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TKR 54andfighting Has A New Knee

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@54andfighting glad to hear you are home communication and confusion can be draining but glad to hear your progress is going very well sounds like getting outside is both physically and emotionally good for us all continue to do well I will follow


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@madinana, you can get at Walgreens. Often folks use it after having cosmetic surgery and have sworn by it (this, I cannot attest to lol)!!
 
Naps are good for your healing. You will have low energy for a while.
 
@kneeper, I wholeheartedly agree and take advantage of that lots these days (well, at least once a day anyway) :)!!!!!
 
Hoping all the Americans on the site have a safe and happy July 4th, and for some of us, well, we will be at home enjoying our own very up close and personal fireworks in our knees!!! ;-) !!
 
....Tomorrow makes two weeks! Not sure if time has flown or dragged. Routine, however is getting a bit boring. Up, pills, coffee, smoothie, walk, PT exercises, ice shower, lunch, nap, pills, PT exercises, walk, ice, dinner, pills, bed...well, couch, actually. Bed isn't in the picture for a while yet. Feels like a long while yet. Am able to keep my leg elevated above my heart all night, yippee! It's very nice at night to lay there (after I spend 20 minutes getting in just the right position lol), slowly have all the leg and knee aches and pains calm down, listen to beach waves (iPad), do a little vibration session on the mat and RELAX.

And the wardrobe...well two solid weeks of nothing but black yoga capris! My real clothes are collecting dust!
I'm thinking of doing an Emilio Pucci design on my TED hose just to change it up a bit. Sharpies here I come! ;-) Up for a contest, anyone?!!???

Made it half again farther on my walk, about 20 minutes total, and am finally noticing a slight bend to the knee as I walk around with my cane. That is my biggest frustration, and the knee swelling which seems just to be going absolutely nowhere. PT told me to up my meds (I was only taking half the breakthrough dosage) so I could complete sets and reps of exercises. That did seem to help. Speaking of steps, I guess I will have to tackle those at some point, I really really want to get in the pool!!!! I suppose just jumping in isn't the best idea....
 
Let's see... Today marks 17 days post op. I am truly amazed at how little I can accomplish on any given day, especially now that I have started a very part time freelance job from my home! 10-12 hours of sleep a night plus a nap takes out a lot of time! Swelling is down, incision is healing, but my knee is far, far from pretty. I wonder, will my knee return eventually to a more normal looking knee vs the arthritic big bump on the inside knee I had before surgery? That would be nice. I am massaging the Arnica gel around my knee twice a day and using the bio oil on my incision. I hope the divots and puckers even out over time. Just added 1.5 lb weights to a couple of the exercises, I do find I am doing them faster now, not so much of a struggle, but still feels super rubber -band tight. I feel those muscles working!! And I'm outside walking farther every day. THAT, I enjoy. Last night I went off my extended release at night, using Aleve instead with breakthrough meds as needed, which I needed.

Still hanging out on the couch to sleep. I find it so easy to keep my leg elevated there vs the "freedom" of a real bed. Hubby saying...when....??? Lol.

No pool until 4 weeks, kinda bummed, but at least I have something "new" to look forward to...related to complete incision healing and fear of infection. I wouldn't want that.

Last but not least, I found a solution to my Capri yoga pants every day fashion dilemma!!! Maxi dresses!! Ones that re not too long, I surely wouldn't want to trip and fall!!! ...and I might try lightweight Capri leggings from target with a flowy shirt, although the knee bump is still big. Ordered a cute wrap midi skirt on big time sale so that might do the trick too. With all this exercising and icing four times a day (two walks, two PT exercise sessions) the yoga capris will likely continue to get their due. Glad I bought a bunch.
 
Had an opportunity to use one of my new maxi skirts on the occasion of my first out to lunch yesterday!! Both sons and one GF are in town and they took me out to a lovely french restaurant. Getting in and out of the car, it seems my operated leg is a bit too long to fit (did my car shrink?) lol, but I had a great time and loved just getting out of the house for some fun!!!

And today, I drove myself to a nearby shopping center and had a selfie field trip. No cane! I suddenly feel so much better on the knee. Reducing pain meds a lot, down to half a Percocet as needed and just Aleve at night, still on my extended release Oxy during the day but may change that out tomorrow to Aleve and half a Percocet as well. However, I bet that means my appetite will come roaring back...I have been rather enjoying not eating much and thus, losing a little weight, who knew?

Got the ok yesterday to ride my recumbent bike...this should be interesting. It's a hateful thing IMO (I have always hated it but it was about the only aerobic exercise I could do between my knees and my midfoot arthritis) but I know I have to find a way to just get through it. The TV is in front of me, so tomorrow morning up two flights of stairs and to the bike I go!!! Wish me luck.
 
@54andfighting Luck on your bike. Sounds like you are up and about pretty good. My husband is about a month further along than you, even though it caused some swelling he just had to get out of the house sometimes. Now it doesn't swell much.
 
@tiredwife , thank you! Getting up the "gumption" to ride right now...as to the swelling, my knee is still so swollen I'm not sure I'd notice if it swelled more!!! I'd love to be a month further along.... Lol.
 
@54andfighting First thing my husband does after we go anywhere is elevate and ice (even if he doesn't want to:wink:) When you elevate make sure your feet are way above you hips to drain all that fluid out. ICE ICE ICE. You will be able to do so much more when you get the swelling under control. Have a great day.
 
Thanks tiredwife!! I do just that...and am doing it right now (icing anyway) having just returned from a walk and finished my exercises. My leg is up above my heart all night long and I try to once a day as well (nap time ya know). You ditto exactly what my therapist says. It does help, but dang! It still is darn funny looking. I've started taking photos weekly so I can be more objective about it. Wishing for those skinny knobby knees I had as a kid...
 
@54andfighting If you are swollen you are not elevating enough! Just at night won't do it. I know it is hard but you must elevate more, just at night won't do it. You will start to see more of a knee shape when the swelling goes down. Please elevate and ice during the day too.
 
Ok off to hike the leg way up! The profile photo shows how I sit most of the time with it on the ottoman. Keeps it nice and straight. Now I need to figure out how to read a book comfortably while I am flat on my back with one leg in the air!! ;-)
 
looks like you need another pillow or two on the ottoman to be elevated enough. Wow an excursion without the cane! :yay: (Just be sure you're stable and walking with a proper gait.) I'm a bit jealous :wink: I can walk without the cane a bit, but not with a good gait.
 
Haven't posted for a bit so I thought I'd catch up. After the way fun weekend, with a knee that actually had some movement in it while walking, I crashed Monday. Was nauseated, tired, felt "hungover" but had no good reason for THAT, I was out to dinner with my family the night before but no mixing pain meds and alcohol! So, I rested and even cancelled my PT visit.

Next two days my knee felt like it had regressed, not as much movement, tight when walking blah blah...but last night and today it felt back to where it was this weekend. Yay! PT said perhaps a bit of swelling from my new activity in that I finally got up the gumption on Tuesday to do the recumbent bike for 10 minutes. First few revolutions were hard in the bending of the knee, but that worked itself out and on zero resistance I very very slowly pedaled away. Today's 10 minutes on the bike find I am a bit faster, still stiff in the beginning, but doing OK. Elevating and icing as I am typing. Still doing exercises and walking outside.

I am also back to work, I freelance and accepted a new part time project, so I went in for four hours today. I will probably do that three days a week. Took periodic walking breaks, alternated from elevating leg on the file cabinet drawer with a pillow on it lol to regular chair sitting, then forgot to take my pain med not realizing it was past time. I paid for that! But lucking had an ice pack for the 20 minute drive home and it helped.

@kneeper I am watching myself without the cane...related to the good gait. I agree, that's the most important thing! And more pillows are next to me for use with the ottoman :)
 
@tiredwife lol...it's hard to hold ourselves back!! I for one, keep forgetting I had major surgery to she most complicated joint in the body. Or perhaps I'd just like to forget...and just get on with it!!! :snork:
 
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