TKR Debbie1954

[Jacky48]

Ilost track of you Deb! You've been one busy girl!

I hope you thumb shots work for a really long time! I have thumb splints as well and they really ar benefical in keeping the thumbs in place and less stress. When I have flare ups I'll wear it to bed and usually in a short while the pain is gone and I can function again.
Glad you were able to make it to your joint replacement reunion. Isn't amazing that that many people need replacements in a 4 month's span! WOW! There seems to be a lot of us out there.

Shopping with your mom without knee pain must have felt like you were walking on cloud nine! And, buying new clothes due to your weight loss is quite an upper! Two milestones in one day! Congrats!

As for your brother, well my dear don't forget that he had his replacements 2 whole months before you and his memory about what and how he was doing could be a little shaded. As we all know once we've acheived a milestone, we move on to the next challenge and tend to forget about how hard it was to acheive the last one. It's the minds way of moving on. Also, there is the possibility that he was trying to appear stronger and more able to his little sister.
Pity parties are a good thing now and then, they clense the soul and clear the vision!

One thing for sure my dear friend is that you've have achieved a lot and nobody can take that away from you!

 

[Debbie_joints]

Thank you Jacky, you always know what to say.

 

[ElanorG]

Hi Debbie,

Just been playing catch up on your thread. I am sorry your have been getting the "why aren't you better" conversations from family and friends. It is SO hard when someone compares you to someone else's surgery. My friend who stayed with me the first week after I came out of the hospital did that, and we talked on the phone today, and she did the same thing. I have had other people, even someone who is a nurse in my quilt group, wonder why I am not walking as well as she did after she had her knees replaced. It is so hard to bite one's tongue and not get into a really defensive mode. There are so many variables that impact recovery: quality of surgeon, quality of PT, musculo-skeletal issues , compensation issues, body weight, other health issues, etc. and people just don't always realize that. So enjoy a good cry over it when these conversations happen, and then look at how far you have come. As the old saying goes "You have come a long way, baby!".

 

[Josephine]

I told him I finally got to 110 ROM and he boasts that he did that the first week.

I find that difficult to believe - in fact I don't believe it.

He is also the one that said he never had any pain during therapy.

... or that

He just went on about just doing it and I finally told him to F-off.

I can just hear you saying that! Ignore him, he didn't have your operation and you didn't have his. Therefore he has no input to offer.

 

[Debbie_joints]

Thank you Josephine, we did have the same surgeon, but you are right. Our problems before surgery were different. The one thing about my brother is his tolerance of pain is mind boggling. He never complained of any pain before surgery even though his legs bowed out so bad the doctor said you could drive a semi through them. So I actually believe him when he told me when asked on the pain scale of one through ten he said his wasn't more then a 2 or 3. He only went through one bottle of pain medicine too. He is a good brother, but like many older brothers, he had to show me up. Thanks again, you made me chuckle.

 

[ElanorG]

Josephine, I know you said you did not believe him about his ROM that first week, but my flexion was well over 100 that first week too. For whatever reason, I had a really easy time of bending my knee right from the get go. My friend who is a nurse who has had both her knees replaced took me home from the hospital and could not believe how easy it was for me to bend my knee. Maybe we just haver odd bodies? For me, I tend to credit it to all the biking I did prior to surgery. My knee just could not forget how to bend!

 

[Josephine]

Well, I was at 100 in the first week also but in the first week, there is a BIG difference between 100 and a 110. Very big.

 

[Titianlady]

Oh, Debbie, I'm sorry too that you had to listen to that "'well when I had MY knee replaced", dialog. This recovery is rough enough,we sure don't need to be made to feel like we aren't trying when we are really giving it our all. You are doing great!!

As Jackie said, you have accomplished A LOT, and no one can take that from you. YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!

 

[Debbie_joints]

Thanks Tony, you know I had PT again today and Chantel told me that she could really tell that my brother's comments bothered me and it affected my session too. She didn't tell me what my ROM was last Friday. It must have been bad. That session I also could not do the stool scoots that I have been talking about. She has carpet and I couldn't do it. Today when I went I first started out on the bike and I start at #10 (distance seat is away from pedals) and after a few minutes I had been working up to #7, but today I got it to #5. Not sure I can get it any closer as the hand things that spin around for upper body workouts would hit my knees. So that was better. She has me do heal slides as I lay on this big wooden double wide padded table. This thing would have to weigh a lot to be stable. Well, she made me get off of it as I was doing my heal slides I was pushing the table away from the wall. So on the floor I went and even there I pushed so hard that at the end I was pushing my body away from the wall. Chantel told me that nobody tries harder then I do. I did get back to my 110 ROM so that made me feel better. Keep trying.

 

[Jacky48]

Looks like you had a great day today Deb! You must have some great leg muscle to be able to push tha table from the wall and then push your body from the wall! Kick boxing is your next sport it seems!

 

[robynhood]

If i was your husband Debbie i would be hiding the chandaliers to stop you swinging on them. You never seem to stop. It is so nice and very encouraging to read of this progress tho and we wont compare - but wish silently that we will be the same. Maybe

 

[ElanorG]

Glad your PT went so well Debbie!

 

[Debbie_joints]

Oh I forgot, found out today by accident that I can get out of the car without putting the seat all the way back. It had just gotten so routine I hadn't tried getting out without putting it back. Then today I forgot and tada, got out without pain. Baby steps......

 

[Titianlady]

YEAAAAAA, Debbie!!! Another great accomplishment!!! Don't ever think you aren't moving forward, cause you are doing great!!!!!

 

[Nanners]

Whoo Hoo Debbie! Sorry your brothers comments hurt you so much. I have a friend who had a tkr in February and she was one of those folks walking 2 blocks after only 2-3 weeks. Becuz of her I keep all my recovery comments here, cuz I don't want anyone comparing me to her. But sounds like you PT is going well! We are only 2 weeks apart, and you are doing so well. Hugs!

 

[Jacky48]

Deb, another milestone with getting out of the car! You are really making great progress! All those baby steps are becoming giant steps! Good for you, dear lady!

 

[Brownie51]

Aww Debbie that's SO annoying about your brother! Kudos to you for spreading some cheer his way!
My PT guy told me that the people who don't experience post-op pain have dementia. That literally they don't process that the pain is pain. You might want to share that. I love this blog. I am sooo prepared now when I go to PT around other people and they say stuff like that to me.
I think all of us had our docs push our knees to perfect flexion when we were in the hospital and the block was still working! Hey I cannot scoot forward on the office chair, backwards is easy but forward...I have to use both feet. Are you going both ways?

 

[Janet2012]

Deb, I love the little milestones!!

 

[tuli]

Hey Debbie, I just caught up on all your posts and all I can say is Wow! You're like Super Wonder Woman and your brother needs a dope slap! Hard to believe your surgery was 15 days later than mine - I can't even safely climb a step stool right now. You certainly are an inspiration. Keep up the great effort and work - obviously its working and don't let anyone (even welling meaning family members) take that away from you.
CJ

 

[RestAssured]

Well, you know Debbie by the time you and I meet in July, we will both be in super shape with our knees! Now, you are doing very well on your weight. I am getting back in the swing of losing weight after all the stress. I try not to let it get to me, but God is always with me and that is what's most comforting!