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MUA CATSMUM's new road to recovery

Fergus - what a great name! Sadly we lost our girl - Patti - in May. She had cancer and fought a brave fight for about a year after being diagnosed. Miss her so much, we don't have kids so she was our furry baby :catbutterfly:

Not sure if she would've been a help or hindrance during recovery though - she was a menace on the stairs!!
 
I'm so sorry to hear that. So hard as they are part of the family. Fergus was a rescue cat and we got him 11 years ago as a kitten, he'd been abandoned in Devizes. We don't have kiddies either and adopted him after our 2 old cats went to cat heaven. He's a stairs menance too!
 
Eh, have a tough day then take it easy for a day. Same as any other exercise program.

Sitting at the pub must have been wonderful. No chance to put up the leg? I sure wish I could tell when I need to stop when I get those lovely bursts of energy.
 
Knee is feeling so much better today. Iced and rested it yesterday. Went for coffee with a friend but made sure l had my leg on a chair. Also slept pretty well for the first time since surgery last night. :)
 
That's great news re the sleep and nice that you're getting out and about. I'm still at the stage when I can't imagine ever leaving the house again (6 days post op)! Got to go out on Friday though - first PT appointment and removal of staples.
 
@Raffs thats early for your staples to be removed. Mine were in for 15 days, I had Physio 2 weeks after l had my surgery. At 6 days post op I thought I'd never see the outdoors again, let alone be able to do fairly normal things, lol.
 
10 days is my OS's protocol. I expected a little longer too but I guess he's the expert! I had physio in hospital including two sessions in the hydrotherapy pool which were lovely. It'll be 10 days after surgery when I see my outpatient physio - he told me before the op that the first session is more of a check to see how things are going rather than a boot camp - too right! Oh I'm glad you said that about feeling you'd never go outdoors again, I was worrying that it was just me!! Going downstairs to eat then coming back up again to my bed is all I can cope with right now!
 
Although my op was nhs l had It done at a private hospital and the Physio is literally checking to see how you're progressing. My 2nd visit was slightly more involved but not too much, unfortunately they don't have a hydrotherapy pool. I had to put steristrips on my wound when the staples were removed so might be an idea to get some in. You'll find that you have very little energy in the first few weeks, I actually fell asleep on the settee this afternoon after my first foray out - it does get better. I also worried myself silly at the weekend thinking I'd injured my new knee after doing too much - 24 hours later it was a lot better, so font be surprised if you go through that type of episode!!!
 
I've got some steristrips from when I had the arthroscopy in Feb, I think. Good tip. I am shattered and can't believe even something simple like taking a shower means I have to lie down afterwards. I will go through that type of episode. I am a complete worrier about everything. I even worry about worrying!!
 
You and I are kindred spirits then, l worked myself up into such a state before surgery that my BP increased! It's amazing how much just taking a shower or going up the stairs takes out of you. So many people who haven't been through this type of op have no idea just how debilitating it is and how long it takes you to recover.
 
Mine too! I'm ready to sleep now but I've got an anti coag injection at 10pm and my last pain meds at 11pm. Someone I work with is having a TKR later this year and her surgeon has told her she'll be able to return to work in 4 weeks! What pain meds did you take at home?
 
I had blood thinner pills for 2 weeks. I'm taking naproxen 500mg morning and evening, 1000mg paracetamol 4 times per day, codeine 4 times per day 30mg (can take up to 60mg per dose if necessary).
Can't believe that your workmates surgeon says 4 weeks, even my GP seats at least 3 months.
 
I should have said that l stagger the times l take the codeine and paracetamol so that there is a couple of hours at least in between doses.
 
Well here we are 2am and awake. Slept for about 4 hours so l guess that's not bad, at least I'm not waking an hour after going to sleep!! Had to take pain med as missed out at 10pm as l fell asleep before l was supposed to take it! Going to have a read and then try to get some more shut eye.
 
Morning. Do you find that you get enough pain relief from this combo? I'm on a very similar regime - ibuprofen and co-codamol (paracetamol and codeine) combined. Not sure if this is working that well and I feel nauseous quite often too, may try to speak to the GP today. And don't get me started on the constipation....

When I told my colleague that I've been told not to expect to feel "normal" until 12 weeks and I've had a partial not a total but she insisted that she'll be out and about as usual (albeit on public transport rather than driving) after 4 weeks!

Sorry to hear about bad sleep last night. Hope you managed to get some more zzzzz's. I slept ok which surprised me, woke a few times but went back to sleep pretty quickly. Got almost 8 hours which is amazing!

I see this is your second knee. How's this recovery going compared to the first? Are you happy with the first knee? You've had a lot of knee surgery!!
 
Morning @Raffs. You're right I've had many surgeries, all started when l dislocated my kneecap when l was 11 years old!! I find the regime works fairly well and l haven't felt nauseous taking codeine which is quite surprising as in the past I've felt quite ill with that drug. I think you might need to get some anti emetic drugs to help your nausea. I've also been taking lactulose to help the constipation, which has stirred up my irritable bowel syndrome a little so I'm now taking

I did manage a couple of hours more so feeling more refreshed now.

Can't believe your colleague reckons she'll be out and about at 4 weeks - think she may well find that she won't feel like doing that for at least 8 weeks. I went out in the car to Physio two weeks after and that was enough.

This recovery is so different from my previous knee replacement, initially l was disappointed as I'd expected the recovery to be the same, however, no way is it the same. Much slower and a little more pain. I kept a journal last timevwhich l refer back to and I reckon I'm about a couple of weeks behind, mainly due to the stiffness in my right knee. I didn't have a kneecap in my left knee so not sure if that's why. People say I'm doing well but I do get frustrated as l really wanted to be more independent at this stage. Guess I'll have to be patient.

I can't tell you how happy I am with my left knee, so pleased l had it done. My GP and OS both couldn't believe that l hadn't had a replacement years before. In fact my OS reckoned l would have been in a wheelchair within 2 weeks of seeing him if l hadn't of had it done. I actually had it done within 2 weeks of seeing him!!

I'm really looking forward to being able to get out and enjoy life again.
 
Good re the extra sleep. Makes such a difference.

I've got some anti nausea meds which do help. Just spoken to the GP and am being prescribed a laxative. Great - more meds!!

It's interesting isn't it how two knees belonging to the same person can heal so differently? I'm becoming increasingly aware of the need for patience which won't be easy for me but is essential to avoid losing our minds.

So you know that no matter how frustrating things are right now, it'll be so worth it in the end when you're healed and recovered and zipping around living your life properly again. Fantastic.

Two weeks between seeing the surgeon and having the op isn't much time to prepare - wow - you must really have needed the surgery and phew thankfully didn't leave it any longer.

Did you have this knee done by the same OS at the same hospital?
 
Laxatives, not nice to take but makes life a little easier.

Problem is you need to remember that you can't do things even if your knee is feeling that much better (as mine did on Saturday), completely overdid things and suffered for it. Patience has never been a virtue for me, always wanting to run before l can walk :loll: You're absolutely right it is do worth it in the long run.

It was such a short amount of time that l went into complete panic mode as l wasn't expecting to be told that my knee was almost 'dead'.

I was very lucky to be able to have both knees operated on by the same surgeon, although l was a NHS patient l was lucky enough to have both ops in a private hospital in Bath. My right knee had really never caused a problem until l fell down the stairs in 2012. I had an undiagnosed patElla fracture and my knee would lock at the most inconvenient times. I wore a brace on it for over 2 years and finally decided that last needed to have it investigated, I was very shocked to be told I needed a replacement for that one too. Guess over the years it had been suffering silently. :flwrysmile:
 
Hubby went to collect prescription for laxatives and an hour later before I'd even opened the box of pills - bingo!! Typical! But at least I've got them now if I need them.

Did you suffer with your knee becoming more painful because of Saturday or because of exhaustion?

Going into panic mode - I should think so!! I had a few months to prepare and I was still in a bit of a state. I'm just so glad I found this website. It's been such a help.

Did you have your surgery at the Circle? Another member on here had her PKR there in May.

Did your right knee not give you too much pain despite the fracture? Wearing a brace for that long must have been pretty irritating to say the least. I wore one on bad knee days before my op and it drove me nuts - people would stare at me plus it made the knee get so hot!
 
Isn't that always the way, lol. As you say, you have them if you need them.

I really overdid it Saturday and suffered because if that, although l think the effort of going out also played a role in that!!!

I had 3 months to prepare for this replacement and still managed to work myself into a right state. I could have had it done earlier but l told my OS that l needed to get my hols outbthecway first, lol.

I had surgery at the Bath Clinic which is easier for us to get to as its on the right side of Bath. The Circle is a newer hospital but not quite in the right place!

My right knee was pretty painful for that time, ended up on a cocktail of painkillers and the only thing keeping me walking in the end was the brace. I limped so much that people didn't notice in the end. My boss always used to tell me off for not using the lifts!!!! Always felt good to take the brace off if only yo have a bath - I used to wear one at night too!

Up until last year when l had X-rays, the extent of the damage had never been recognised and it was only when l had a MRI scan that the full damage was clearly seen. Always will remember the MRI tech telling me it would be a month for my results, within 2 days I'd received a phone call telling me l need a referral as the scan was so bad.
 
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