TKR ACK! OMG! TKR on May 29th

[karmigirl]

I read your post and the first thought was OUCH OUCH OUCH! But for him no pain, wow!

Men seem to be so much better equipped at being able to capture things like kidney stones. I tell ya, for me it's an exercise in futility. They give me that paper strainer and a bottle to put the stone in and I give them the look like that must be mad. Haven't been able to capture one yet.

Elisea,
usually he is in such great pain we have to go to the ER. But not this time, he just went to the bathroom and out came 2 stones. Didn't even know he was passing any. They were on the smaller side then most he has passed before so maybe that is why. His are also uric acid and he takes a medication for them, don't remember the name right now.

 

[vicledsome]

Sorry to hear about the kidney stones but happy to hear they have passed. Seems like it is always something. You are dedicated to your work! Take care and hope there are no more stones!

 

[1ELISEA]

Thank you vicledsome. I never mentioned to anyone at work that I was passing a kidney stone and thought I had hid it fairly well by putting on a brave face.

But today I was talking with a coworker and mentioned to her that I had left early about two weeks back to go to the dr because I'd been passing a kidney stone.

Her eyes lit up, she got very animated and almost with excitement exclaimed, "I knew it, I knew something was wrong". She said that I looked like death warmed over and had been glad to see me heading to the dr.

She and another coworker had discussed taking me to the dr earlier on that day because I looked like I was in so much pain.

Well, so much for hiding things from the people I work with.

 

[Brownie51]

Elisea I'm so glad that is finished! Good for you for making it through! So you don't have to see your doctor each time you have a kidney stone?

 

[1ELISEA]

@Brownie51
Are you getting close to going back to work yet? If you have a choice, mid to late week is the best time to go back so that it is a shorter work week with time to recuperate over the weekend.

Thanks for caring, Brownie51. I have had a few kidney stones and knew the tell tale signs, but if I hadn't pain medications on hand from my TKR, I would have been searching for a ride to the ER. It was painful!

But it was the middle of the night and I couldn't see driving myself so I didn't go to the dr; instead just rode it out with my pain meds and drank lots of water. I did see my dr the next day; and she examined me and agreed it was most likely a kidney stone. If I'd continued to have symptoms, then that would have been CT time.

Now why I went to work the next day, I must have been delirious from the pain and no sleep. :rolleyes:

If it happens again, and it probably will, (ugh!) I will need to go to the ER.

 

[Brownie51]

I was just amazed!!! Good for you for getting through that on your own!

 

[1ELISEA]

I had one of those "aha" moments this week.
I was at the dentist for a cleaning; first one since immediately before my TKR surgery.

Last time I was there, they had a magazine rack and all of the magazines were neatly stored in the rack. None were laying around on the table; nope, they were all the way across the room in a rack.

I thought, there is no way I can walk over there; the pain I'd have was not worth it. And others would stare as I've noticed before, at me limping terribly slowly the 20 feet, grimacing with every step. So I sat for 15 minutes waiting to go back for the dental cleaning without anything to read.

This week, I was again sitting in the waiting area, and, yes, again all the magazines were neatly stored in the rack on the other side of the room.

But my "aha" moment was..... wow, I could get up and walk over the pick out a magazine and there would be no pain.

It's those little moments where I notice the change the most, rather than looking for the earth shattering ones. I mean, the big moments are nice, yet, it's the little everyday moments that make me realize that I'm doing better!

Thought I'd share.

 

[bottomshollow]

The little things add up, and it's the sharing that makes this forum the wonderful, warm place it is for all of us. Thanks, Elisea.

 

[Brownie51]

That's great Eleasea! One of my hurdles was getting in and out of the car half way normal. One thing I am looking forward to is going down my front steps without thinking about it. There are just 2 but they are deep so requires my weight on my TKR while bent.
Congratulations on your aha moment!!! They are precious these days!

 

[1ELISEA]

The little things add up, and it's the sharing that makes this forum the wonderful, warm place it is for all of us. Thanks, Elisea.

Great saying bottomshollow, I don't recall seeing that one before.

 

[1ELISEA]

One thing I am looking forward to is going down my front steps without thinking about it. There are just 2 but they are deep so requires my weight on my TKR while bent.

I so know what you mean! After many years of going up and down with one leg at a time, it's really weird going up and down with both. I sill don't have going downstairs down to a fine art. Maybe one day.............

 

[1ELISEA]

Well, this is a new one. Apparently, I am walking wrong.

I'll go into it more later when I have a chance, but has anyone else been told they have been walking incorrectly?? What I am learning never ceases to amaze me.

Have a nice sleep everyone! Or a nice day depending on your side of the world....

 

[1ELISEA]

Walking incorrectly. Ah, yeah, who knew.

Unless I am concentrating I still don't have the hang of walking, and apparently it's one of the reasons I veer to the left when I walk and have a harder time keeping my balance.

It is supposed to be left foot with right arm swing and right leg with left arm swing. Welllll, since I had been in pain for so long it was, no swinging the arms, and protecting my knee at all costs.

Now that I am better, I stillllll can't get the swinging of the arms correct. I am wanting to do the left leg and arm together, with very little arm swing and then the same with right leg and arm. When I'm in my car, I now gawk at people crossing the street; so far everyone else walks like they should.

It's pretty funny that I have to stop walking and figure out which foot and arm go together. It takes me a few steps to get it correct. I've been walking for how many years and still don't have the hang of it. Maybe in another decade or so.....

 

[1ELISEA]

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnndd my homework.
Remedial walking 101.
I love this illustration, I'm repeating this in my head all the time as I walk. :rolleyes:

 

[Lori-M]

Wow, who knew? I still occasionally use (and have used for years) a cane so I'm not sure how I'd walk normally. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

 

[1ELISEA]

@Lori-M
Good to hear from you! How are you doing?

What is the cane for; I mean do you use it because of your knees or for some other reason? The reason I was finally quietly pushed into having a TKR was the other option given was a wheelchair. Now, I practice using the stairs and anything else I need to do to keep as far away from those walking aids as possible.

 

[Campervan]

Hi, Yep I've been told I wasn't walking correctly. I was doing something weird with my right shoulder, which was dropping. Can't exactly remember when it was, maybe 5 or 6 months post op. Even at 12 months post op, I do still limp if I'm tired or have overdone it with my knee which I have been doing these past few days.

 

[Brownie51]

Elisea thats great that you brought that up! I have been trying to walk normal on the treadmill, swinging arms instead of steadying myself with the hand rests. I am so uncoordinated that I can't seem to get it either. But when walking on the street looking around at things and forgetting about myself, I assume I am walking normal. Can your hubby try to catch you while you are walking around, especially such as going out to the car or when walking further than through your halls and rooms at home. It's so hard to coordinate arms and legs when we are overly focused on it! If you are walking in the water and lets say using your arms on top of water to just kind of push yourself through the water, are you doing it normal? I think maybe you've got to get yourself distracted and relaxed and let your (now healthy) body do it's natural thing.
Hey what if you tried walking like an ape? Letting your arms swing low. Just try to forget about "how to walk" and try APE walking to see if you can "get the swing" of things??? Chase hubby around the house?

 

[1ELISEA]

Hey what if you tried walking like an ape? Letting your arms swing low. Just try to forget about "how to walk" and try APE walking to see if you can "get the swing" of things??? Chase hubby around the house?

That picture you painted is hysterical!

 

[Debbie_joints]

hey Elisea, I have the answer for your walking. Instead of worrying about which swing of the arm goes with what leg, you just put your hands on your hips and swing your hips from side to side and strut your stuff now that would be a good way to walk....