TKR Ellejay's recovery threads, first and second

[robynhood]

Hi Ellejay. So pleased you are enjoying the sun and your holiday. The sun feels good on our knees dosent it. Well done on the 5 mile walk. You must be pleased with that. I'm still trying to walk more in training for my 5K walk in July. My Bakers Cyst is so bad sometimes it stops me. Continue having fun and it was lovely to hear from you

 

[71Beetle]

@Ellejay - sounds like you are having a great time and that you are recovering very well. I lived in Europe for 3 years and just loved France!

 

[cafecortado]

You're right @DogLoverx3 we are very fortunate. I love visiting other countries and have a little house in Spain that is only 2 hours by plane away I also go to Brazil once a year for a month, but that's working for my charity in the Favelas. I love Brazil and the people. What countries made the most impression on you?

@Ellejay, you are doing so well! I'm so happy for you that's it's all seems better than you could even imagine! Keep enjoying! Xx


Bernie UK
RTKR 22nd January 2014
LTKR 2nd April 2014

 

[Ellejay]

@robynhood, @KendallSCalderon, @71Beetle, @cafecortado, thank you for all your messages, it is great to know that some TKR stories have happy endings, I certainly didn't think I'd be doing all that I am so soon, I appreciate that I am one of the lucky ones.

 

[DogLoverx3]

Hi @cafecortado I actually didn't love Brazil. I was at a Club Med in Itaparica (sp?) and although the country itself was very interesting, I didn't love the people. Well, to be honest, they were mostly Argentinians there and apparently they're not fond of Americans? I love Germany for the history of it (and the castles - LOVE the castles). Loved the Netherlands for their free spirits and scenery. My favorite country so far I would have to say is Liechtenstein. I love the you can see the entire country and the 'palace' from the center of town. I've been to England, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Brazil, Dominican Republic, all over Mexico, Belgium (got hopelessly lost there), Honduras, Belize, Jamaica, all over the Caribbean (I love to go on cruises) and a few other places as well. Yes, I know several listed aren't in Europe, but I've been lucky enough to travel all over. I pretty much love anywhere with history and old buildings. In the US when things get 'old' we tear them down and rebuild. :-( I would rather wear the same pair of shoes for 3 years and save up so I can travel .

 

[Jamie]

I can understand your pain because few years back I had a problem of joint pain in knee and the pain was unbearable. But I was lucky that I didn't had any serious problem and treated well by visiting a nice chiropractor.

@KendallSCalderon ... so glad you received help with your knee pain. Are you now facing a TKR or have you had one? You should start your own thread in the Pre-op or Post-op forum (whichever is appropriate) and tell us a bit more about yourself.

 

[Ellejay]

@DogLoverx3, you are certainly very well travelled. I am completely with you on travel over new shoes. Luckily I've never been very fashion conscious anyway, and travelling in Europe is obviously going to be cheaper for us with the caravan. I love to see different cultures, so really enjoyed my trips to Oman, Thailand & India. I don't think I can say Dubai was a different culture, I enjoyed the sunshine there, and when we got out of the city, but other than that didn't really like it. We haven't planned anywhere yet for our next long haul trip, maybe New Zealand in a motor home? It depends on my left knee!

 

[dogwheels]

@Ellejay - Hope everything is lovely in France and that you are still having the best time.

Oh yes, travel .......... We just love it, have seen an awful lot of the world, and consider ourselves very lucky that we have got to live in a few really interesting places - completely different experience when you live there. I'm with you @Ellejay Dubai is awful. I feel quite justified in saying that, as we lived 'up the road' in Abu Dhabi which is lovely. Daughter and I went on hols to Dubai in 2000 and buildings were only from the main road to the beach, with perhaps one block inland. Now .............. it extends as far as the eye can see. Oooh I can tell some tales about Dubai. I rarely ventured there, just a couple of times a year for shopping - brash, touristy and apart from the area around the Creek, not really Emirati at all.
We always intended going to NZ when we lived in Indonesia (now that is an amazing place to visit ..... I love it so much, but its so far away). Have always intended going for a few months to NZ, but it would take a lot of planning.
I would thoroughly recommend Jordan. Only had 5 days there but it was fantastic. I hired a driver and worked out an itinerary and it was amazing. I even put my feet in the R. Jordan at the Baptismal site, complete with armed soldier on the Israeli side, with gun pointed across the river (eek). Petra was incredible (not so much the horse ride down the Siq that I thought would be fun ..... urrrgh), but the real treasure was Jerash - an amazingly preserved Roman town. The Kempinski Dead Sea was brilliant, great hotel and knockout location.
Not so many places on the wish list now, but Vietnam/Korea/Iran and a really good African safari are up there. Would love to see Havana and perhaps when I get a new passport and rid myself of all the Arabic stamps and residency malarkey, I can visit Israel??

Enjoy your vacances, Ellejay - have fun and so glad the knees are behaving for you.

XX

 

[Ellejay]

Thanks @dogwheels, I am having a fantastic time, it is getting hotter by the day, although we did get some rain late yesterday afternoon. I came over all British today and cooked a 'proper' Sunday lunch, with roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding, it made a change from BBQ s and salads and although it is hot we both really enjoyed it.
My son spent some time in Vietnam and says it is wonderful and we ought to go, we quite fancy Cambodia if we do go that way, but you have certainly made a good case for Jordan. My husband has had a few business trips to various African countries and would quite like to explore further - so many places, how will we fit them all in?

 

[Ellejay]

It just gets better and better, today I did a ten mile cycle ride, a month ago I couldn't even peddle my bike! Yesterday I did a long walk up some steep paths to visit the site of a dam, my new knee 'clunked' a bit but there was no pain at all. I go straight to the pool after these activities and do some hydrotherapy exercises and any slight swelling just disappears. I know there are a lot of new knees on here at the moment, and we mustn't compare our knees, but I just want to give you some hope. At three months I was still unhappy with my ROM, my knee was still painful at night, but now, I'm four and a half months and I really have got my own life back at last, not this strange one I've been living since January 11th.

 

[referee54]

but I just want to give you some hope.

And that is what you just did!

your post is important to those who are going through those dark days of recovery, and they need to read of the hope and the days ahead---of the activities and the progress that one can make even before one is completely recovered.

You are moving forward with your normalcy and are close to being fully recovered!

 

[Ellejay]

Thank you @referee54, I know that there is still a way to go yet, and indeed, I might have to have the other one done soon, but I just wanted to share my pleasure of my new found freedom with others who still have a long journey ahead - it really is worth it.

 

[DogLoverx3]

I'm so happy for you @Ellejay to be able to do all that you're doing pain free! I hope to get there one of these days but am ever so pleased that you're already there! xoxoxoxo

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hi @Ellejay I am so glad you're having such a good time. I'm so in awe of you, @dogwheels and @DogLoverx3 . You're so very lucky to have travelled and seen what you have seen. It's stuff I can only dream about but I absolutely love to read about it because in my mind I m seeing it. It fascinates me and intrigues me. I loved reading about and looking at the pics of Dogwheels Jakarta stay. That was amazing and so interesting. @DogLoverx3 where did you visit in England? Xxx

Lyn, please enjoy the rest of your holiday and I look forward to reading some more about it

Love Nana moon 27 xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

 

[Ellejay]

My scar at exactly 5 months. Most of it is just a thin line now, I'm very pleased with it. All I've been doing is massaging it with E45 twice a day, much cheaper than Bio Oil. I thought I would never wear shorts again, but I find I'm absolutely fine with people seeing the scar, it's actually not that obvious now.

 

[Jozilla]

Your knee looks great! Glad you are able to enjoy your trip which sounds heavenly. For the most part I have forgotten my knee has been replaced. Take care!!

 

[Nana moon 27]

Wow @Ellejay just saw your scar pic. It's amazing, it's so tidy and your knee looks like a knee Well done you x x x how are you? Is your dil and grandson still there? Xxxx

 

[Ellejay]

Hi @Nana moon 27, thank you for finding my thread for me, I was wondering about posting on it, but it's always easier to use yours as it's always on the front page.
I've just got back from the station, we used to have to battle round the M25 to pick them up and then battle to get back here, sometimes a four hour journey, but we've now bought a baby seat for the car, and my DiL has found a train service that brings her to St Albans, which is very close to us, so it is much easier.they've been with us since Thursday and although I'm now exhausted, and my left knee is much worse, I don't mind, I've had so much fun, I've laughed more in four days than I would usually in four weeks, and I've enjoyed every minute. She let me completely take over, I was allowed to bath him, put him to bed and get him up in the morning, I'm thrilled to be trusted, it wasn't always like that.
That scar picture was at 5 months, now at 6 months + it's even better. The sun in France didn't do it any harm, I was in shorts most days and it's just a fine line on a brown knee. I am really lucky that it has healed so well, I wonder why they all don't behave so well? As I said, the left knee is suffering, but I've carried my grandson around, and up and down stairs,so what can I expect. This afternoon it gave way a couple of times, so I'm more than ready for the arthroscopy on the 16th Aug, I just hope it does the trick.
I will now pop,over to your thread to see what everyone's been up to. I so hope that you get a pain free evening and night xxx

 

[Chihuahuan]

My scars take 2-3 years to go that lovely pale color and have way too many knee-wrinkles to look pretty --but I still wear shorts and skirts and stand proudly!
Grandchildren are a great joy! At 7 mths post TKR I can now lift up my 15 mth 25 lb granddaughter from a sitting position with no pain and just a few crackles --a good feeling! Hope your arthroscopy helps. J

 

[TexasTee]

Hello @Ellejay - I thought I'd bring our yoga conversation to your thread rather than nana moons. I had actually started avoiding yoga again but was determined to start back so went to a 90 minute class on Saturday and a 1 hour class yesterday - I did great Saturday but the knee was seriously annoyed by two in a row. I need to get back into a regular 3 or 4 classes a week, it really helps keep things as good as they get until the suregery. Have you done any yoga since the TKR? I'm curious about what is possible afterward.