TKR Brand New Day!

[Lexismom]

Funny how a simple pleasure like going out to lunch can mean so much when we are copped up in the house for so long. Hope the drive is not too long to bother your leg; but I cans sense how excited you are for your excursion.. Let us know how it was and how your knee held up,

Karyn

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Heidi, I have just caught up on your post.
Isn't it amazing how quickly the weeks fly by. I will be at 8 weeks tomorrow. Time to start planning for my return to work.
The view from your lake house looks just amazing, what a wonderful place.
Have a super weekend there and enjoy your glass of wine and your lunch out. Hope the sun shines for you.
You are making good progress, congratulations ,
Hugs, Toothfairy x

 

[Baystater]

Well, yesterday was a perfect example of TOO much, TOO soon My one month post op with my surgeon was at 1:00 in the afternoon so my husband took the day off. It was a beautiful spring day, we were out in the yard admiring how everything has finally started to grow again. Then the surgeon's office called to say he had an emergency surgery, could I come in late afternoon instead? No problem for me but that gave us the entire day, so off we went to Lowes (those in the US know Lowes, but for those of you in the UK or Australia they are huge home improvement stores with everything from hardware and lumber, to plants and home decor. Lots of fun!) Took the cane but walked all around, bought some nice new things for hubby to plant, a few pretty things for the house. Then home to walk around the yard again. Then off to a farm stand to buy our nice fresh fruits and veggies for the week, plus some other goodies like a crusty loaf of bread and some good cheeses. The on to doctor. The doctor was very pleased, made me feel like a kid in school who had done well on the pop quiz. No problem doing other knee he said, whenever I'm ready (fall most likely, I want to enjoy my summer.) Then home to fix dinner and enjoy that crusty bread.

A great day but I paid for it - pain in both legs from mid thigh down by mid evening Not knee pain, but muscular pain as if I had hiked a mountain! With these cranky knees I haven't hiked in a few years but I remember how I used to feel the next day. I think my muscles got a work out and they really haven't had a chance to do much of anything the last 4 weeks. So lesson learned - everything in moderation!

My doctor didn't use staples, he used derma bond which is nice but stays stuck on and kind of nasty looking for 3 to 4 weeks . Most of it has finally come off in the shower so I took a picture and just posted my badge of honor on the knee scar thread.

I have to say, I am very pleased at where I am in this process!

Heidi

 

[Elliemae]

Heidi, I have officially added you to my "HERO" list of those that have gone before me.... I can only hope to follow in your "new knee" footsteps..... CHEERS !!

 

[Baystater]

Elliemae, you will my dear! Honestly - so often I get worked up about something only to look back after the fact and say what was I worried about? I left the doctor's office yesterday so happy he agreed immediately to replacing the left knee (he tends to be conservative.) Now that I've seen how good a replaced knee feels I won't hesitate!

 

[Grammy59]

Heidi, I'm so glad you are doing so well. And enjoying the wonderful spring weather, too. I know you are resting, elevating and icing today, right?? Hope your recovery continues it's upward progress and that the overdoing days are few and always followed by. . .you know the drill, and you are doing great!! Take care!

 

[Baystater]

I have to say, I am not terribly good at the elevating and icing but I do the resting whenever the feeling hits. I do try to throw a bag of frozen peas on when I rest...from time to time. I'm one of those people for whom the icing actually makes it ache. (The PT said some people are like that.) On a day to day basis I have little or no swelling, but on those days when I've overdone it it is noticeable so I try to be a good girl

 

[kimejen]

Hi Heidi, Just seen your "badge of honour" - very nice indeed. Glad to hear you're doing so well and OS was very pleased with you. I'm really pleased for you. At this moment in my recovery thinking about having my other knee done is the last thing I'd want to do, in fact I hope my left knee will go on for some years, as at the moment I wouldn't want another knee replacement. I am doing relatively well, and feeling stronger in the knee, but when I walk I just can't bend the knee well enough to get a good stride, and that frustrates me. I get my flexion by jiggling forward on a chair, and I don't know whether that will be good enough for my OS when I see him in a few weeks . Anyway, I can only do what I can do. You have a good day. Crusty bread and cheese - yummo!

 

[Baystater]

Hi Heidi, Just seen your "badge of honour" - very nice indeed. Glad to hear you're doing so well and OS was very pleased with you. I'm really pleased for you. At this moment in my recovery thinking about having my other knee done is the last thing I'd want to do, in fact I hope my left knee will go on for some years, as at the moment I wouldn't want another knee replacement. I am doing relatively well, and feeling stronger in the knee, but when I walk I just can't bend the knee well enough to get a good stride, and that frustrates me. I get my flexion by jiggling forward on a chair, and I don't know whether that will be good enough for my OS when I see him in a few weeks . Anyway, I can only do what I can do. You have a good day. Crusty bread and cheese - yummo!

Keep at it Jenny, it is still so early in the game and the ROM continues to improve. My OS said that by week 6 or 7 it gets harder to increase the flexion but this afternoon I asked my nice Aussie PT. She said that she has seen many people for whom the numbers really increase in the 4th, 5th, or 6th month post op (folks she sees for the first TKR, then goes back to see them later for the second knee.) she said just keep pushing it on a daily basis, bend as far as you can, hold it, exhale and see if it can bend a bit more. I agree, that chair bending is tough. In actually bruised the palms of my hand gripping the chair on that one ! Today she had me hold the leg under
the thigh and lean back and see how far gravity would let it just naturally bend. It hurts but I only bent back and allowed it to bend to a certain point. I will just work on it on a daily basis.

Here is the best part of her visit - she had a busy day and didn't get here until 5 in the afternoon. By the time she left it was 6, too late to do that roast I had planned for dinner! So we went to a little pub nearby and had fish and chips What a therapeutic PT session this one was!

 

[maddoxsmama]

Heidi So glad your OS said you were doing great. Sounds like you and hubby had a great day (love to go to Lowes) and so sorry you had to paid so dearly for it. I am trying my best not to join the OVERDID IT CLUB but I know me and it is getting a little harder each day to behave!!! Just told Kathy and Barb that I was going to turn on Dancing With the Stars and just imagine all of us gals dancing and kicking up our new knees!!

 

[Baystater]

Oh geez Cathy, I'd better learn to dance! I was a DJ in college so how about you girls dance and I'll just handle the music? I promise I'll still wear a fancy costume to show off the new knee

 

[Baystater]

Well two new TKR recovery milestones checked off the list; yesterday was my last visit from my visiting PT and I told her my OS said no driving until I can go up a step with the operative leg (my right knee, so my driving leg.) She took me into the foyer and worked with me on the steps, and voila I went up the steps "normally." She said I should do this several times a day and then go for a little drive this weekend with hubby as passenger in case I feel like it is too much. Very happy about this. Love my house but 5 weeks of home alone and I'm going a bit bonkers

Second milestone, and equally important, today after showering and doing my hair I put on a cute pair of jeans! First time since surgery I am not in black yoga pants. (I was so worried anything other than the soft cotton would feel icky on the incision.) They feel fine, they look great (I've lost 8 pounds since the surgery without even trying, must have been the decreased appetite. That was a nice surprise ) Put on a nice black top, a pretty silver necklace and a scarf. I look rather nice, ha ha. Eyed a pretty pair of black sandals on the closet shelf but decided maybe sandals might not be right just yet, worried I'll trip. So OK the outfit is paired with sneakers...but still and all I feel great!

 

[eastside85]

Heidi - you are doing so incredibly well, it's just amazing! You have the best attitude of anyone I know, so much spirit, and your generosity in uplifting others, I admire you. It always makes me smile to see your posts to me, and thank you for all the good advice and sharing your experience. It's helped me so much.

Love your description of your jeans assemble, and can't wait to be able to wear something other than black yoga pants, but for now, they are a heaven sent.

Be good, you!!

 

[Grammy59]

Hi Heidi,
Woohoo way to go!! Wonderful progress-you are a real inspiration-makes me not dread mine so much. I bet you look really cute in your ensemble, and you lost 8 pounds, too!! Welcome to the new and improved Heidi, enjoy your weekend and your "outing". Let us know how that goes, sure it will be fine, and such a pleasure to be out of the house for a while. Take care

 

[Baystater]

Thanks Deb and Barb! After I gleefully posted about my outfit I worried people would think I was vain...I was just so pleased to be wearing something a little less "convalescent" for a change
Of course after I posted it I went to look in the mirror...again...and noticed the tag was still hanging from the scarf. Way to spoil an outfit! Tee hee hee.

Have a wonderful weekend ladies - it is sunny and beautiful here in Massachusetts today. Hubby is headed home soon and we are going up to the lake for the weekend. He wants to plant some things and I will sit in a lawnchair and hand out advice

 

[Lexismom]

Hiedi:

Hope you have a wonderful weeek-end; you deserve it! Your outfil sounds cute; insttead of being vain I think it is adorable that you are getting such ploeasure over the simple things. As others have said your postings make me not dread my surgery so much so thanks fo that.

Karyn

 

[Baystater]

Thank you Karyn - and honestly I understand that dread, but don't worry too much. This whole thing is quite "doable" I think the biggest thing is that fear of the unknown, don't you?

My OS said all I had to do was say when for my other knee so I've been looking at the calendar trying to figure out a good time. I think sometime in October will work because then I should be in pretty good shape by Thanksgiving. So there you go, how bad could it be if I'm already planning the other one? Not bad at all!

Heidi

 

[maddoxsmama]

Heidi Congratulations on those two accomplishments!! Just a few more steps to what we are all working toward-a normal life not centered around our knees!! Took my shower this morning, got dressed in my soft clothes and even put on a little mascara and blush. Having friends coming over this evening for pizza and visiting. I can't go out so they decided to come to me. Just hope I can stay awake and not drop off to sleep while they are here. Enjoy your weekend relaxing around the lake.

 

[Baystater]

Cathy, good for you! Somewhere around my second week I started putting on a little make up and earrings. It felt so odd in the beginning to not care, but I just cared about the knee. If it didn't hurt (and my hair was clean) I was content. So unlike me
Hope enjoyed your company and pizza, and I hope you snuck in a glass of wine with that pizza!

Heidi

 

[kimejen]

Heidi, lovely to see how well you're doing, I am so happy for you. Glad the jeans didn't make the scar hurt. I still can't have anything heavy on my scar, still wearing very soft tracksuit type pants. Have tried putting something different on, but within about 10 mins they're off. Hope you had a lovely weekend at the lake. Something so nice to look forward to each week. I used to take my little dog Tiny for his daily walk, not that far because my knee ached a lot, but I've missed my walk with him. Hubby has had the job of taking him, but the last couple of days I've gone to our little park at the end of the street (in the car as the road is a bit steep) and Tiny is torn between his love for us both. Hubby said he can see the difference in Tiny with me being there, he is just "different". I tell hubby to go on the usual route and I will just walk along on the flat and meet up with them when they come back. Off Tiny goes, but then suddenly realizes that mum's not there and comes racing back to me, but then looks on for hubby. You can almost see the confusion, "what shall I do, who shall I be with". Precious little thing. He has been such a wonderful companion these 5 weeks, so loyal. So I am enjoying the little walk and hope to build that into my exercise for the day. Knee swells up like crazy, but nothing ice and elevation can't help. Take care. Jenny