TKR Ellejay's recovery threads, first and second

[yiayia3]

Welcome to motorhomefun Yorkshire Girl, hope the temp is better Terri

 

[NuNe4Me]

Yes, I prefer the snow to rain. At least the snow is easier to move around. The snow also makes me feel better. There is something about the drop in temperature that makes my neuropathy feel better - the change in the barometric pressure, I believe. And, occasionally, my 17-yr-old daughter gets a day off from high school, and I get to spend some time with her. Once the snow melts, she is always running around with her friends, so I rarely get to see her in the summer months - but when she runs out of money, I see her again! =)

I LOVE your campervan. That is exactly what I have tried to talk my husband into getting - there are so many things to see around the USofA. There really is a lot to do here in Ohio - people really underestimate Ohio. We live very close to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which is a beautiful area. That is where I love to ride my bike - which was the thing that propelled me to get my knee fixed. But, maybe, someday, I will talk my husband into getting a camper???..............................

The crying spells are normal after a TKR - don't feel bad. Your body is still recovering from a very traumatic surgery - the shock will cause you to cry. Also, the withdrawal from those potent drugs that were used in the hospital will cause you to cry. Things will gradually get better and better.

Glad to hear you had a good outing with your friends. It is good to get in some "normal" activities.

The only thing I am fighting now is feeling bored, useless and fed up. I am usually a very positive, bubbly personality, I was an assistant head teacher, so totally in charge of everything, but four weeks of this has turned me into a dependent, introvert who can't even decide what she wants for breakfast! Friends and family have been wonderful, really supportive , visiting me, taking me out, but I am just not used to having my life controlled by others. Admittedly my life was controlled by pain for the last few months and I wasn't able to do much at all, I had retired from school because I just couldn't keep up with the children, I worked with 4-7 year olds. In a way I wish I had a job to work towards as now I have nothing at all to aim for.

That "totally in charge of everything" person will be back!

...in total desperation and boredom I've resurrected my patchwork quilt that I started when I was at college in the 70s. I never did finish it and somehow the last 40 years have been somewhat busy, but I kept it and so here it is again, I'll try and post a picture later. The fabrics are really dated but it's something to do!

That's it! =) Get a hobby to keep your mind busy. You wanted to finish off that patchwork quilt anyway...... =)

Have a good day!

 

[Yorkshiregal54]

Looks good @yiayia3 hopefully one day !!! We try to go away for a few days at Easter with our staffy of course , she loves coming with us .x

 

[yiayia3]

I would love to get a dog I look after my sons Dalmation he's lovely but a bit mad it would be nice to give a Greek dog a home my friend has 2 and they are great dogs. Terri

 

[Ellejay]

I just can't wait for the winter to be over and get out again. We're talking about going off to France in mid May, I just hope my left knee won't be too bad by then. At present it is really complaining about its workload.

 

[Ellejay]

I had quite a long walk yesterday, and last night my knee reminded me that I'd done it - had to take extra pain killers at 3 in the morning. This is my preparation for my PT session later on this morning- resting, raising and icing, and it's really comfortable. I'll let you know how I got on later.

I'm going to visit my 90 year old Dad after the hospital, I was supposed to go on Monday, but I was in a dark place on Monday and couldn't face his moans as well, hopefully he won't complain too much today. Unfortunately his knees are very bad now, but they weren't when he was my age. He is totally inactive which doesn't help but he won't be told.

 

[dogwheels]

Good morning @Ellejay - hope your PT goes well. Mine has been cancelled today as the physio has the evil virus that's doing the rounds. Not particularly sorry as the weather is yukky.
Love the PJ's - just before op I had a moment of madness and bought a delightful Onesie. Ha ha - as I'm not going out now I think I may wash my hair and then snuggle up in that today. You can bet that if I do so, visitors will instantly arrive!
Hope your Dad is doing OK. My Mum's 85 and has real mobility problems but her flat is well-geared up for her needs. Every night when I ring her she asks about my knee and then gives me a graphic low down on her denture problems!!
Loved your patchwork - thinking I might get some sewing out today .............
Talk later
ChrisX

 

[Ellejay]

Hiya @dogwheels, @Nana moon 27, @yiayia3, @Foxmyster1967, @NuNe4Me, @Yorkshiregal54, @glazed151, @DogLoverx3 and all other friends,
I'm sorry your throat is still bad Nana moon, I just hope it gets better very soon. Bad luck about your physio being cancelled dogwheels, it's a shame when you have prepared for it. I went to my third group PT session today, I've worked hard - but not too hard- for this, and I had definitely improved on all the activities, but when it came to measuring my ROM they said they weren't measuring today, they would do that next week when I was discharged. I was quite upset, I just wanted some positive reinforcement for the effort I've put in this week. One of the therapists thought it was at least 110 but that was just him looking at my bent knee. I asked about swimming and hydrotherapy and was told not to think about it for another three or four weeks, that seems a bit harsh,and it's not because of my scar, that has completely healed now.
I braved a visit to my 90 year old Dad afterwards, and that sent my BP sky high, he can be so frustrating. He decided to stop his heart medication, and then wondered why he was so breathless all the time . I'm home now, I'm just going to rest for the evening now.
I'm just watching the news, the weather is just appalling, 100mph winds, and a months worth of rain in the next few days, how can our tiny island take much more? Stay safe everyone and take care xx

 

[DogLoverx3]

Hiya Ellejay. I still can't believe that you find putting your legs on the wall to be comfortable! Every time you post a picture, I cringe. Very glad it works for you, but there's no way I could do that. Maybe it would help my terminally swollen knee though.....

Sorry about your dad. I have one of those too. Not a dad, perse, but one that sends my BP skyrocketing and is a very negative man who takes no responsibility for the situation that he's in. Ugh. Sucks when the kids become the parent.

I can't believe they wouldn't measure your ROM. My PT does it whenever I ask. Sure he rolls his eyes, but I explain that with all the other challenges I seem to be having with my recovery, at least a good ROM number is motivating to me.

I hope your weather improves soon ~ take good care of yourself and keep up the great work!

 

[Ellejay]

Hi @DogLoverx3, sorry to make you cringe , it must have been my years of yoga that trained me to do that exercise, I always did find it a comfortable position even before the surgery. I would often come home from work and have a short time in that position before I tackled the dinner and evening chores.

 

[Ellejay]

Just dropped in to say hello to all friends, I've had a resting day today after a fairly tough PT session yesterday most of my leg muscles have been sore. We went out for a tea and cake at John Lewis this afternoon, totally free thanks to our 'My John Lewis' cards, the bill would have been more than £10! The only problem with going out is the parking - we couldn't get close to the shops so my husband had to drop me and go off to park, which meant I was standing for a good ten minutes waiting for him, which wasn't very comfortable.
I've cut down on my pain killers, I'm only on 4 paracetamol and 4 Tramadol in a 24 hr period. Last night although I woke up at 3am, I wasn't in pain, so I just used my ice pack and slept through until 8 this morning.
My knee isn't really swollen any more, but it's still very stiff. My 'good'' knee us actually more painful than the operated knee now, I'm walking like a cyber an from Dr Who.
I do hope everyone is safe with this diabolical weather we are all having, whichever country we seem to be in.
Have a good evening/ night / day xx

 

[NuNe4Me]

Hi @DogLoverx3 I always did find it a comfortable position even before the surgery.

Yes, I do too.

I can't believe they wouldn't measure your ROM. My PT does it whenever I ask. Sure he rolls his eyes, but I explain that with all the other challenges I seem to be having with my recovery, at least a good ROM number is motivating to me.

That doesn't motivate me at all. I want to beat PT over the head with their ROM measurment thingy. ROM will come in time. You have plenty of time to work on it. There is no sense in getting all upset over ROM, at this point. But, different things motivate different people - as jeano says: "there are many ways to Rome".

Here in Ohio, we currently have 18 inches of snow. I am: happy, happy, happy. =) The colder, the better for me. (I haven't been able to talk my family into moving to Alaska yet.)

Have a good day. Stay safe. Here's to: "good circulation"! =)

 

[Ellejay]

@Josephine, could I ask for your advice please, (& anyone else who may have been in my situation).

I am 5 weeks post TKR today and my operated knee, my right, is doing very well, I'm walking well on it, it is hardly swollen (1cm larger than the other knee), if I want to I can go up and down stairs normally - slowly but normally - but I try to use the stairs just twice a day.

I've cut down on my pain meds - a combination of Tramadol and paracetamol with no ill effect. I'm taking two paracetamol when I wake up, 1 Tramadol & 1 p'mol late morning, the same late afternoon and 1 T'dol at bed time. I sometimes take a T'dol if I wake up in the night.

I'm still very much resting at home, I do my light exercises, I have a small pedal exerciser I use three or four times throughout the day, I ice, elevate and rest for the majority of the day. I still haven't prepared a meal five weeks on.

My problem is my left knee, which has complained since the operation that it is having to do too much. It is going to be replaced, but my OS and I hoped that it would wait another year, especially as the new knee would take over and take the strain. After the first Group PT session, which was hardly strenuous, it got very painful, remembering the history of my right knee I suspect that the cartilage is torn. It is really hindering my walking and my recovery now, it is so painful.

The pain meds I'm taking for my right knee are not touching it . I used to take Diclofenac when my right knee was in the same condition (naproxen brought me out in mouth ulcers and ibubrofen didn't touch it), but I'm sure I can't mix these meds.

In theory I'm booked for an ultrasound guided injection into this left knee in a couple of weeks time, but do you think that will have any effect on a torn cartilage? Do you think I'm heading for another arthroscopy. I said I didn't want to bother with an arthroscopy on this knee, as I'm probably going to end up with a new knee anyway, I'd rather not go through GAs and painful procedures, and just wait for the TKR, but obviously I can't stand this pain for another year.

I am seeing my OS on Monday week, but your advice and suggestions would be really welcome so I have the right discussion points ready when I meet with him.
Thank you for reading my ramble.

 

[dogwheels]

Hi - sorry to hear that your other knee is playing up, just as you are doing so well with the new one. It seems weird that the meds that are dealing with the post op pain in your operated knee aren't touching the other one. I do hope that you get some relief from it soon - it must be so annoying. My other knee was misbehaving pre-surgery and I think I need another repair - but resting is obviously doing it good as it has calmed down now. I am hoping with a bit of preservation that one will be OK for a good many years yet. Yours however, must be in a really bad way and it must be so frustrating and painful.
BTW - saw your scar pic ......... looking good!
Hope the pain from your knee doesn't spoil your weekend too badly and that you get a good outcome when you meet up with your OS.
Take care
ChrisX

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hi @Ellejay. It's strange you saying about your left knee. Mine is now troublesome too. Yesterday it let me down during lunges by doing that bone on bone, clunky, grinding sensation and it gave way three times. I mentioned it to the PT who suggested I do more exercises. I already exercise it the same time as the other one! Then he said to mention it when I see my consultant in10 days. I am terrified that this is going like the other one because it's starting to react the same as the right one pre op!!!

My logical head is saying that maybe I've been putting too much strain on it or over compensating but I don't think I have. I will be very interested in what @Josephine has to say about this to you. I really do not want to go through this again!!!!
Love Nana Moon 27

 

[Nana moon 27]

@Ellejay your knees look fantastic. Wowee!!!!! You should be proud x x x x x

 

[Ellejay]

Hi @Nana moon 27, I'm sorry to hear that your other knee is playing up as well, just think, we could go through it all over again together. Sorry, I don't mean I haven't enjoyed your company, I've loved our 'chats', but I was hoping to have a couple of years before going through it all again.
Hope your caravan continues to be ok, it would break my heart if anything happened to ours! I love my holidays in it. It's usually safe and secure in our back garden, ready for a quick getaway should we fancy a trip away, but it's having some modifications made back where we bought it, near to Gloucester, I do hope it's safe there.
I hope that your throat improves bad that you have a good weekend.
xx Lyn

 

[yiayia3]

Hi all it must be catching my left knee not happy at all its more swollen now than the new one,I have to have this one done but not yet need a nice summer first,what a wild night hope everyone was safe

 

[Ellejay]

Hi @yiayia3, oh dear, you too? What is going on, you'd think our un operated knees would appreciate all the rest they are being given, but no, this is how they repay us. It is just so frustrating to be limited in walking by the 'wrong' knee. I really feel I'm making progress with my right knee now, but I can't show off as I'm limping so badly on the left one .
How are the water levels near to you now? Still a long way away I hope. Isn't this wind dreadful, I think my neighbours and us will have to have a 'reclaiming' session once it's all over, there are so many things in my garden I don't recognise and I'm sure some of my pots have disappeared. We have a bay tree in a large pot and that has spent more time on its side than upright recently. It's supposed to be a lovely day tomorrow, let's hope we can all make the most of it.

 

[yiayia3]

@Ellejay The river level went down but now due to rise again its a nightmare for so may people, we have been very lucky so far as we live very near the Thames so fingers crossed