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Another self-manipulation!

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NLK

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First...I'm wishing all the best to Josephine. She has been such a help to all of us.
Next....another testiment to TKR. Three days ago I fell on my icy front porch and did a do-it-yourself manipulation with my replaced knee (almost 2 years old) going backwards bent behind me. I felt so stupid!! I saw the porch was wet, but I really didn't think it was icy. I got to lay there a while and contemplate my stupidness. I had my cell phone in my pocket, but when I called my husband, who was out shopping, I got to hear his phone go off inside the house. When I decided I wasn't going to die from the pain, I scooted over to some posts and pulled myself up. The ankle and knee didn't want to support anything so I hopped through the garage into the house. Since then, I've been so relieved to see the knee really came through. It is sore, but there doesn't seem to be any swelling or bruising. The ankle is another matter, but I can handle that. It is purple, but getting better. I am just so amazed that such a fall doesn't seem to have hurt the knee replacement. I can probably bend it more now than I did before, but I would certainly not recommend this type of therapy.
Everybody be careful with snow and icy condition. Just because I live in California doesn't mean water doesn't freeze.
 
NLK,
Sorry to hear you fell. But except for the ankle, which I hope heals
fast. You will find that the knee will be how do I put it? Feel Free-er in
movement.
^i^
 
NLK....I'm so glad you are okay!!! You have just lived through everyone's worst fear. Not only the fall, but not being able to contact anyone to help!!! Ack!!! Thank goodness the knee is not harmed and you will mend from the sore muscles and bonks that you took. Guess you just got a free procedure....maybe you could get money from your insurance company as a self-manipulation (LOL).
 
Don't I wish!!!! The bonks from many places (head, back and neck) showed up 24 hrs after, but aren't unbearable. What I learned is a new respect for wet places. It wasn't my first fall, but all of them have shown that when the physical therapist taught me how to pull myself up.... there was a reason!!!
 
A salute to the great therapists we've had!!! Also, you might gently remind your hubby that a cell phone is only good if he tucks it in his pocket each day (smile).
 
Since I live in Minnesota and am looking out my window at a 6ft. snow drift at the end of our drive, I am very leary of walking outside at all. I would hate to think of your "self manipulation." I'll be careful. Take care.
Bridget
 
I'm in Minnesota too, and I did fall about a month ago, on a "wet" sidewalk. The "wet" turned out to be ice. I was petrified with fear as I lay there on the sidewalk. I did call my mother (I was at her apartment building for a family gathering) who screamed and threw the phone down at my "I need help!" and didn't get any details as to WHERE I was before she started running to help me. LOL The posse eventually found me, my BIL wouldn't let me get off the ground until he was sure the prosthesis was okay, and I did live through it.

I certainly do not want to fall again! Right about now I wish I lived in Phoenix.
 
Yesterday I celebrate 7 weeks since surgery, and Sunday I did something really stupid!

I felt so good now that I'm well on the mend that I decided to BBQ dinner for the family that's been taking such good care of me now for nearly two months. I'm walking with out a cane and the little bit of shuffeling around to do the cooking was no big deal, or so I thought...

About 2 minutes into searing some nice juicy steaks, the fame on the BBQ goes out, I ran out of propane. The beautiful pieces of sirloin are cooling down and soon to become as rubbery as shoe leather unless I can get this thing back up and running. So I rushed into my garage and pulled a spare tank out from its cradle and swung around as I would normally ahve done to carry it quickly to the back yard. Guess what, I not only twisted, but I tripped. Spraining my good side foot and giving me a twinge in the hip I haven't felt in weeks. DUMB!

Today I'm feeling much better, but had a sleepless night Sunday night and skipped going into work yesterday. Good news is the ankle feels OK and it doesn't appear I did anything serious to my hip, but I did give myself a great big wake up call.

BTW - the steaks were ruined, but the family ate them anyway and without complaint!

last night we had an ice storm here in the DC area and my porch and driveway is covered with an inch of ice. Guess I'll be working from home in my lazy-Boy command center... I learned my lesson!!!!!!!!!
 
Mudpro, I think we all have done things in recovery that we knew were not so smart the minute we did them! Don't beat yourself up too badly about it. Sounds like you did the correct thing afterwards by staying home and giving your body time to recover. Your family sounds wonderful and such a great support for you. Watch yourself with that ice!!! But....you knew that......
 
I think we should call this thread the 'anteroom to ER'!!! And perhaps I should add my little toe to the list!


And NLK, thank you so much for your good wishes!
 
Mudpro......That really MUST have been a terrible scare for you! The good thing is that you ARE feeling better! But the downside is that there will be moves you should NEVER ever do again! It may be a little late, but take some Advil & do a little icing,,,,can't hurt! Take it easy! Its always the stupid little things that we have to watch doing!!!!!
 
I took a fall back in December that shook me up so badly I couldn't even post about it here. Like many places, our attached garage has a wide step--about 3 feet deep. The deep freeze is in the garage. Somehow I caught the toe of my operated leg, probably wasn't picking my foot up high enough. Anyway, I was going down right now! I twisted so I wouldn't land on my knee, but the problem was that my upper body landed below the step while my feet and shins were still up on the step. The first thing to hit the concrete was my chin and shoulder. My head snapped back and my chin hurt really badly. I was terrified! OK, so I scream for my husband--the deaf man who thinks it's fine to take his hearing aids out when he gets home. He never heard me--wild animals in the area were running for cover and the dog, who was outside, started barking. He never heard any of it. I finally decided I had to do it on my own, and managed to get up without even having anything to haul myself up. The bruise on my chin was there for three weeks. I probably cracked the bone--there's still a tender spot and it's been almost two months now. All is still properly aligned, however, so that's the way it goes. The prosthesis was fine, even though I did hit my knee on the side. I got a lump there, but that was the least of it.
 
Oh my, Linda. That must have truly been frightening. I'm so glad you're okay. And I'm glad you were able to post about it. As bad as it is, for those who read it your words will be a comfort in knowing how strong these joints are. The doctors TELL us that, but knowing about people who take these horrific falls and are okay really sinks it home. Thanks and now be sure you take care!!
 
Oh...Linda!!!! I'm so glad you are OK after that fall. I understand about not wanting to post about it for a while. It took me 3 days to be able to talk about my front porch vacation to look at the blue sky and pine trees for a while. I get terrified again whenever I think about it. I start thinking about what might have happened....fire trucks....hospitals....more surgery. Luckily, those knee replacements are incredibly strong and people need to know that. Not that they should try self-manipulation...they should just know their new knee is going to be OK. Your garage story reminded me of one of my other falls. I was coming into the house from the garage to try to quickly answer the phone and did not pick my leg with the new knee up high enough. I tripped on the door sill and went down pretty easily on the hallway carpet, but my head went into the drywall across from the door. It left a hole. I told my husband I don't want him to fix it. I am going to put a little frame around it so I can remember not to hurry. Obviously I haven't learned not to hurry yet. I'm thinking of writing a book, "Places I Have Fallen." Want to be in my book?
 
Maybe that's a good idea for a thread.....Falls We Have Survived. Early on in my surgery I slipped on our ceramic tile floor (slick tile, wet shoes - NOOO!) when bringing the new puppy in and fell on the hard tile. Fortunately I was far enough along in therapy that I caught myself before my knee actually hit the floor. But it taught me to slow down and be careful!
 
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