allow you to see who has surgery the same month as you. Discussion of issues, comments, and questions regarding surgery must be kept in your own individual threads.)
 
Since your surgery isn't far away, here's an advance copy of our recovery guidelines:
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. Try to follow this

6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Hello Celle,

I work in a hotel and even though I am now 70, I am still full time. During the winter, it is our slow season, so I wanted to get my surgery done in January 2019, but my surgeon was full. So, it was made for February and I got the flu. I really was not possible for me to postpone to another date that winter as there would not be enough time for the slow season and recovery.

Then as now, I am going to attempt to be back at work in four weeks. I work third shift and since I am getting my RTKR January 4th, it will give me all of February which will be slow. I might have to stand up to to handle a walk-in or help a winter monthly guest with something, but for the most part, I can sit in the back room with my legs up. I bought a blow up tall hassock and my boss said I can bring a walker in and ice packs. Hoping to do it, but they are also aware that I might have to stay out a little longer. For financial reasons, I hope not.

The next year, January 2020, I was not able to get 4 weeks off. Our staff kept fluctuating and no one really wants to work the night shift. So, I waited till now when we do have enough people to cover my absence.

Meantime, my knees have gotten very bad and since I am knock kneed, my ankles and flat feet have caused all kinds of problems. My better knee is in bad shape. I am worried about two ankles and a painful "good" knee. My surgeon gave me gel shots in my "good" knee and I am hoping it kicks in.

So, I am doing catch up reading about what has happened here in the meantime.

One thing that has impressed me is the information about PT. During my first scheduled surgery, I had it in my head that I would work very hard so I could get back to work soon. Now, I have scheduled my first PT after my two week post op checkup. I may not go at all after that. My plan for the first two weeks is to use my lounge doctor, ice packs, stay on pain medicine schedule and get up every few hours to got to the restroom, or get something to eat. I also bought a junior skate board to use for slides. Beyond that, I am doing nothing. lol
 
I had my pre-operation visit to do blood work, urine, nasal swab and EKG. The next day, I had an appointment with my Primary Doctor to go over the results and ok the surgery with the orthopedic surgeon. Everything turned out fine. I also got weighed as the surgeon wanted me to lose a few pounds. I was able to lose within two pounds of what he wished. So, hopefully, if COVID does not change the elective surgeries for January 4th, I will have my new knee.
 
Yesterday the nurse called from where you get the EKG, they were not doing in person interviews due to COVID. So, it was a telephone questionnaire of past and present medical history and medications. I work third shift, and I have this Tuesday night, Wednesday night (training a substitute for while I am off), Thursday and Saturday. Off Sunday and surgery on Monday morning. I alternate between, I've got this to panicked. In less than a week it will be done. I know I'll be glad on the other side.
 
All the best on Monday! See you on the other side soon!
 
Thank you! I feel so much better having all BoneSmart recommendations. Everytime, I see a new member suffering I see it's because of doing too much. So glad I have your guidelines! I will let you know how I do. I'm supposed to stay overnight, but with COVID filling up beds, I may come home same day. I do have some help at home
 
Keep being realistic about what you and your new knee can do. Recovery is a finite event -- you can't say "I'll do that later" -- so it's in your long-term interest to give your knee the best recovery possible.

Thanks for all the great tips. I should be able to do them all because while the hotel is full now because of New Year's celebrations, it typically is dead in February when I come back. March gets busier. Third shift is not as busy as the day shifts. I have a regular size refrigerator and the big ice packs in there already. Two fit just fine and I can alternate them. I bought a big blow up foot rest like people use in airplanes and I believe sitting in the office chair and propping my whole leg up will be possible. When the locked lobby door bell rings, I will have to get up to answer it. Otherwise, I will only be getting up to do things for maybe five minutes at a time. Also, the guests that are here in the winter stay monthly and are retired. Many have had the same operation or other replacements so they should be understanding. I can bring a walker with me just in case I get tired out.

It only takes 12 minutes to get to my job. If I am not on pain pills maybe I can drive. Otherwise, I can have my son drive me in at 11:00 pm and someone else pick me up at 7:00 am.

Naturally, I am nervous about going back soon, I could possibly stretch it to five weeks off work. I'm usually the type to make it work. I have only missed six days of work in 20 years.

I am working now and tomorrow night. I'm off Sunday and then Monday is the big day!
 
Well, Monday was supposed to be the big day. My hospital is overwhelmed with COVID and my surgeon's assistant just called to cancel it. I was the first to be cancelled and the first to reschedule. It's very disconcerting to have made so many preparations and then, wait.

My vacation already started, too. But, I can say that the people in the hospital now are in worse shape and need the beds.
 
So sorry to hear your surgery has been cancelled @Softsong. Hopefully they will start scheduling again soon. Is there anyway you can move your vacation? Hopefully your employer would understand and work with you.
 
@FCBayern I hope so. They like me a lot and hired new people to cover me so it could be sticky. My slow season is January and February so that is why I timed things this way. I will know more in the morning when I talk to the office and get an idea of what they think will happen. Then, I will call my boss.
 
I’m sorry you got canceled- I just went through that same thing-am still trying to figure it all out. It’s so frustrating-& disheartening. Did they give you any idea of a timeframe?
 
@Cococay. No, not yet. The assistant called late last night. Apparently the hospital was teetering on not enough beds, but he got all his surgeries done with over night stays. Mine was the first to be canceled and the assistant said that means mine will be first to be rescheduled. I have a limited window of conditions that will allow me to do it. I can deal with days, but not weeks or months as the hotel gets very busy in spring and summer and would be a bad time to come back to work. I am planning 4 to 5 weeks out and resting while it is very slow. I might not see a soul in February and I could ice and elevate in back office. They hired someone to take my place for this month so this is complicated for me.
 
On a positive note, I was able to unvacation for this week. The substitute for while am away on leave doesn't really like the job and was happy to hear I was interested in working and saving my vacation. And while she doesn't like the job, she's willing to work for me when I need it. She had a TKR, too and lost her job so she is very sympathetic to others in the same place.
 

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