TKR #2 done

[Layla]

Best Wishes for your surgery tomorrow, Claire! We're rooting for you and hope to hear from you when you're feeling up to it. If you're celebrating today, I hope you enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!
@Claire56

 

[Claire56]

Thanks @Layla. Surgery is at 3 and I am allowed "clear" liquids till 11 so I am sitting here in my comfy chair enjoying my coffee. Hopefully this surgery will take care of the problem.

 

[sistersinhim]

Prayers for your surgery today! What a blessing that you can have liquids up until 4 hours before your surgery. I've had to fast from everything for 12 hours before all mine. Man, did I get thirsty!

 

[Claire56]

Dr was running about an hour late. Got home around 7 pm. I feel pretty good but have a lot of drugs on board so we will see how it goes as they wear off. Knee aches but it's tolerable. The ossification was 2cm in size. The doctor showed me a picture but I was still seeing double at the time so I'm not real clear on what it looked like.

 

[sistersinhim]

I hope you have a good night's sleep!

 

[Claire56]

Had a fairly decent night's sleep. Haven't taken any oxycodone yet, haven't even gotten the prescription filled. Acetaminophen and icing seems to be keeping the pain at a tolerable level.

I have an ace bandage on and was told I could take it off today. Thought I'd take it off at bedtime.

 

[sistersinhim]

Yay for a good night's sleep! Hopefully, your knee's pain will continue to be controlled with ice and Tylenol.

 

[Claire56]

Took the ace bandage off yesterday and found REMOVE 12/2 written nice and big on the bandage.

Didn't get much sleep last night but figure that is pretty much par for the course at this point.

Got on the bike for a few minutes this morning and just rocked back and forth. I am managing about half a rotation at this point.

 

[Jaycey]

Got on the bike for a few minutes this morning and just rocked back and forth.

No need for this yet! Only 2 days out from surgery you need to rest, ice and elevate. Plenty of time for exercise when that knee is healed.

 

[Claire56]

Slept pretty well last night. Pain is under pretty good control with just acetaminophen. To those who are just seeing this snippet of my recovery, this is not recovery from the actual replacement but from the removal of calcification in the knee. I would hate to have someone get discouraged by reading about my quick recovery from this bit of surgery.

 

[Layla]

It is thoughtful of you to clarify your procedure for those following here and good to read you slept well. Hopefully it's the beginning of a new trend.

Took the ace bandage off yesterday and found REMOVE 12/2 written nice and big on the bandage.

This makes me laugh as my mom's OS did the same on her bandage when she had her hip replaced. DO NOT REMOVE in Black Sharpie. I guess he wasn't taking any chances his directive was missed.

I hope you have a good week as we enter the bustle of the holiday season. Take good care, Claire!

 

[Claire56]

I saw my ortho yesterday and he is happy with my progress. He doesn't need to see me again for 4 years.

Before surgery I had to shift my weight from leg to leg when standing because my knees hurt. Walking had become too painful to walk very far or fast due to bone spurs in my left knee. I couldn't bend my knee enough to ride a bike. I also couldn't kneel on the ground on my left knee because of the bone spurs. I couldn't bend it far enough.

I'm still not going down stairs "gracefully" but I'm really close. My extension is getting close to straight, only occasional twinges when moving after being seated for a while. I can walk and stand for as long as I want or need without discomfort. My walking speed is back to normal. I do find I'm a little stiff when I start to move after standing still for a while. I can kneel on my left knee if I have a little padding, right knee isn't there yet.

Goals: Continue working on ROM, stairs. Improve leg strength and getting up off the floor. Break the habit of the stiff legged walk. I am expecting to be able to kneel on my right knee once the scar heals a little more from the additional surgery. I also need to get over expecting pain that is no longer there when I do certain things.

Will my knees ever feel completely normal? Who knows, but then they haven't felt "normal" for years.

 

[Layla]

I love your update. Lots of change for the better!

I also need to get over expecting pain that is no longer there when I do certain things.

Isn't this crazy, but so true. You'll get to that point.
You're doing great! Happy 2023!

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary, Claire!.
How are you doing? Hopefully well since we last heard from you.
Let us know when you have the time. All the best as you continue healing.
@Claire56