United StatesWe bought a power recliner a few days before surgery as I knew I would have problems pushing the handle recliner back down since my right knee needs replacement too. I like to elevate in it during the day and have taken cat naps in it but I like Diane love my bed and am thankful I have slept very well in it each night. The ice machine does make me cold at night but I am addicted to it and dont want to give it up yet. Usually I never get cold and would keep my a.c. on 70 as well but hate to pay the big bill monthly. To be honest I do not own a sweater nor a jacket. The only closed toe shoes I have are sneakers...signs of a Florida girl.
TKR Diane's KneeQuest, NewKnee Inn Recovery
- Thread starter dianehelen
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greatlakes
graduate
Yes, when we're tied to a chair 14 hours a day, finding a comfortable one becomes pretty important!
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dianehelen
supremo
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dianehelen
supremo
Oh definitely, ceiling fan a law, in our home. Years ago we would have the thermostat fight, but as he got older, he acclimated to my temperature comfort level.
I was cold all the time shortly after my surgery. Then, after a couple of months, my hot flashes are back. I did get really cold last night, but now I'm hot again! It could be that my nighttime bladder covers my whole leg from my thigh to my ankle. I bought a back bladder and it's huge! If I can stand it, it really works!
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dianehelen
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mamazipp
graduate
Wow, Diane, I'm impressed. I guess I had a really abnormal recovery! I just got rid of my high framed over toilet commode a few weeks ago. It was so easy. I needed the arms to push myself up. I also used my ice machine all night until fairly recently. It helped with the very annoying night zingers and zaps I was having, and general achiness if I had a long day out. I did get cold using it in the day, but at night o put a cozy fleece over me and was very comfy.
You are really rocking this.
You are really rocking this.
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dianehelen
supremo
Well I do need my arms to get up from toilet, but the toilet is high and wedged between a high wall separating tub from toilet and another wall. If I did not have those walls I would need to keep the raised commode seat. My nights have been good, so I'll probably keep the ice machine overnight for a while, why temp fate huh?
greatlakes
graduate
I'm going to keep the ice machine forever! And the gel wraps. Now that I've learned what they do and how good they feel, I'm an ice convert. I need to find a little girl to teach me the lyrics to Frozen.
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dianehelen
supremo
ICE is NICE
What my nighttime bladder is a big back bladder that I got for my all nighter ice machine. It measures about 1'x2', and covers a lot! That's why I get so cold! My whole leg is being iced!
uva55
post-grad
@greatlakes I think in our case we need to change the lyrics to "don't let it go " ...the ice that is, haha
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dianehelen
supremo
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dianehelen
supremo
Good Morning Bonesmart. Today is day 21 of my LTKR adventure , so I thought I would document my progress to this point so I can have a frame of reference in the future , as well as share for others about to embark.
Day 21: I knew this would be a long road going in, so no surprises that progress comes in spurts and sputters, rather than leaps and bounds. As of the last 2 days I am navigating with a cane instead of walker. I took down the raised commode. I have been lucky to be able to sleep pretty well in my bed all along, which is a good thing, because by the end of the day, I am craving to get into bed and out of my chair. As for pain, its a weird kinda on again off again thing. There are times where I feel I am progressing and only feel tightness when walking, but then there are times I feel like pains inside my new knee. When I walk I feel like a clicking feel on the outside of the knee, is this normal? Also in this same area, feels almost like the arthritis pain I used to feel? Also I feel like a pulling pain on the inside, just to the right of like where my kneecap is? Sometimes hard to describe where and how these pains feel or are located. I try to gently stretch my knee to increase my bend, but not pushing to the point of pain. My home PT guy is pretty good and not trying to push me past where I am ok. I am still icing and elevating most of the day and icing overnight. I still have a hard time sitting with my leg down for more than about 15-20 minutes, I wonder how long that will last, its kinda of annoying. I see my OS Thursday to get my staples and stitches out, which still puzzles me why he uses both, and why I had to wait 3 weeks for removal, while every one else I read here was at 2 weeks. Im a bit concerned that some of them are starting to embed in my skin and will be hard/painful to remove. My stomach issues have improved, but still not perfect, but livable for now. My next big challenge/decision will be how or if, or how much I want to do outpatient PT. I know once I see the OS, the home PT will end and he will order outpatient PT. I guess I will see how I feel when the time comes. I have mostly stopped the narcotics and have been able to mostly keep the pain managed with Tylenol/Tramadol. But now and and then I will take one oxy, just to bridge to the next T/T dose. I guess Im making general progress, but it is a day by day thing, and getting thru a day and hoping each day gets better. Tho as others have said, progress is not linear, its more of a zig zag, pattern
Off to see what surprises today brings to LOG.
Day 21: I knew this would be a long road going in, so no surprises that progress comes in spurts and sputters, rather than leaps and bounds. As of the last 2 days I am navigating with a cane instead of walker. I took down the raised commode. I have been lucky to be able to sleep pretty well in my bed all along, which is a good thing, because by the end of the day, I am craving to get into bed and out of my chair. As for pain, its a weird kinda on again off again thing. There are times where I feel I am progressing and only feel tightness when walking, but then there are times I feel like pains inside my new knee. When I walk I feel like a clicking feel on the outside of the knee, is this normal? Also in this same area, feels almost like the arthritis pain I used to feel? Also I feel like a pulling pain on the inside, just to the right of like where my kneecap is? Sometimes hard to describe where and how these pains feel or are located. I try to gently stretch my knee to increase my bend, but not pushing to the point of pain. My home PT guy is pretty good and not trying to push me past where I am ok. I am still icing and elevating most of the day and icing overnight. I still have a hard time sitting with my leg down for more than about 15-20 minutes, I wonder how long that will last, its kinda of annoying. I see my OS Thursday to get my staples and stitches out, which still puzzles me why he uses both, and why I had to wait 3 weeks for removal, while every one else I read here was at 2 weeks. Im a bit concerned that some of them are starting to embed in my skin and will be hard/painful to remove. My stomach issues have improved, but still not perfect, but livable for now. My next big challenge/decision will be how or if, or how much I want to do outpatient PT. I know once I see the OS, the home PT will end and he will order outpatient PT. I guess I will see how I feel when the time comes. I have mostly stopped the narcotics and have been able to mostly keep the pain managed with Tylenol/Tramadol. But now and and then I will take one oxy, just to bridge to the next T/T dose. I guess Im making general progress, but it is a day by day thing, and getting thru a day and hoping each day gets better. Tho as others have said, progress is not linear, its more of a zig zag, pattern
Off to see what surprises today brings to LOG.
uva55
post-grad
It sounds like you are doing great for 21 days...when it comes to the pain and tightness in the knee/leg I remember that it seemed that everything was sore and tight, and when I got rid of one ache another one would take its place. As far as PT, I think it is a personal preference, I did PT 2x a week for around 3 weeks, It was gentle I never let her push me to pain, but I think it helped me and showed me exercises I could continue to do at home, but you know that many in BS have done their own thing at home and others have done none and they have been successful, you can always try it and decide if it's for you or not. When I saw my OS at 2 weeks he wanted me to go to PT, but when I went back at 6 weeks and told him I didn't feel I needed it any more he agreed since my ROM and extension where at a good place and my gait was good. I did continue to do my own thing at home and even purchased a recumbent bike which I ride every, first 10 minutes a day and now 20-30 minutes depending how I feel, my knee does not hurt anymore, but sometimes it feels tight and or tired, if that makes any sense, even if I can't visually see any swelling.
Good luck with your staple/stiches removal, I would take an oxy before going just to be on less pain side. My incision felt so much better once my stitches were removed, hopefully yours will fell better also!
Good luck with your staple/stiches removal, I would take an oxy before going just to be on less pain side. My incision felt so much better once my stitches were removed, hopefully yours will fell better also!
mamazipp
graduate
Diane, it sounds like a pretty typical recovery and by typical, I mean all of the expected ups and downs! Everything you describe I remember feeling. The tightness, the pulling, the oddly located pains and the discomfort in keeping the leg down for more than a short time. Have you started to feel the "zingers" yet?
Oh, yes, the clicking when walking! It's weird. I wonder if others can hear it. It seems very loud sometimes.
Of course I hadn't yet found Bonesmart, but for me the outpatient PT, once I left rehab, was gentle, hands off, and, most importantly, a structure to my day! Twice a week a volunteer driver from our local "senior center" picked me up and took me there and back. It was a chance for me to get out, and an inducement to shower and look presentable. I think that was helpful! Plus, seeing my incremental improvement and having the encouragement was beneficial. I thought they were very casual but after finding Bonesmart I appreciated the hands off and positive approach, after the boot camp PT of rehab. They reminded me every session of the long recovery period, that everyone is different, and that my body had been implanted with a foreign object that it had to adjust to, so not to be discouraged.
So that's my take on PT.
I can't speak to the staples, as I only had dissolvable stitches. My only comment would be...OXY. A big dose!
Oh, yes, the clicking when walking! It's weird. I wonder if others can hear it. It seems very loud sometimes.
Of course I hadn't yet found Bonesmart, but for me the outpatient PT, once I left rehab, was gentle, hands off, and, most importantly, a structure to my day! Twice a week a volunteer driver from our local "senior center" picked me up and took me there and back. It was a chance for me to get out, and an inducement to shower and look presentable. I think that was helpful! Plus, seeing my incremental improvement and having the encouragement was beneficial. I thought they were very casual but after finding Bonesmart I appreciated the hands off and positive approach, after the boot camp PT of rehab. They reminded me every session of the long recovery period, that everyone is different, and that my body had been implanted with a foreign object that it had to adjust to, so not to be discouraged.
So that's my take on PT.
I can't speak to the staples, as I only had dissolvable stitches. My only comment would be...OXY. A big dose!
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dianehelen
supremo
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dianehelen
supremo
I think most of us have had them. My OS said it nerves trying to reconnect or reconnecting. They are really short, quick pains that can happen anywhere on the knee. Mine aren't that bad, but I know it when I get one. I have described them like a lightning bolt. That fast, but of course, not that bad!
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