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TKR ACK! OMG! TKR on May 29th

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Yes, i found Dilaudid to be ineffective--percoset--oxycodone is the only thing that worked for those first two weeks. but, I think i would just take one drug and try to get some build up to break the pain cycle. I also found that sometimes if I took a pill every two hours instead of two every four hours, it helped. Kelly
 
I did not go to pt until week 3--I just rested and did gentle heel slides, quad sets and leg lifts.

I always used crutches--our house is small and there was not enough room for a walker. I ended up carrying it around a corner of the house!! I used crutches for two weeks with my tkr, but used them for three weeks with this poly replacement and adhesion removal.

I sit on things like kitchen chairs that are hard, they are easier to get up from. the reason that your leg is aching is that it wants you to elevate it and put some ice on it. You are not supposed to spend much time sitting. Lying down or walking around the house to the bathroom and kitchen is about it for the first two weeks. K
 
Elisea, it is silly to worry about being "further along" when you don't have your pain under control. I kept a little notebook beside my bed and I wrote down what time it was when I took a pill. Then, I would set my alarm for three hours and take another. Once you get on top of the pain, you will sleep better too. It is impossible to sleep when you are hurting. So, be very careful with the meds tonight.

I also put some graham crackers and a little tub of peanut butter beside my bed and would eat something when I took them. Once you are on a schedule with the meds, everything else will fall into place. I used my cell phone as an alarm since I carry it about with me anyway. K
 
I started walking around while holding on to something other than the walker while I was in the rehab hospital (and when no one was around). By week 4, I, used a cane and week 5 nothing (both with the encouragement of my PT). I do remember Jamie (I think) cautioning me because I'm a bilateral, and that caution was always in the back of my mind.

How long a person uses what depends on the person, the surgery and the surgeon. There's no right or wrong answer. The only caution I'd give is to pay attention: if you don't feel strong enough, use whatever apparatus you used last until you get stronger.
 
Hi Elisia,
Hope your doing better this week. Very tired being back at work. Not as Pro active with PT as I was prior to going back to work. Need to get back to the pool soon. My wife want's me to see a aqua therapist to get some exercises to do on my own. Had a big weekend with the family. Monday Australia had the day off for the Queen's birthday. Very wet and cold start to our Winter. Let us know what is happening with you?
 
Elisea, I'm just catching up what's been happening as I have not been on the forum much recently. Sorry to hear you're still having such a hard time. Hopefully you have started feeling better by now. Try not to overdo it and keep on healing!:flowerysmile:
 
Elisea---where are you and how are you? We miss you here on the forum. Please let us know how you are doing----We really do care.
 
Hi
I’m here and at home now as of yesterday. It’s just still so dog-gone tiring; go downstairs to get a load of laundry, bring it up, rest. (Name any task aaaaannnd repeat.)

After a drs appointment earlier this week my sister and I did a dry run at my house with the stairs, chairs, etc. Did pretty well until it came to the bed; it was too low to the floor and hurt my leg getting out of it. So after nursing and icing my knee for another day, she took me shopping for a new bed and it was delivered this morning.

@Josephine: Josephine should be a proud mother hen that the first few weeks I’ve been healing only and my OS was fine with that. I don’t even know my ROM, I didn’t ask my OS and he didn’t share and there was no official measuring instruments used I could glance a look at.

He did comment on my walk, I’ve been using the walker almost exclusively to help even my walk out and he liked what he saw. And believe me, he is no push over so it must be good. Yes! :thumb:

Then I’ve been calling around to locate a PT to start physical therapy with next week. So this afternoon I made an appointment with a PT that I have seen before and feel confident she will work at my pace and include me in on the plan. We will start next week.

Pardon me, need to take a pain pill……… OK, back.

Anyway, trying to do the right things like keeping with the walker for a little while longer, or using support, like crutches, if more than a few steps. I want to make sure the leg is getting stronger and I don’t do a misstep. Plus, of course, icing all the time, like right now.

The aching continues, icing does help and I do still need pain meds. Especially now that I'm back at home doing for myself and no family waiting on me. Hoping that the knee will get better and that doing the right things for it will help with the healing process.

Any …… whoo…… that’s my news for now and think I’ll go to the kitchen to graze. Oh, that’s another story for later, going to the grocery store with my sister and using one of those electric motorized sit down shopping carts /trolleys for the first time. What an experience. :hysterical:
 
Elisea, sorry I haven't checked in lately, I've been busy with my own recovery and being drugged! :th_heehee: but I'm glad to see you are having a better outlook and rolling with it! Good for you!
 
Hi Elisea!!!
Going up and down the stairs doing laundry at 2 weeks? Wow, please do be careful. Sounds to me that you are doing incredible and are such an over achiever! Bless your heart!
How are you doing at home?

:friends:
 
Elisea, so good to hear from you. You sound more like your old self---thank goodness. Good to know you're behaving yourself and following the BoneSmart mantra--Jo will be proud of you. And I like your plan for PT.

Can't wait to hear your story of the electric shopping cart. I'm expecting to do some serious laughing.

Take care, keep us posted, we care.
 
Hi Elisea, I am glad to hear that you are back home. Do take it easy. Do you have anyone that can help u with laundry? If not go slow and easy as possible... Take care of yourself and try not to overdo it.
 
Well, my exercise for the evening was moving from my daytime home base to my nighttime home base. In other words, I moved from the couch to my new bed.

Not as easy as it seems. Need to bring PC and accessories, phones, meds, water, ice, crutches and various accoutrements necessary for having had a TKR like a foot wrangler (aka leg lifter). I still need it when I am tired as I am now.
 
Hi Elisea,
Hope your energy levels improve. Long journey to full recovery. You will get stronger, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
 
I know, things you didn’t think twice about before now take lots of planning and maybe a few trips instead of one. I tend to wear stuff with pockets now and try to have one of those canvas shopping bags nearby to carry stuff in. What I need is a cross-body tote bag. Worst is getting settled in after a move and realizing you forgot something. But.. things will get better. Just need a little patience till we get there. Hope you have a good day!
 
Bravo Elisea! It sounds like you're doing so well! I liked Morning Glory's comment about the pockets. When my boss had her hip replaced she wore a fisherman's vest around the house during her recovery. Those have LOTS of pockets! The cross-body tote sounds like a good idea too. Take care and don't overdo! :)
 
Well, managed to update my avatar to something other than a question mark. No idea how I did it though, it kept me going around and around in circles and finally a pop up asked if I wanted to update my avatar. So what the hey, I did.

I couldn't find one with a person tripping over a walker in the driveway. So instead, that's supposed to be me, using forearm crutches; although my foray into the outside is not a walk in the park, lol. More like a 30 minute excursion adventure to get the mail from the mailbox.

Anyway, couldn't sleep, knee is aching, aching, aching. Thought I'd read new entries but it doesn't seem that people have been posting much. Or the dates are incorrect, or people are not logging on or something, maybe I don't have it set properly to show me the new threads and postings. Is there any user guide on navigating the new forum? Perhaps it could be posted front and center so we could all find it.

Ok, enough complaining. I'll try some more pain meds instead and see if I can get more sleep. It has been eluding me lately.
 
I think folks are a little intimidated by the new format, and there are no instructions available yet. They are also still tweaking---and it's always hard to make a change. In a month or so, we'll all be cruising along as we were before.

Sorry you're aching, aching aching. Yes, take those pain meds and get those legs up and rest, rest, rest, while icing, icing, icing. Take care, we care.

 
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