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TKR Anyone use antibiotics for Dental Care?

doxiemom, please be sure not to overdo! 6 weeks is still early in the game. If you find returning to work is setting you back. is it possible to work from home, or shorter hours or fewer days? It will likely be very tiring for you for the first weeks so be prepared for that.
Your bend will come eventually, as long as you don’t stress that baby knwe too much.
 
Flowerqueen, Jockette, Sisterpat,

Thank you! I have an adjustable footrest under my desk. :)

My boss has been very kind and generous about offering to work more days from home if needed. I let him know that I would be monitoring my fatigue and adjust my in office schedule if required.
 
My first day back at work went well. I prepared the night before so my morning and getting out the door went smoothly. It was good to see everyone. I was able to ice and keep my leg up most of the day and walked around both with and without the cane to the restroom and around the floor. I felt good about that. Took a break after lunch and lay down on the floor and elevated and iced my leg. Left work at 2pm.

As all of you warned and predicted, I'm tired! My knee and leg are cranky! After work I iced and elevated and I had a really good PT appointment at 4pm. The therapist helped me brainstorm ways to help my cranky leg. She also gave me a sleeve to wear on my leg from ankle to mid thigh to attempt to help with the swelling. The sleeve is very lightweight and not very tight.

Questions!

How much help would a compression stocking help with swelling vs how uncomfortable they are? Would I wear it all day or part of the day? Would I wear it only on the surgery leg?

Another thing I am experiencing is sensitivity of my incision scar. It is feeling very tender. The area that hurts is above the knee on my thigh. The irritation I was feeling after wearing denim, was very similar, but that was gone the next morning. So this seems to be unrelated. Any recommendations on what I can do to help with that?

Thank you everyone!
 
I’m glad your 1st day back went well. I went to Pt today and she told me to massage the incision to toughen it up to wearing tighter pants. She said coconut oil will help with the scar
 
Doxiemom, mine is very sore also in that area. I’ve been massaging it and that does seem to help.
 
@doxiemom2017 Sounds like you had a positive first day back at work. I’m a couple of days behind you post-op and have the same sensitivity with my scar. When I saw my surgeon on Tuesday I asked him about it and he said it was totally normal and it may last for months. He recommended gently massaging the incision in a circular motion to soften the under scar tissue as well as working in some moisturizer. I use a Gold Bond lotion that is a thicker texture than most lotions and it takes some time to work it in.
 
Many folks recommend Vitamin E oil for scars. Many people do nothing and the incision heals beautifully.
 
Questions!

How much help would a compression stocking help with swelling vs how uncomfortable they are? Would I wear it all day or part of the day? Would I wear it only on the surgery leg?
 
I hate to be so indefinite here, but I think it’s trial and error and whatever feels best FOR YOU (which might not feel as good for me or others). Try one on and see how it feels. It certainly won’t hurt you!
 
My dr makes you wear for 6 weeks but not at night in bed, it never helped the swelling but since I’m in blood thinner for 2 weeks after surgery that’s another reason he wants me to wear. Truthfully my swelling on the knees I had done last august is still somewhat swollen and people I have talked to say swelling lasts a year. I honestly don’t even think the icing helped the swelling but I do it all day anyway.
 
Yes, both my Sister’s TKR’s stayed swollen for nearly a year. Not unusual. Icing at least helps alleviate the pain, some. Glad you persisted in that, Gramalita!
 
Thank you @Sisterpat and @Gramalita98. I think I will order the stocking and give it a try. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I was in the office for the morning today. It was easier than Wednesday. I think the anxiety of returning to work and being away from home for so long added to my stress on Wednesday.

I had a PT appointment after work today, my ROM measured at 103. Feeling good to get into the three digits. I pedaled on an upright bike for the first time, it was more challenging than the recumbent bike. First a lot of rocking back and forth forward and backward, only making revolutions when it felt ok. I was able to ride about 3 minutes. She also had me do some marching in place to practice weight shifting, and I stood on one leg, also for balance practice.

My quads were really tight this afternoon and my knee was achy. So I plan on following Bonesmart advice and will be elevating, icing, resting, and medicating. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow before deciding how much of these new exercises I will add to my daily routine.

Thank you!
 
I found the balance exercises to be so important as I was feeling like I would topple over. Now I do the one-legged stand any time I’m at a counter such as brushing my teeth or doing a few dishes. It definitely helps build confidence in my new knee.
 
FourCats said:
I found the balance exercises to be so important as I was feeling like I would topple over. Now I do the one-legged stand any time I’m at a counter such as brushing my teeth or doing a few dishes. It definitely helps build confidence in my new knee.
Click to expand...

Thank you Four Cats! That is a great idea. I will start that too. While brushing teeth too. My balance is pretty good, but I worry about falling because it would make everything worse.
 
I am starting to experince the blues. I ready the warning, but am still struggling.

This weekend, I just don't feel like doing anything other than watching tv. I have forced myself to do my exercises. I just have no desire to do anything. I have always been a very busy person, and this lack of desire really bugs me. This will be my first full week back at work, and even though the half week last week went well, I am nervous again. Definitely the Sunday Blues/Sunda Scaries.

I feel that I am progressing well physcially. Tuesday coming up will be 7 weeks. I got to 103 ROM at Friday's PT. I can get my leg flat. I am trying to use the cane even while in the house because it gets me to walk more mindully and limp less. I am doing my daily activities, feeding the dog, washing dishes, helping prep dinner, making bed, folding clothes. I just don't feel like doing the other things that were my fun activities.

I don't really have any pain per se, my leg feels heavy, tight. The incision scar is tender. My surgery leg heel is sensitive. I was thinking that was because of the heel slides, but I think it's because when walking and that heavy feeling in my leg causes me to do a very hard heel strike when walking.

I am struggling with still not feeling myself. It was several years with arthritis pain, and now this surgery recovery.

Looking for thoughts and ideas to perk myself up.

Thank you.
 
Back to work today and it was better than last week. Adjusted my leg/foot rest to a better height. Feeling more confident being back out in the world and at the office. Walked up 10 steps to get in building using hand rail and meeting foot to foot on each step. Also walked down those steps on my way out. Felt good about that. I have tried walking just two steps the regular way, one foot at a time, in my backyard into the house, but my new knee is still too weak and wobbly.

I had PT after work and my therapist used a warm gel and ultra sound on the stiffest part of my knee, which is above on the thigh, and also around the knee cap. It felt so, so, so good. It also really loosened up my knee and I measured at ROM 107. Pleased with that.

He suggested in the morning a warm wash cloth on my knee for 10 minutes and then massage with lotion. I have been massaging, but hadn't considered heat until I had it this afternoon.

Question!
Everything I read on the forum discusses ice. I haven't read anything about warmth/heat. What are the thoughts/experience with that?

I will be 7 weeks tomorrow.

Thank you!
 
Hi Doxiemom. I am 13 weeks out from bilateral. I found that weeks 6-10 were the worst mentally, and found it really difficult to find the motivation to do any sort of formal exercise. In fact, I gave up and just did what I wanted to try on good days. That was probably a good thing in retrospect, I was trying too hard before.
I think that during the first 6 weeks we all have plenty of adrenaline, and despite the pain, a will to do the best that we can to recover, and the new knee experience is something of a novelty. Then the rot sets in, the reality of a long and sore recovery.
I have perked up since week 10, when things start to move along a bit faster and I started to notice a few small improvements over having the arthritis. At 13 weeks, I have just had one complete day without the steel bands and no hint of log legs, and the joy of knowing that there is a life ahead with normal knees.
I don’t envy you, having to work whilst dealing with this, but it sounds as though you are doing really well.
 
Another day, another question!

Today is 7 weeks post op for me.

I am having tightness/discomfort at the top of my calf. I feel it most when I lift my leg as in a marching step, most of all if I try to touch my heel to my butt. The PT said she can feel a knot there. A video PT said that is the place the hamstring attaches.

I have been icing, massagin, and have put on some salonpas.

Any ideas on how to get this feeling better would be appreciated.

I don't want to mess something up that will take away from my recovery.

Thanks!
 
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