TKR Bionic LaxMom

[Celle]

I had to wear them for my hip too but they are worse for the knee as they bind where my knee starts to swell.

If they are doing that, they are doing you no good at all. The jury is still out as to whether TEDs really do anything to prevent DVT, once you have been mobilised.

If you are going to wear them, to me it makes more sense to wear them at night, when you re less active, than to wear them in the daytime when you are up and about.

 

[LaxMom]

Thanks @Celle I will ask my doctors office about that the next time I call them.

 

[Celle]

Be sure to tell them how the TEDs are binding you where your knee starts to swell. It sounds as if they may be too constricting, and that is definitely Not A Good Thing.

 

[sandbar525]

@LaxMom I believe we are kneetwins of like mind! Have a restful evening and will check in with you tomorrow...our 2 week knee birthday!

 

[LaxMom]

It is my 2 week new knee birthday. Happy birthday to me and my knee twin @sandbar525 !

I decided this 2 week update will be all about what I can do now that I could not do before. A way of celebrating and focusing on the positive. So here goes:

• My bruising is almost gone
• My steri-strips are off and my OS did a great job - do not think there will be much of a scar.
• When I go to sit down, my knee actually bends with me instead of sticking out straight
• My standing knee flexion exercise actually looks like a back kick and not some odd, pathetic little movement
• I can get down on the floor and back up to do my lying down exercises
• Being on the floor made me realize that I lost 8 degrees of extension, but now I have a hard surface to stretch and get it back
• My knee almost touches the second step when I do my stair step knee lunges
• With effort, I can get to 110
• My sitting foot slides are easier and go further
• I can stand in the shower most days
• In the morning, before the swelling sets in, I can walk around the kitchen with no crutches, which makes meal prep easier
• I have adjusted to my medication transition, the tramadol is holding back the pain, and I only take 6 mg total of dilaudin a day now
• The sharp, excruciating pain on the inner lower part of the knee is more of a dull ache.
• When I ride the bike, I can put my shoe on the operated leg. I used to "cheat" by taking my shoe off and pushing my foot far down onto the pedal
• I can pedal more rotations in 2 minutes than I used to
• I can pedal 2 minutes, 3 times per day
• I am starting to be able to do a lying down heel slide without a strap to pull my leg up
• I can take short walks outside by myself, confidently
• I can change the sheets on the twin bed I have set up on the first floor, as well as wash,dry, and fold laundry
• I can make my own breakfast and lunch, but I sure do,like when my husband makes dinner!

Those are my small victories. I still feel like I am in early days of recovery, so not help much around the house, and still need a 2 hour nap daily. But, I am making some slow, steady progress. Sometimes, it is good just to list the progress to remind yourself that there is indeed progress.

Thank you to all the support from everyone on Bone Smart. Could not do any of it without you!

 

[sandbar525]

Oh @LaxMom What a wonderful recap of your recovery. It is made all the more remarkable when you consider that it is coming on the heels of a LTHR a little over a month before...you are terrific! This information is going to be so helpful and inspirational for those still post-op. Simply outstanding!

 

[LaxMom]

Thanks @sandbar525. I was having kind of a down couple days, thinking I had not had any progress. Then the list got pretty long. Made me feel better! This will also help me for knee #2. I have figured out so many things. The next time, I will know what to expect.

 

[Celle]

@LaxMom

That was a wonderful update of your progress.

However, do watch that you are not doing too much. It's too early in your recovery for meal preparation and sheet changing. Have a look at this:
Activity progression for TKRs

 

[LaxMom]

@Celle . Only making my own meals when no one else is around, so just talking cereal or a sandwich. Hardly qualifies as a meal, but have to eat something when no one is around.

I actually really liked that article. My OS wants me to exercise 3 times a day, but I was thinking today that by the time I get to the 3rd round it is so late in the day, I am swelling and its does not do any good. This list suggests twice a day and that sounds more doable!

 

[Celle]

Of course, making your own snacks is OK. It's really preparing a main meal for the family that should be "off limits" for a while yet.

I'm sure it will be all right to skip that last session of exercises - your knee is telling you so.

 

[LaxMom]

@Celle - this is what I wrote: "I can make my own breakfast and lunch, but I sure do like when my husband makes dinner!"

My husband is making my dinner right now, as a matter of fact - salmon! He does not let me help him at all at night, and if he is around on weekends, he brings me coffee, makes my breakfast. I am in good shape there! He is even making all of our Thanksgiving dinner. Very talented hubby!

And yeah, my knee is telling me so. I did a few of my standing exercises, but the sitting and lying ones are harder. Skipping those. The knee just does not want to move much now, at 6:30 pm. I am so looking forward to getting to the next few weeks when maybe things get a little easier!

 

[craftdee]

Hi @LaxMom Greetings from sunny Western Australia:cool:
So glad to read that you're doing well, well at least better I'm glad you can tolerate Tramadol, I found it SOOOO much better than Oxycodone, better for long term pain relief and less side effects, and easier to get hold of too!
I didn't have TEDs at all for this surgery like @ConnieJOS I had them after my hysterectomy... for two weeks, I think, and earlier this year when I had my gallbladder out I had them again even though it was a "quick" operation and I was back on my feet the next day.... I did ditch them after two days, it seemed a bit of overkill... and I'm with you they're hateful things It goes to show that it's the surgeon that makes the difference though, as all three ops were in the same hospital, I didn't/don't have Warfarin/Coumadin either... I have to take an aspirin every day - though the OS wants me to do that for A YEAR, still feels like a win though over injections and finger prick tests (which I technically do now four times a week for my diabetes, though actually do every four weeks as it's so stable and I forget all the time, me bad)
Your wound looks good, once the swelling goes down I reckon it'll settle to a pretty neat line. Good to hear you're getting your ROM back too. I have to wait to the end of my restrictions before I can add ROM exercises to the regime... though my Physio appointment is before my OS appointment so I'll be cheating by a week or so. I'm looking forward to getting some "feedback" from my hip, as it's been so protected up to now I still have no idea what it's capable of compared with pre-op, the curse of such a long time of restrictions; it really doesn't feel much improved, the bone on bone pains gone, but everything is still "stiff"... imagine how grateful I'll be when I CAN do some things that were hitherto impossiblemy right leg will be grateful too, it's been doing all the "heavy lifting" so by the time the left leg gets to kick in I'll look like 1/4 Sumo Wrestler I should add that the range of movement in my right leg has definitely improved... having to reach the floor by lunging has shown it that it was independent of the left and COULD do stuff all of it's own volition
Hope your recovery continues it's upwards trajectory,
Donna

 

[LaxMom]

greetings from soon to be snowy New England, @craftdee ! We are expecting our first major snow storm, which will muck up everyone's Thsnksgving plans. My siblings are going back and forth about who will have the easiest traveling, and therefore, who will have my mom. My brother from the western past of the state was supposed to have her, but he may not make it. I am staying out of it and just taking care of me!

I agree with your description of tramadol. I love it. After the first few days, I was less sleepy during the day and the nausea was gone. Last night I had my best sleep ever!

It is odd about the TED socks. I did ask a nurse at my hospital yesterday and she was adamant I needed to keep wearing them and counseled me on how to keep my swelling down. I am likely doing to much. Not like I have not heard that before, even here! I am trying to be good, but it is in my nature to be doing! I know you understand that! Anyway, I did a good job yesterday of slowing down, and it was a good day. I will try to keep it up. Less than 2 more weeks of TED socks, not that I am counting or anything!

I had not thought about the fact that you have not tested your ROM due to hip restrictions. Since I had none, it was the first thing I noticed - how amazing my new hip ROM was. I cannot wait for you to have that feeling. And I know what you mean about other body parts getting stronger. My new hip is taking my new knee load, and it does complain every now and then. I also need to stretch my calf muscles to get my knee ROM and my poor little shattered ankle is not happy this morning. I think I baby that ankle and have reduced my ROM there, so this is a good thing overall.

My home physical therapist told me this week that I get impatient because my hip operation was so painless and effortless. I do think she is right. This knee business is entirely different and it is humbling for me. The knee is truly in charge and there is nothing my sheer strength of will can do to make that any different. I am sure there is a life lesson here somewhere!

That's it for 7 am. Time to get showed and dressed as PT is coming soon to avoid the snow. I will report how they day went later.

 

[craftdee]

Okay @LaxMom. I'm off to bed, feels odd that... being on the opposite side of the see-saw time wise
I totally agree about us getting our aspirations mixed up with our abilities in the sort of situation we find ourselves in now; I was SO well after my hysterectomy it was ridiculous... I got out of bed dragged my catheter and IV tube and drain around so I could wind my bed up to the height I wanted early on the first evening (and I didn't have surgery until nearly 4pm!) I came home after two days (only because they wouldn't count the first day because surgery was after lunch time) and only stopped doing the sit ups I was doing from Day 3 when my nurse friend nearly had a coronary when I told her what I was doing (she asked me why I was in bike shorts and trainers, I didn't think to lie) she did point out the very real possibility of a hernia, so I stopped doing them. I wasn't supposed to drive for six weeks after that op either... I lasted two weeks. It was a cervical cancer thing, so I don't know if it was the relief, or the feeling I had a new lease on life, or the fact that I was younger... that could be it! This op I have needed time and rest to recuperate, for sure
Enjoy your PTand your snowActually we had a thunderstorm today... it got to 34C by about 10.30am then a real doozy of an electric storm (they still impress me here, I remember the first one I witnessed when we emigrated and they're so dramatic!) we had loads of rain here (hubby was working 30kms or less than 20 miles away and saw no rain until nearly home)... of course we only had loads of rain because I spent an hour and a half cleaning (thoroughly, I might add!) both sides of our 11m of glass pool fence... that's a total of 22m or 70' of glass which was clean and dry for precisely ten minutes I didn't even take a pic of it, so I reckon everyone thinks I'm making it up, one thing for sure it's staying "uncleaned" for the foreseeable future... I was absolutely mess by the time I'd finished (must have looked a sight too, as I have to stick my operated leg out behind me to maintain my 90 degrees if I want to bend down far enough to reach the bottom of the panels) the dog, very wisely stayed on the other side of it, he just glanced at me occasionally like I was some sort of mad woman... mmm, perhaps he sensed it was going to rain and realized I AM some sort of mad woman
See ya

 

[sandbar525]

Hi @LaxMom So glad to hear about your great restful nights sleep...makes me very hopeful! Hope that storm doesn't impact you too much. It sure has been getting a lot of press out here and it sounds like it is going to be a doosey. Stay warm and dry! PS Good choice to stay out of family drama and just take care of you...have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow!

 

[referee54]

If you are going to wear them, to me it makes more sense to wear them at night, when you re less active, than to wear them in the daytime when you are up and about.

:iagree:

Arghhh! Just when I thought I had found the magic routine...another night of little sleep.

I did very much the same. I thought that I had found the key to a good night's sleep and dida the same thing the next night---and it failed miserably. Sleep issues, for me, were one of the most frustrating aspects of recovering froma my BTKR.

Thanks @sandbar525. I was having kind of a down couple days, thinking I had not had any progress

Remember, this si not a linear recovery---we will have some good days, and some not-so-good days, and then we will "plateau", too---you just have to take it all in stride and understand that this a marathon---you are in it for the long haul, so to speak.

However, do watch that you are not doing too much. It's too early in your recovery for meal preparation and sheet changing. Have a look at this:

:iagree: Again---you are very, very early in the grand scheme of recovery---doing too much at this point in time will cause more inflammation, and your knee recovery will slow down measurably.

 

[referee54]

My home physical therapist told me this week that I get impatient because my hip operation was so painless and effortless. I do think she is right.

Many folks have stated that their THR was a veritably "piece of cake" compared to their TKR. The knee joint is much more unforgiving than the hip joint!

 

[LaxMom]

@sandbar525 it is indeed snowing and does not look good. But we are all home and tucked in. My 18 yo son is none too happy but he decided to make this a movie day and is spending it in his man cave. I am a slight b it guilty about my mom since she is just 10 minutes from us, but I told everyone last year - kitchen is closed! And I am surely in no mood for company. My brother says they are getting 14 inches so is is telling my mom that this year Thanksgiving will be on Friday, not Thursday. Hence my guilt, but I am holding with my plan to keep it just us 3. I will sleep all day anyway!

Thank you @referee54 for all the feedback and good advice. I am antsy and sitting around is so hard for me, but I really am trying. I had a great PT session today. I told her about my TED stocking issue and she showed me how to pull the stocking down so that there is a few extra inches at the end of my toes and less binding right under the knee. That seems to be working. I agree wearing them at night seems more sensible, but that is not what the OS or hospital says, so am trying to make their orders work. PT agreed That I shouls stick to just 2 sessions if the 3rd one is too painful. She also showed my some additional tricks to gently work on flexion and extension. I got to zero and 110, which see said was terrific at this point. Finally I mentioned that I thought e-stim would really benefit me and she showed me a unit one of her patients got on Amazon. We are going to try that next week. Really looking forward to that.

In general, it has been a good day. Here's hoping I can maintain this!

Happy Thankgiving to all my dear Bone Smarties. I am thankful for you!

 

[hbacres]

I am jealous!!!!!! My surgery was the 12th and today I think I was at zero or pretty close and 94 degrees.. neither of which were particularly easy.... soooooo jealous of your 110. I think I am taking this ice and elevation thing too seriously and maybe need to do more moving around... atleast that is what I am gonna try here for a few days and see if I can get better ROM. A lot of my swelling is behind the knee.. icing that right now. Keep up the good work and have a nice Thanksgiving!
Robin

 

[LaxMom]

@hbacres , you made me laugh. Mind you, the 110 comes with a lot of ahh, ahh, ahhhhhhh!!!!!!! And I can only do it when I do the stair lunges, put the operated leg on the first stair step and lunge forward while holding the rails. Any knee slides and sitting flexion is closer to your number. I do think the bike helps me get there too. Meanwhile, I am trying to do MORE ice and elevation!

You have a nice Thanksgiving too.