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MUA Blue's BTKR and BMUA Recovery Journey

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@newkneesNH I'm so glad you took a day off yesterday, you really sounded like you needed it! It can be such a relief to just lay back sometimes, let your body rest, then come back at it the next day. I'm trying to see what will work best for me - today, I put both ice cuffs on, elevated one leg, the other in CPM for an hour, and got up to 110 - smoother and faster progress than yesterday. :SUNsmile:

Getting ready to go and get a bath - it always starts my day so well (well, er, dang near afternoon, now!!). Knees feel pretty good, I kept the TED hose off last night and slept better as well. I will probably put them back on after getting dressed, but I'm kinda over them quite frankly. The swelling seems well under control at the moment - progress!!

I'll be on the bike off and on this afternoon, then ice again shortly after lunch. I'm seeing if I'll do better with shorter sessions on CPM and alternating with the bike. Yeah, I'm kinda over laying here for hours on end as well, but recognize that may be just what I have to do :sigh: OH!! Bought a big exercise ball from Walmart, hubby inflated it yesterday - I'm going to try gently rocking on that to bend my knees as well. I'll be doing that today as well.
 
Oh my you are doing so much. I was so relieved to have a day off. Pt has called twice today to come today for a make up. I was washing hair in sink could not answer. I will call her back to see what time is open but I plan to tell her Friday was too much and too many changes being asked of me. I did not know you had the mua til recently wasn't online much. I am not driving yet and start out patient pt soon. When you drive do you use a cane? How far away is your pt place? I don't have a bike to ride at home so outpatient will offer me so much equipment than home. I will be off celebrex soon then back to Aleve which works well for me. Well off to do a little laundry. And call pt to schedule appointment just not looking forward to telling her to slow down. How many days are you going to pt now and how long is each session? Thanks take care!
 
I love my big exercise ball!..... while sitting on it for those bendy moves it's great for core exercises like crunches too... I do both at the same time & kind of while away a few minutes on it a couple of times a day.... It's become a routine I'll keep doing for life :SUNsmile:
 
@newkneesNH, I keep my walker in the truck, and have been taking my cane with me. Depending where I'm going, I choose accordingly. For PT, I always take my walker up with me because I feel like jelly legs or something when I leave. The drive there is less than 20 minutes, all expressway. Because of the MUA's, they had me go each day last week, prior to that outpatient PT was two days per week - each session lasts about an hour. They always ended with icing and the TENS unit (if wanted). I basically rode the bike for about ten minutes, they massaged and bent each leg, then it was time for the icing/TENS. The hour went by before I knew it! I do not have more appointments scheduled right now, I'm trying my own stuff at home this week. So far, LESS pain and swelling, retaining ROM, so I'm doing fine. I think for me, it's a matter of balance - enough activity with enough down time to properly recoup. Each session on CPM today has been about an hour - total will equal yesterdays, just spread out through the day. More time on icing today, a little more time on the bike. Do NOT let PT hurt or bully you!! Be firm when you speak with her about how badly Friday affected you. Getting hurt is not part of recovery, and you don't need to tolerate it.

@saltyal I tried my exercise ball for the first time today, and loved the feeling of it. Nice gentle bend, then I was holding it for about 30 seconds or so. BUT - when it came time to get off, I was STUCK - yep, couldn't get up. I'd moved far enough away from the table I couldn't reach it, when I tried to move on the ball, frankly it was grabbing my sweatpants pulling them down enough I couldn't move further, and I couldn't like pull/roll anywhere cause my legs couldn't bend that way. I actually texted hubby (he was picking step daughter up from school) letting him know I was stuck - um, yeah, you can imagine the Facebook posts!! After being on the ball a good half hour, I was finally able to navigate close enough to the tall dining table to use that and pull myself up. Hubby got home just a couple minutes later. So, for now I need to use it with someone home. I will continue with it though, it felt really good!

On the CPM for second session today (about an hour), then will ice again. Today is the first day since MUA's I haven't needed the dilaudid during the day. My thighs are no longer sore, and my walk is greatly improved!! I'm not looking like the Tin Man anymore :egypdance:
 
Blue you know we usually admire folks who are really "on the ball" so I guess you've added another element to that :rotfl: .... maybe you should keep a knife handy so you could threaten to stab it unless it releases you from it's rubbery grasp! :wink: .... I'm so glad to hear your pain level is dropping off & you're making progress in your walking... way to go!
 
Blue. You guys sure eat alot of steaks and veggies. Im always hungry after reading about it . Lets make a deal ! Ill be your house cleaner and you guys feed me !! Hey the ball story was hilarious as I feared I might be a victim of that as well. I bought a ball last year to stretch each morning before work . They are very useful and helpful . Have you noticed the wave of bilaterals scheduled this month. And for April. ??? Must be something in the water. I havent seen jacki post for a day or two , hope she is ok . Well keep up the good fight . Best wishes !
 
I am so glad you are doing so well! I still am amazed that you can get in a bathtub now!
 
icep707 said:
Have you noticed the wave of bilaterals scheduled this month. And for April. ??? Must be something in the water. I havent seen jacki post for a day or two , hope she is ok .
Click to expand...

Hi Ice!
My lovely husband, Lee, shared a congestion monster that moved into my chest and made itself at home! Then he went away for a week on his ski trip.
It was nice to be able to moan & groan in the middle of the night without waking him. But it was a lonnnnng week for me.

Why do I keep trying for the presidency of the darn ODIC?

I'm doing okay.... managing pretty well and trying to determine how much pain meds I still need. Monday & Tuesday? Didn't take enough. This I learned.

7 weeks out yesterday - sometimes it feels like four months since my surgeries.... and sometimes like three weeks.

Hanging in there,
Jacki
 
I am SOOO glad you shared about the ball!! You are doing sooo awesome! You are such an inspiration to me!!:angel:
 
Blues what is TENS unit you do at end of pt? How long do they give you to ice? My talk with my home pt went very well. She apologized to me and was sorry for rushing the changes. She was excited because my progress was so good and thought I was ready. She now knows I was not ready. She came yesterday to make up my Monday cancel. We talked about everything and she agreed with me. She said my 3 trips on long staircase Friday was too much plus I showered upstairs and shaved legs felt awesome hubby helped put lotion and vit E on legs after. Now so smooth. Anyway we did walking with cane around kitchen and living room. We went outside and used crutches on driveway walking 4 times back and forth. Fresh air was nice but cold day in NH. We have only 2 more pt visits at home this week. Start out patient pt next week after I have assessment appointment and they decide on my pt plan. I plan to do 2x a week. I am worried about any massage. Had horrible experience at rehabilitation hospital when they massaged both knees deep tissue only 6 days after surgery. Killed me with pain for whole night cried with hubby for hours in hospital. Did pt next day but no massage ever allowed again. Not everyone reacts the same to tissue massage but it killed me. Having rest healing days is what I need. My ROM is fine and improves daily. Most of my pt will focus on strengthening my legs. Let me know how you're doing now. I am not driving yet :( almost ready to use one crutch or cane outside. Then have to get off pain meds in daytime. Did you need pain meds after your MUA? Take care!
 
@icep707 funny you should mention steak and potatoes!! Prior to surgery, I followed the caveman diet religiously - utterly nothing processed, no starch or sugar, no fast foods, avoided grains other than sprouted grain bread, used all fresh ingredients in cooking, and could dang near eat my weight in Fage Greek Yogurt!! Basically amounted to - if a caveman ate it, that's what I'd include (amazing how clean your diet can be following this!!) BUT - since surgery? Had to set that aside trying to just accommodate someone else being in charge of the cooking, shopping, prep. Before surgery, I would literally eat pile of beef roast sauteed in coconut oil with an egg easy over on top for breakfast, perhaps a 16 oz tub of greek yogurt or a huge loaded salad for lunch, and a 16 oz grilled rib eye and huge pile of steamed veggies for supper quite happily every night. Ahhhhh, I miss those days!! I've started cleaning my diet up with the hope that I'll be back in the kitchen in the near future :beg:Overall, I feel SO much better eating that way! Soooooo, if you wanna trade house cleaning for some great eating, you just let me know, buddy! I can flat out hook ya up :egypdance:I HAVE noticed the flood of bilaterals!! It almost seems unreal to have so many all of a sudden. I'm so glad I'm not back at the pre-surgery planning phase and am well into recovery now - it is most certainly an uphill battle.

@2hips2knees when I tried getting in the bath the first time, I just pictured this whale sliding down a waterslide or something :rotfl: I have a big garden tub in the master bath, would step in, then slowly lower myself against the back rest and kind of slide in. I always wait for a big SGLOOSH or tidal wave or something when I get in :snork: Getting out was easy enough, I finally figured the right hand placement to use, then just hoist myself and rotate so I'm out and sitting on the corner all in one smooth motion. I make sure to dry hands and tub before attempting to get out so there's not a slipping issue, too.

@JackiFL I keep telling my hubby, "ok, I think I'm done with this recovery **** now!" You're so right - sometimes it feels like months, sometimes like a few weeks. For me this past week has feel about a month long, eesh. I'm glad you're getting over the chest congestion junk - that stuff is totally miserable.

Thanks, @Karringtyn I appreciate the encouragement :SUNsmile: I woke yesterday feeling pretty miserable and somewhat witchy - went to bed with shooting pains in both knees even staying on top of pain meds and icing. I was definitely not the most pleasant person to be around, thank goodness I slept a bit better last night and feel better today. I was ready to run away from ME myself!

@newkneesNH The TENS unit is an electrical stimulator - it has a control unit with two electrodes (negative and positive) that are stuck at different points on your knee. The PT can adjust the intensity of the stimulation for what feels comfortable to you, it does NOT hurt at all, it feels pretty good actually. My understanding is it's supposed to help with pain management. The PT would hook me up to the TENS unit, then put ice on top of my knees for 8 - 10 minutes at the end of the session, it always felt really good. I'm so glad to spoke with your PT!!!!! I think sometimes they just get caught up in trying to achieve THEIR therapy goals which may not be realistic for the patient at the time - as we've heard, everyone is different and so is their recovery! The massage my PT did felt good until Attila did it, then her pokey boney fingers just hurt. Before her, the guys would gently massage my quads as they were gently bending my knees, then straighten them while massaging the knee cap a bit - all very gently and slowly. I had no ill affects from them at all.

My day so far? Got up at 0900 hrs!! Yep, slept better :) Started icing at 1000 hrs, but HAD to take off of my right knee after only 20 mins or so, it actually started HURTING to the point I simply couldn't stand the ice cuff on. I had the same reaction last night when icing for the last time; this morning, I even added a terry washcloth between knees and cuff. The only thing I can think of is the nerves regenerating??? The left knee was fine, stayed in the ice cuff for another hour or so. Had right leg in CPM for two hours, reached 110 degrees, then made lunch. Went back on CPM with left leg for another two hours, reached 110 degrees, finally finishing about three thirty. Wow, full day, eh?? I love how agile I feel walking around afterwards!! Hubby pointed out that I look great walking except I keep my top half frozen - um, yeah, I still get caught off balance sometimes. So, I've also been trying to make a point of having natural arm movements when I'm up. Wow, there sure is A LOT to remember when you relearn how to walk!
 
Oh, @Bluetechseeker, I got into my garden tub about an hour ago. Still here. Trying to figure out your smooooooth exit move... did you drain the water first?

Edited to add: draining tub now. I think I've got the idea (yes, I'm home alone. Don't tell!)!

TADA! And I'm out......
 
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One of my neighbors saw me walking for the first time today since having surgery. She told me I was walking really well. I told her it wasn't natural at all. I have to really concentrate on EVERY movement. Will be glad when it all comes naturally.
 
Ok @JackiFL, you planted the idea...now I'M soaking in a hot tub. By the way, now that I've lost so much swelling, I've started feeling clunking in my knees AND can hear clunking when I tap on my knee cap. No feeling or pain, sure are weird sensations though.

@Texan, I'm so glad it's not just me! I walked the length of our short driveway for mail today intently concentrating on heel...roll off toe...gently swing arm...NOOOOO don't LOOK while you do it! It's kind of fun, maybe I will have an all new and improved swagger by the time I'm done :)
 
I was concentrating so hard on walking "naturally" into PT this afternoon that I looked like a gangly scarecrow with mismatched shoes! I was walking toward the glass sliding door and looked up in time to see myself - not pretty. The slower I go, the more natural I appear. Apparently I look pretty darn normal standing still hahaha!
 
I know!! I have mirrored pantry doors here, and when I see myself walk by it's kind of scary sometimes. I find, too, the slower I go the better I do.
 
For me, the hardest thing is NOT staring at the floor. I'd walked with a cane for nearly 3.5 years before my BTKR - and it became second nature to keep my eyes on the ground.

Looking upward and forward is a tough one, right now.
 
It must be a common effect because I definitely walked dorky when I first started trying to walk normally too.... my arms & legs got out of synch & I must have looked like a puppet on strings.... good thing I wasn't chewing gum or I might've seized up & tipped over! :bicycle2:
 
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