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TKR Finally!!! The second new knee!

@fiberlady - I had a fun day. A friend came out to visit to show me how to knit a "true" möbius cowl. Here I thought I knew how and had done one out of handspun years ago, following Elizabeth Zimmerman's directions. However, what I knit then was a scarf that I flipped one end and joined them. Not a true möbius at all. There is a good video on YouTude showing how to get started, by Cat Bordhi, which really helps.

Hope you are feeling better today! I tried snowshoeing in my youth, but I think they've redesigned snowshoes since then and are much easier to walk in now. You go for it!!!
 
PT was happy with my progress today, my bend was great and my extension for this leg is 0 I am one happy camper. She said that it is possible I could increase the extension on the other leg with stretch exercises. I am hoping she is right and it will get a little better than it is.

I was so worried about finding a good place for PT that would be like my last place, well, I found the perfect place that is even better than my last place. They are doing things to my leg that they did not do before and all gentle massages and stretches and I do have to say it is really working.

Had a fairly good sleep last night, went to therapy this morning, came home put some ice on my knee for about 10 minutes and then took a 2 1/2 hour nap. I told my husband it was a long winter nap. It felt good.

@Threads I am going to watch that video. My warp is on and I am ready to weave. I can't wait, I have missed throwing the shuttle. I have not tried spinning anymore, I did try using my e-spinner and got frustrated so packed it back up and haven't attempted to try it again.
 
What a good report! It's great to hear of your progress and that you are really happy with your new PT clinic. Naps are good - don't feel guilty about having one. I had one when my friend left yesterday!

@fiberlady - Good for you getting the warp on and ready to weave. I'm still planning, and planning, and planning in my head without actually progressing at all. I have no excuse because my Fox Fibre arrived on Monday and now I have the yarn I need. Maybe you'll inspire me!

Glad your days are better. I think we'll take a page out of your book tomorrow and head for our little conservatory with our new cameras. We've got another deluge of rain coming, but that shouldn't matter inside!
 
A very painful night last night. The pain meds didn't even touch the pain. Got up this morning, iced, elevated and took a pain pill. A little better now, but wow, it was not a happy knee last night.

I am beginning to hate the snow. I feel trapped in my house. A box was left at the mail box today, I went out to go get, I was careful, it felt good to get out. I just can't tell hubby I did that, he worries so much about me falling. I was very very careful.
 
I hope today was better, @fiberlady. I wonder what triggered your knee? Is your path iced?

I've been having bouts of RLS, but I can take my remedy and it will settle down in about 1/2 hour. It seems to like to "dance" around 2:30. I've got a quiet weekend, so plan to get the draft worked out for the scarf. Hope you felt well enough to work on a project or two.
 
When I went to PT on Friday first thing she asked if I had pain. I told her it hit me at night, she said she figured as much, so she went a little easier on some of the massage techniques she did on Wednesday. I iced and elevated when I got home on Friday and actually had a pretty good night, my back has been bothering me mostly from sleeping I one spot all night, so I have been trying to lay on my side, at least for a little while. Mit seems to be okay. She sent me home with another set of exercises, so different than the last PT, and I can really tell how much improvement my knee and leg have made and all very simple exercises and she stresses, do not do them if they hurt.

It is getting easier to get into the car, the knee is bending so much better and I am able to keep it down longer especially riding in the car before it starts to get tired. Actually went to the fabric store today to buy some buttons and was able to walk around with the basket and stand in line to pay for my purchases without too much trouble. The small achievements mean a lot.

@Threads I am totally on the loom and weaving simple mug rugs, love it, these will be Christmas gifts. Started knitting another hat, finished crocheting the cowl (it can now be mailed out) and finished my granddaughters fox hat. Feeling very accomplished. I want to start tying on my scarves to my dummy warp so that I can try weaving on the floor loom. I am going to sit down at it and try pressing the treadles and see if I can lift my leg. My PT has me doing a simple exercise of lifting my leg and touching a short version of a caution cone. I can do it standing with no problem. How was your trip to the conservatory?
 
WOW - you've been a super achiever in all areas! It must feel great to get out and do something ordinary like shopping in a fabric store! I'm glad your getting the sleep you need and also that you have a PT you are happy with!

I'm hung up on creating the draft for the scarf - I've taken workshops on units and blocks but when it comes to putting it together, I get stuck! I've finished the two outer ruffles for the shawl and my friend comes Monday and we'll work through the process of joining the two ruffles we've each knitted.

The trip to the conservatory was good in some ways - poor in others. I left my cane at home because I didn't think I could carry it and my camera equipment. I needed my hands free to change lenses, etc. It was a bit unnerving in a couple of spots not to have my cane for support, but I did it. The conservatory is quite small, so there wasn't an issue of me having to walk too far. I took a lot of photos, from different angles and heights and that worked well. However, when we got inside the skies opened and we were hit by a torrential rain storm. It blocked the light coming in through the roof, and there isn't much artificial light. So all the photos we took were full of "noise" which is a result of low light. However, the point was to test out our cameras, and that was fun.
 
Today was six weeks post op and the last two days have been a major set back for me. Yesterday was probably one of the roughest days. Had a major sinus headache and when I tried to cook dinner my knee swelled up and became very stiff, hubby had to finish the dinner while I rested the leg.

Today at therapy, I was doing really well, they showed me a few new exercises and all seemed well, no pain before or during the exercises. When I got home I was tired, sat and elevated and iced. And that is when the pain in my left hip got really bad. I know the hip is getting bad but I was hoping it would hold off for a while. I had to take a pain meds. Tried to make dinner again tonight and used the stool to sit on while I chopped the vegetables.

I then went to a meeting and was only there for an hour and a half when my knee just became very unhappy. I called hubby to come pick me up. Came home elevated and iced a bit then took pain meds.

I guess these days will happen but they are hard to take. I guess tomorrow is a day of rest, the world will not come to an end if don't get anything done. This knee just wants to remind me who is boss.
 
@fiberlady - listen to your knee!!! It sounds like you are trying to do a lot. At 6 weeks post op I was just home from rehab and wasn't doing nearly what you have been and are still trying to do. Get out your knitting and relax with ice tomorrow. You've got more stuff going on than just one knee trying to recover, please take it easy.
 
The knee seems to be doing just fine it is the rest of the body that is having a problem. My hip just doesn't seem to like the exercises I have been doing to help strengthen my knee. They don't hurt and don't bother my knee at all, but at least a few hours later the pain in my hip becomes a bit much. I see my OS on Monday and might talk about an injection in my hip. Maybe that will help. Now my back seems to be out of whack.

My frustration is how much slower this knee is responding than the last one and I know I should not compare them as every knee is different. I was back to work at 6 weeks with my right knee and had good bend. This is moving slow and thankgoodness I am retired now as I would not be able to return to work at 6 weeks.

Trust me I am not doing that much stuff, I ice elevate and rest a lot. I do my exercises and try to do one or two fun things a day. Like my weaving on a table loom while sitting with my leg up and knitting. I did go for a little walk yesterday, just at the pharmacy. I wanted to get my granddaughter a valentine. So I was not walking too much or standing for too long as there was no one else in the store.

PT has had me do some different exercises that will not affect my hip but will stretch the muscles. We will see if that makes a difference. The pain in my hip tonight is probably a 4. I took a pain pill, but it helped my back but not my hip. I didn't do anything today except therapy, rest, ice elevate and some knitting. When my granddaughter came over her and I played with play dough and with her puzzles. I was sitting with my leg up the whole time.

I am really hoping that depression won't creep up on me. I hope the OS has an answer for me with how to deal with all of this.
 
@fiberlady - sorry to hear you're in a "one step back" mode. I'm 3 months today - very hard to believe that the time has flown that fast. This week my knees were not as happy as they have been and my back has been a bit sore. Probably from doing exercises on the floor. I go to PT today and have some questions.

Is the hip that's bothering you the one that hasn't been replaced and the one above your new knee? Last time you had a new hip in place, before your knee was done - could that be part of the problem??? Your bad hip is putting extra pressure in your new knee. Are you slated to have your left hip replaced? I'm glad you are seeing your OS on Monday, but he/she might say it's early days yet, which it is.

I finally gave up trying to reinvent the wheel for my DIL's birthday scarf. I found a scarf designed by Donna Sullivan in the Best of Huck. She has a version in her book on Handwoven Laces but I like the other version better. She had woven it in silk but this one will be Fox Fibre cotton. It calls for a thicker yarn as a "framer" so I'm plying the dark brown cotton to make the thicker yarn. My DIL wants subtle and I usually put colour in what I do, so this will be different. The draft itself is what will make it stand out as handwoven.

Trust you are having a better day today!
 
@Threads Yes it is the hip that is above the new knee and it needs to be replaced. It was not as bad as the other hip and I thought I could mange. The pain level in the hip today is a good 6. Which I do believe is affecting my knee. I have been knitting a new cowl from some shepherds mill ends yarn that is so soft it is DK weight about 237 yards and the pattern is so very simple that even I can manage it. Cast on 139 stitches, join, no need for a marker, knit 10 and purl 10, repeat until all the yarn is gone. I just have to remember how to count to ten. :heehee:

Hubby wanted me to come into his office today to help him out a bit, I just could not do it. Maybe next week. I want to see what the OS says first. I am hoping that he will suggest an injection in the hip. That will help with the pain for a few months as I know it is way too soon to have the hip done. I was five months apart on the last hip and knee.

I do have good bend at least I think I do 102 and 0 extension. I feel good about that. The pain made for a restless night last night. I have a lunch date tomorrow with a dear friend I used to work with. It will be good to see her, I hope it brightens up my spirits.

I still cannot sit for very long with my knee hanging down. I tend to do better in the car than just sitting on a chair, as the last car ride we took I was in the car for an hour and did just fine.

It is very cold here, feels like the tundra and kind of looks like also, at least we are better off than some that are getting hit again with several more inches of snow. We have been having a lot of sunny days which helps but it would be nice if it would just warm up a bit and melt some of this white stuff.

I am hoping that things will get better. I just feel a little frustrated.
 
fiberlady said:
The knee seems to be doing just fine it is the rest of the body that is having a problem. My hip just doesn't seem to like the exercises I have been doing to help strengthen my knee. They don't hurt and don't bother my knee at all, but at least a few hours later the pain in my hip becomes a bit much.
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I'm sorry your hip is hurting.

Can I suggest you stop doing the strengthening exercises? As far as your knee is concerned, it's too early to be doing any strengthening exercises, as you are still in the healing stage. Since they're upsetting your hip, why do them? Your knee will continue to gain strength as you use it more, anyway.

@Roy Gardiner (I think) wrote an excellent article about the difference between PT for rehabilitation and PT for strengthening, but I can't find it just now.
 
@Celle @Roy Gardiner I read the articles about the exercise and what I am doing falls in this category. I wish I could show you what they have me doing, so very simple things that cause no pain and I do for a few seconds and can do at home. None of the exercises raise my heart rate, make me sweat, or cause any pain while I am doing them. I do see my OS on Monday so I will ask him what he thinks I should do. Any of the exercises that I stood an moved my leg out to the side or to the back have stopped as they think those could be irritating my hip. I do the standing on my tip toes, walking up and down a small step that is lower than the steps at home, I stand on a piece of foam and see if I can balance myself, they do some massage on my leg, but nothing that causes any pain in any way. I have not even moved to any machines yet, just simple exercises. I stand on a rolled up towel to feel a slight pull on the back of my leg. I have been doing this one for awhile before my hip started to hurt so I know this one did not irritate it. I do the march and sit in a chair and slide my foot back and forth on a towel. I can't think of anything else that I am doing right now.

I knew my hip was going when I had the knee done, but did not expect it to flare up. I will keep you informed as to what the OS says on Monday.
 
OK. What you're doing sounds fine.

Just don't start doing squats or anything with weights yet.
 
First night in a few days that the pain meds are working and I am not having any pain. I hope it lasts all night and I can get some sleep. :sleeep:
 
Well the pain seemed to be okay last night , but I still did not get the sleep, hoping tonight will give way to sleep. I am glad to say that the knee feels pretty darn good. The hip on the other hand is miserable. I guess hip replacement is in my near future, I was trying to hold off for a long while, but it doesn't look like it will let me.
 
@fiberlady - sorry to hear that your hip continues to misbehave. Is the OS you are seeing Monday, the same one that did your other hip? Sending wishes and fairy dust for a restful sleep tonight - you need it!
 
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