TKR Fire wolf recovery<

[Fire wolf]

I can handle that long of "awhile", especially since it may take that long to adjust to working again while being nice to Bionic Spence. I read somewhere here that going back to work is much more involved than one would expect, and I can see that. So in fact, my therapy is now doing work stuff again!

 

[liam2015]

Fire wolf...if you can, wear a summer dress or loose leg pants to work and show everyone your scar, telling them that recovery takes up to a year. The visual might help your co-workers to understand that knee replacement surgery is traumatic and painful. Do you struggle to get up out of a chair or out of your car and have to take a few heavy steps to get going? Try not to be stoic hiding your pain ~ let them see that it takes a lot for you to get back to work. I am so sorry to hear about your accident in hospital after surgery, opening your incision and spraining your ankle. Good luck at work.

 

[Fire wolf]

@kmak81230 I think if people saw the surgery they would vomit! Most can't even tolerate the pics I have of the morning after the fall before they restapled!

@liam2015 I am thinking about walking around with a baseball bat so whenever anyone says that I should be fine I can take my best swing at one of their knees and tell them that's almost what it feels like at the start, and come back and see me when you feel fantastic again!

My PA set a med student straight at my first follow up by telling the student that this is probably one of the most barbaric surgeries, and that they should really be required to observe one before going into orthopaedics, and that many will pass out the first time they are in OR watching! She even said that she had to push off the OS during surgery to get more leverage to get my joint exposed.

 

[kmak81230]

Yikes - to be honest I cannot bring myself to watch it - I'm a big wuss when it comes to that stuff.

 

[Fire wolf]

Haha! I wanted to watch my own, but they told me that I couldn't. I think that we should all get a complimentary DVD of our own surgery! It would give us something to do when we get bored out of our minds or can't sleep!

 

[kneeper]

In my experience it was ok to do some light stretching and maybe 20-30 minutes light exercise a couple of days a week once I was back to work. But mostly, as you've learned, just going back to work takes a toll on the knee. But it will continue to get better if, as you say, you are "nice to Spence."

 

[kmak81230]

That would be fun to watch our own - probably worried we would sue if we saw something going awry.

 

[liam2015]

haha fire wolf...let them vomit. make them feel you're doing them a favour coming into work every day lol!

 

[Fire wolf]

@kneeper I think that I probably need to do the stretching, otherwise everything just tightens up more and hurts. My exercise will just consist of the walking from the parking areas to the buildings, as I often have to carry stuff as well.

I am trying to be nicer to Bionic Spence. That is hard for me though. Since I have had so many orthopaedic surgeries, I just straight out tell my OS and PTs that they need to tell me what not to do, rather than what to do, as I will always try to more!




@liam2015 I have shown people anyway! A couple of people I sent it to via text, so surprise! It's definitely something that you can't unsee! HeeHee!

@kmak81230, I can't even sue due to the fall, so I doubt we could do anything anyway At least that nurse's aide no longer works there.

 

[Fire wolf]

I took it pretty easy yesterday and today so far as well, but have a nagging pain in my groin and quads, and Spence tightens up alot. Why does it seem like I am going backwards

 

[Jajakio]

While I wasn't able to watch my own surgery, I was able to watch my surgeon do the same conformis custom knee for another patient on YouTube. Real time surgery just over 1 hour. I thought it was fascinating and answered every question I had from how much blood loss to how did he close. It wasn't what I expected but it was educational.

 

[Fire wolf]

Starting to feel like I am losing my mind! Have been icing, elevating and resting most of the day to try to both recover from my 1st week back to work, and prepare for upcoming week, which I am dreading, as I have 3 days of 2 hr one way commute to drive, then sit for most of 8 hr work day. I'm not sleeping well, so that combined with the fact that I have narcolepsy, is just going to make for long and exhausting says itself, plus I have to deal with whatever Spence throws my way! Ugh!

For whatever reason I am having twitching or muscle spasms in my quads which is driving me crazy, along with some pain I mentioned on an earlier post. So frustrated with myself because prior to last week I thought I was doing really well. And I am so sick of sitting around! That little taste of freedom and normalcy from returning to work has made this doing nothing thing even harder. Or maybe my mood is just all over the place! Just want to be finished with this already! Made the mistake of going to the BS library and reading about amazing recovery stories, and now wishing that was me.

 

[Josephine]

I think if people saw the surgery they would vomit!

I didn't! In fact I loved it!

My PA set a med student straight at my first follow up by telling the student that this is probably one of the most barbaric surgeries

Oh that's not true. That PA must have led a very sheltered life! I could tell some stories but I don't think anyone would like it much!!

She even said that she had to push off the OS during surgery to get more leverage to get my joint exposed

Done more than that in my time! Hence now the wrecked shoulders!

That would be fun to watch our own

I was able to get an ex-colleague to take my camera and take photos of one of my surgeries! Here's one but it's hidden so you don't have to look at it if you prefer not to!

Spoiler: beware - graphic surgery!

 

[Fire wolf]

I absolutely love seeing pics and videos of surgeries! Thanks for sharing! I would love the stories! I have a feeling that the PA was also trying to get the point across to me that my body had just had a great deal of trauma so I should not expect too much too soon. My goal pre-surgery was driving and back to work almost fully recovered in 4 weeks!

 

[Josephine]

I'll try and remember some!

 

[Fire wolf]

Have my 12 week follow up visit with OS tomorrow. Was hoping for better progress. I am not going to mention my recent trip to the amusement park with my niece and nephew (s/p 11 wks). I take them every year, and wanted to be sure to take them before returning to work as I knew I wouldn't have time to take off. Had an amazing day, so much fun, and I was so proud of not needing a jazzy! 20,000+ steps unaided! I made sure to take pain meds throughout the day and rested when needed. So to go from that to today with increase in pain and stiffness is a bit disconcerting, especially since it seems to have come from a week of going to work. Ugh.

 

[kmak81230]

Rest up and hopefully you will feel better tomorrow. Glad you were able to do the amusement park -- it's so good to have a non-knee obsessed day now and then and I'll be your niece and nephew had a great time. 20,000 stepsNo wonder you're a bit stiff and sore today.

 

[Fire wolf]

@kmak81230 thanks, but that was a week ago Friday, and I wasn't having any major problems afterwards. I rested and iced afterwards. The pain and stiffness today has been with me since about Tues of this past week, the week I returned to work. Also have been feeling as if leg is losing strength. Not sure why, but it is all very frustrating.

 

[kmak81230]

I had the same after I returned to work - it will get better but you really have to cut back on other activity if you are also working - at least for a couple of weeks until your body adjusts to the new routine.

 

[Fire wolf]

Yes, Josephine suggested the same, and I am totally ok with doing that. I didn't realize that returning to work would be such a big deal since I do sit most of the day. Of course it's not on the couch with my leg elevated!