17 days post-op update...lots has changed/improved. I no longer hand assist my leg up onto bed or couch. It has gotten much stronger. I only use the CPM machine 1-3 hours a day. It loosens up the knee a bit, but I like the quad stretch it gives me the most. I don't push it to discomfort tho, like they want me too. I think on their plan I would be up to 120 by now, but I only have gone to 73. Straightening is close, slight bend. Walked with walker for 2 weeks. One morning I just got tired of it and carried it in front of me everywhere. Must have looked funny. Switched to crutches. After a day or 2 of those, I often leave them or just use one. I can do most house walking with nothing. Not that I'm trying to rush that at all, they just seem to be slowing me down and I walk pretty well. Definitely much less of a limp than pre-surgery. I eat! Meds haven't effected my appetite like they did last time. Using Percocet-1 every 4-6 hours. Still spend most of my day elevating/icing. Dr. mentioned he liked seeing my ankle bone, meaning I wasn't swollen much. Although things sound pretty good and people say I "look" good I have the to be expected low energy and brain fog going on. PT starts Monday-and I have requested a different one than I saw on Day 8. I haven't been back since, just been doing gentle stretches and usual home exercises, but minimally. I focus on walking correctly more than anything else, which I think has helped. My last knee replacement was vastly different in a bad way so I am enjoying that this has been a fairly quick uphill road in recovery.
Looks interesting. Can't see any residual of it on my skin now-I guess the skin sloughed enough in two weeks to slough it off....? I do enjoy not having the pull of staples or sutures. But the sutures underneath have my skin are a little puckery looking at the top end. My mother in law said if she was sewing a dress and had puckered the stitches that much she would have ripped them out and redone them.
Gotta love family!! Do those puckers even out over time?
I don't think he meant to do that. Have no interest in a book yet. Got outside today and cut off a few dead roses in my garden and couldn't find the basil or cilantro that I planted before surgery....but did see my dogs footprints....really? Why do they need to dig up my herbs? . Felt wonderful to move and be in the sun. I use my cane 50% of the time in the house during the day but still use the walker in the middle of the night. Having trouble fiddling with my pain meds. I feel I don't need Percocet during the day, so take Tylenol, but still need Percocet at bedtime and first thing in the morning. I think this will work for now. It was easier being on the Percocet every 4 or 6 hours, but noticing I'm not in that excruciating pain is nice. My only "worry" at this time is that darn ROM, but I push those thoughts away as best as I can.
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