Oh no! What a terrible thing to happen to you. I guess you're an OSHA recordable now. My company hated those! I hope your company will be very good to work with. At least you'll have extra time to rest your knees!
TKR Acceptance and Understanding<
- Thread starter Needhope
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kayow11
senior
I was wondering if you fell off the face of the earth ha ha. Glad to know you're doing fairly well with your knees. You are possibly doing better than me since I have a one-year-old now and a three-month-old like you. But the one thing for me is I'm not working now. I really doubt I'll be back to work at my job. But with my age and other factors, we will be OK financially.
My goal is to get healthier and more functional with my legs so I can start enjoying life more. Every time I try to do much, or increase activity, it seems that my legs rebel, but I have to admit that I can tell that they are slowly slowly slowly Improving.
Sorry to hear about your finger accident but, some people just get all the luck
. So glad it wasn't worse.
I agree with sistersinhim, in that you have another week or two more than likely, for your knees to rest from their new adjustment of being back at work.
Hopefully we both can look back on this in a year or so, and report that we are doing wonderful, and that the surgery results finally are showing great success.
As far as infection goes, remember that 80% of our worry amounts to nothing. It also makes us sick at heart and in my mind. I suggest praying for peace and distract yourself so you can just let these thoughts go. Try to concentrate on good things and thankfulness instead.
My goal is to get healthier and more functional with my legs so I can start enjoying life more. Every time I try to do much, or increase activity, it seems that my legs rebel, but I have to admit that I can tell that they are slowly slowly slowly Improving.
Sorry to hear about your finger accident but, some people just get all the luck
. So glad it wasn't worse.I agree with sistersinhim, in that you have another week or two more than likely, for your knees to rest from their new adjustment of being back at work.
Hopefully we both can look back on this in a year or so, and report that we are doing wonderful, and that the surgery results finally are showing great success.
As far as infection goes, remember that 80% of our worry amounts to nothing. It also makes us sick at heart and in my mind. I suggest praying for peace and distract yourself so you can just let these thoughts go. Try to concentrate on good things and thankfulness instead.
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I'm so sorry to hear about your accident.
No,I don't think you need to worry about infection finding its way to your knee. They've covered the risk by giving you antibiotics.
I hope your finger heals well and doesn't give you too much pain.
No,I don't think you need to worry about infection finding its way to your knee. They've covered the risk by giving you antibiotics.
I hope your finger heals well and doesn't give you too much pain.
OP
OP
Needhope
senior
@sistersinhim I don’t know who gets involved with workplace accidents. It’s never happened to me before. What’s OSHA recordable? And gee wiz I hope my employer isn’t considering firing me after it’s all said and done. I’m not looking for anything. Just want not to worry about getting a paycheck.
@Celle thank god it’s a relief because every dr I’ve seen since the accident, I mention my knee replacements because I’m worried about infection. @kayow11 i felt like I was hanging onto an edge of earth for awhile but finally accepted my knee situation and lifted myself back up. I was feeling pretty good, definitely not 100% by all means but I found strength to get on with life and finally go back to work. Then.. bam-o! But, I’m still ok. My finger injury was nothing compared to my knee replacements. I never cried once while going through the trauma of it all. Haven’t needed any pain killers either. They asked me at ER what my pain level was, answer 1. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. But I’ve been to dr every day since accident 3 days ago and everything is looking good. I’m hopeful my finger will stay intact. @kneeper im gonna be ok. Thanks everyone. Hugs
@Celle thank god it’s a relief because every dr I’ve seen since the accident, I mention my knee replacements because I’m worried about infection. @kayow11 i felt like I was hanging onto an edge of earth for awhile but finally accepted my knee situation and lifted myself back up. I was feeling pretty good, definitely not 100% by all means but I found strength to get on with life and finally go back to work. Then.. bam-o! But, I’m still ok. My finger injury was nothing compared to my knee replacements. I never cried once while going through the trauma of it all. Haven’t needed any pain killers either. They asked me at ER what my pain level was, answer 1. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. But I’ve been to dr every day since accident 3 days ago and everything is looking good. I’m hopeful my finger will stay intact. @kneeper im gonna be ok. Thanks everyone. Hugs
I certainly didn't meant to scare you! You have already shown that you are a good employee and went back to work in a quick time frame! You shouldn't worry about losing your job. OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Adm.
NightQuilter
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My goodness Needhope - so good to hear from you and learn how well you are doing with your knees! Such progress! So sorry about your poor finger. I hope it isn't giving you too much pain. Take advantage of the healing time off. You'll be back to work in no time.
hopalong61
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I used nothing on my scar and mine is also a thin line!
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I have merged hopalong61 stand alone comment addressing needhope, to needhopes thead where she will see it more readily.
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Needhope
senior
Hi all. I know it takes nearly a year to heal. But my muscles still do not feel as strong as they used to. Should I be doing extra strengthening to build them back up. I’m working full time now, and regular household chores, etc. Basically back to doing everything. Just wondering if I should be doing more, or will they still strengthen as I use them daily? Thanks.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
They’ll strengthen as you use them daily. Your muscles didn’t become weaker overnight, after all, but through years of increasingly less use due to bad knees. As you use them in your daily activities, you will get back the strength needed to do those activities. It took me nearly a full year to build up my muscles to what I remember them being several years ago.
If your knees are well-healed, if you have no pain and your knees don’t swell with ordinary exercise like walking and work, then you could embark on strength training if you wish. Don’t do it, though, if your knees are still swelling and painful. You don’t want to cause a setback by overdoing things!
If your knees are well-healed, if you have no pain and your knees don’t swell with ordinary exercise like walking and work, then you could embark on strength training if you wish. Don’t do it, though, if your knees are still swelling and painful. You don’t want to cause a setback by overdoing things!
KarriB
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Yep, I agree with Susie! It took me a full year (not even right after surgery) to get strength back in my TKR leg, but complete healing has to happen first.
OP
OP
Needhope
senior
Ok thank you. I’m still stopping at curbs before I step down because thigh muscles aren’t what they used to be. I’d rather be cautious than take a tumble because my legs can’t hold me up. My right knee isn’t swollen any longer, but my left one still is. I guess I quit trying to bend them any further because it hurts at a certain point. I don’t expect to be able to ever kneel again, they’re sensitive. And I still use handrail to go down stairs because of the thigh weakness and also how the knees feel themselves. There’s always a little discomfort but no pain.
kayow11
senior
You sound like you're doing really good though overall! Your last surgery was one week after my last surgery. I am only bending to 85 to 90°, and it still is way too tight to go downstairs the normal way.
I go backwards and hang onto the railing. Going upstairs I can do reciprocally, but I still hang onto the railing, and I can still tell that both of my legs have weakness but especially the four-month old one.
Don't feel bad about having to use the railings, and being careful with your stepping etc.
It's so much better to be safe, than to risk a fall and really messing something up.
I don't have a timeline as to when I will stop doing or needing certain things. I will do what's needed until I feel strong and safe, and even then, be careful since accidents can still happen.
So I have been using my legs in functional things every day, several times a day, it can still feel like they're not responding at all.
A month can go by and it seems like there has not been a lot of change in my strength. But my body has been through a lot so I just have to allow time to do it's thing on its own.
I go backwards and hang onto the railing. Going upstairs I can do reciprocally, but I still hang onto the railing, and I can still tell that both of my legs have weakness but especially the four-month old one.
Don't feel bad about having to use the railings, and being careful with your stepping etc.
It's so much better to be safe, than to risk a fall and really messing something up.
I don't have a timeline as to when I will stop doing or needing certain things. I will do what's needed until I feel strong and safe, and even then, be careful since accidents can still happen.
So I have been using my legs in functional things every day, several times a day, it can still feel like they're not responding at all.
A month can go by and it seems like there has not been a lot of change in my strength. But my body has been through a lot so I just have to allow time to do it's thing on its own.
Hi @Needhope 
It’s nice to see you’re coming along. I have not mastered steps yet, either, but it will come. Handrails are there for a reason.
And I have no desire to kneel. A few years ago I bought one of those “grab it” things that are just a wonder! They even pick up little things. My husband calls it “the craw” (with a weird exaggerated tone) from the old Get Smart shows from long ago.
How is it going at work?
It’s nice to see you’re coming along. I have not mastered steps yet, either, but it will come. Handrails are there for a reason.
And I have no desire to kneel. A few years ago I bought one of those “grab it” things that are just a wonder! They even pick up little things. My husband calls it “the craw” (with a weird exaggerated tone) from the old Get Smart shows from long ago.
How is it going at work?
Ellie@0318
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Neehop... seems as though a lot of us have had arthroscopy for torn meniscus. I had it done in April 2018 and the pain from that was really tough. 4 weeks later I had the LTKR and was glad to finally get on to real recovery. Funny (or not so funny), 11 years ago I had the same thing happen to me; Torn meniscus in right knee, arthroscopy to fix it leading to a RTKR a few months later. Looking back, it would have been a lot easier for both knees to be done with it and have the knee replacement instead of the arthroscopy. That was 4 recoveries rather than 2. Good luck with your decision... I think it’s the right one.
