TKR Beachy in recovery<

[MissViv18]

So sorry to hear about your dear hubby but the good news is he is going to recover and you held up pretty well. Glad to hear you are home and back to your routine.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

[Mom2Lucy]

Are you using your tens, @beachy ? I’m sorry you’ve had such a setback, but glad to hear the worst is over.

 

[beachy]

@Mom2Lucy .
No I haven't. I look at it then get called to do something else. The other thing is that all my recovery stuff is around my recliner chair. Ice machine, tens unit, phone and tablet chargers. It's all strategically plugged in so I could manage them. Now I have to rearrange everything because hubs is so comfy in MY recliner LOL.
I'm icing with lounge doc in bed now. Dog is walked and fed, hubs is walked and fed, kitchen cleaned up and laundry in wash. Hubs and dog are good to go for awhile. I'll work on finding a place near the bed for tens today. After I make all the phone calls to insyrance, pharmacy and doc appt.
Thanks for the tens reminder. I will definitely charge it and get to it today! Anything to get this swelling down!

 

[DLR]

Praying my friend. Don't forget ice on the back of the knee. I often forgot. The other thing I would do is lay on bed put feet straight up in air and massage down toward body. Looks funny but helped move fluid

 

[beachy]

@DLR .
Thank you for the prayers! And to everyone else who sent them. I will try your suggestion. I don't care how it looks.....I have no shame. I'm back to icing now. Fed hubs again. Walked dog again. Announced that unless it was an emergency that I'm down for 1 hr.

@Mom2Lucy .
I have the tens unit under the ice cuff! It was still charged. Thanks for the reminder. I massaged Arnicare on knee about an hour ago. Next I'm going to use DLR's suggestion. Throwing everything at the knee. Maybe something will stick.

 

[Mom2Lucy]

@beachy , maybe it’s time for Santa to bring your husband his own recliner!
:santawave::box:

 

[beachy]

@Mom2Lucy .

I did find a new comfy nest in the bed. Just had to find time to get my stuff where I need it. His issues are worse than mine so he can have the recliner. Until he's better

 

[Josephine]

I have the tens unit under the ice cuff!

I don't think that's such a good idea. Electrics and water really don't mix!

Do you think extension will improve with ice and elevation? I'd hate to regress.

Your extension will improve with REST as well as ice and elevation!

 

[Jockette]

@beachy , maybe it’s time for Santa to bring your husband his own recliner!
:santawave::box:

I was thinking the same thing!!

 

[gecko]

Oh @beachy I am so sorry you and your hubby are having a rough time sending lot's of love and healing prayers your way for both of you glad you have found yourself a new nest in your bedroom, and I agree throw all you can at that knee it might take a while but it will soon ease off, but please dont electricute yourself having the tens machine under your ice pack , get better real soon

 

[beachy]

Thanks @Josephine
I am resting as much as humanely possible. Hubs is more mobile now and will be ready to share dog walking duties in a few days. The tens unit is unplugged and on battery while under the cryo cuff. Hope that won't fry me!

@Jockette
Too many recliners! Remember this one is going to my son when we move. We have 2 recliners at the beach. He's getting better anyway but will be awhile til fully recovered.

Thanks for the prayers @gecko. Maybe a little electric current will zap me in a good way
The ice cuff is leakproof and the tens is not plugged in. It's rechargeable so I use it on battery charge. Can I still get zapped that way?

 

[Jockette]

Interesting that my PT always started my session off with a tens unit type thing and some kind of ice pack on top of it at the same time. Ice pack was wrapped in a pillow case. They never iced me at the end, occasionally told me to do that when I got home.

Looking back I don’t understand the ice first. At the time I didn’t know any better.

 

[beachy]

@Jockette . Same here except it was at the end. And only 20 minutes. At the first pt/torture chamber they used the game ready brand of ice cuff. If you've never had that......It's the Rolls Royce of cold water cuffs. It wraps all the way around and cradles your leg. And the tens was under it. At the good pt they did the same, but used big gel packs.

I wonder if they tried to get your swelling down before pt?
They should use it before and after.

 

[schpooko]

@beachy. How is the knee and leg today? Hope it's getting better Schpooko

 

[beachy]

Hi @schpooko ,
A little improvement. Thanks for asking. In addition to overdoing it I find myself on my side at night. I have a pillow between knees. I think the knee doesn't like side sleeping and I can no longer fall asleep with lounge doc. My feet get very restless. I guess the doc and me are no longer a night time couple. I have to stay off my feet as much as possible and ice and elevate. Same old song.
How are you?

 

[Jockette]

I wonder if they tried to get your swelling down before pt?

Probably. In the early days after they took the ice and tens off they gently massaged my thigh which always felt good.

I might not have been so swollen if I hadn’t had to make the trip to the office. (especially 48 hours after surgery) I should have been home with my leg elevated instead of in a car and walking in and out of a building in cold, windy March weather.

Not. Ever. Again.

 

[beachy]

@Jockette It really is awful what happened to you. It happens to many people who haven't found bonesmart. It's too bad the docs and their PAs and all the pts and nurses involved in tkr don't have a clue to a patient's recovery.

 

[SusieShoes]

So glad to hear your husband is doing better. Being caregiver to both a husband and a dog is lots of work, even when you can minimize it. Your knee will just need some time to settle down again. I hope it gets used to side-sleeping soon. You'll be so much happier!

Do you have an ottoman? Or something you can use as one? A large ice chest, perhaps, or upended laundry basket with a nice pillow on top? At about your stage of recovery, I began to shift from my recliner to my sofa, using an ottoman to elevate my legs. Not toes over nose, but I didn't need that so much any more. Comfy and good for icing, though. A sofa or chair could become your new nest if you have a way to raise your legs.

 

[beachy]

@SusieShoes
We have a sectional sofa and one side is a lounger....not a recliner, but the L shape thing. I'm there now with lounge doc. Problem is the sectional is low and not as easy to stand up from. It's not bad if I stay put for awhile. It's not great if I have to be up and down. My hands sink down when I push myself up.
I got too comfy between my recliner and my side of the bed. Hubs has to sleep on my side because of some "new equipment" that requires my side.
This too shall pass.

That puppy!! Miss Penny Noelle looks like a squishy, shmushy, squirmy love bug!!!!

 

[Josephine]

The tens unit is unplugged and on battery while under the cryo cuff. Hope that won't fry me!

No, but it might 'fry' (or short out) the TENS! But I've just had a thought - there will be no problem provided it's only the electrodes that are under the ice pack. Just don't put the actual device under it! I think if you read the user manual, it probably says quite clearly "Do NOT immerse in water"! I know mine does!