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TKR Finally recovering

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WOW!!!!!! OK, so that is great news. I'm going to get back to icing and do it every time I am relaxing. Again, should have known that - but do now!
 
WOW, I am going ice even more and longer, and ice during work- why didn't I think about that! Going back to ice and my 'knee-cation! Thanks, everyone!
 
Not sure I am doing this right. Buddhabear, or Kathy, here. I usually just respond to other posts. 4+ months from my LTKR and 5+ from my RTKR. I have been sharing that I found this site only recently and definitely after I had seriously over done with aggressive PT and my own follow up with aggressive exercises. A month ago the pain returned with a vengeance although gratefully I have great ROM. OS so impressed, but saw him last week after x-rays and blood work, and he reiterated what you have all said. I need to slow to a crawl for a while, ice, elevate, rest. I have bursitis, tendonitis, small tissues damage. I am trying so hard to slow down. It's not the exercising now, I am doing everything you have all said, it's the everyday demands of my job. I have deadlines, and responsibilities, and to tell you the truth, I have an administration that is not quite able to understand what i am going through and they are getting a little sick of it. I am 62 and am facing age-ism anyway. I am behind as it is because I haven't been 100% since I was out for 14 weeks. It's 7:00 AM and I am trying to get the nerve to call work and take the day off. Since I just took a Vicodin that decision has already been made. Can't work with the pain meds, can't work with the pain. Can't rest and ice at work, although have tried to make that happen - it just doesn't work. So guess what I am saying is I am so depressed. Damned if I do. Damned if I don't. Started a crying jag last night and feel like a failure at everything. Christmas tree still up reminds me my home life isn't going much better either. Some thing has to give.
 
Buddhabear, I am so sorry that you find yourself in this quandary. And things are probably going to take a while to level out both with your recovery and things at work. But the problem is circumstances---NOT YOU!
You are NOT a failure, you are just feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances of your life at the moment. When I had my hip done (and it was much easier than the knees) my Christmas tree stayed up 'til March---and some things, like this, are truly not that important. In the grand scheme of things, how important will this be 10 years from now?

As best you can, putting things in perspective is needed to make getting through this easier for you. And, perhaps, seeking out the most sympathetic member of admin and having a real heart to heart with this person who could advocate for you with the others might be an answer. I can imagine that the stress of all this is taking a toll on you and is not helping with recovery. Wish I had a magic wand to wave all your troubles away---but hard as it may seem at the moment, these things, too, shall pass given time.

I have an avatar for you, Kathy, if you'd like to use it. If you will just click on the picture and "save picture as" in a folder where you store your pics, then at the top of the forum page hover your mouse over your user name then click on "avatar" from the drop down menu--then click "browse" and find the pic and double click it--you'll have an avatar of your own. Here's a buddhabear just for you:
[Bonesmart.org] Finally recovering
I have sized it to fit perfectly for you.

Take care and keep us posted. We really do care. [Bonesmart.org] Finally recovering
 
Buddabear,
Sorry to hear of all the troubles you are having with your knees and work. You are doing the best you can, this recovery is a marathon, and some of us take longer than others. Hope you get the rest and pain relief you need for today.
I try to time my vicodin so I am OK to work in the morning, but sometimes it is not possible.
Have your OS give you a note for missing work, that may help with your job.
Good luck and all the best,:SUNsmile:
 
hi, sorry to hear you are having such a rough time of it all - sounds horrible and work making things difficult as well really isnt nice of them.

You have great ROM so thats something ! I do hope you are able to figure things out and work and meanwhile get lots of rest and take things as easy as you can. do take care and keep posting, everyone here is great and will help and offer advice and support as much as you need. :flwrysmile:
 
Hugs Buddahbear!! I am 4.5 mos out and life still is not back to what I expected. I still ache and get stiff, walking too much then makes my hips hurt. You do have good ROM, so thats a plus in your column. I still struggle with it, but its getting better. No one who has not had a tkr can understand how much this hurts, and how long the recovery can be. Some just breeze thru this, and others like you and me struggle a little more. Our knees are in control, not us. We are here for you. Vent away, we all understand. I am so glad I no longer work, I would probably still be out of work. Hugs!
 
Well, you know it's true - people, employers especially - just do NOT understand what this is like. Only we who have been through it do. But you got to do what you got to do. It's that simple. I was at work today seeing employees who have been off sick and I am constantly told by the manager at briefing "oh he's only got xyz" like it's a common cold. They have NO idea.
 
Kathy, I so hope you get the rest and pain relief you need to go forward!:console2: Life has such a learning curve, and some times we're at the bottom and some times we're at the top! One thing you did learn, and this my friend is a very big lesson, is that if you do aggressive PT and/or aggressive exercises, it will kick you in the butt so to speak! Trial and error, you tried and it didn't do you any good, actually it set you back! Now from here it should be slow and easy, patience and lots of it, there is no rush to full recovery, just think how long it took your knees to get to the point of needing replacements. Now your whole body is effected and must realign, plus your knee muscles, ligaments and tendons need to heal and that takes time.
Come here often and vent, we'll be here to support you, that's what we do for each other because nobody understand like we do, because we've all been through it! I hope you feel better soon!:console2:
 
And, Josephine, before I was diagnosed, I had no idea what aTKR was or what it entailed. So I can't expect too much from others now. I am so grateful to be able to vent to all of you. I actually did call a friend who has been verry supportive after I posted here, and contined my little cry for a little longer - then slept which I really needed. I didn't go to work today- rested,ice, and elevating, and getting some work done too. Had to plan half days over the weekend to get done what has to get done but I can make that work. Thanks for the avatar, I'm on my ipad but will move to my computer a bit later. Thank you all so much. I really am doing the best I can and I am learning so much.
 
I know how you feel about work colleagues just not realising whats happening with you. I was lucky in that work from home but I did have to go in a couple of times a month for meetings. I think at 10 weeks post op I was at a meeting. I'd told them the maximum I could do was 2 hours and I'd done my presentation but this meeting then just went on and on talking rubbish. I started to get really sore sitting so long and was getting angry so I quietly packed up my computer and 2 big folders and excused myself. Not one of the other 5 people in the room offered to help carry the stuff out. So I limped out, quads gave way so I stumbled, almost dropped the computer. Still nobody helped me. As I opened the door to leave somebody said to my back "thanks for coming". I left in tears, fortunately nobody could see.
 
Magaret! Oh did that meeting scenario ring a bell! What we have learned about what we have to face and what we then over come! And the tears we have cried alone. So glad we can cry here.
Just took a long hot bath and put my focus on the great bend in my knee. That is what it is all about. Going to be grateful for that, and the fact that I now know a knee-cation here and there and won't put my ROM in reverse. And grateful for all you today, you got me through.
 
Been off my silly knees as much as I can, which I know is only what I can do - but I know the pain is worse!!! Today in New england we had ice and as I looked to the ground as I walked, like an OLD LADY, I noticed my left foot - my most recent TKR - was facing not forward but noticeably to the left. Noticeably. I tried to walk with my foot facing forward and it would - but only if I made it. Not on it's own. 4.5 months later! Advice please from you wonderful people who know. Could this be the cause of all this pain? Is my leg off? I never presented this to my OS because I can't believe it, I didn't notice! I'm crooked!!!!! And my pain is increasing on the outside of my left knee, below and above. Ice, elevating hasn't helped. So since I have noticed I have concentrated on walking with my left foot facing straight forward but I tell you, I can't be looking at my feet every time I walk. Last night I spent hours looking through posts here looking for what I am going through, and couldn't find exactly what I am experiencing other than the obvious over doing. Now, the tendonitis and my angry bursae are in both knees, and that's what hurts but am I continuing to aggregate the situation because my foot is off. Remember, my OS did x-rays two weeks ago and knees are fine. I remember early in recovery from both knees when I laid on my back with my legs straight and feet up, after each knee was done it took a while before my foot would stop, as I described it, laying down. Laying to the side. Just didn't look at what they were doing when I was walking. Help. I am ready to leave work for a while to rest these silly knees, but if it's not about rest, and it's about my being 'crooked', I' m not wasting my sick time til I know. As I said laying off with absolutely nothing but life required activity hasn't helped.

I am tagging Josephine to respond to this.
 
One a more positive note, I must tell you this story. I went to my hair salon today and the woman I have been with for years knows what I have been through. When she put me under the dryer, she put a chair with a pillow on it in front of me so I could elevate. She then came back with ice packs for me knees, saying, we have a number of women who have knee problems and we keep them in the freezer all the time! Can you believe that????
 
Nice to know somebody understands - even if it's only your hairdresser. You work colleagues could take a lesson!

As for the crooked foot - I think it's more likely due to the pain issues rather than the reason for them as you are still in the very early days of your recovery and have been back to work very soon. This could well account for it. If you can take time off work to rest, I should. I would also leave it for at least another 4 months before you start worrying about malaligment issues.
 
So so grateful to come home tonight to a post from you Josephine. And to all, in the past two days my pain has returned to almost my three week out point. I can turn my foot in and it doesn't hurt when I do, it just seems to now be naturally 'crooked'. Called my OS this morning. Now mind you, I think I have said good by to him more than once thinking all was done. Then the bursitis, tendonitis, soft tissue damage from over doing. Blah, blah, blah.Explained to his RN what was going on, said I need a note to stay out of work for a week - thank you all for supporting me in doing that - she said, he will call you. He has never called me. He did within the hour. I was at the point of tears. I said I was proud of my physical health. I wanted to be the best at crossfit, of course for my age, but I reveled in them saying I was the most fit 50 year old, then the most fit 55 year old, then the most fit 60 year old. I Most importantly told him I wanted to be the poster child for TKR recovery - after all, that's what my PT had said. I told him I wanted to be his best patient, I didn't want to be calling this far out, and at this much pain. Do you know what he said to me and I quote, 'you want to be my best patient, and I want to be your best doctor. We are going back to square one, a full work up for hips and back'. We will fix you.' I could cry, ok, osteoarthritis is osteoarthritis. I know it Doesn't discriminate. So I am icing, elevating, resting, and suddenly don't feel like.a cry baby. He heard me. May mean I have some work to be done,but this is Wednesday, and he is seeing me for the work up and full x-rays next wednesday. Fitting me in. Knees don't hurt any less, but something hurts inside my soul so much less.
 
[Bonesmart.org] Finally recovering
Sometimes we get wonderful surprises---and you surely got one yesterday. Your OS is very special and you are very lucky. All the best.
 
Oh BuddhaBear - what a wonderful surprise and heartwarming response. After reading your thread, to hear him respond to you like take just filled me with joy for you. You have worked so hard and are enduring some tough lessons as a result - but you so deserve his interest and support. Do let us know how your work-up works out! Being totally bionic now myself, I know exactly what you mean about osteoarthritis being indiscriminate! Good luck!
 
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