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Bilateral TKR Crow22 Recovery Diary

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My arthritis was also so bad that for the last few years I waddled, so like you and ljrfrm, I have the hardest time walking , it's like I have to concentrate on heel toe, heel toe. I am so glad they got you in so quickly! You have enough to worry about! I just got a cane yesterday, and I was walking almost normal! It sure felt good! Everyday brings a new accomplishment , so just hang in there!
 
Happy for you that the ultrasound showed nothing. You are doing awesome, just make sure you do not overdo at this stage Slow and steady is the way.
 
Hi @Crow22 Just popping in to say that I'm thinking of you. I hope you are recovering well, with less pain and increased ROM. Take care. We've got this!!
 
Hi @ljrfrm I've been thinking of you and sending you healing "vibes". I was sorry to hear about your swelling, but it sounds like you are doing really well.
I'm doing really well too, had my staples out on Monday, and it felt like I could really bend my knees.
Sleeping: I'm sleeping pretty well, about 3 to3 1/2 hours and I wake up, but I can usually go back to sleep. My leg spasms are getting better, and I'm only noticing them now at about 1 hour before I'm do for pain meds and only at night. I can sleep on my side, like you for only about 20 mins or so. So it's getting better. I'm hoping to be able to sleep in my own bed again here soon. My husband is worried that he might bump me, but I think if I put a pillow between us it will be fine.
PT: I'm doing really awesome in pt, and my right is 98 and lefty is 90. It's still really hard to go from a sitting to standing position properly, but I'm working on it and it is getting better. On Tuesday I walked up 13 steps to our second floor and took a shower, aka heaven! You know how good that felt, and to be able to wash my hair, I mean really wash it good, ahhhhh. I did feel like a new person. I will be going to out patient PT in about a week, so I'm excited to start that. I will miss my at home PT girl as she is such a sweet heart.
Yesterday I went on a road trip with my husband so he could get a new bow for hunting. We took our pick-up and by the time I got back home, it was really to much for me. I was just sore and had some swelling from having my legs in one position for to long. The up side was that I did get ice cream, but It really was too much.
There are times when I am just frustrated with the pain, which I must say really isn't that bad, but I really would like to cut back on the narcotics. Just not an option right now
I'm happy that your Dr. appointment went well, and I knew you would be one of those awesome bionic poster women! My appt is the first week of September, so I will let ya know how it goes.
Sending you a smile and a hug as you send your baby off to school, I know how hard distance can be, when your children are far from you. My son is in the navy and lives in Hawaii. I know hard, right? The time difference can be challenging, but we do manage to connect when he's not on deployment.
Keep keeping on honey, you are doing really awesome.
 
@Crow22 glad it wasn't a clot, and glad you got your staples out. Hubby got his stitches out Tuesday. You are such a brave soul doing both at once and tackle your steps. Have a great evening!
 
@Crow22 Great update - you are doing fantastic. Stairs, road trips with hubbie, and awesome ROM...........little by little we are making it!!

Isn't it great to have the staples out and really shower and wash the hair? It really does help you feel like a new person!! It will be hard to leave your sweet PT lady, but it's nice to get out and go somewhere with the bike, and other machines/activities. My husband and I will sometimes stop at Starbucks on the way home, which helps me feel a bit more human getting out into the world and socializing.
The past two days have been a bit hard for me as I've been real achey - like you, I just want to get off narcotics - and can't yet. I start to ache around the 3 hour mark and I know my body is telling me that I need to keep up with them for longer.

My son sent me a few photos of his new apartment - I hate not being able to see it in person. He is happy and well - so I know he is fine. It's a great excuse to take a road trip next month when I'm feeling better. You will have to plan a trip to Hawaii with your new bionic knees to visit your son and climb a volcano........what better way to break them in :)

So glad you're doing well and that you checked in.............keep up the great work!
 
you're doing great! And you're learning how to listen to the knees also.
 
@Crow22 So, on the way to PT today, we were behind a car with the license plate Crow01. It made me think of you :)
 
@ljrfrm ha ha Just goes to show you, you never know when those crows will show up! Thanks for the good thoughts.
I had PT this morning and I was given a new exercise where I lay on my stomach and have a strap around my ankle, then you gently bend your leg back and hold it and then release. Phew it was a challenge, and she had me walking with my trusty wheelie walker outside, down our driveway and back up around the house. So now I'm sitting with my legs elevated and ice, ice baby!!
If all goes well next week we transition to a cane. I have been able to walk short distances without my walker, but I kinda look like Frankenstein. I even have the twirlie arms to go with it when I loose my balance, quite comical I must say!
I'm loving your Starbucks stop and am thinking I might just borrow that from you! I agree with you in that it's important to get out and be with people, so I'm looking forward to my next step. I'm glad your son sent you a picture, it does help to see where they are living. I'd love to visit Hawaii again, but it Sooo expensive and I'm hoping that my son and his wife will be able to come for Xmas or New Years, we'll see how their schedule is.
@tiredwife Thank you for those kind words, and I'm glad your hubby is doing well.@madinana it is the everyday little things that really give you that yeah feeling. Sounds like you are doing awesome yourself!
 
@Crow22 At PT today, I went from the walker to the cane - and I too look like Frankenstein. With practice, I looked better but I too looked a bit comical. We went out to lunch after - I've craved a lunch out ever since I saw @tiredwife post about eating out with her husband :) I couldn't keep my legs dangling down but was able to rest them on the other booth so I did ok. It was so nice to be out! I ran into a few people I knew (of course, cuz I looked like doo doo with no shower) so of course had to explain why I was walking like Frankenstein (I brought the cane in the restaurant ). I also was asked to lay on my stomach today at PT - first time- never tried it before and was scared to death - did it and it didn't hurt too much. Was very surprised. I am now back in my recliner, with my trusty ice machine and walker by my side.
 
@ljrfrm Sorry I caused a craving! Hubby is getting cabin fever pretty bad, so little outings help. Even just a drive to pick up meds.
 
@Crow22, @ljrfrm - you both are my inspiration! I'm amazed at your recoveries and hope mine goes as well. Scheduled next Wed. Aug. 27. I have a question about the ice machine - do you have two knee wraps or just one and you alternate? I talked with the DJO rep at the hospital and she said they could only sell me one. This was to keep me from over icing. Not sure I agree and will ask the dr.

Keep up the good work. You both are doing so great.
 
@rosietosie I have seen some BTKR's photos on here and they have one that has a splitter that has a hose for each knee. If they only give you the one, maybe you can get a splitter for it. Or just use regular ice packs on the other knee.
 
@rosietosie Thanks for the kind words. I found reading other recovery threads so helpful in the days leading up to my surgery. It's such an up and down roller coaster and it's wonderful to hear from others that our recoveries are an inspiration to others. Because honestly, on some days I don't feel like I'm doing very well - I have to fight through the swelling for every degree of bend.

I love my ice machine and I think it's been huge with my recovery. My OS sold me a splitter and two knee wraps so I ice both knees at the same time. I love it this way - as I can go to bed at night with both knees icing. I don't think my doctor was ever concerned about over icing - as they had the ice machine on me non-stop while I was in the hospital as well. I wonder if you could find the splitter online?? Even if you can't get it, I would definitely recommend the machine over gel packs - just for convenience sake. I actually have the gel packs on me now, as I have difficulty filling the ice machine on my own and my husband isn't home. They ice well - but don't stay cold nearly as long as I can get with the machine.

Best wishes for your surgery. I will follow your recovery and I'm here with any questions/concerns. I don't think I could make it through this without the support and advice here.
 
@ljrfrm - I will definitely ask my os about the splitter. Just as you said, we really were thinking it would be a big help to get continuous icing through the night. The ice machine was a huge help with my husband's rotator cuff surgery. He kept it going almost no -stop.

Have an awesome recovery day today!
 
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