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TKR ACIM

When you’re this early in recovery it’s certainly not uncommon to need prescription pain medication for pain. Don’t feel guilty at all about taking them to help keep pain and inflammation minimized. That’s the best plan for a good recovery. Doctors can only prescribe the original prescription and no refills, so you when you begin running low, contact your doctor for advice before you actually run out. If he’s currently prescribing something like oxycodone or hydrocodone and is hesitant to prescribe more, ask if you could step down to Tramadol. Tramadol plus Extra Strength Tylenol can work pretty well.

Excellent measurements at therapy. The 115 is your flexion and the 1 is your extension. Both numbers are wonderful and indicate that you have minimal to no swelling within your knee. Keeping pain minimized will ensure you stay that way. Plus, you want to be sure not to overdo things.

There is no reason to change your profile information if you haven’t permanently moved from Charleston. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on taking care of yourself right now.
 
Very sweet of you Layla. Thank you. And yes, I slept much better last night though only for about 6 hours. I am so grateful Layla that, though I actually have a list of things that need to be done, I have all the time in the world to do them which means no rushing in the recovery process. Someone said to me once that "...you cannot judge the form your healing takes..."
I love that because it takes away definitive expectations of how much I should be healed by a certain time, at a certain place, etc etc ad nauseam. I cannot judge the form my healing takes. Much more at peace this morning than I was. Thank you again for your encouragement and support.
 
Hi jamie, thank you again for your feedback. I can only sense that you and Layla and every other staff member and/or participant on bone smart receives a great deal of satisfaction from helping those in need.
I look forward to a much more peaceful day today than yesterday.
Doctor prescribed more oxycodone for me and I truly would like this to be my last pain medication script. I cannot pick it up until tomorrow morning, saturday. I'm expecting that it will be but will try very hard not to control the outcome and just allowed to be what is.. does that make sense?
 
I am a cat rescuer and when I had my TKR, I had 13 of the furry babies. Keeping my leg elevated with a leg elevator kept the kitties off of the knee, and they could still get on my lap for some petting. I needed it as much as they did! If you can't raise you leg that way, I suggest getting a tin can and put some pebbles or pennies in it. When your baby comes close to your knee, shake it and strongly say, "No!" Kitties hate loud noises and will learn quickly!
 
Glad you slept well! I hope you do again tonight.
ACIM said:
Someone said to me once that "...you cannot judge the form your healing takes..."
I love that because it takes away definitive expectations of how much I should be healed by a certain time, at a certain place, etc etc ad nauseam.
Click to expand...
You can't rush healing. The body knows its own pace. Trust it, and give it time. You can encourage healing...but you can't schedule it. :wink: You're doing great, keep doing what you're doing, it's working.
Have a nice weekend, ACIM!
 
Thank you all for your feedback. I really don't know how else to thank you other than to keep saying thank you, lol!
I have a couple of questions. The first being that my follow-up appointment with PA advised that I should start walking with a cane now. So when I am walking with the cane am I putting any weight on the operated knee? Second question. I go back to work one week from Tuesday, May 6th, which is just a 4-Hour office shift. But my concern is I do get tired easily and wondered how I could best get my cardio or strength up before returning to work in 10 days. Right now going to purchase a cane at CVS and do the few morning chores that I have and that will pretty much Tire me out until 1:00 or 2:00 today. Would love to get your thoughts on this.
Kitty is behaving better with the knee, but we all know how cats are
 
Good Morning ACIM,
Your "thank you" means a lot. We're happy we can help! It's our pleasure to support you and we enjoy walking alongside you as you journey through recovery.

As for the cane - You do put weight on you op knee. The cane assists, it's not used to take all of your weight. Bear as much weight as you can comfortably handle as you transition from the walker. Hold the cane in the hand opposite your new knee. In your case, use your left hand. Wondering if you recall heel-toe walking from your first recovery. That's the gait my PT had me strive for to help with a limp. If you're feeling unsteady, first practice next to a counter top or something you feel you can grab onto if necessary.

I believe you mentioned you will go into the office a few times a week for four hours only. We normally recommend a Phased Return, with the understanding that does not work for everyone. The reason being is its easy to picture yourself sitting in the workplace, but forgetting the energy it takes just to get there.
Here is an article from the BoneSmart Library on the topic - (Click on the title to expand the article)

The Energy Drain is real, normal and common.
Our body's energy supply isn't limitless. So when we're in healing mode after major surgery
our energy will be used for healing first, not leaving a great reserve for all the other activity of daily life. It is completely normal to feel tired for quite some time. How long....most likely relates to your body's rate of healing. Making our best effort to get adequate sleep and rest is beneficial. Our body does it's best healing while we're sleeping. Continue to rest when you're able before your return to work, but it is understandable you want to get some physical activity in there also to build strength and stamina.

How about walking outdoors for some cardio, if you're not already. Start out slowly, without focusing on distance or speed, and without overdoing it. Walk for five minutes one way if your able, then turn around and go back, trying it two or three times per day to build up some strength and stamina. I'd walk on flat surfaces, not hilly areas to begin with. If you don't live in an area where that's possible, how about a mall or even a large indoor store? We have a member on the hip side that practiced in a big box store for both of his recoveries by pushing a shopping cart to assist in honing his gait. Great idea actually! I hope this helps.
Have a great Saturday! :SUNsmile:
@ACIM
 
Got it layla. When I go back to work on May 6th it will be for that tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4 hours per day. I know I will be tired but I'm hesitant to try to stay out of work any longer than this. The good thing is, I literally sit for 4 hours and don't have any physical labor at all involved with my job. It is a 7 minute drive from my house to the job. I don't need to wear any makeup or dress up in Office business attire. All Things Considered it's the best possible situation for me.
Today I'm feeling very guided to rest and take it easy though I slept deeply for about 12 hours last night. This morning I went and picked up a cane and a prescription for my pain meds. First time I've driven my car since before surgery but the PA I saw told me it was fine to drive. When I got back home I was somewhat exhausted so I will heed your advice in terms of walking and additional suggestions you had. Thank you. Blessings.
 
You might want to consider using your walker on the first day you return to work. You are heading back sooner than we recommend. Your first day will be a good test for how tiring this is going to be for you. The walker will relieve some of the energy expended with any walking you do. You can throw the cane in the car too, just in case everything goes really well and you are comfortable with it instead of the walker. Take ice packs and use them as much as you can. You will be expending much more energy even in this “easy” job than you realize. Would it be possible to work just Tuesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday so you have a “rest day” in between for this first week?
 
I'm wondering if you could get some help moving the gear you would need to work from home? That way you could better accommodate your knee's needs (try saying that in a hurry) when you have to start up again.
 
Hmm... that's a thought Layla, returning to work for just two days next week instead of the three days I've already planned. I haven't been at this position too long and my hours are from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I'll probably go ahead and bite the bullet on this one and do the three days as I originally told my boss I'd do. I do the legal transcription for many of the state board meetings and so there are definite times they need to be completed and sent back to the state boards. My thought is that I'll be given a transcription to start on Tuesday with the expectation that I will be finished transcribing it by Thursday. Then I am off until the following Monday, make sense?
I'll do my best.
 
Hello and Happy Monday!
Returning to work for just two days next week was, Jamie's, brilliant idea and it my be easier for you to ease back in this way and determine what your physical needs will be for your four hour shifts. However, given the importance of your job and your responsibility to meet deadlines, it's understandable if you have to go with your original plan of return.
Not sure if it's a possibility, but if there's a community freezer, maybe bringing a few ice packs will come in handy if you feel your knee tightening or pain ramping up. Some have used a small cooler desk side to hold ice packs, temporarily, as they adjust to their return to work. I do hope this works well for you and will look forward to an update. Until then, you have a few more days to heal and rest and I hope those days are peaceful. :friends:
@ACIM
 
Thank you. Yes we have a lunchroom at work where I can put ice packs into the freezer. It's a very quiet atmosphere and a very focused one too.
I'll keep you apprised as I still have seven or eight more days before I return to work. I'm eternally grateful to you all for your support and help.
 
If you feel you need to do three days a week, maybe you could set up Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That would give you you a day to rest in between each of the higher activity days.
 
Wanted to let you know that I did speak with my boss this morning and she has agreed to allow me an extra week before going back to work. Wonderful wonderful news, as I started thinking more about what you said in terms of returning to work. So now, instead of going back on May 6th I will go back on May 13th, such peace of mind. Thanks again for your suggestion and support.
 
That is wonderful news! Yay! Another week of rest and healing for you, ACIM. :)
@ACIM
 
ACIM said:
Thank you. Yes we have a lunchroom at work where I can put ice packs into the freezer
Click to expand...
You can also buy chemical ice packs on Amazon that don't need to be put in the freezer. They have a little bag inside a pack of gel. When you fold the pack over and squeeze it breaks the liquid into the gel and the whole pack freezes.
They work really well and last for at least a couple of hours each.
 
Had a good day today, in large part because I know that I have this extra week off. But I did walk about 4,000 steps today, 75% with the cane and Walker but the other 25% on my own. I have a little set of bicycle wheels that just sit on the floor so I started using them for quad and knee strength. Much more than that I cannot say. You guys have been terrific!
 
ACIM said:
I have a little set of bicycle wheels that just sit on the floor so I started using them for quad and knee strength.
Click to expand...
It's much too early to start worrying about your knee and quad strength. If this is a peddler that you are talking about, you can use it to keep your knee moving, but without any resistance. Your knee needs to heal now. Working on strength too soon can damage your soft tissues, causing more pain and swelling.
 
Really? Okay then...thanks for that. It is a little peddler, no resistance at all. Do you think the 4,000 steps yesterday was too much?
 
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