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TKR Brownie's Good, Bad, & Uglies

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Thanks for your post, Roxie. You speak from experience. I'm glad you have home and work support; sorry about the new stressor with your hubby's work situation. I can relate to that. He sounds like a gem.
 
For all of you who have started driving and going back to work, how long were you using your walker? Did you stop using the walker before driving? My OS told me yesterday that I could change to using the cane now and I tried it around the house yesterday and it did not go so well. He also cleared me for driving whenever I am ready to but if I am still using the walker, how do I get the walker in and out of the car? I am only at 2 1/2 weeks so i know it is still early for all of this even though he cleared me to do it. I am just wondering how you all handled it.
 
Shelly, I drove around 2 weeks and also had my left knee replaced. I used a walker in the house, but used crutches when I went someplace. I did switch to a cane at 2 weeks. You have to make sure the cane is the right height. If you are going to PT, take your cane along and they will adjust it for you. Your walker should fold up for transport.
 
Marianne, are you behaving yourself. Did I see where you have to see your OS, was that today, or tomorrow? I drove two hours to Milwaukee today and then my son drove home which I was glad, he is use to rush hour traffic in CA and I am a country bumpkin. But was surprised, a two hour drive there, an hour sitting in the cell phone lot of the airport and then a two hour ride home and my knee was good. Guess that is progress.
 
Debbie so glad it went well for you. That's a long day!
Today was ugly. Woke up with incredible pain. But got ready and got in the car then had big wave of nausea. Called and cancelled my appointment. I hurt so much. So I will go in Wednesday morning and my daughter will drive me. It was cold and damp (but only in mid 60s) and thought that added to my pain, left knee was hurting as well. But wow I had so much pain trying to bend my knee or walking. Hurt all day. Yesterday I did a couple minutes on the bike with no pain and also practiced some Leslie moves. My DVD came today so yesterday I was just playing around and didn't hurt or anything. Otherwise I don't know why today was so awful. Felt like I was back at week #1. Tomorrow I go to PT at 11:30 and will tell her my story and see if she has any ideas. A friend today reminded me that I had the old procedure where they cut the muscles instead of pushing them aside. I was comparing myself to another nurse who'd had the surgery and she'd felt like she could have gone back to work at 4 weeks and I was mentioning that I couldn't even imagine doing that.
So where was your son? I'm in Long Beach.
 
Marianne, Patrick lives in Canyon Country. Dave's brother lives in Valencia and Patrick works for him. He moved out there to live the CA dream. Sorry you weren't feeling well. OK, gotta go, have to prepare for our turkey day today.
 
Brownie, I am so sorry yoy had such a terrible day! May today bring you relief.
 
So sorry to read about the lousy day! These stupid knees of ours sure keep us guessing, don't they? I'd also had unexpected pain in my operated knee (although not as bad as yours) for the past couple days. Grrr. I hope today is much better for you!
 
I've been away for a while! I did go back to work full time on 11/5, which was 3.5 weeks post op. I think just getting ready for work, drying my hair and then trying to stuff my self into pantyhose was harder that actually being at work! I'm still letting my DH drive me back and forth to work because, well, I get a little rest after wrestling my clothes and hair, and they denied me temporary handicapped parking and I wasn't going to walk 2.5 blocks up and down steep inclines from my vehicle to the office.
It was tough getting through the day, and still is at times. I seem to hit a wall of pain at around 2:00 and I just close my door and work the rest the day with my foot up on my desk. I keep ice packs in the fridge and will use an ace bandage to strap one to my leg periodically through the day. Should I have waited to go back to work? Most definitely, but, my PTO had run out and the depression was kicking my backside more than the knee pain.
Brownie, is the "leslie" you mentioned Leslie Sansone? I absolutely love her....and Tony Horton....lol. A few years ago, without changing my eating habits, she helped me to lose over 25 pounds. I'm anxious to get back to walking with her again, but I am going to wait until after January, which is when the doc said I could return to the gym. I keep dumb bells by the couch and periodically when I'm actually able to veg out and rest my knee, it seems to keep my mind off of the aches/pains.
I went for a massage the other night, this going up and down stairs one at a time has given my good leg a real work out this last two weeks. It took the poor gal almost 30 minutes on that leg alone...lol.
 
Brownie sorry to hear you had such a bad day. I had one of those day before yesterday, and decided to just take it easy and rest for a day. That days rest paid off, and I am feeling less achey.

ErniesMa I can't believe you are back to work so soon. Big hugs to you, that must be hard. I am 11 weeks out and so glad I no longer work, there is no way I could go back. I was thinking about that the other day when I realized I was now 11 weeks out that I would have been going back to work next week, if I still worked. Thank goodness I don't have to worry about that now.
 
:friends: Brownie so sorry to hear youre not having a good day. Ive had a tough week but feel so much better today so hope you will too. These TKR like to test us and just when we think we are getting somewhere they surprise us with something new. Keep smiling. Hugs x x x :friends:
 
ErniesMa said:
Brownie, they cut my quad too!
Click to expand...
At an informed guess, I'd say it was 'split' your quad, not cut it. There's a big difference and the old fashioned 'quad snip' is really only done in complex cases where extra exposure is required. Such cases are very rare. But there are natural planes within the bodies of major muscles like the quads and the surgeon works his way through them. Just because you have more pain than someone else, doesn't mean you have had a quads snip.
 
Brownie51, here are some photos from 1959/1960 in our orthopaedic theatre. It was our job to 'dress' the surgeons for the wards! The man on the left in the space image and on the right in the Spanish one, is Ken McKee, originator of the modern hip replacement, also the surgeon I scrubbed for when he did the first ever (in the world!) knee replacement!

[Bonesmart.org] Brownie's Good, Bad, & Uglies
[Bonesmart.org] Brownie's Good, Bad, & Uglies



And my fellow student nurses singing carols round the ward. Note the capes turned inside out for a more festive air!
[Bonesmart.org] Brownie's Good, Bad, & Uglies
 
OH MY GOSH!!!! Those pics are precious! Thank you! What a hoot! Those were the days my friend...we thought they'd never end...
 
Hope youre feling better Brownie. :shrug:
 
Thanks Patricia I wish I had good news but I am in so much pain, both knees but of course the operative one is the worst. Supposedly tonight is the end of this damp cold spell. Nothing like your cold and damp. I had to ask someone to go to the pharmacy for me today. Not much to do but take it easy, ice elevate and let it heal. I'm massaging my knee, including incision which is tender when bending. My good knee has never been as bad as it is these last 4 days. I don't use crutches or cane and am up alot in the house and a little out front and back. Hard to use crutches in my small home but maybe that would help. I'm on Footsmart and am going to order a sleeve type thing for my knees, partly for the warmth, partly for the support. Any other advice for a pain set back? Thanks for asking!
 
Sorry you are hurting so much Marianne, are you still using enough of your pain pills? I am sure you are stressing your non operated knee because of your surgery.
 
Yes I'm taking the milder pain pills but still it's narcotic and I had tapered them way down before Wednesday. I sure hope this is the weather thing. I got my Leslie tape but I am afraid to do anything like that right now. I did the treadmill for 5 min with PT yesterday and it hurt like heck, both knees but right was awful. I'm going to bring the walker back in the house if I'm not better tomorrow. Thanks. I got all excited and went on Footsmart, love your boots, and then realized I won't be wearing a heel again until my left knee has been take care of. Aaacccchhhhh!
Wow just realized I have pitting edema on operative ankle. The swelling is new with this flare up.
 
Marianne, they have lots of flat heeled shoes in there too. Do you have any swelling in your calf muscle, I worry when someone starts talking extreme pain that it might be a blood clot. I guess the blood clot could be anywhere, so you better get it checked out if icing and elevating and pain pills don't cut it.
 
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