PKR Boredom, self-pity, pain and frustration

I have learnt a few more exercises
Don’t do any exercises that are really hard or cause you pain.

Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.
 
Have just found Loons39 and all these interesting posts. Its also interesting how things are different in different countries. I’m English but living in France. Happy with the kine (physio) I see here in France but I may pay to see a physio when I go to England in April for a holiday. I did this last summer when I’d had my first TKR, and found it reassuring and helpful. Nothing like an English physio!
It sounds like you’re doing really well. Very important to wear the stockings though.
 
Henrietta did you spend long in hospital in France ? On holiday in France last summer my daughter spent a couple of days in hospital. The lady she shared a room with had undergone surgery and was off to a convalescent home for 3 weeks. My biggest problem after my 2 days in hospital here in the UK having had the PKR was the feeling of abandonment (for want of a better word) by the system as no follow up was arranged for 2 weeks. I have decided that if I ever need another one I will sell my husband and use the money to book into a private nursing home for the 3 weeks afterward.
 
@Loobs39 That did make me laugh! I must admit I'd rather be home and my husband has been fantastic. In fact I have to stop him doing too much as I feel more able this time, but I do agree that the first 2 weeks after the first one is a bit daunting when you don't know if everything you're experiencing is normal. Thank goodness for Bonesmart!

It's been a lot easier second time round.
 
Before my first knee in April 2019, my daughter suggested I invest in a good pair of earphones and she gave me a list of podcasts to try. Excellent advice that got me through knee #1 and is once more keeping me from going stir crazy with knee #2.

I love to read but I can’t concentrate and forget what I’ve read. Listening seems okay and there are many great podcasts on all sorts of topics.

Listening also helps me get back to sleep—like so many Bonesmarties, a decent night’s sleep is elusive.

Weirdly, I can crochet with no problem.

Today is post-op day #9 and I bundled up and used my walker to do a few “laps” around the top of our driveway. Can’t do much but the fresh air felt great and moving felt great.

Any one else listen to podcasts? Any recommendations?
 
I did the driveway walk early on too. It felt so good to get out of the house those early day. Grand to here you are coming along!
 
@jellycats i listen to podcasts but mine trend towards the darker side, murder, mystery, that kind of stuff. I really like Lore, The Vanished, Someone Knows something and Criminal. There’s also a podcast called Get Sleepy that really helped when I was having problems getting to sleep.
 
I’m into true crime stuff—My Favorite Murder, The Murder Squad, Someone Knows Something, and Small Town Dicks are four favorites. I’ll check out Get Sleepy!
 
Loobs39, just been reading your thread, it’s all very interesting, and helpful.
We‘re all different aren’t we? Fortunately I don’t mind sitting and not being active too much (Although I really enjoyed an outing last week and another yesterday). I find myself sending long emails to people who probably haven’t got time to read them (and posts on BoneSmart?!) also playing silly games And watching rubbish tv.
trouble is there are more important things to do (while sitting) but you don’t have the concentration for them.
dont worry about the lack of physio. I got exercises from a British hospital on line last time as the lack of info here in France worried me, but it was weeks before I did them.
I’m using crutches, but less and less round the house.
 
Hi. If you have Amazon streaming and/or BritBox and/or Acorn, these are good while recovering and being fuzzyheaded:
Waking the Dead (waking, not walking—crime, not zombies)—lots of seasons
Silent Witness—lots of seasons
Vera
Counterpart
Hinterland
Shetland
PS I thought you had a partial, but your signature shows a total—?
 
I did only have a partial - didn't know until half way through the op - nor did the surgeon. I don't know how it compares to a TKR but it is bloody horrible so I guess much the same. I am, however, attempting to walk around with one crutch only which I prefer. 18 days and counting - there does seem to be a huge difference (understandably) between people with reference to what someone can do when. I am very impatient with having to sit around - not me at all - so possibly trying to take things too quickly?
Having gone for a family lunch the day before yesterday and having walked a lot I decided to rest my knee for the whole day yesterday as it was really uncomfortable but in fact that seems counter productive, walking and generally moving my knee seems to be best.
As for podcasts, I did enjoy The Lady Vanishes.
 
I have decided that if I ever need another one I will sell my husband and use the money to book into a private nursing home for the 3 weeks afterward.
Haha! This made me laugh. I have no husband to sell but I will do whatever I can to go home & not go to a nursing home! I’m fortunate that my son is able to take leave & will come help me
 
Take either Nexium or Prilosec (same family of drugs, slightly different formulas) for tummy to stop Naproxen/Alleve from eating lining from stomach. Still gets a bit unsettled though. Add Tums or Gaviscom as needed.

Still taking 1 low dose OxyCod before bed and PT (2x week), but it hardly does anything. First 2 weeks had Zofran to prevent me from throwing that up, but at night it seems to pass without problems now.

Just ended 3rd week and can't image driving yet unless in emergency (had left TKR, so just uncomfortable in automatic car). It could be at least 6 weeks when I have the right done -- maybe more as I have so little ROM yet.

Really hoping this was all worth it. Was in lots of under kneecap/end of thighbone stabbing pains and aching last night. Made me worry I had disloged implant. Better today, but just exhausted.
 
Very, very unlikely you dislodged anything. I had random, out of nowhere stabbing pains until about 8-10 weeks post-surgery. Sometimes when just sitting there, sometimes at night. They lessen and get milder as time goes on.
 
Oh it's so good to hear your stories. I am 4 weeks today partial knee replacement and thought I would be salsa, jiving, line dancing whatever dancing but no, still on 2 crutches and not doing too good with ROM. Sitting on bed best for exercises for me and this knee does not want to go up. Still taking oramorph 1 in morning 1 before bed and does help a little. I can't take normal meds due to reactions and they have now stopped paracetamol. Start physio on Thursday, oh joy. My partner couldn't do any more, but I am just getting so ratty, oh the naughty things I say under my breath. Flippin sons phoning telling me it will be fine, just have patience!!!!! So, thank you all for being here, we are not alone x
 
No we are certainly not alone, who knew it was such a commonly performed operation? I have started walking round with just 1 crutch and sometimes no crutch at all. I do find my knee aches after about half an hour so I sit with my leg raised for an hour. However at nearly 3 weeks po I am finally starting to feel a bit brighter - baked a cake today plus made an apple and blackberry crumble - small steps (lol).
 
Well done! Enjoy and take it steady. Just shows how pleased we can be by our achievements. X
 
Loobs39, sorry I’ve only just read your post of Sunday, about the feeling of abandonment on leaving hospital. I have a friend who had the same op in UK and got the same feeling, sent home with the injections materials without any instructions, (to do them herself) and she didn’t feel up to it anyway. Here I went in the night before the op (their choice) and then stayed 4 nights after (my choice) I wanted to see the Kine (physio) on the Monday morning before leaving, and get the pain control right.
very good care (no practical advice about the next few weeks though).
once out I had a nurse visit every day to do injections, dressings and the staple removal. still coming as 3 more injections to do. Fortunately I found an English speaking male nurse who is lovely. Also visit the Kine each week. Had an ordnance (prescription) for that.
If my husband wasn’t here to help me then I think a convalescent home would have been arranged. So, all in all, pretty good, although this is a time when my poor french makes it hard. Some hospital nurses have a little English, but not a lot (Why should they) and hearing your own language when your feeling low would be comforting.
We pay to a ‘mutuelle’ every month, so that is what covers the hospital costs.
other than that the only payments have been contributions towards pre op appointments which you have to arrange yourself, quite a challenge when your french is limited! (no nanny state here!) Special x rays, Doppler scans, cardiologist, dentist, blood and urine tests.
sorry, I’ve gone on a bit, but it helps to explain why people say the french health system is one of the best in the world. Of course you do contribute to it, and if a similar system could be arranged in the UK it would help a lot, but as the principle of the ‘free’ NHS is deeply entrenched, I don’t think it will happen.
It‘s also true that France has the same difficulty with a shortage of GPs, and the system is getting overloaded generally. Our home visit nurse works very long hours.
 
reeldove - Tylenol will definitely help with the pain. Just be careful not to exceed the maximum dose, which I believe is 4000 mg from all sources in any 24 hr period. Be aware that acetaminophen (Tylenol) is also sometimes included in other OTC and prescription meds.
 
Henrietta - I lived in France for three years and know that the French health system is excellent. We paid a mutuelle too and hubby had two operations there. I have total confidence in my surgeon here - NHS treatment in a private hospital - but simply feel that I could have done with loads more info? Three and a half weeks po and I feel like I am receiving a really bad Chinese burn every time I try and stretch my leg or even just stand up after sitting for a while. Thigh muscle hurts if I walk unaided for more than 4 minutes, stabbing pain in my knee after standing for a few minutes - not sure if any of that is normal or what I can do to relieve it - that's the sort of information that would be invaluable. More relevant is the question - can I damage my new (partial) knee at this stage by doing too much????
Hoping to go to house in France for 2 months in a few weeks but I guess it depends on the surgeon - not sure if travelling over there at 7 weeks post op (by car - hubby driving) is such a good idea??
 

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