TKR Carole’s recovery thread

[Carole4815]

@luvcats , what an accomplishment that you went to the store at the end of the second week. You are an amazing and strong lady! Sure, for people with no knee problem that might not seem like much, but it does to me. Going to a grocery store is one of my goals for sometime in the future, once my healing is complete.

This morning, I walked to the bathroom, then to the other bathroom (looking for my compression stockings that my sweetie had hung up for me somewhere yesterday after doing my laundry), then got my coffee and came right back to the recliner. I couldn't look further for the compression stockings because of stamina. I just needed to go sit in my recliner ASAP, so I did and slept for an hour longer. After that, I awakened and then he came over a few minutes ago and brought them to me (he had hung them in the bedroom).

I put the compression stockings back on and and they felt much less tight, after 14 hours with them off. I could still see the angry purplish grooves in my legs from how tight they had been. Anyway, they have not started rolling yet so I'm wearing them. I think I will play it by ear. I hate to take chances with an embolism, but the pain from wearing them was worse than my knee pain and much worse on my surgical leg, due to swelling I suppose. I checked and they were labeled "X-Large", but my calves are not exactly toothpicks if you know what I mean.

 

[sewhat]

I remember my first shower after my first knee. It wore me out and I took a long nap afterwards.

 

[Carole4815]

I remember my first shower after my first knee. It wore me out and I took a long nap afterwards.

Even though my surgeon said I could shower, I have just been taking spongebaths, for the same reason.

Looks like next Tuesday will be your big day! I am so excited for you, and hope things go well for you.

 

[sewhat]

With my first knee, I was told to wear the Ted hose during the day and take them off at night.

 

[luvcats]

@Carole4815 That's kind of you to say, but really it was more a matter of me thinking "I am used to not being able to walk, as long as I'm not standing or stressing the knee it should be fine." Which was completely untrue, as it turns out. I've already warned Beloved that this next time he's on his own at least 3 weeks.

I was allowed to shower right after my surgery. I probably waited 2 weeks to be sure I was completely steady getting in and out of the tub. I have a case of lovely bath wipes that were more than adequate since pre-surgery I'd had 5 disinfectant baths and hadn't done anything more strenuous than climbing in and out of bed. lol

 

[Carole4815]

Nothing important here - - I just feel like babbling about my recovery experience.

I slept soundly for 7 hours in my recliner and didn't even dream about knees, how about that? . My new recliner has been so amazingly helpful for me during recovery. I am a side sleeper, but in the recliner I do not miss sleeping on my side for some reason and I am perfectly happy sleeping on my back the way it cradles me.

Anyway, when I got up, I walked to the bathroom, circled through the kitchen to grab my usual cup of instant coffee, and then back to the recliner and here I am drinking my coffee and posting.

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EDITED to add: and just now, on my second "expedition" to the bathroom, I managed to empty my portable commode all by myself!!! Yay for that great feeling of independence. I put the lid on the pot from the portable commode after removing it, then put it in my laundry cart, and rolled the laundry cart ahead of me step by step as I slowly walked using my plain jane walker. Anyway I DID it all by myself, and I feel like I was just awarded the Nobel Prize or something for figuring out how to do it independently.

Also EDITED to add: After Day One I have used the portable commode overnight, only, and that is because I am a light sleeper and would not be able to get back to sleep after making the walk to the bathroom, quite yet; but I can use the portable commode and go back to sleep immediately. OK, TMI, sorry!!! back to my original post....
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For some reason, it's usually harder to do much on my first "expedition" away from the recliner each morning due to feeling slightly weak and woozy, and then as the day progresses I seem to be more capable. I am still recovering (despite not experiencing much pain) so I guess that's normal. I did take another hydrocodone with acetaminophen last night just before lowering the head of my recliner and closing my eyes to go to sleep, in order to make sure my mild (level 2) pain would not keep me awake. I was really tired and I wanted to go right to sleep.

Yesterday I noticed that my right knee that was replaced on Tuesday is rapidly becoming stronger and able to bear more weight. Remember, before my surgery it couldn't bear more than a pound or two, due to the torn meniscus adding to the degenerative arthritis? Well it is able to bear considerably more weight now already than before surgery! I'd say maybe 20-30 pounds already. This is HUGE for me. If you have ever had a knee that wouldn't bear any weight then you know what I mean. You just can't do much of anything like that. I am not to the point where it will bear as much weight as the non-surgical knee, but that is coming and when it does happen I will be so happy.

Overall, between the bad shape I was in prior to surgery, and how lucky I have been with pain, I think I am already doing better than I was before surgery. Well, almost anyway. There are a few things I still cannot do that I could do before, and I am still weak, but surprisingly I do not feel that I am suffering and this is just the first week.

I am not wearing my compression stockings.

Yesterday I did about a billion ankle pumps, because that exercise is easy, feels good, and might help prevent DVTs now that I am not wearing my compression hose. But, to be honest I didn't do any of my other PT exercises and mostly slept. I was exhausted and the extra sleep and rest did me a lot of good. Today, I should probably do more PT exercises (gently!). I also plan to nap, rest, and sleep a little bit more, off and on when I am not exercising or walking.

Tomorrow I have PT and also the Home Health nurse is going to come here and remove the dressing for the first time, and change it I suppose or whatever it is they do.

Hope all bonesmart-ers are having as nice a day as possible given the situation, and feel encouraged about your own recovery.

 

[Tykey]

Not many people bother to let us know how well it all went, they just get on happily with their lives.
My first TKR went just like yours, I reckon most are the same. Its the nature of forums (or is it fori) that they give a negative slant on the whole thing, because only people with problems ask for help.
So thank you for giving such a positive message.
My second TKR is after 17 more sleeps, and I hope and expect to be again giving more positive feedback.

 

[Carole4815]

@Tykey How exciting! 17 more sleeps and you will be on the road to recovery from your second TKR surgery, too.

 

[Chemist]

Hi @Carole4815 ;

Glad to see that your recovery is progressing. Keep celebrating each new accomplishment (emptying the commode etc). Doing that helped me to realize that I was making progress.

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

Oh what a lovely thread to find as I’ve just been booked in for an October TKR.... You seem to be doing so well so early on in your recovery...

It’s given me such hope that it’s not going to be terrible... I’ve had 2 THR’s which were great.. so... I’m going to be hung on your every word!!!

Thanks for the motivation!!!!

Hope your recovery continues to go so very good..

Could I ask what recliner chair you have please... I may have to invest!!! xx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LindaO]

Wow Carole! You are doing so awesome! I was thinking you would be so much better post-surgery on that knee! You should be our poster knee and love the positive attitude! Your in-depth experience give us all hope and makes us think of things we may have forgotten that we will need to do. Thank you and wishing you the best following for such a great start!

 

[Carole4815]

@Hoppy Nanny , I know a lot of this is just luck, not anything I did. I'm not athletic and in general I am a diabetic old lady who is more than 100 pounds overweight, so I was expecting the worst recovery ever. Surprise! It hasn't been bad at all, for these first five days anyway. I am glad if this gives anybody hope because this is tough enough to go through already no matter what we expect. As for my recliner chair, the mods (rightly) told me not to post so many off-site links so I won't link to it. Here's the bonesmart on-site link to the advice on picking a recliner , which I read. Everything it says is excellent! Then I went to Amazon and found an electric leather lift recliner made by the Irene House company for $599 that seemed to be consistent with what that bonesmart link says and with what I wanted. There are many such recliners by a multitude of companies on Amazon, many of which are cheaper than mine. I guess I am saying don't just buy this one (you can't anyway because Amazon is out of this model, oh well). But instead study the bonesmart link and then look for the one that you think would work best for you. I really like having the lift function which makes it easier to stand up and sit down. And I really like having the electronic controls.

@Chemist , here's another accomplishment! I am able to put my hospital socks on and off without using the sock assist, and I could even clip my toenails on both feet if I had not already done that the day before surgery. I know that is hard for some people but my hip is nice and "bendy" so can I just put my legs out straight on the recliner, bend my hip so I can reach my feet, and go for it.

@LindaO, thank you! You were right; I'm already better off, having had my TKR surgery on this knee. I am not trying to make it sound overly easy; recovery from a TKR can be such a rough road, but I just lucked out and my surgeon must have done a fantastic job of it.

This afternoon the corner of my thick waterproof dressing just peeled off, like it lost its "sticky". It came down far enough that I could see maybe a quarter inch of my incision, even! Eek. So my boyfriend and I got some of that medical tape (the kind that is used with gauze bandages) and I taped the dressing back on. Tomorrow I am scheduled to have it changed by the Home Health nurse so I think that is all I can do for now. I sure don't want an infection.

 

[Chemist]

Way to go @Carole4815! Getting those socks on and off was a total pain in the...ummm...errrr....knee for me. I needed help for quite a while

 

[Carole4815]

Way to go @Carole4815! Getting those socks on and off was a total pain in the...ummm...errrr....knee for me. I needed help for quite a while

Thanks!! I still need to use the sock assist device to get those compression stockings on, but I am being a stubborn patient and refusing to wear them. Well, for now. But regular socks like hospital socks are a breeze for me, right now. I think I could even get my (tie-on) running shoes on if I wanted to, but I just wear hospital socks right now since I'm not going anywhere.

 

[sewhat]

Your recovery has been great so far! You must be doing everything right.. Keep it up.

 

[Chemist]

I had trouble with any socks. Long legs didn't help.

 

[Carole4815]

Your recovery has been great so far! You must be doing everything right.. Keep it up.

Thank you! So far, so good. Well, for now I will just ignore that my ROM is only 68 degrees. Hopefully that will improve.

 

[Carole4815]

I had trouble with any socks. Long legs didn't help.

Yes! Most people do I think. I am 5'8", but all my life I wished I was one of those long legged, slender, gorgeous models you see in magazines. For once, having short stubby legs and a long torso seems to be to my advantage.

 

[Tykey]

It is a problem putting those socks on, so I just put a plastic bag on my foot and the sock slides easily on over it. Then just pull the bag out through the toe hole.

 

[luvcats]

Nothing important here - - I just feel like babbling about my recovery experience.

This made me laugh out loud and startle the cats. I feel like my entire journal is babbling as a way to keep myself occupied. You just babble away. It's lovely to hear you so upbeat and pleased with how things are going.

Should you have a bad day, be sure to drop that off here too. Everyone likes to help.

My knee wasn't nearly as bad as yours, but I remember thinking right after the surgery, even that first night in the hospital when everything hurt like the dickens, that it was better. I think that really helped me get through the early days. The incision hurt, but once I was standing, it already felt stronger. 7 weeks out, I find that any time I have a standing task, like some meal prep, I stand solidly on the upgraded leg and just use my other foot for a balance check. It's so wonderful to have a good knee!!

I hope today continues to be positive and you get lots of sleep.