TKR Another small step forward to reclaiming my life!

[carousel66]

If I'm not ready, I will not go back. right now I can't imagine going back. in 3 weeks!
I see my Doc for my 6 week check up next week.
- enjoying watching Breeders cup races today - but still cranky and crabby! Glad I have beautiful horses to watch.

 

[editor98]

Ah, crabby and cranky! That has been me for the past two days or so as well. Found myself in tears yesterday for the first time in a while. Maybe it's the moon cycle or something!

Catherine, it's great that you have a boss who has "been there and done that!" I know you will wait till you're ready to go back to work. I am so thankful that I work from home. I have been working for a few hours a day for the last couple of weeks. It still wipes me out, even though I'm working from my bed! The fatigue factor is just amazing, isn't it?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend taking it easy! Niki

 

[carousel66]

thanks Niki
I have behaved all weekend, I'm feeling a bit better I know because I'm bored.
My mind/brain/thought process is SO messed up I can't imagine doing ANY work!
My knee is still pretty ticked off and stiff but at least I have felt a bit better about being on top of my pain management.

 

[Jamie]

A lot of times those crabby and crankly feelings creep in when you have even low-level pain that needs to be treated or when you need more rest. So, when you get that feeling, try changing your pain meds and/or a few naps during the day to get you back on the right track.

 

[carousel66]

Jamie you are very right,
I have used everything in my arsenal to try to get on top of this flare up. My knee really did get ticked off from Wed PT.
one thing that I have really struggled with after this TKR is napping, and sleep in general. It seemed like naps were much easier with my first TKR.
thanks for the reminder, you are spot on.

 

[carousel66]

FINALLY on Monday I had a good day since my "over do" last Wed at PT.
At PT my extension is still work to keep at zero, and keeping my hams/calf muscles stretched, they are always so tight is always work.

anyway, it was very cool,,, Kyle (my pt) noticed one of my very old scars (who knows from what lol) was all shriveled on my knee, it has NOT looked like that well ever? that I can remember -- this was the first GOOD sign for the day! (ie swelling is DOWN) (and I lost 50# last year so it is a little wrinkled sad scar lol)
My flex jumped to 124 and I didn't even push it.

I know for sure what angered my knee last week 5 min of walking backwards on the treadmill, I told Kyle I wanted to try it again but only for 1 or 2 min and we both agreed that if ANYTHING started to feel different we would stop. it seems to be such a GREAT activity for helping my extension... but knee says NOT YET. after about 90 seconds I said stop! and we did but even that little bit had my knee thinking about flaring up. Kyle said it is just not worth it so we will find try some other things on Wed (and there are several more options) to work on my extension. at PT.

I have my 6 week follow up w/ my OS on Wed!

just a GREAT reminder that this is a slow recovery and we have to be kind to our knees if we want to make progress!

 

[MsHeidi]

Yea for Kyle! Sounds like you have good communication going. Glad you're feeling better!

 

[carousel66]

It is the 6th week and I think it is magic
good update with my Doc he is very pleased with my progress.

Today at PT I felt GOOD heading in for a change.
my extension is seeming happier and I was just past Zero

My flex on my Right knee drummm rolllll an easy 126

and we checked my flex on my left since the first day I went to PT almost 6 weeks ago (day I had assessment for my Right Knee) that day I was disappointed as it was 126 and when I had exited PT in April it had been 133
But today with out working that hard I am back to 132

but more than anything? I really feel GOOD today.

My doc said he will support any way I want to go back to work so I'm going to take it a day at a time so to speak but "tentatively plan" to go back 1/2 time on the 28th

 

[Jamie]

Good for you, hon.....you're making progress!

 

[Mountain Kat]

Awesome update!!

 

[kneeper]

Way to go! And you're right--the real accomplishment sometimes is that you feel good.

 

[carousel66]

thanks so much,
for whatever reason this one just feels like more of a struggle! I know the end result is going to be life changing... it just takes TIME

 

[zjrog]

I'm happy for you. One thing that I found helped with my extension was when just sitting I would flex the quad muscles. That pulls the kneecap up and pushes the knee down a bit. I do it all the time still.

 

[sunflower]

Don't you just love when the planets align and all is right with the world? You must be pleased as punch with your new(est) knee. Yay for you!

 

[carousel66]

there in was the problem :DOH:
when I would tighten my quads until this week I had HORRIBLE pain, in the medial side of my knee because it HURT I didn't do it very much. It is just THIS week that going quad sets DIDN'T hurt (I have done very few of them because of that!
it is strange the things that DIDN'T hurt, compared to things that DID hurt!
but I THINK I have turned one of those corners... I feel good about things. And I still feel good today meaning that even though I had stepped up all my weights on Wed, my knee handled it!
I feel good about things my extension was a bit of a push on Monday but pretty easy on Wed so we shall see what Friday brings!
Its all good!

 

[Christylrye]

Sounds like you are coming right along!

 

[Josephine]

Wonderful!

 

[editor98]

Catherine,
Great 6 week report! What's even more impressive to me than how well PT is going for you and your ROM, is how upbeat you sound! It comes through in your posts just how good your are feeling! Yay! I love, love, love hearing that! Niki

 

[sunflower]

You know, it's amazing what our muscles have to do to adjust to a new knee. I like to think of it as a hard reset.

 

[BigGene]

Catherine,
I started back to work this past monday. My surgery was a week before yours. Let me tell you that even though i have been walking and hiking and riding my bike, going back to work has not been easy.

Getting up early, needing to get a real full night's sleep, has been exhausting. The knee is fine, I've been lucky, still a sore spot on the outside of the knee just below kneecap level and mainly when I go down stairs (without using the rail).

What has been tough is the tiredness. I have driven past the gym every day not even able to contemplate a treadmill or spinbike. Finally, today I just callled in sick and slept in, till 11:30!!!

I did get up and go to the gym for a good workout on bike, treadmill and some leg strength machines.

So take your time, wait and see how you feel at the end of the month. working all day, getting up at a specific time and getting enough sleep are hard to do.

This is an incredibly slow and sometimes depressing process. But the rewards are a new active life. Nothing can beat looking forward to pain free knees.

When we get down we need to keep our eye on the ball. I get online and research future biking or hiking trips. Setting specific targets that I can work toward.

That's been my experience. Next week will be better, but if I need a day off, I will take it. My recovery is more important than the job.