TKR DLR recovery #2

[DLR]

Celebrating...slept the entire night in my bed...got 7 wonderful hours of sleep. To those struggling with night time..there is hope. Thursday will be 4 weeks since surgery, I have been fortunate with m in home PT, she actually told me to stop anything that causes pain and focus on healing and bringing the pain under control so I can get sleep.

 

[SusieShoes]

You have a jewel of a PT! The focus on healing creates just the right environment for a new TKR. Glad to hear you got in a good night! Hope it becomes a pattern.

 

[beachy]

 

[sistersinhim]

How wonderful sleep is! Your PT sounds perfect! That helps with sleeping, too.

 

[DLR]

My PT is great...it was a rough start as she was very pushy on the phone about seeing me within an hour of getting home and was 2 hours late...but she has listened well and her approach has been awesome

 

[DLR]

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks. The scar is nicely healed. I have at my PTs request eased back on things and concentrated on pain management both by medication and by icing. I have found that icing the back of my knee/thigh has reduced the thigh pain and brought me increased extension. I am also more comfortable doing steps foot over foot. I have stopped using the cane in the house but take it whenever I go out. The car is slowly getting more comfortable though I have no desire for long trips yet. My walks outside have extended to a kilometre but I do that every other day and do a shorter walk the other days. I am back baking bread and cleaning bathrooms. I still get the blues on occasion, usually out of the blue...but all in all there is progress. Take heart fellow TKRs there is hope... oh yes my other excitement this week, I had calls and have dates for my two cataract surgeries in October and November and my orthodontist surgeon would like to do the second knee in 6 months so likely Feb or March.. all in all a good week

 

[sistersinhim]

That is a really good looking scar you have there! It sounds like you are recovering really well!

 

[DLR]

@sistersinhim yes I am happy with the scar healing, I had so much trouble with hip healing all 3 times that this is awesome. It always takes me by surprise how impatient I get...4 weeks feels so long but I know (at least in my head) this is still early so fatigue and lack of endurance are expected... oh well God is working on my patience training ...I’m a slow learner. So glad for the encouragement here...baby steps

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh, man, I hate that patience training!

 

[Jacimarble]

I totally agree with hating that patience training. Got to keep telling my head to stop thinking I "should" be able to do things and just let it happen in its own time.

 

[Laurenkate]

One of the blessings of having a tkr is that it forces us to let some things go, accept the fact that we aren't in charge for a while - and patience. I've felt "responsible" for everything and everyone since I was 13 years old (long story) and it's been a relief to not do that anymore and to sort of concentrate on doing what I needed to do for myself for a while. Two tkr's are enough and hopefully, never have to go through something like this again but it's been good for everyone in our (small) family in a lot of ways.

 

[KitKat64]

I am an impatient person by nature, so it's been quite a learning experience for me to take things slowly!! Tomorrow will be 5 months since my left TKR. I really want to start walking again, but have been reminding myself to just be patient and continue taking things slowly. I've been going by the BoneSmart mantra: "slow and steady wins the race"!!

 

[DLR]

Yucky night leg spasms and nerve pain. Could not get comfortable even my softest pillow hurt the back of my thigh. Today everything feels more swollen again. Sorry to be down, I know others have it much worse. Just finding this up and down discouraging. Also I suspect I am having a pity party day...my daughters leave for Florida this afternoon on our annual family vacation, missing out is hard, my husband and I rebooked for ourselves to go the beginning of December for a week but we were told yesterday we had to cancel as I can’t travel for 4 weeks after my cataract surgery Nov 19.
Just a blues day...

 

[sistersinhim]

Unfortunately, on the days we feel better we tend to overdo, then pay for it the next few days. Try to limit your good day activities to a minimum and just add a tiny bit at the time to see how it reacts.

 

[Jockette]

 

[DLR]

@Jockette thank you
@sistersinhim possibly but it feels like I have geared back this week on activities but perhaps I am not aware of the extras I do when I feel good

Sorry to be down, I appreciate being able to be real here but don’t want to be a whiner...as much as I read all the stories beforehand, this recovery and the ups and downs continue to take me and my emotions by surprise.

 

[sistersinhim]

Whine all you want! We have all been through what you are going through and completely understand. Those who haven't had this surgery haven't a glue!

 

[Jockette]

Every single continued month of recovery took me a bit by surprise, also. Maybe surprise isn’t the right word, but I felt it, inspite of all the reading in here. I would always think “ it’s been 4 months” then “it’s been 5 months” on and on and I was still recovering.

Sometimes I got angry. Mine is a partial, “supposed “ to be a quicker and easier recovery than a total. I was led to believe it would be a 2-3 month recovery.

It has not been.

No where to go but forward, right?

I’m sure missing out on your family get together is a “hard pill to swallow,” even though you know it’s better for you this year. Better for you doesn’t make it easy.

 

[DLR]

@Jockette yes the family vacation is very special. We have 2 daughters ages 37 and 33, both single and we feel very blessed that they love to come with us to Florida each fall. It’s a time of relaxation, no schedules, fun shopping with my daughters, lots of laughter and they do the cooking . But yes I know it is best for me here at home and I know practically I am not up to the trip..but as you said not easy.

 

[DLR]

I changed my avatar to a pic of my husband and I. I am so thankful for his support. Last night we went for a drive for tea..he keeps being there through my ups and downs, tears and laughter and right now through me “ I don’t want to do this anymore blues”.
I am truly blessed to have such a great helper