BossK's recovery thread

[referee54]

I'm not as tired, and I am working a little from home. (I am a teacher, so thank heaven for Google Classroom so I can check in on my students.)

I was on Oxycontin, and when my substitute brought essays fro me to grade, I had concentration issues---maybe I could go 1-15 minutes due to "brain fog" caused by the pain meds. I am glad that this is not an issue with you.

 

[BossK]

This is all great advice. I read the every single line, so thank you to everyone. I have PT again tomorrow, so I won't take the oxy and I will let him know what I can and can't do. I like @zzevi 's advice as I've had more than one person in my school building who have done this surgery tell me just to keep pushing through the pain! Teachers are a stubborn lot. And you totally get that, too, @referee54. @newlybionic and @littleredcanoe have me rethinking how much I liked this therapist! Yes, I am somewhat of a people pleaser, and I certainly don't have my wits about me yet due to the pain meds. I will become a stronger advocate for myself.

 

[Jamie]

Now you're cookin', BossK!!! Feel that personal strength? You are in charge of your body and your recovery and you're going to do just fine!

 

[zzevi]

You really have to step up for yourself, I was many weeks out before I began chimming in. Some set backs had already taken place by that point, but some needless tears and worries on being told my ROM wasn't where it should be. It's a coming now, on it's own terms, and I am much happier not being hassled about trying hard enough, I know how hard I was trying, don't need others to tell me differently.

 

[Celle]

I agree with the others. It's your knee and you're the only one who has the right to say what will be done do it.
So, speak up for yourself and speak up for your knee. It will thank you for it.

Just in case anyone tells you that you have to do what they want, read this:
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

 

[BossK]

Now I have a relative pushing me to hurry up and do the second knee within the next 6 months. While I'd like to get it over with, I can't bear the idea of going through this recovery period again so soon. I flat out said, "No way!" I don't think people understand how hard this is when it really looks like a lot of laying around.

Has anyone else experienced two replacements in a year's time? I can't bear the idea at the moment, even though in respect to the rest of my life it's a fairly short period of time to be out of commission.

Sorry to be so high maintenance, friends. I'm really wishing my OS believed in BTKR and I would have woken up with both of them done. But he doesn't, and I am alone most of the day so having one stronger leg was necessary.

 

[KarriB]

@zzevi got it right! Even when I returned to my classroom part time at 12 weeks I was whipped. We just think in terms of work, but getting ready, breakfast, packing a lunch, driving and then reverse to come home is all exhausting. Of course, there's the in between when we're worked with kids, breaking up fights, checking work/progress as we walk the classroom it goes on and on. I distinctly remember standing at my kitchen sink on a dark morning making my tea at 5:30 and thinking, "why am I doing this when I could be resting?" A month before I couldn't stop thinking about returning to my students and how much they weren't learning from the 21 year old subbing. The exhaustion is palpable. All weekend I rested, iced, elevated to prepare for the next work week usually checking papers at the same time. Try not to rush, try to take your time and not worry too much. I know that's the hard part.

 

[KarriB]

Well, @FlaGranny and @sheliac had their 2nd knees done around 6 weeks after. @ACDCJen is scheduled for her second next month. You can check out their threads. I've said these people are braver than I!

 

[referee54]

I'm really wishing my OS believed in BTKR and I would have woken up with both of them done.

I honestly am very thankful that i had the BTKR done!

 

[Celle]

Some people do have their second knee replaced within a few days, weeks, or months. It does make for a longer recovery period, but it's worth it in the end.

When you have your second knee done is a decision only you have the right to make, after discussion with your surgeon. Much depends on the state of your second knee and how severely that is affecting your life.

At the moment, you rightly feel that you couldn't face another surgery and recovery. That's OK. The time to get your second knee done will be when you keep thinking "I can't live with this knee any longer as it is now."

When to have the second knee done will be your decision. Friends and family can advise, but the final decision is yours.

 

[KarriB]

How many sick days do you have? I had 180 when I went I for my RTKR so I didn't use any FMLA. Being single I wanted to be paid while I was off. I did use 60 days total because my recovery was over Thanksgiving, Christmas break and a lot of snow days. Then when I went back part time I was only using 2 1/2 sick days per week.

 

[BossK]

@KarriB, I had 71 saved up. This first go-round is using 27, I think, as Thanksgiving is in there, and Christmas Break, too.

 

[referee54]

That was a great aspect about being a public school teacher in Ohio---i had saved up 280 sick days when I had my BTKR---I could not accumulate more than that in the district that I was in---but in hindsight, I should have used a few more.

 

[KarriB]

I planned my TKR around those breaks also, so I wouldn't miss too many instructional days.

 

[referee54]

I planned my TKR around those breaks also, so I wouldn't miss too many instructional days.

I had my BTKR on November 8th---there was a day off due to parent/teacher conferences, Thankskgiving, and Christmas break---took away some of the days that I would have had to miss.

 

[KarriB]

Tim and BossK, I also planned around missing the Halloween Party!

 

[BossK]

I love that, @KarriB! I asked all my kids in middle school to turn in all their Reece's Peanut Butter Cups after Halloween. You should see that bag I got!

Oi, I overdid it today trying a short walk in front of the house. Pain meds in order in 30 min.

Because I don't want to blast through all my saved sick days at one go, it looks like I'll be waiting until summer for the next knee. The planning for so long for the very inexperienced sub I was assigned (I had a pro all picked out, but stupid state requirements on a sub being highly qualified in their subject prevented that. No accounting for the one I picked having 33 years experience AND being selected as master teacher of the year.) has been just shy of a nightmare.

 

[Ronsgirl]

I will be having my second knee replaced on January 17, 4 months after the first one. I do dread going through it again so soon, but I am also ready to get it done and over with. My unoperated left knee is now just as painful and sometimes more so than the right operated one. That lets me know I have made the right decision to go ahead and get it done.

 

[KarriB]

BossK I think it's smart to hold with your sick day numbers. I was concerned that if the infection/washout surgery didn't clear up the infection I'd have two more surgeries which would leave me with about 20 odd sick days. I felt that was a low number of sick days at my age when illness can creep up. But last June when I retired I had almost 140 days.

I taught 1st grade for 37 years (3rd for 1 year) and I never came across a sub who knew how to teach kids to read. Colleges don't teach this, you learn from experience, so when I left on Oct. 29th everyone was fine, but by mid December 6 students were failing. I was torn that I couldn't return after Christmas break, but my knee was still swelling when it wasn't elevated and I was still experiencing massive energy drain. A month later, January 29th I returned to mornings only so I could teach reading. My administrators would've done anything to get me back for any amount of time, their words. So I taught mornings only for 6 weeks until my OS wrote my fulltime return script.

 

[BossK]

Oh, dear, @KarriB! What happened that got your new knee infected? Or am I reading that wrong?

I see my OS in another 5 weeks. It should be 4, but of course the day he was available I already received jury duty after postponing it once! We'll see what he says. If he says I'm still on the no-fly list, then of course I won't push it. The school will just have to deal.

I agree with you, @Ronsgirl. My right knee makes pretty sure I have not forgotten it's there. Even though right now I can't bear the idea of another recovery period, I have to be realistic about the ongoing pain.