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TKR Bionic LaxMom

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LaxMom said:
My work ethic makes me feel slightly guilty when I take a day off. It is good to get someone to say it is a good idea!!!
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Nope---do not be guilty at all. We talk about listening to your knee---listen to your body and to yourself---somedays, it is good just to take a break

In education, we called them "mental health days."
 
Hi all. I know it's hard about the pain pills. U know I struggle to. I don't like them. Wish u best on recovery and therapy.


SonnysWife❤️
 
Hi @LaxMom. I just got caught up on the life of the bionic woman. :heehee:

So sorry about the tramadol issues. I still take oxycodon every night for Mr. Hip. It is 3 am and I woke up in a pool of sweat. One of the lovely side effects. So I can just imagine the withdrawal issues with the tramadol. Obviously, it helps you sleep. :sleeep:

It sounds like you are going to look beautiful for Christmas with the pedicure and new hairdo. That must have made you feel great. :santaclap:

Otherwise, you are coming along my friend which does not surprise me because you are a strong person. Of course, you are perfect to come to @craftdee whine and cheese party.

As for me, I am just coming along. I overdid it on Saturday. My sister came up from San Diego. My other sister was moving this weekend because her landlord has decided to sell their rental they have lived in for 16 years. So my sister that is moving, normally cleans my moms house for Christmas. Obviously, this year she has other things she needs to take care of. Because of my hip, my San Diego sister came up and we both tackled my moms house. It is our childhood home and it is 3200 sq feet. Not a small task. Well, today I am so sore. I did way too much. My entire right leg is sore. All my muscles so today was full of :chillpill: :ice: :sleep:.

We did get it done and my San Diego did a lot of the work. I think what got me was the mopping. Her entire downstairs is hardwood flooring except kitchen which is tile. Of course, the aches and pains are worth it when you see the relief and smiles on your moms face. My mom has never been a good housekeeper. In the kitchen, she rocks. She can whip up a gourmet meal. But cleaning not her forte.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas if we don't touch base before the day arrives. :merryx:

I am so happy your recovery is going well. All my best my hippie twin :friends:

Kristina
 
Hi @xtina16405 - I just realized that 6 am here, a perfectly respectable time to get up (if you work!) is 3 am for you. Terrible! I hope as I write this at 4:30 am your time you are peacefully back to sleep:sleep:. I remember the oxycodon night sweats well and think I only lasted a week or 2 before ditched them after my hip. Fortunately for me, I could! And yes, sleep is something Tramadol does well, but has rather nasty side effects when you go off too quickly! Fortunately, I did sleep pretty well last night, or no worse than a usual night, let's say! Nothing like the night before where I literally could not stay still for more than a minute. It was nasty! i felt possessed, especially since I have such a normally calm nature. To be climbing the walls was nutty for me!!!

Had to laugh about the beauty comment - I forgot that I have been posting my spa treatments here. Not sure about beautiful, but well groomed at least! :rotfl: We will have a tiny Christmas, just like my tiny Thanksgiving. Just hubby, son and me. Too much going on this year! I will share the cooking with my husband. My son does not even care as long as he gets a killer breakfast. he likes to say, "I am a guy who likes my breakfast!" So, we are making pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and hash browns. Who will need to eat again after all that?!?! Turns my stomach just to think of it. Of course, that has been one of my knee themes - bad stomach. Probably too many medications on a by now frail body!!! Anyway, the presents are bought for the most part, and I will need to wrap a few today. Trying to keep it all simple. On Christmas Eve, I will go visit my mom. I got her a pretty ivory, gray and black fair isle sweater with a Christmas red turtleneck. She can wear it to my sister's house on Christmas Day and feel beautiful! :gifts:

Sorry that you wore your hip out cleaning your mom's house. I do know what you mean about feeling good doing it. I had to help my mom through her fall when my sister was on her cruise at just 3-4 weeks post hip. Lucky for me I was doing well, but I do remember thinking I went too far many a day.

My hip acts up every once and a while, since it has to be the 'good leg' now. I try to remember that it too needs some PT and do a few exercises, but mainly I focus on the KNEE! It feels good after taking yesterday off, although it is still a bit warm. PT is today at 2:30 - we will see what she says! She is actually marvelous - pushes me to a little discomfort but never to pain, keeps things simple and stresses one day at a time. She is also great at answering all my questions. My lower extremities have been a mess for so long, I think she must go home and laugh at my questions, that go something like, "what direction should my right toes point when I walk?" I kid you not! It truly is like learning how to walk again.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your wonderful son and the rest of your family. I do wish we could all fly out to @craftdee 's house and swim in that pool for new Year's, don't you?:swim: I do kind of feel like you are all my family now, we have gone through so much together, celebrating each other's victories, and supporting each other through the dark days.

All my best my hippie twin :friends:as well! Along with my knee twin @sandbar525 :friends:and all the rest of my BS family!

hugs,:santa hug:
Sharon
 
couple quick updates...

Went to PT, and my flexion is 115. Woo hoo!!! I guess the day off was a good idea.

And, today in the mail, what arrived, but a prescription for Tramadol. That was supposed to be faxed to the pharmacy, at least that is what happened last time unless there is some new law in place. Sigh! Anyway, I survived the Tramadol abrubt stop and I am not going to refill the prescription. Maybe I will save this for the next TKR.

As it turns out, I do not need the Tramadol, so all is well.
 
@LaxMom That's great news (both on flexion and on prescription)! I've started to go without Tramadol today. So far so good. I anticipate there might be a couple of rough days/nights as body gets used to going without but I really don't want to take something that I no longer need. Fingers crossed all continues well! :)
 
@sandbar525 - we are on the same track, it seems. I do hope you weaned off the Tramadol. I would not wish my experience on anyone. It is good to be off another drug!
 
@LaxMom I started reducing a couple of days ago. This is the first day I will try it without entirely. Have to admit that I'm feeling a little nauseous this afternoon but didn't really sleep very well last night so that might be the reason. However, knee is doing great...so that is something! :) This sure has been a journey so far, hasn't it? And to think, we are considered still to be early on in our recovery...yikes! :)
 
Today is 6 weeks R knee post-op and 11 weeks L hip post-op. Yesterday my physical therapist remarked that I am doing great and my recovery will be fast. Seeing as I have been at this for 11 weeks total, I raised an eyebrow at that comment. But I get it, she has only seen me for 2 weeks. Until recently, I did not realize the first 4 weeks post-op knee are affectionately called the 'dark days.' I am so glad to have that beyond me and entering week 7! I took another look at this post: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/chart-representation-of-tkr-recovery.12055/ and do think this follows my pattern very closely. And if it continues, the weeks to come will be better and better!

Not much to report, but thought I would summarize progress that has happened this week.
  • Meds - off the tramadol, and do not feel pain associated with it. Went off too quickly and still am experiencing some nausea, and some restlessness at night, but far less than over the weekend. Meds now are 650 mg Tylenol 3x/day and 1 Celebrex tab 2x/day.
  • Extension has remained at zero
  • Flexion - in the past 2 weeks has progressed from 100, to 110, to 115. Looking forward to next week!
  • Physical Therapy - outpatient twice a week. Following a similar routine at home 2-3 times a day. Using the bike for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day, followed by a set of exercises, varied, that will work on the following:
    • extension
    • flexion
    • strengthening of the gluts, quads, hips to support me while I walk. I am using bands and small ankle weights under the supervision of the therapist to help this along.
  • Gait - this is now straight, but I am tentative on both sides due to my THR, TKR, and previous ankle issues. So, while I walk straight, I do so in a slightly tipsy manner as if I am walking on ice. I am not planting solidly on the ground yet. Hopefully the strengthening exercises will help.
  • Stairs - foot over foot both up and down. A tiny bit of soreness, and I need to hold a railing for the most part, but ok. Doing this multiple times a day now as I hunt from Christmas wrapping paper, etc.
  • Stamina - good and improving. Less naps. Short trips to shop or be with a friend. I try to keep these short. If it is shopping on my feet, no more than 90 minutes at a time.If it is lunch (i.e., sitting), 2.5 hours max.
  • Ice and elevation is still my friend. Not doing as much because I am more active but I do it a few times a day in between activities.
  • Spirits - more positive and calm, more like my old self. I see the future, and it is bright!
  • Sleep - exhausted by the end of the day, but still will wake up at least once. Not very comfortable for any period of time, so even when I do sleep, I wake up feeling like I was wrestling all night.
  • Anemia - I have no solid data points (other than starting point 6 weeks ago post op was 8.3 hemoglobin), I look forward to seeing a doctor and having a blood test. My skin is naturally pale, but I do see a bit of a pink tinge now. I look less ghostly! And, while I am tired at the end of the day, I am not tired all day or feeling the irritableness that goes with low iron.
I think that pretty much covers things. Certainly things are far better, and seem a bit better each week. Nothing dramatic at this point, just a gradual getting better.

Merry Christmas to all my Bonesmarties! :box:

Sharon
 
So glad that you are progressing well @LaxMom....nothing dramatic is a great recovery!! Slow & steady is just the best way forward, especially as you are incorporating two surgical recoveries!! You've a great attitude! Hope you had a very Happy Christmas ...love Chrissie xx


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Thank you, Sandy, @sandbar525, Chrissie, @Hoppy Nanny and Kristina, @xtina16405 ! It is such a relief to begin to feel normal again, I cannot express it.

Yesterday, while cleaning up after our tiny Christmas for 3, I decided to polish my silverware setting. That was the moment I knew I was healing - that it even bothered me that the silver needed polishing for one, and that I had the stamina to do it happily, for two! What a wonderful, normal feeling it was! Thinking about my silver and not my knee!!!

Yesterday, I also took off the handicap toilet seat and stored it for the next surgery. And, I went back to my own wonderful bed on Christmas Eve and have been sleeping so well!!! I had previously been sleeping on a bed on the first floor because I did not want to disturb my husband with all my wakings in the middle of the night. Seems the worst of that is behind me as well.

What an absolute relief! Now, my knee still gets stiff and this is not over, but it is so much better! Hope you are all feeling similarly relieved.

And,I hope you both had a very Merry Christmas as well.

Hugs,
Sharon
 
You are so right....it's the little, mundane things In life that you realise you miss most...the things that make you feel normal...so pleased for you Sharon...but...don't go overdoing it just yet! Xx


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
 
Happy news. Back to PT today after a week off. Flexion is now 123, up from 115 last Monday! I think a lot of this is the result of my trusty recumbent bike, which I use 3 times a day. My physical therapist mentioned today that I will not need all the appointments she had planned. At this point, I am working more on strength and balance. She mentioned that after a TKR, the knee is missing some of the receptors that tell you where you are in space. As a result, you need to use other balance mechanisms. I practiced standing on a cushion with my eyes closed. It is interesting for me since my ankle is already fused and compromised, so not much to keep me balanced on my right side. I guess that is all the more reason to practice!!!

This is the KNEE at 7 weeks post-op. Not much else to report other than I consistently forget to take my tylenol, which makes me wonder if I actually need it, or if I should stop. And, I also notice that while the knee is warm, it does not swell up the way it used to. Progress!
 
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Great News!!! You are doing awesome!!!!! I am currently icing and trying to slow down... but freedom keeps calling me. I keep going to the barn and shoveling manure and doing stuff I probably should leave alone right now. I got a Misfit Shine activity tracker for Christmas and it is showing me almost hitting the goal activity for the day, for a normal person,.. not quite but almost. I am walking over 2.5 miles in the house, just doing normal chore stuff and one trip the barn a day. It is amazing how much we move around on a daily basis. I wish I would have had this from the beginning to track from progression since surgery.
So glad to hear you are doing well. I have PT on Wed and I will have been a week off... we shall see what happens.. it will either be good or I will be in trouble :heehee:
 
Hi @hbacres! I never heard of the misfit shine, so I just googled and watched a video. How cool!!!! I love that it works while biking and swimming, no just walking. Although I am sure you walk a lot with the barn and all.

At this point in our recovery it does seem right to start being more active. I still do get tired but try to bike 30 minutes 3x/day with a small amount of tension. Next week, I go back to my health club. I will restart my Pilates classes and maybe do some water aerobics.

Good luck with you PT visit. I am sure you will be fine. We are healing. Yay!!!


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Wow.. you are doing a lot of cycling!! No wonder it tires you out!!!! I try to ride it every day, but not for that long! You are making me feel guilty.. I need to up my game! :biking: This is the first activity monitor I have ever had.. I really like that it is water proof and I can set it for swimming. I also liked that it was only 25.00! Most of them are around a hundred dollars, which I was not willing to spend. Oh.. sorry.. mine is the Flash.. not the Shine.
 
@hbacres, do not feel guilty! I am not doing any barn duty, and certainly no shoveling manure! Hahaha. All I really do is ride the bike, some light PT at home, and some light chores. I do the bike because I enjoy reading my Kindle, so it does not feel like PT to me, and I know it helps my flexion. I am sure you are actually more active than me!

Also, I go back to work next week and my ability to be mobile will decrease. I am trying hard now to get my mobility improved while I have the time to work on it, and it no longer hurts to do so. Next week, I will not have as much time on the bike and will need to settle for sitting PT exercises while I work on my laptop.
 
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